And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
These three men fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace, heated seven times hotter than usual, whose flames killed the men who cast them in. They were cast in for refusing to bow to the king's golden image set up in the plain of Dura to magnify Babylon and Nebuchadnezzar himself. They were not forsaken in the fire, for Christ Himself walked with them as the form of the Fourth, so they walked unharmed amid the flames and came forth without even the smell of fire upon them. Their preservation turned the king's wrath to praise and thanksgiving and spread the knowledge of the true God throughout Babylon before its princes and leading men. Their experience is the pattern for the last days, when a universal decree will again demand false worship of a Sunday idol in place of God's holy Sabbath, calling God's people to purpose now to be true to principle come what may.
Furnace Setting and Details
These three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. They were thrown in still bound after refusing to abandon allegiance to God, and though helpless in themselves before overwhelming worldly power they trusted God's word and stood against it. The fire had already killed the men who carried them there, yet the verses that follow show God delivered them and they came out unharmed. They walked unharmed amid the flames accompanied by the Fourth, and came forth without even the smell of fire upon their garments.
They were bound in their garments and cast in because they refused to worship the king's image rather than violate conscience and loyalty to the God of heaven. That idolatrous golden image had been set up in the plain of Dura and represented the kingdom of Babylon and especially the king of Babylon himself and the glory of himself and his kingdom. The costly golden image Nebuchadnezzar set up there was to magnify Babylon and himself as an object of worship. The setting for their fall into the fire was the advisers' scheme of ensnaring the Hebrew captives by a royal decree that every knee should bow.
The furnace had been heated seven times hotter than it was wont to be heated, seven times more than usual. The flames were so furious that the men who cast the Hebrew exiles in and who carried them there were burned to death, with the fire bursting out upon those who put them in because such haste was made. This took place in the same year Daniel and his companions entered the service of the king of Babylon. It severely tested the integrity of these youthful Hebrews and proved before an idolatrous nation the power and faithfulness of the God of Israel.
It came in Nebuchadnezzar's boundless wrath at being defied by representatives of a despised and captive race in the very height of his power and glory. That defiance included refusing to disregard the Sabbath and to observe heathen festivals, for which Hebrew exiles suffered persecution and loss of life as idolaters were roused to crush out the truth. The king's use of force was the last resort of false religion.
Divine Presence and Deliverance
They were not forsaken of God in the fire, but Christ Himself was with His three faithful servants in the flames, seen as the form of the Fourth, like the Son of God and the Son of Man, walking with them. Cast bound into the midst of the fire for standing firm, they had His presence with them there and were brought out unharmed. That presence was no mere angelic attendance alongside them, but the Lord Himself walking with them in the flames.
They walked unharmed amid the flames and could not be consumed because the Son of God was with them. When they came forth their garments bore no trace of the fire, without even the smell of fire upon them. Their deliverance showed that God could preserve the faithful even in extreme danger and deadly danger. By it He vindicated the loyalty of His servants, honored their faithfulness, and made known His power and supremacy as ruler over earthly kings.
Their faithfulness did not keep them from being thrown into the fire, for God's servants may suffer humiliation and abuse despite being innocent. God does not promise His people exemption from trials, but promises strength proportioned to their days and grace sufficient in weakness. Their suffering for obeying God did not mean God had abandoned them, for God does not forget or forsake His people when they face persecution and mortal danger. He remains with His faithful children, and Christ stands by their side when they are called to go through the fiery furnace for His sake.
They would have been consumed if they had deliberately walked into the fire themselves, for God sustains people when temptation comes if they do not deliberately enter into it. The same protection that kept them unconsumed will preserve those united with the Lord from fire at His coming.
Faithful Obedience Under Threat
In Babylon they had purposed to be true to principle come what may, and when threatened with the flaming furnace heated seven times hotter than it was wont to be heated they would not turn aside from allegiance to the truth but stood firm in the time of trial and were cast bound into its midst. Their steadfastness is the pattern to follow now while the controversy between good and evil, between the two great powers, moves with continual and sharp contests toward its close. They were cast in because they refused to worship Nebuchadnezzar's costly golden image set up in the plain of Dura, which represented the kingdom of Babylon and especially the king himself magnified as an object of worship, and they would not bow the knee to that idolatrous image rather than violate conscience and loyalty to the God of heaven. Their minds were made up because they had been educated that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, to worship and serve God only, so they did not fear to answer the king.
