Chapter XXVIII: The Fiery Furnace

NEBUCHADNEZZAR'S dream of the Great Image had been explained to him by Daniel and his three companions; but the king soon forgot the wonderful interpretation which God had sent him, containing such an unfolding of the future which, in due time, has come to pass.

One great dynasty after another—Babylon, the Medes and Persians, Greece, and Rome, have arisen and passed away, till at length, up to now, only the Feet of the Vision of the Great Image wait to be accomplished.

And when history shows us that all has been fulfilled except the Feet of iron and clay, we know that we must be very near to the coming of the Wonderful Stone, which by and by is to fill the whole earth.

You will some of you understand what I mean when I say that this is Symbolical language. That means, that it is a picture of Heavenly Things which is to teach us about earthly things.

That Stone is a symbol of our Lord Jesus Christ when He comes back from Heaven to reign over the whole earth. We read in the seventh chapter of Daniel these words: "I saw in the night Visions, and behold one like the Son of man came with the clouds of Heaven . . . and there was given Him dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all people, nations and languages should serve Him: His dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away, and His kingdom that which shall not be destroyed."

King Nebuchadnezzar remembered the part of his dream of the Great Image that applied to himself—he knew he was the head of gold.

This probably made him think of making a real image, and setting it up in the plain of Dura for every one to worship.

So the heralds went forth and told the people that at the sound of any musical instrument they were instantly to fall down and worship the Golden Image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

And in order to force compliance, this mighty king made a terrible threat, that whoever refused to worship it, should be cast into a burning fiery furnace.

But the Chaldeans, who were very jealous that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had been set up over the affairs of the kingdom, came near and told Nebuchadnezzar that the Jews refused to bow down and worship the Golden Image which he had set up.

Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego before him.

So he asked them: "Is it true that you will not worship the Golden Image which I have set up? If you are ready to worship, well; but if not, you shall be cast the same hour into the midst of the fiery furnace. And who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hand?"

But the three young men were strong in the might of their God, and they answered—

"We are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us out of thine hand, O King. But if not, be it known unto thee, O King, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the Golden Image which thou hast set up."

Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and he ordered that they should heat the furnace seven times hotter than usual, and that the most mighty men in his army were to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the fiery furnace.

And because the king's command was urgent and the furnace exceeding hot, the flames killed the men who had to throw Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego into the fire.

And the three young men fell down, bound, into the midst of the furnace.

The king was watching the dreadful scene; but suddenly a great fear shook him, and he turned to his counsellors with the question, "Did not we cast three men, bound, into the fire?"

And his counsellors said that it was true, they had.

Then King Nebuchadnezzar 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."

Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the furnace, and he said: "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come forth and come hither!"

Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came forth of the midst of the fire.

And the Princes, Governors, and Captains, and the King's Counsellors, who were gathered together watching, saw these men upon whom the fire had no power; nor was a hair of their heads singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.

Then Nebuchadnezzar spake and said: "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, Who hath sent His angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and have changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god except their own God."

So Nebuchadnezzar made another decree, that if any one said anything against the God of these three young men, he should be cut in pieces and his house destroyed—"because there is no other god that can deliver after this sort."

And the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon.

This is a glorious chapter of one of the greatest deliverances of the Bible; and there are plenty more!