The man in linen in Daniel 10 & 12 and Revelation 1
Study:
First a summary of what we have learned already:
- the "man in linen" is the high priest in the linen garments of the Day of Atonement, and
- the "man in linen" is God standing between the cherubim.
This "man in linen" is non-other than Christ, for he is both our high priest and God!
"Wherefore in all things it behoved him [Christ] to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted. Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;" Hebrews 2:17-3:1
"Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin." Hebrews 4:14,15
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. " John 1:1
"Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am." John 8:58
"And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you." Exodus 3:14
Christ in Daniel 10 and Revelation 1
A comparison of Daniel 10 and Revelation 1 makes this doubly clear, that the "man in linen" is Christ.
"Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz: His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude." Daniel 10:5,6
"And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength." Revelation 1:12-16
Comparing the two descriptions:
So, indeed the "man in linen" is Christ Jesus, the "Son of man" (Rev. 1:13) and the "Son of God" (Rev. 2:18). But there is more. this is not the only parallel between Daniel 10 and Revelation 1.
The Beloved of God in Daniel 10 and Revelation 1
Daniel and John are the prophets in vision who saw Christ in Daniel 10 and Revelation 1, respectively.
"I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea. And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. ..." Revelation 1:9-12
"In those days I Daniel was mourning three full weeks. I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled. And in the four and twentieth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, which is Hiddekel; Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, ..." Daniel 10:2-5
They both have some similarities with one another. Both react in the same way at seeing Christ.
"...and there remained no strength in me: for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength. ...then was I in a deep sleep on my face, and my face toward the ground." Daniel 10:8,9
"And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. ..." Revelation 1:17
But more than this, both are said to be the beloved or loved of God/Jesus.
"At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision." Daniel 9:23
"And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright: for unto thee am I now sent. And when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling." Daniel 10:11
"Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved." John 13:23
"When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he [Jesus] loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son!" John 19:26
"Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him." John 20:2
"Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher’s coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea." John 21:7
"Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee?" John 21:20
The Sabbath in Daniel 10 and Revelation 1
There is one more parallel between these two visions, that of Daniel 10 and Revelation 1. Notice that both Daniel and John give us details about the day on which they saw Jesus.
"I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day,..." Revelation 1:9,10
According to the Bible, there is only one day that God has ever called His day, the Sabbath.
"For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day." Matthew 12:8
"If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:" Isaiah 58:13
"Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it." Exodus 20:8-11
"Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you." Exodus 31:13
Now, what about Daniel?
"In those days I Daniel was mourning three full weeks. I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled. And in the four and twentieth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, which is Hiddekel; Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, ..." Daniel 10:2-5
Now note what Dr. William Shea has to say about these verses.
There are some clues in these verses [Daniel 10:2-4] that may make it possible for us to estimate rather precisely when this appearance of God came to Daniel. He says that he had been mourning and fasting for three “full” weeks and that then God appeared to him on the twenty-fourth day of the first month–Nisan (10:4). Given the close proximity of these statements, the implication is that the twenty-fourth day of the first month took place immediately at the end of the three weeks of fasting. The original language uses an idiom here to indicate that the weeks were “full.” Full weeks come to an end after seven days; they end on Sabbath, the seventh day. Since this vision appeared to Daniel at the end of three full weeks, it must also have come to him on a Sabbath day. That means that this final prophecy of the book of Daniel was most likely given on a Sabbath. This is the only vision in the book that we can date with such precision.
Shea, William H., Daniel, 2 vols., Boise, Idaho: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1996, vol. 2, p. 172.
Many will say that this is pure conjecture on Dr. Shea's part, and I
would agree. There is nothing here to say that he is right....
except the Bible! Recall that prophecy is full of symbolism.
Without an understanding of its symbols, prophecy is very much undecipherable;
much is missed or plainly misinterpreted. This is one of those cases of much
being missed. Notice the phrase "three full weeks." Note its underlying
Hebrew.
Note 1: the following information is taken from BibleHub.com.
Note 2: Hebrew is read right to left.
Daniel 10:2 (BibleHub.com):
yā·mîm
יָמִֽים
full
N‑mp
šā·ḇu·‘îm
שָׁבֻעִ֖ים
weeks
N-mp
šə·lō·šāh
שְׁלֹשָׁ֥ה
three
Number-ms
Daniel 10:3 (BibleHub.com):
yā·mîm
יָמִֽים
whole
N‑mp
šā·ḇu·‘îm
שָׁבֻעִ֖ים
weeks
N-mp
šə·lō·šeṯ
שְׁלֹ֥שֶׁת
three
Number-msc
According to Strong, #3117, יוֹם, yôwm, yome; just means a day. While #7620 means "sevened" or a "period of seven." You can see this by just noting the word for seven, from which this word is derived.
In other words, Daniel 10:2's "three full weeks" and Daniel 10:3's "three whole weeks" literally read "three sevens of days." What is critical to notice about this phrase is the "three sevens" or 3 x 7 or 777. You will recall we ran into this symbol while examining Revelation 13:18's 666 in the context of the imagery of Revelation 12 and 13. 777 is the symbol for the seventh-day Sabbath of Creation. There is no doubt then that, like John, Daniel saw Jesus on the Sabbath.
So in summary, in both the visions of Daniel 10 and Revelation 1,
- Christ presents himself to the prophet,
- the prophet is His beloved, and
- the vision occurs on the Sabbath Day.
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