Their example shows that firm religious principle can withstand the fear of death, for the faithful would rather face pain and the face of death than be untrue to God or surrender principle. As the later fruit of their firm stand over the king's food, they would not sacrifice loyalty or compromise truth even in the least degree or in the slightest particular, holding it better to incur the displeasure of men than to surrender loyalty to God and fall into apostasy. In falling bound into the furnace they controlled circumstances instead of being servants of circumstances, and ruled animal passions instead of being enslaved by hereditary or cultivated habits and tendencies. Their self-denial and self-sacrifice learned of Christ is to pass like a plowshare through hereditary and cultivated habits and through all circumstances and surroundings, making appetites and passions servants to the God-fearing man rather than rulers over him.
Those who read and believe and practice the sayings of Christ in Matthew 5 have the divine principles inwrought in the heart as if written with the finger of God, developing Christlikeness of character. The fiery furnace cannot intimidate such to deny and betray the truth for any amount of favor or worldly honors or for exalted position, for man's reputation is to them as nothingness. For them to live is to obey the word of Christ, and to die for the truth's sake is gain, enlisting to serve under the blood-stained banner of Prince Emmanuel. Though apparently helpless and utterly helpless in themselves before Nebuchadnezzar on the throne, they stood by faith and trust in God's Word and withstood the power of the whole world and all human power and policy in support of evil.
Those who hold fast in such trial are the world's true nobility, its royal line, which the youth of today are called to join. Their loyalty when human authority commands worship contrary to God shows the principle that God's people remain faithful when commanded to disobey God.
Witness to Babylon
The fall bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace was for refusing to bow the knee to the idolatrous golden image set up in the plain of Dura, which represented Babylon and especially the glory of Nebuchadnezzar himself and was set up to magnify Babylon and the king as an object of worship. Christ Himself walked in the furnace with His three faithful servants in their trial, and their preservation was a wonderful miracle that wrought upon Nebuchadnezzar's heart so that he believed in God and in His superior power over every other kingdom. The miracle so moved upon him that he acknowledged God and His superior power, and his anger turned to praise and thanksgiving to Jehovah.
God vindicated His servants and was honored by their faithfulness, and through their steadfastness the knowledge of the true God was spread abroad throughout the length and breadth of the empire of Babylon and brought before its princes and leading men. This accomplished the purpose for which He had permitted their captivity as captives in a heathen land, bringing His servants face to face with kings and rulers that they and their people might receive the light. Time after time the greatest monarchs were thus led to proclaim the supremacy of the God whom their Hebrew captives worshiped.
They were seen walking unharmed in the fire, accompanied by a fourth form like the Son of God and Son of Man, and were brought out with no smell of fire upon their garments, showing the king that the God they worshiped could preserve them. The Lord Jesus thus manifested Himself to them as He promises to manifest Himself to those who have His commandments and keep them, and the king seeing the form of the Fourth was convinced that the God of the three Hebrews was the living God. The king recognized the fourth figure because Daniel and these men had talked to him of God and of Christ the representative of God. Such haste had been made in binding them that the fire burst out and burned those who put them in, and after the king and his courtiers looked in he had the accusers cast into the furnace and called to those inside to come forth, and God was magnified.
The men who sought to destroy them and carried out the order were themselves destroyed by the fire. This proves that those who make cruel enactments seeking to destroy God's faithful people are destroyed by the recoil of their own actions. The interesting history in the third chapter of Daniel shows the Lord's wonderful deliverance of the three Hebrew worthies and teaches important principles regarding the working out of the Lord's purpose for the children of obedience and for the children of disobedience.
Prophecy of Last Days
The bound fall into the midst of the burning fiery furnace teaches that God's servants may suffer humiliation and abuse though innocent, and it points to a future persecution in which religious bigotry will turn against Sabbath keepers and a universal decree will declare them deserving of death. The advisers' scheme of ensnaring the Hebrew captives by a royal decree that every knee should bow to Nebuchadnezzar's golden image because they would not worship it is a pattern for the last days. Then men will likewise strive by human laws to turn God's people from allegiance when civil laws demand worship contrary to God's commandments. That demand will be worship of a Sunday idol set up where God's holy Sabbath should be, including observance of a false sabbath in place of the Sabbath of the fourth commandment.
Their refusal to bow illustrates faithfulness to God when human authority demands worship, and their example shows that a future period in the Southern States would bring decisions for or against the commandments of God. Even then believers should not act presumptuously or close off their opportunities to work.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego had purposed in Babylon to be true to principle come what may, and threatened with the flaming fiery furnace heated seven times hotter than it was wont to be heated, they did not turn aside from allegiance to the truth but stood firm in the time of trial and were cast bound into the midst of the fire. They were not forsaken of God there, for the form of the Fourth was seen walking with them in the flames, and they came forth without even the smell of fire upon their garments. Their firmness is the pattern to be purposed now while the controversy between good and evil, between the two great powers, moves toward its close amid continual and sharp contests that will last until it is soon ended. The call is for all to purpose now to be true to principle, let come what may, with the assurance that faithful servants cast in for truth have His presence with them in the flames and come forth unharmed.
