And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth, that he should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
The decree threatened anyone who refused to fall down and worship with being cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. It enforced worship of an exceedingly costly golden image set up in the plain of Dura, representing Babylon and the glory of its king, after Nebuchadnezzar perverted the light of the image dream through pride and self-exaltation to make his own worship compulsory. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego would not bow to the idolatrous image whatever the cost, and though the penalty fell on them they were preserved unharmed because Christ Himself walked with them in the furnace, moving Nebuchadnezzar to acknowledge the superior power of the God of Israel. The stand on the plain of Dura illustrates how God's people are to remain faithful when union of church and state uses law and cruel civil punishment to compel worship contrary to God's law. Especially those who hallow the Sabbath of the fourth commandment will at last face a universal death decree demanding worship of the Sunday idol in its place, while those who make cruel enactments to destroy God's people will be destroyed by the recoil of their own actions.
Decree and Historical Setting
The verse lays down the penalty for refusing the commanded worship: whoever would not fall down and worship was to be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. It made bowing to the golden image compulsory under threat of death in a blazing furnace for disobeying the king's command. The law punished refusal of false worship with death, setting human command against loyalty to God.
The image at issue was an exceedingly costly and magnificent golden image set up in the plain of Dura. It represented the kingdom of Babylon and more particularly magnified the king himself who ruled it and the glory of himself and his kingdom. It was set up after Nebuchadnezzar read the interpretation of his dream according to his own idolatrous mind, perverting the light given through Daniel's interpretation and reading it in an idolatrous way to exalt Babylon and turn all nations to worship his image.
The decree belongs to Nebuchadnezzar's return to idol worship after he had acknowledged God's power. He had already been told through the image dream that God would establish an everlasting kingdom that would overcome earthly kingdoms. Led by pride, worldly ambition and desire for self-exaltation, and flattered by heathen counselors that the head of gold was Babylon, he honored idols again. The plan was devised by his advisers to ensnare the Hebrews, leading the king to proclaim that all must bow to the golden image, making worship of the image compulsory as the country's established religion and forcing obedience to human law against God's law.
Faithfulness and End-Time Application
The charge under the verse was disobedience to the king's command and refusal to worship the image, laid against Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. They were three faithful servants who cherished the knowledge of the true God and would not bow the knee to the idolatrous image or dishonor God, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, whatever the cost. Their loyalty under that death threat severely tested their integrity.
The penalty fell on them, yet they were preserved unharmed in the fire. Christ Himself walked in the fiery furnace with them, manifesting Himself to them as He manifests Himself to those who have His commandments and keep them. That deliverance displayed to an idolatrous nation the power and faithfulness of the God of Israel, working out God's purpose for the children of obedience and the children of disobedience. The miracle so moved Nebuchadnezzar's heart that he believed in and acknowledged God and His superior power over every other kingdom.
The experience on the plain of Dura teaches what will happen in this day and illustrates how God's people are to remain faithful when civil authority compels worship contrary to God's law. It shows a union of church and state enforcing false worship by a cruel civil death decree, using law and punishment to compel worship. Though innocent of wrongdoing, many of God's servants will be given over to suffer humiliation and abuse at the hands of those who, inspired by Satan, are filled with envy and religious bigotry.
Especially those who hallow the Sabbath of the fourth commandment will arouse the wrath of man, and at last a universal decree will denounce them as deserving of death. The same decree is repeated when human laws demand that all worship the Sunday idol as sacred and holy in place of God's holy Sabbath, seeking to turn God's people from their allegiance. Enforced Sunday observance is compared to the image, while keeping God's Sabbath is a matter of allegiance to God, so a law exalting Sunday will be a future test revealing the same principle. As the men who sought to destroy the three Hebrews were themselves destroyed, those who make cruel enactments seeking to destroy God's people will be destroyed by the recoil of their own actions.
The refusal of the three worthies to bow pictures what will come in work among the colored people in the Southern States. That coming period to do as they did will force a plain decision for or against the commandments of God. Until that time believers must not act presumptuously or encourage a spirit of defiance and resistance. They must endure bigotry, prejudice and suffering for the truth's sake without closing the way, so fields not yet touched can still be worked.
