Angels-MAN CLOTHED IN LINEN

A “man clothed in linen” is referred to in Ezekiel chapters 9 and 10,
and in Daniel 10 and 12. God appeared to the prophet Ezekiel to
bring to his attention all of the abominations of the Israelites. In his
anger, God told Ezekiel that he had appointed executioners to punish
Jerusalem. According to Ezekiel,
Then I saw six men approaching from the road that leads to
the upper northern gate, each carrying a battle-axe, one man
among them dressed in linen, with pen and ink at his waist;
and they halted by the altar of bronze. (Ezek. 9:2)
God called to the man in linen with pen and ink at his side and
told him to go through the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the
foreheads of those who groaned and lamented over the abominations
practiced there. God then told the men with battle-axes to follow the
man clothed in linen through the city and to kill all of the people—
men, women and children—not so marked. The man clothed in linen
returned to God and reported that he had done what was commanded.
The Lord said to the man dressed in linen,
Come in between the circling wheels under the cherubim,
and take a handful of the burning embers lying among the
cherubim; then toss them over the city. (Ezek. 10:2)
A cherub took some fire and handed it to the man clothed in
linen, who received it and went out.
According to Daniel, he was on the banks of the Tigris River
when:
I looked up and saw a man clothed in linen with a belt of gold
from Ophir round his waist. His body gleamed like topaz, his
face shone like lightning, his eyes flamed like torches, his arms
and feet sparkled like a disc of bronze; and when he spoke his
voice sounded like the voice of a multitude. (Dan. 10:5,6)
Daniel was not alone on the river, but he was the only one who
saw this vision. He became weak and fell prostrate on the ground in a
trance.
Suddenly a hand grasped me and pulled me up on to my
hands and knees. He said to me, “Daniel, man greatly
beloved, attend to the words I am speaking to you and stand
up where you are, for I am now sent to you.” (Dan. 10:10,11)
Daniel stood up trembling. The “man,” probably the angel
Gabriel, told Daniel not to be afraid and said that Daniel’s prayers had
been heard and that he had come in answer to them. The angel said
that he had been battling the angel prince of the kingdom of Persia
and that Michael, the guardian angel of Israel, had come to his aid.
The angel advised Daniel that he was there to explain the fate of his
people in days to come.
While the angel spoke to Daniel, Daniel hung his head and was
unable to speak. When the angel touched Daniel’s lips his speech
returned. The angel touched him again to restore his strength and told
him not to be afraid, that all would be well with him, and to be strong.
The angel proceeded to explain to Daniel historical events that would
unfold in the following three and a half years in the kingdoms of Persia,
Greece, and Egypt. These events would culminate in a time of
great distress from which Daniel and his people would be delivered.
Linen was a ritually clean cloth worn by those in the immediate
service of God, by priests in the temple, and by angels in heaven. It
has been suggested that the man clothed in linen was not Gabriel at
all, but the nameless angel of peace. He has also been associated with
the heavenly scribe, identified as Enoch.