Courage for Coming Trials
The same God who kept the three worthies when they fell bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace still lives and reigns to preserve His faithful servants and fearless advocates of truth when papal enemies are determined to stop their mouths and cry for their blood. Luther trusted in that preserving God as he went to Worms in feeble health, knowing the dangers before him, seeking not his own ease but that the truth be not exposed to insult. He was ready to seal his testimony with his blood if God so ordained, rather than flee or retract.
Deliverance from violence ordered by earthly powers is in the Lord's hands, so one called by God to stand for the gospel before rulers should go even sick and under threat of violence, trusting God whether He saves by life or permits death. Personal life is of little consequence beside preventing the gospel from being exposed to scorn, requiring readiness to shed blood rather than flee or retract. It is left to God whether life or death will most contribute to the salvation of others.
God preserved the three Hebrews in the furnace just as He preserved John when cast into boiling oil. They were cast bound into the burning fiery furnace because they would not bow to Nebuchadnezzar's golden image, having been educated that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom to worship and serve God only, so their minds were made up and they did not fear to answer the king. Such haste was made in binding them that the fire burst out and burned those who put them in, yet when the king and his courtiers looked there were four men walking, and the fourth was like unto the Son of Man, the Son of God, whom the king recognized because Daniel and these men had talked to him of God and of Christ the representative of God. After this the king had the accusers cast into the furnace and called to those inside to come forth, and God was magnified. Their stand is an example for facing trials when Satan exercises great power as a roaring lion.
The furnace is an example of a trial in which God does not abandon those who remain faithful, applied as encouragement to hold fast to the truth despite opposition, to serve God rather than people, and to trust that God's strength is sufficient. God does not promise His people exemption from trials, but promises strength proportioned to their days and grace sufficient in weakness, and that promise is kept by Christ standing by their side and being personally present with the faithful three when they are called to go through the fiery furnace for His sake. Those who love their Redeemer rejoice at sharing His humiliation and reproach, and love for Him makes suffering for His sake sweet.
These three men fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace, heated seven times hotter than usual, whose flames killed the men who cast them in. They were cast in for refusing to bow to the king's golden image set up in the plain of Dura to magnify Babylon and Nebuchadnezzar himself. They were not forsaken in the fire, for Christ Himself walked with them as the form of the Fourth, so they walked unharmed amid the flames and came forth without even the smell of fire upon them. Their preservation turned the king's wrath to praise and thanksgiving and spread the knowledge of the true God throughout Babylon before its princes and leading men. Their experience is the pattern for the last days, when a universal decree will again demand false worship of a Sunday idol in place of God's holy Sabbath, calling God's people to purpose now to be true to principle come what may.
Furnace Setting and Details
These three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. They were thrown in still bound after refusing to abandon allegiance to God, and though helpless in themselves before overwhelming worldly power they trusted God's word and stood against it. The fire had already killed the men who carried them there, yet the verses that follow show God delivered them and they came out unharmed. They walked unharmed amid the flames accompanied by the Fourth, and came forth without even the smell of fire upon their garments.
They were bound in their garments and cast in because they refused to worship the king's image rather than violate conscience and loyalty to the God of heaven. That idolatrous golden image had been set up in the plain of Dura and represented the kingdom of Babylon and especially the king of Babylon himself and the glory of himself and his kingdom. The costly golden image Nebuchadnezzar set up there was to magnify Babylon and himself as an object of worship. The setting for their fall into the fire was the advisers' scheme of ensnaring the Hebrew captives by a royal decree that every knee should bow.
The furnace had been heated seven times hotter than it was wont to be heated, seven times more than usual. The flames were so furious that the men who cast the Hebrew exiles in and who carried them there were burned to death, with the fire bursting out upon those who put them in because such haste was made. This took place in the same year Daniel and his companions entered the service of the king of Babylon. It severely tested the integrity of these youthful Hebrews and proved before an idolatrous nation the power and faithfulness of the God of Israel.
It came in Nebuchadnezzar's boundless wrath at being defied by representatives of a despised and captive race in the very height of his power and glory. That defiance included refusing to disregard the Sabbath and to observe heathen festivals, for which Hebrew exiles suffered persecution and loss of life as idolaters were roused to crush out the truth. The king's use of force was the last resort of false religion.