The decree threatened anyone who refused to fall down and worship with being cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. It enforced worship of an exceedingly costly golden image set up in the plain of Dura, representing Babylon and the glory of its king, after Nebuchadnezzar perverted the light of the image dream through pride and self-exaltation to make his own worship compulsory. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego would not bow to the idolatrous image whatever the cost, and though the penalty fell on them they were preserved unharmed because Christ Himself walked with them in the furnace, moving Nebuchadnezzar to acknowledge the superior power of the God of Israel. The stand on the plain of Dura illustrates how God's people are to remain faithful when union of church and state uses law and cruel civil punishment to compel worship contrary to God's law. Especially those who hallow the Sabbath of the fourth commandment will at last face a universal death decree demanding worship of the Sunday idol in its place, while those who make cruel enactments to destroy God's people will be destroyed by the recoil of their own actions.
Decree and Historical Setting
The verse lays down the penalty for refusing the commanded worship: whoever would not fall down and worship was to be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. It made bowing to the golden image compulsory under threat of death in a blazing furnace for disobeying the king's command. The law punished refusal of false worship with death, setting human command against loyalty to God.
The image at issue was an exceedingly costly and magnificent golden image set up in the plain of Dura. It represented the kingdom of Babylon and more particularly magnified the king himself who ruled it and the glory of himself and his kingdom. It was set up after Nebuchadnezzar read the interpretation of his dream according to his own idolatrous mind, perverting the light given through Daniel's interpretation and reading it in an idolatrous way to exalt Babylon and turn all nations to worship his image.
The decree belongs to Nebuchadnezzar's return to idol worship after he had acknowledged God's power. He had already been told through the image dream that God would establish an everlasting kingdom that would overcome earthly kingdoms. Led by pride, worldly ambition and desire for self-exaltation, and flattered by heathen counselors that the head of gold was Babylon, he honored idols again. The plan was devised by his advisers to ensnare the Hebrews, leading the king to proclaim that all must bow to the golden image, making worship of the image compulsory as the country's established religion and forcing obedience to human law against God's law.
Faithfulness and End-Time Application
The charge under the verse was disobedience to the king's command and refusal to worship the image, laid against Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. They were three faithful servants who cherished the knowledge of the true God and would not bow the knee to the idolatrous image or dishonor God, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, whatever the cost. Their loyalty under that death threat severely tested their integrity.
The penalty fell on them, yet they were preserved unharmed in the fire. Christ Himself walked in the fiery furnace with them, manifesting Himself to them as He manifests Himself to those who have His commandments and keep them. That deliverance displayed to an idolatrous nation the power and faithfulness of the God of Israel, working out God's purpose for the children of obedience and the children of disobedience. The miracle so moved Nebuchadnezzar's heart that he believed in and acknowledged God and His superior power over every other kingdom.
The experience on the plain of Dura teaches what will happen in this day and illustrates how God's people are to remain faithful when civil authority compels worship contrary to God's law. It shows a union of church and state enforcing false worship by a cruel civil death decree, using law and punishment to compel worship. Though innocent of wrongdoing, many of God's servants will be given over to suffer humiliation and abuse at the hands of those who, inspired by Satan, are filled with envy and religious bigotry.
Especially those who hallow the Sabbath of the fourth commandment will arouse the wrath of man, and at last a universal decree will denounce them as deserving of death. The same decree is repeated when human laws demand that all worship the Sunday idol as sacred and holy in place of God's holy Sabbath, seeking to turn God's people from their allegiance. Enforced Sunday observance is compared to the image, while keeping God's Sabbath is a matter of allegiance to God, so a law exalting Sunday will be a future test revealing the same principle. As the men who sought to destroy the three Hebrews were themselves destroyed, those who make cruel enactments seeking to destroy God's people will be destroyed by the recoil of their own actions.
The refusal of the three worthies to bow pictures what will come in work among the colored people in the Southern States. That coming period to do as they did will force a plain decision for or against the commandments of God. Until that time believers must not act presumptuously or encourage a spirit of defiance and resistance. They must endure bigotry, prejudice and suffering for the truth's sake without closing the way, so fields not yet touched can still be worked.