DANIEL SIMPLIFIED
CHAPTER 3.19
Gleanings
from the Book of Daniel:
A
Weekly Verse-by-Verse Bible Study Series
DANIEL
Chapter
Three
The
Golden Image of Nebuchadnezzar
(The
Fiery Furnace)
Prologue
The dedication ceremony came to an
abrupt halt. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were about to be cast into a
blazing fiery furnace because they refused to bow down and worship the golden
image. King Nebuchadnezzar ordered the three Hebrew princes to be brought
before him for questioning, for they were accused of being disloyal, not only
to the gods of Babylon but also to the King himself.
Having been awarded prominent positions
in the Babylonian Empire, it appears Nebuchadnezzar was giving them a second
chance to recant their actions. However, their faith and convictions in the one
true God of Heaven superseded any compliance or punishment. And, under no
circumstance were they willing to compromise (cf. v. 18).
1.
The Description of the Image (v. 1)
2.
The Dedication of the Image (Vv. 2-3)
3.
The Demand to Worship the Image (Vv. 4-7)
4.
The Denouncement of the Jews (Vv. 8-15)
5.
The Decision of the Jews (Vv. 16-18)
6.
The Discipline of the Jews (Vv. 19-25)
(Verse 19)
Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the
form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spake, and
commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was
wont to be heated.
The Reaction of the King
After being publically defiled, Nebuchadnezzar
became infuriated. His uncontrollable temper flew into a rage. As a result of
their obstinacy, the form of his visage
was changed, i.e., his countenance or facial expression was altered against
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Their actions left Nebuchadnezzar with no
recourse but to sentence the three to execution by fire.
When a person is controlled by fury,
one cannot think rationally. God’s wisdom warns against such behaviour:
Proverbs
14:29 – He who is slow to wrath has great understanding,
But he who is impulsive
exalts folly.
Therefore he
spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more
than it was wont to be heated
The Rashness of the
King
In his state of mind,
King Nebuchadnezzar hastily commanded the fiery furnace be heated seven
times more than usual. So, one [in] seven times more is a Greek idiom
possibly indicating an indefinite number, or as hot as possible.
Proverbs render
another bit of wisdom concerning the King's actions:
Proverbs 26:16 – The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit (eye) than
seven men that can render a reason.
The Rationale of the King
Turning up the heat would be
irrational. If the fire in the furnace was hotter than usual, then the three
men would burn instantly because of the intense flames. But, if Nebuchadnezzar
wanted to slowly torture them, turning down the heat would suffice.
The Reasoning of God
As part of God’s plan, it was
advantageous for the furnace to be seven times hotter. From His standpoint, the
hotter the furnace, the more impressive would be God’s miracle. It becomes more
interesting as the drama unfolds…
(Verse 20)
And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to
cast them into the
burning fiery furnace.
King Nebuchadnezzar,
in his obstinate temper, dictated the mightiest men (men of valor, valiant
warriors, or elite soldiers) in his army
to provide two services:
1. Tie up or bind the
three men
2. Toss them into the fiery
furnace
(Verse 21)
Then these men were bound in their coats, their
hosen, and their hats, and their other garments,
and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
Death by Fiery Furnace
As commanded,
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were bound wearing their garments and thrown
into the midst of the raging fire.
Their clothing was thusly
itemized:
1. They were wearing
coats
2. They were wearing
hosen (trousers)
3. They were wearing hats
4. They were wearing other raiments
By notating their
attire, it was likely, either they were bound in haste, or by wearing clothes,
they would have been consumed by the fire much quicker. No mortal would have
survived a second in this raging fire.
Nonetheless, this
action was unusual. It was customary for most criminals to be stripped before
execution, and their clothes recycled. Feasibly,
this may be an antecedent of the latter days when Israel shall pass through the
furnace of affliction, amidst the Great Tribulation Period, when they will be
miraculously preserved.
Observable are two false
prophets of Israel whom the king of Babylon disposed of by casting them into a
fiery furnace, a common punishment amongst the Assyrians and Babylonians:
1. Zedekiah
2. Ahab
Jeremiah 29:21-23 - Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of
Israel, of Ahab the son of Kolaiah, and of Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, which prophesy a lie unto
you in My name; Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of
Babylon; and he shall slay them before your eyes…The LORD make thee
like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon
roasted in the fire; Because they have committed villany (folly) in
Israel, and have committed adultery with their neighbours' wives, and have spoken lying words in My name, which I have not commanded them; even I know, and am a witness, saith the LORD.
(Verse
22)
Therefore because the king's commandment was
urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those men
that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
The Fate of the Mighty
Men
The flames were so hot
that the king’s mighty men were burnt to a crisp before Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego fell into the fiery furnace.