Divine Presence and Deliverance
They were not forsaken of God in the fire, but Christ Himself was with His three faithful servants in the flames, seen as the form of the Fourth, like the Son of God and the Son of Man, walking with them. Cast bound into the midst of the fire for standing firm, they had His presence with them there and were brought out unharmed. That presence was no mere angelic attendance alongside them, but the Lord Himself walking with them in the flames.
They walked unharmed amid the flames and could not be consumed because the Son of God was with them. When they came forth their garments bore no trace of the fire, without even the smell of fire upon them. Their deliverance showed that God could preserve the faithful even in extreme danger and deadly danger. By it He vindicated the loyalty of His servants, honored their faithfulness, and made known His power and supremacy as ruler over earthly kings.
Their faithfulness did not keep them from being thrown into the fire, for God's servants may suffer humiliation and abuse despite being innocent. God does not promise His people exemption from trials, but promises strength proportioned to their days and grace sufficient in weakness. Their suffering for obeying God did not mean God had abandoned them, for God does not forget or forsake His people when they face persecution and mortal danger. He remains with His faithful children, and Christ stands by their side when they are called to go through the fiery furnace for His sake.
They would have been consumed if they had deliberately walked into the fire themselves, for God sustains people when temptation comes if they do not deliberately enter into it. The same protection that kept them unconsumed will preserve those united with the Lord from fire at His coming.
Faithful Obedience Under Threat
In Babylon they had purposed to be true to principle come what may, and when threatened with the flaming furnace heated seven times hotter than it was wont to be heated they would not turn aside from allegiance to the truth but stood firm in the time of trial and were cast bound into its midst. Their steadfastness is the pattern to follow now while the controversy between good and evil, between the two great powers, moves with continual and sharp contests toward its close. They were cast in because they refused to worship Nebuchadnezzar's costly golden image set up in the plain of Dura, which represented the kingdom of Babylon and especially the king himself magnified as an object of worship, and they would not bow the knee to that idolatrous image rather than violate conscience and loyalty to the God of heaven. Their minds were made up because they had been educated that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, to worship and serve God only, so they did not fear to answer the king.
Their example shows that firm religious principle can withstand the fear of death, for the faithful would rather face pain and the face of death than be untrue to God or surrender principle. As the later fruit of their firm stand over the king's food, they would not sacrifice loyalty or compromise truth even in the least degree or in the slightest particular, holding it better to incur the displeasure of men than to surrender loyalty to God and fall into apostasy. In falling bound into the furnace they controlled circumstances instead of being servants of circumstances, and ruled animal passions instead of being enslaved by hereditary or cultivated habits and tendencies. Their self-denial and self-sacrifice learned of Christ is to pass like a plowshare through hereditary and cultivated habits and through all circumstances and surroundings, making appetites and passions servants to the God-fearing man rather than rulers over him.
Those who read and believe and practice the sayings of Christ in Matthew 5 have the divine principles inwrought in the heart as if written with the finger of God, developing Christlikeness of character. The fiery furnace cannot intimidate such to deny and betray the truth for any amount of favor or worldly honors or for exalted position, for man's reputation is to them as nothingness. For them to live is to obey the word of Christ, and to die for the truth's sake is gain, enlisting to serve under the blood-stained banner of Prince Emmanuel. Though apparently helpless and utterly helpless in themselves before Nebuchadnezzar on the throne, they stood by faith and trust in God's Word and withstood the power of the whole world and all human power and policy in support of evil.
Those who hold fast in such trial are the world's true nobility, its royal line, which the youth of today are called to join. Their loyalty when human authority commands worship contrary to God shows the principle that God's people remain faithful when commanded to disobey God.
Witness to Babylon
The fall bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace was for refusing to bow the knee to the idolatrous golden image set up in the plain of Dura, which represented Babylon and especially the glory of Nebuchadnezzar himself and was set up to magnify Babylon and the king as an object of worship. Christ Himself walked in the furnace with His three faithful servants in their trial, and their preservation was a wonderful miracle that wrought upon Nebuchadnezzar's heart so that he believed in God and in His superior power over every other kingdom. The miracle so moved upon him that he acknowledged God and His superior power, and his anger turned to praise and thanksgiving to Jehovah.
God vindicated His servants and was honored by their faithfulness, and through their steadfastness the knowledge of the true God was spread abroad throughout the length and breadth of the empire of Babylon and brought before its princes and leading men. This accomplished the purpose for which He had permitted their captivity as captives in a heathen land, bringing His servants face to face with kings and rulers that they and their people might receive the light. Time after time the greatest monarchs were thus led to proclaim the supremacy of the God whom their Hebrew captives worshiped.
