¹⁶ Bind up ^(A)the testimony; ^(B)seal the teaching^[a] among my disciples.

⁴ But you, Daniel, ^(A)shut up the words and ^(B)seal the book, until ^(C)the time of the end. ^(D)Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”

³⁴ He did not speak to them ^(A)without a parable, but ^(B)privately to his own disciples he ^(C)explained everything.

The Purpose of the Parables

¹⁰ And ^(A)when he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. ¹¹ And he said to them, ^(B)“To you has been given ^(C)the secret of the kingdom of God, but for ^(D)those outside everything is in parables,

¹¹ And he answered them, ^(A)“To you it has been given to know ^(B)the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.

¹⁰ Then ^(A)I fell down at his feet to worship him, ^(B)but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to ^(C)the testimony of Jesus. Worship God.” For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

⁴ And when the seven thunders had sounded, I was about to write, but I heard a voice from heaven saying, ^(A)“Seal up what the seven thunders have said, and do not write it down.”

⁵ And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, ^(A)the Lion ^(B)of the tribe of Judah, ^(C)the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”

The Scroll and the Lamb

5 Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne ^(A)a scroll written within and on the back, ^(B)sealed with seven seals.