(Verse 23)
And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
The Fate of Daniel’s
Friends
While it may have
troubled Nebuchadnezzar to witness his indoctrinated men perish, he was pleased
to set an example of disobedience to his audience. Firmly bound, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
fell headstrong into the mist of the scorching fire.
(Verse 24)
Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and
rose up in haste, and spake,
and said unto his counsellers, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst
of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.
The Lord’s Deliverance
Never expecting to see
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego still alive, Nebuchadnezzar was astonished at
the miracle he was beholding. Quickly, he rose from his seat and questioned his
counsellers (noblemen, or Ministers of State) with a perplexing demeanor…
Did not we cast three men bound into the midst
of the fire?
The advisors to the
King answered in awe…
True, O king
In all probability,
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were imputing the words of their prophet
Isaiah:
Isaiah 43:1b-3a - Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art Mine. When thou passest
through the waters, I will be with
thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest
through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon
thee. For I am the LORD your God, The Holy One of
Israel, your Savior.
(Verse 25)
He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose,
walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the
fourth is like the Son of God.
This passage reveals Nebuchadnezzar had
come face to face with a miracle from the true God of Israel. And in effect,
the King exclaimed to his noblemen, Look, I see four things that constitute a
miracle:
1. The four men were loose and not bound
Notice the emphasis, repetition, and five-fold
progression on the word bound (fetter,
securely tied up).
a. Bind (v. 20)
b. Bound (v. 21)
c. Bound (v. 23)
d. Bound (v. 24)
e. Loose (v. 25)
God performs miracles. A multiplicity
of the miraculous is interspersed throughout the Bible. Listed are a few
examples:
1. The account of Creation (cf. Genesis 1)
2. The parting of the Red Sea (cf. Exodus
14:21)
3. The sun standing still (cf. Joshua 10:13)
4. Jonah inside a great fish (cf. Jonah
1:17)
5. Jesus walking on water (cf. Matthew
14:25)
6. The raising of Lazarus from the dead
(cf. John 11:44)
7. The Resurrection of Jesus (cf. Matthew
28:6)
2. The fire had burned away the fetters
but left the three young Hebrews untouched. However, one extra person was with
them.
3. The four men were walking in the middle
of the fire
Not only were the four men unbound in a
fire seven times hotter, but were in the middle of the flames as Nebuchadnezzar
watched them walking around freely.
4. The four men were unhurt and unsinged
Amazingly,
the only thing the fire destroyed was what bound them.
5. The fourth man had the form of the Son
of God
Son
of God is better
translated like a son of the gods,
i.e., the appearance of a divine being. This expression was a common Semite
expression in antiquity. Also notice, it is not the Son of God, but the form of, or like some supernatural
being.
Questions:
Who was this fourth person?
Answer:
There are a couple of suppositions as to
the fourth person’s identity:
1. Nebuchadnezzar believed this person was
an angel
This viewpoint is acknowledged by him later
in verse 28.
2. Some believe it was a Christophany
Many understand any Christophany to be a pre-incarnate appearance of
Christ in human form.
Theophany and
Christophany
There are some diverse views on the meaning
of these two terms. The best clarification may include:
A. Theophany
An appearance of God in some form on
earth or in Heaven, namely:
1. When God appeared and talked from a
burning bush to Moses (cf. Exodus 3:2, 4ff)
2. When God went before Israel in the pillar of fire by night (cf. Exodus
13:21-22)
3. When Isaiah had a vision and spoke to the
Lord upon His throne (cf. Isaiah 6)
B. Christophany
A pre-incarnate manifestation of Jesus
Christ in the Old Testament, or post-Resurrection appearance of Jesus Christ in
the New Testament, that is:
1. When God walked in the Garden with Adam
and Eve (cf. Genesis 3:8)
2. When the Angel of the Lord struck down
185,000 Assyrians after Hezekiah’s prayer (2 Kings 19:35)
3. When Jesus appeared to the Twelve in
the upper room (cf. Luke 24:36-43)
C. Theophany and Christophany are widely used
interchangeably for the designation of Jesus Christ as pre-incarnate
In a surprising turn of events, the
next session examines why Nebuchadnezzar issued another edict, this time to
acknowledge the God of Israel.
QUESTIONS:
1. Why was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury?
2. What do seven times hotter mean?
3. How were the three Hebrews treated?
4. What was the fate of the King’s mighty
men?
5. What did Nebuchadnezzar observe?
6. Who resembled the form of the fourth
man?
7. What is a Christophany?
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