They were seen walking unharmed in the fire, accompanied by a fourth form like the Son of God and Son of Man, and were brought out with no smell of fire upon their garments, showing the king that the God they worshiped could preserve them. The Lord Jesus thus manifested Himself to them as He promises to manifest Himself to those who have His commandments and keep them, and the king seeing the form of the Fourth was convinced that the God of the three Hebrews was the living God. The king recognized the fourth figure because Daniel and these men had talked to him of God and of Christ the representative of God. Such haste had been made in binding them that the fire burst out and burned those who put them in, and after the king and his courtiers looked in he had the accusers cast into the furnace and called to those inside to come forth, and God was magnified.
The men who sought to destroy them and carried out the order were themselves destroyed by the fire. This proves that those who make cruel enactments seeking to destroy God's faithful people are destroyed by the recoil of their own actions. The interesting history in the third chapter of Daniel shows the Lord's wonderful deliverance of the three Hebrew worthies and teaches important principles regarding the working out of the Lord's purpose for the children of obedience and for the children of disobedience.
Prophecy of Last Days
The bound fall into the midst of the burning fiery furnace teaches that God's servants may suffer humiliation and abuse though innocent, and it points to a future persecution in which religious bigotry will turn against Sabbath keepers and a universal decree will declare them deserving of death. The advisers' scheme of ensnaring the Hebrew captives by a royal decree that every knee should bow to Nebuchadnezzar's golden image because they would not worship it is a pattern for the last days. Then men will likewise strive by human laws to turn God's people from allegiance when civil laws demand worship contrary to God's commandments. That demand will be worship of a Sunday idol set up where God's holy Sabbath should be, including observance of a false sabbath in place of the Sabbath of the fourth commandment.
Their refusal to bow illustrates faithfulness to God when human authority demands worship, and their example shows that a future period in the Southern States would bring decisions for or against the commandments of God. Even then believers should not act presumptuously or close off their opportunities to work.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego had purposed in Babylon to be true to principle come what may, and threatened with the flaming fiery furnace heated seven times hotter than it was wont to be heated, they did not turn aside from allegiance to the truth but stood firm in the time of trial and were cast bound into the midst of the fire. They were not forsaken of God there, for the form of the Fourth was seen walking with them in the flames, and they came forth without even the smell of fire upon their garments. Their firmness is the pattern to be purposed now while the controversy between good and evil, between the two great powers, moves toward its close amid continual and sharp contests that will last until it is soon ended. The call is for all to purpose now to be true to principle, let come what may, with the assurance that faithful servants cast in for truth have His presence with them in the flames and come forth unharmed.
Courage for Coming Trials
The same God who kept the three worthies when they fell bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace still lives and reigns to preserve His faithful servants and fearless advocates of truth when papal enemies are determined to stop their mouths and cry for their blood. Luther trusted in that preserving God as he went to Worms in feeble health, knowing the dangers before him, seeking not his own ease but that the truth be not exposed to insult. He was ready to seal his testimony with his blood if God so ordained, rather than flee or retract.
Deliverance from violence ordered by earthly powers is in the Lord's hands, so one called by God to stand for the gospel before rulers should go even sick and under threat of violence, trusting God whether He saves by life or permits death. Personal life is of little consequence beside preventing the gospel from being exposed to scorn, requiring readiness to shed blood rather than flee or retract. It is left to God whether life or death will most contribute to the salvation of others.
God preserved the three Hebrews in the furnace just as He preserved John when cast into boiling oil. They were cast bound into the burning fiery furnace because they would not bow to Nebuchadnezzar's golden image, having been educated that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom to worship and serve God only, so their minds were made up and they did not fear to answer the king. Such haste was made in binding them that the fire burst out and burned those who put them in, yet when the king and his courtiers looked there were four men walking, and the fourth was like unto the Son of Man, the Son of God, whom the king recognized because Daniel and these men had talked to him of God and of Christ the representative of God. After this the king had the accusers cast into the furnace and called to those inside to come forth, and God was magnified. Their stand is an example for facing trials when Satan exercises great power as a roaring lion.
The furnace is an example of a trial in which God does not abandon those who remain faithful, applied as encouragement to hold fast to the truth despite opposition, to serve God rather than people, and to trust that God's strength is sufficient. God does not promise His people exemption from trials, but promises strength proportioned to their days and grace sufficient in weakness, and that promise is kept by Christ standing by their side and being personally present with the faithful three when they are called to go through the fiery furnace for His sake. Those who love their Redeemer rejoice at sharing His humiliation and reproach, and love for Him makes suffering for His sake sweet.