Doesn’t “seal up the vision and prophecy” mean hide from understanding?

The word “seal” can mean to conceal by placing one or more seals (pieces of wax or other substances) on a document to keep its contents closed within. But that’s not the only meaning the word carries. The seal affixed to a document also guarantees its genuineness, as it carries the official insignia of the person sending it. The seal, then, is not merely a sticky substance designed to keep the contents of a document unknown; it is a confirmation of the document’s authenticity.

Christians are “sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, which is the guarantee or our inheritance…” (Eph 1:13-14). The Holy Spirit is the seal, or mark, that shows God’s ownership. The seal of the Spirit is here compared with the indelible impression made by a king’s signet ring. Its presence is a confirmation, a guarantee. The 144,000 are “sealed,” or marked, for protection (Rev 7:3). The “seal” is an identifying mark, like the impression made by a king’s ring. It confirms them as God’s own.

So our question is, does the “sealing” in Dan 9:24 refer to concealment or confirmation?

Of first importance is context. The five other things on the list are to be accomplished by the conclusion of the seventy weeks. It makes little sense to me that “seal,” in this case, would mean hide or conceal. The conclusion of a prophetic period should bring enlightenment, not uncertainty, regarding the prophecy’s meaning. The “seal,” then, is best understood as a confirmation of the prophecy.

Second, translation sometimes makes a difference. The phrase “seal up the vision and prophecy” may leave the impression that the vision and prophecy are to be concealed, but the KJV may not be the best translation. The RSV and ESV (among others) translate the phrase this way: “to seal vision and prophet.” This translation is more complementary to our understanding of the “seal” as a confirmation of the authenticity of the prophet and his vision.