What is the significance of the "man clothed in linen" in Daniel 12:6? Text of the Passage “Then one of them said to the man clothed in linen, who was standing above the waters of the river, ‘How long until the end of these wonders?’ ” (Daniel 12:6) Immediate Literary Setting Daniel 10–12 is one continuous vision. In chapter 10 Daniel sees “a man clothed in linen” whose appearance is dazzling (10:5-6). By 12:5-7, two lesser angelic beings stand on opposite banks of the Tigris while that same majestic figure hovers “above the waters.” The question of 12:6 launches the final timetable (“time, times, and half a time,” 12:7) that governs the end-events, resurrection (12:2), and final judgment. Continuity Within Daniel The radiant description of 10:5-6 (“body like beryl, face like lightning, eyes like flaming torches…”) matches only one other figure in canonical Scripture: the glorified Christ in Revelation 1:13-15. The continuity between Daniel 10 and 12 means the identical personage reappears in 12:6. That link is explicit in the Masoretic Text and preserved in the Dead Sea Scrolls fragments 4QDana and 4QDand, dating two centuries before Christ and demonstrating textual stability. Identity: High Angel or Pre-Incarnate Christ? 1. Angelic View: Some equate him with Gabriel (cf. 8:16; 9:21). Yet Gabriel elsewhere stands on the ground, delivers messages, and never receives worship. 2. Divine-Messianic View: • His appearance parallels Revelation 1 (Christ). • He stands “above the waters” (12:6)—a position of sovereign mastery, echoing Yahweh treading on the sea (Job 9:8) and Jesus walking on Galilee (Matthew 14:25). • He lifts both hands and swears “by Him who lives forever” (12:7). In Deuteronomy 32:40 Yahweh swears by Himself using the same gesture. For a created angel that oath formula would be blasphemous; for the Son sharing the divine name (John 17:5), it is appropriate. • He reveals the final resurrection, a divine prerogative (John 5:21). Collectively the data favor a Christophany—the pre-incarnate Son acting as the heavenly High Priest. Priestly Significance of Linen The high priest on the Day of Atonement wore linen alone (Leviticus 16:4, 32). Daniel is given a preview of the ultimate Day of Atonement when the Messiah will “make an end of sin, bring in everlasting righteousness” (Daniel 9:24). The linen-clad figure is therefore the covenant mediator whose future sacrifice secures resurrection life (12:2) and eternal reward (12:3). Position Above the River Ancient Near-Eastern cosmology viewed chaotic waters as the realm of death. Dominance over waters signals deity (Psalm 29:10). The elevated stance of the linen-clad man conveys authority over history’s currents. Just as Genesis 1 depicts God ordering the primordial deep, Daniel 12 shows the same divine power guaranteeing the consummation of redemptive history. The Oath and Timetable Raising both hands intensifies the solemnity of the oath (cf. Revelation 10:5-6). The time formula (“time, times, and half a time”) points to 3½ years, echoed in Revelation 11–13. His sworn word guarantees that persecution will have a fixed, limited span, after which “all these things will be completed” (12:7). The precision of earlier Danielic prophecies—Medo-Persian succession (5:30-31), the rise of Greece under Alexander (8:5-8, fulfilled 331 BC), and the division into four kingdoms—verifies that this timetable will likewise unfold literally. Connection to New Testament Revelation Revelation’s opening vision draws directly on Daniel 10–12. The risen Christ appears “clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around His chest” (Revelation 1:13), His face shining like the sun. John identifies Him unequivocally as “the First and the Last, the Living One … I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore” (1:17-18). Thus, the man in linen foreshadows the resurrected Lord whose empty tomb is attested by multiple independent lines (1 Corinthians 15:3-8; Matthew 28; Mark 16; Luke 24; John 20–21) and accepted by a majority of critical scholars of all stripes, validating the predictive unity of Scripture. Theological Implications 1. Christ’s High-Priestly Mediation: As linen attests priesthood, the figure anticipates Hebrews’ portrayal of Jesus entering the heavenly sanctuary with His own blood (Hebrews 9:11-12). 2. Sovereignty Over History: His stance and oath affirm that persecution, tribulation, and even the antichrist’s career are bounded by divine decree. 3. Guarantee of Resurrection: The same speaker introduces the clearest Old Testament promise of bodily resurrection (12:2), fulfilled in Christ as “firstfruits” (1 Corinthians 15:20) and extended to all who trust Him. Practical Encouragement for Believers Daniel received this vision when global empires eclipsed Israel. The linen-clad Man’s presence assured him—and assures readers today—that God’s purposes cannot be thwarted. In personal suffering or cultural upheaval, the resurrected Christ still stands “above the waters.” Challenge to the Skeptic Predictive prophecy functions like encoded information. As the specified nucleotide sequence in DNA bespeaks intelligent causation, so the detailed chronology of Daniel reveals a mind beyond time. Statistically, the fulfillment of Medo-Persian succession (predicted a century earlier) and the precise Macedonian partition into four horns exceeds naturalistic chance. The Man in linen, therefore, compels a verdict: accept the divine Author who guarantees resurrection, or dismiss the evidence and forfeit the life He offers (John 5:24). Summary The “man clothed in linen” in Daniel 12:6 is best understood as a pre-incarnate appearance of the Son of God acting as heavenly High Priest. His linen garments signify purity and mediation; His position over the river and His oath reveal sovereign authority; His answer provides the definitive timetable of the end. Manuscript, archaeological, and prophetic evidence converge to authenticate the passage and point unambiguously to Jesus Christ—crucified, risen, and returning—as the center of history and the only Savior. |
    |