Book Review: Daniel Unsealed by Dan Bruce
The Time for Understanding Daniel’s Prophecies Has Arrived
If you’ve ever waded into the waters of biblical prophecy—especially the Book of Daniel—you know just how murky and contested the interpretations can be. Enter Daniel Unsealed, a thought-provoking and meticulously researched commentary by Dan Bruce, who brings a fresh pair of eyes (and a serious devotion to the biblical text and historical detail) to one of Scripture’s most complex books.
But fair warning: this isn’t your average devotional or a rehash of traditional dispensationalist timelines. Bruce doesn’t just tweak old views—he dismantles them. And he’s not shy about telling you why.
A Book With a Mission (and a Bit of Frustration)
Bruce begins with a surprisingly candid Preface, explaining how his original 2010 edition was met largely with scholarly indifference—if not outright dismissal. Why? Because his premise cuts across centuries of established commentary. While most expositors, past and present, interpret Daniel’s visions as decipherable in their own eras, Bruce takes what God said in the Book of Daniel at face value: the prophecies were sealed and meant to remain incomprehensible until a specific “time of the end” (Daniel 12:4, 9).
His claim? That “time of the end” began on June 7, 1967, when Israeli forces liberated Old Jerusalem and the Temple Mount during the Six-Day War. That moment, Bruce argues, unsealed Daniel’s visions for the first time—allowing now, and only now, their full meaning to be understood.
The Prophetic Key: Daniel 8
Much of the book revolves around Daniel 8, which Bruce treats not as symbolic allegory or ancient history projected forward, but as a chrono-specific, date-anchored prophecy with exact fulfillment. Using rigorous historical analysis and Jewish history, Bruce walks the reader through his bold thesis: that the 2,300 “evening-mornings” in Daniel 8:14 are not literal days or twice-daily sacrifices, but 2,300 Passover nights (evening until moning observances)—one per year—starting from the year after Alexander the Great’s 334 BCE battle against Persia specified in Dan. 8:5-8, 20-21.
By his count, that brings us to Passover 1967—just weeks before Israel regained control of the Temple Mount. This isn’t just a neat coincidence, Bruce insists—it’s evidence of divine providence and the unlocking of sealed prophecy, right on time.
No Room for Guesswork
Bruce stakes his credibility on precision. His interpretive principles are rooted in the idea that every true prophecy must match both Scripture and documented history exactly. He has no patience for the “approximation exegesis” offered by traditional commentators like Leon Wood or John Walvoord, who often fudge fulfillment dates by a few years or accept “close enough” as satisfactory.
In contrast, Bruce’s interpretations are detailed, date-stamped, and mapped meticulously to verifiable events—right down to using Gregorian calendar conversions for ancient Jewish feast days.
A Running Battle with Tradition
One of the more engaging aspects of the book is Bruce’s ongoing (and respectful) critique of Christian commentators like Matthew Henry, C.I. Scofield, Clarence Larkin, and others. His central complaint? They all attempted to interpret Daniel’s prophecies before the Bible said they were unsealed. “They jumped the exegetical gun,” Bruce writes.
But he’s not singling out Christians. Jewish scholars, he argues, made the same mistake. Even Sir Isaac Newton, who famously tried to crack Daniel’s codes, comes up short in Bruce’s view—not because he lacked brilliance, but because the key event foretold by the prophet hadn’t yet occurred in time.
The Broader Picture: A Timeline of Jewish History
Daniel Unsealed isn’t content to just reinterpret Daniel 8. Bruce walks readers through six other “chrono-specific” prophecies in Daniel, demonstrating how each unfolds with the same methodical precision. The book includes extensive appendices—on ancient calendars, Jubilee cycles, the synchronization of Ezekiel and Daniel’s timelines, and even a synchronized Bible history chart.
But what makes Bruce’s work so compelling is its relentless focus on Jewish history. This isn’t about vague symbolism or generic spiritual principles. These prophecies, he argues, are deeply Jewish in focus—chronicling everything from Solomon’s era through the rise of Zionism and the modern State of Israel.
A Believer’s Apologetic
Make no mistake—this book isn’t written just for the scholarly elite. Bruce is a believer writing for other believers, and his ultimate aim is devotional, not academic. His voice throughout is warm, direct, and passionate. He’s less concerned with placating institutional biases than with helping ordinary readers see the providence of God with fresh eyes.
The tone is conversational but unflinching. Bruce shares his personal journey, his moments of doubt, and the long years of Bible study and historical research that led him to his conclusions. The result is a commentary that feels more like a theological memoir than a sterile academic tome.
Final Verdict
So, who should read Daniel Unsealed? If you’ve ever wondered whether biblical prophecy is more than guesswork—this book will excite you. If you’re frustrated with interpretations of Daniel that rely on fuzzy math and opaque symbols—this book will challenge you. If you’re interested in how ancient prophecies might tie directly to modern Israeli history—this book will fascinate you. On the other hand, if you’re deeply committed to traditional interpretations and uninterested in revisiting long-settled prophetic frameworks, Daniel Unsealed may feel like a theological earthquake.
Dan Bruce has written more than just a commentary. He’s issued a challenge—to the scholarly community, to the church, and to every curious reader: What if the Book of Daniel really was sealed until now? And what if God’s fingerprints are more visible in recent history than we’ve dared to see? Agree or not, you won’t walk away from this book without thinking harder about what prophecy means—and why it still matters.
Recommended for students of prophecy, pastors, skeptics of traditional interpretations, and anyone curious about how the Bible intersects with modern history.
Where to Read It
Complete book available for free download here.
“This outstanding exegesis is a book that has yet to be discovered by Jews and Christians alike. There are several authors who claim that their exposition deserves the title ‘Unsealed.’ This one is very likely to remain unsurpassed.“—from a retired Wycliffe Bible translator