Through the Fire

“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.”  Daniel 3:25

This passage in the book of Daniel is likely one of the most recognized even among those who have spent very little time in God’s word.  Let’s set the scene:  It was about B.C. 605 when Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, invaded Jerusalem, taking captives.  Among them were some of the brightest and best, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.  The last three are better known as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, their Babylonian names.  A law was passed in Babylon that everyone, including the captive Jews, were to worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar, a real narcissist, had set up.  The focus then turns to these three young men because they refused to fall down before this golden image choosing instead to remain faithful and loyal to the God of Israel.  The punishment for disobeying the king was very drastic–being thrown into a burning, fiery furnace.  The fire was so fierce that it killed the guards who escorted Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednego to the furnace.  For a moment, imagine how painful this would be.  Think about when you burn your finger on an iron or a pan right out of the oven and how much it hurts and continues to burn.

The thing is, though, that Nebuchadnezzar really liked these young men.  He was impressed with their knowledge and upbringing and had given them positions in his administration at the request of Daniel.  However, others were jealous and reported to the king that these fellows were not getting with the program, that is, they were not serving Nebuchadnezzar’s idols nor worshipping his image.  These young men were not afraid of the king nor what he could do to them because they had faith that God would see them through.  They told the king that God would deliver them, but even if He chose not to, they would not worship the king’s golden image.  This made the king very angry, and that is when he decided to make the fire much more fierce by ordering it heated seven times hotter than normal.

The three young men were thrown into the furnace.  They were completely dressed from head to toe.  Under normal circumstances, their clothes would have immediately caught fire and then their bodies would have succumbed to the fire.  At least this is what the king expected.  However, when he went to the furnace, he was shocked to see them walking around completely unharmed, and a fourth Man was with them.  He exclaimed that the fourth Man was like the Son of God.  Some Bible scholars say that the king assumed He was an angel, not God’s Son Jesus.  However, those of us who know Christ, know in our hearts that the fourth Man was indeed Jesus Christ.  Nebuchadnezzar was so astonished that it brought him to the realization that the God that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego worshipped was infinitely more powerful than any god or image that he could design.  He issued a decree that anyone who made any disparaging remarks against Israel’s God would be cut in pieces and his or her property would become a public toilet.  The king had not yet come to the place where he became a follower of the LORD God, but he eventually did (Daniel 4:37).

Appearances by Jesus in the Old Testament books are known as Christophanies.  Jesus has always existed.  His power and influence carried throughout the Old Testament, throughout the New Testament, and is still present with us as He stands ready to go through whatever fires we have to endure.