What does it mean, "many shall go to and fro?"

In Daniel 12:4 it is written, "But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time; many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase." (NASB) The KJV states, "But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased."

To and fro. Back and forth. What does that mean exactly? John W. Ritenbaugh wrote in a Forerunner Commentary:

"The phrase "to and fro" is not to be limited to people literally going from one place to another. While it does also mean that, the words in Hebrew indicate something that is happening entirely within a person's mind. The minds of people are casting back and forth as though they are in midst of a puzzle, a mystery, an enigma that they cannot figure out. Or, they are all stressed, and their minds are flashing back and forth because of all that is burdening them."

As for the rest of the prophecy, he wrote, "The phrase "knowledge will be increased" is a direct reference to the prophecy itself; that is, knowledge of the prophecy will be increased. Many would seek to understand it between Daniel's time and its fulfillment, but its message must be revealed. However, its revelation will not occur until the people of God need to understand it for their well-being and God's glory."

I believe the 'increased knowledge' and the 'back and forth' is happening now. Lately there has been a widespread explosion of interest in prophecy. Lay-people who speak about the end times are not marginalized or looked at as crazy but are listened to. Many have an opinion an an interest in prophecy these days to some degree or other. Knowledge (not always correct knowledge) about prophecy is increasing among many peoples, not just Christians.

As people become more interested in prophecy, they are listening to and watching the end-time prophecy preachers. And those preachers themselves (many of them) seem to be going 'to and fro', "back and forth" about different aspects of prophecy. Some of this, of course, is to be expected. As Ritenbaugh mentioned, only God knows the fullness of His plans. We only know what He chooses to reveal, and some of that is clouded on purpose, such as in the Daniel prophecy. For millennia, people could not understand the prophecies, and God is only just now revealing these in His time.

However, there is an aspect to this prophecy that has another side to it. Mike Mickey at RaptureAlert has reported via Nathan Jones at Lamb and Lion Ministries that The Gospel Tract Society has abandoned the Pre-tribulation rapture in a moment of drastic refocus.

The pre-trib stance is biblical, and states that prior to the Great Tribulation and the moment when the Antichrist is revealed, Jesus will call His Church up to Him where we will meet Him in the air. The ensuing wrath God sends to the earth are His judgments against a rebellious humanity, something that the saved will not have to endure. As for his about face, Tom Buttram of the Gospel Tract Society responded to Nathan Jones that "As though someone reprinted my Bible overnight," he now sees things differently. The Society wrote on their website, "Most importantly, we have made a major shift in one core belief that the Church of Jesus Christ would be miraculously taken out of this world before The Great Tribulation was initiated..."

After 80 years of teaching a prophecy based on clear scriptures, the Society has made an about face. What would cause an organization that has been faithful to the scriptures in a certain stance for 80 years suddenly and "overnight" go the opposite direction? As Ritenbaugh wrote about this prophecy, there are those who would be going "back and forth, as though they are in midst of a puzzle, a mystery, an enigma that they cannot figure out. Or, they are all stressed, and their minds are flashing back and forth because of all that is burdening them."

In any case, the Gospel Tract Society's dramatic refocus may well be one example of what Daniel was told, that "Many will go to and fro..."