The mysterious figure of the man clothed in linen is first encountered in the book of Ezekiel. In the 6th year of Ezekiel’s exile to Babylon, he saw the vision of a man clothed in linen. From the content of the book itself, it can be concluded that this was before the exile of Judah in 586 BC. This places the vision prophetically between 606 BC and 586 BC. However, Ezekiel was probably taken captive in the second tranche of the exile in 597 BC. One chapter earlier, the timeline of the vision is identified. This was in the 6th year of the 6th month on the 5th day of the month. This places the vision on the 5th day of the Hebrew month Elul, in 591 BC.
Elul is the month of introspection. The Spirit of Lord however lifted Ezekiel and brought him to the entrance of the inner court of the temple in Jerusalem. Here Ezekiel was given God’s perspective on the sin of Judah. Ezekiel was told that firstly, they drove God out from His sanctuary. Secondly, that they replaced God with images and idols carved on the walls and were offering incense to the gods.
Thirdly, Ezekiel was shown an even greater abomination than at the North Gate of the entrance of the house of the Lord. The North Gate is identified in Ezekiel 8 verse 4 as the “gate to the altar.” Here Ezekiel saw 25 men with their backs to the temple worshipping the sun. Not only did they drive God out, carved idols on the walls which was forbidden but now they transgress the law even further by worshipping the sun transgressing the 1st and 2nd commandment:
You shall have no other gods before me. “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
It is after this reminder of Judah’s apostacy, that Ezekiel saw the man clothed in linen. Ezekiel saw 6 men coming from the Upper Gate, which was the gate that led from the outer court to inner court, with weapons in their hands. They were accompanied by the man clothed in linen. This man however, did not have a weapon in His hand but a writing case at His waist. He is instructed to pass through the city of Jerusalem and to put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sighed and groaned for the abominations committed in the city.
The Hebrew word used here for mark, is תו tav. Tav is the 22nd letter of the Hebrew alphabet and is a picture of the cross. Jesus died on the cross where His blood was shed which is the mark of salvation. The vision in Ezekiel prophetically, not only spoke of the destruction of Jerusalem because of sin, but of Jesus dying for sin.
Fifty-five years later, Daniel saw a vision of a man clothed in linen (Daniel 10:4). The timeline of the vision is described as the 3rd year of Cyrus. Babylon fell to Cyrus in 539 BC. The 3rd year of his reign would then be 536 BC. The vision was further recorded as given on the 24th day of the first month. This places the vision on 24th Nisan 536 BC.
From the description of the man in linen in verse 6, it can be understood that this was a vision of Jesus. The verse reads: “His body was like beryl, His face like the appearance of lightning, His eyes like flaming torches, His arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and the sound of His words like the sound of a multitude.” This is the same symbolism that is used in Revelation.
Daniel was then told by the person who touched Him the unfolding of the end times. Daniel 11:40-45, describes the rise of the Greek Empire, referring to them as the King of the North and the King of the South. The description of the King of the North is contracted into these verses. The prophesy is vague on the extent of the rule of the King of the North, but verse 6 affirms that he shall become ruler of the treasures of gold and of silver, and all the precious things of Egypt, Egypt symbolizing the world. This is alluding to the succession of the Roman Empire after the Greek Empire. After the demise of the Roman Empire, the prophesy describes the development of a one world government as it is known today, united under the United Nations.
The vision concluded with the prophesy of a time of great tribulation at the end of the last kingdom. Someone standing on the bank of the river, asked the man clothed in linen, how long this would be. For the first time, the man in linen spoke and answered:
“I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream; he raised his right hand and his left hand toward heaven and swore by him who lives forever that it would be for a time, times, and half a time, and that when the shattering of the power of the holy people comes to an end, all these things would be finished (Daniel 12:7).
This confirms that the man clothed in linen was Jesus as Revelation states that the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophesy.
Revelation is the 3rd time where there is reference to the apparel a man. In Revelation 19 :13 it speaks of the Rider on the white horse who was clothed with a garment dipped in blood. The Greek word for garment in this text is ἱμάτιον himation. It refers to the outer garment. This takes one back in history to the Passover meal which Jesus ate with His disciples. At this occasion, he took off his outer garment, or himation, and washed the feet of His disciples.
Now, John does not see the Jesus that took off his garment, but the Jesus that is coming to judge the nations fully dressed in military apparel. On His himation, the outer garment, are the words written:
