21/11/21 – Daniel 3:19-30
Daniel 3:19 – Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed–nego: [therefore] he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated.
full – The Greek OT LXX has επλήσθη (Strong’s 4130) pletho, the same Greek word from
which pleroma (filled to completion; fulness;
completeness) derives. pleroma is translated “fulness” in Romans 11:25. That Greek term pleroma
is an interesting word because it derives from a term used to describe “a ship inasmuch as it is filled (i.e. manned) with sailors,
rowers, and soldiers”.
In Romans 11:25-27
it says that “all Israel shall be saved”
when “the fulness (pleroma) of the Gentiles be come in”. Literally it is saying
that Israel will return to God’s prophetic calendar to be brought to
everlasting righteousness (see Daniel 9:24) when the Gentiles are fulfilled,
that is, the ship is ready to sail because all are on board. This is the
snatching away of the Church, commonly referred to as the Rapture. Once this
has been achieved, Israel has 7 years of tribulation (the last week of years) remaining
“to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins,
and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting
righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most
Holy.” (Daniel 9:24) We’ll study this further when we get to Daniel
Ch.9.
What we may note from this is that Nebuchadnezzar’s fury had been brought to completion; he could not have been any more furious! His fury was filled to the top.
the form – Or “image” or
“likeness”. This word is used 17 times in Daniel, translated “image” 16 times
before Vs 19 above.
visage – face; nose
the form of his visage was changed
– The image or appearance of his face changed; he looked different to what he
had looked like before. His fury greatly changed the expression on his face
such that he looked like another face. His face was distorted with rage.
Nebuchadnezzar was so exceedingly furious that he
gave the order to heat the furnace much hotter than its normal temperature.
This was clearly an irrational decision, because more heat would have simply
shortened their agony. In the Middle Ages, when the catholic church wanted to
punish “heretics” more, they used green wood to slow down the burning process,
prolonging the agony in order to cause the greater anguish and pain. But
Nebuchadnezzar had lost any ability for rational thought by now. Fury overruled
all common sense.
seven times – This could refer to an
actual seven times, but could mean it was heated to the maximum possible heat
for this furnace. Seven can be seen as the number of perfection.
Seven is sometimes referred to as God’s divine or perfect number, the number of
completion, noting that creation was completed in
seven days (six for God’s labours and one more day for the sabbath rest).
Barnes says: “The
word "seven" here is a perfect number, and the meaning is, that they
should make it as hot as possible.”
wont – or “customary” That is,
seven times hotter than its customary or usual heat. Or it could mean seven
times hotter than was proper or fitting for such a furnace.
Daniel 3:20 – And he commanded the most mighty men that [were] in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed–nego, [and] to cast [them] into the burning fiery furnace.
most – strength; army; power; force
mighty – gibbar
(Aramaic) (mighty one)
An intensive form of gᵉbar (see “men”
below).
men – gᵉbar
(Aramaic) (man; a certain (man))
Translated “a man” in Daniel 2:25
(I have found a man of the captives of Judah),
and “certain” (certain Chaldeans
– Daniel 3:8;
and “certain” again (certain Jews
– Daniel 3:12)
Here in Daniel 3:20 it means that these men were handpicked for their outstanding
mighty strength.
Barnes says “and to mighty men, mighty men of strength”
It would have the idea of each one being “a man among men” or those who stand
out from the others.
gibbor
is a Hebrew term translated “mighty men” in the OT (Eg
Genesis 6:4).
These men were especially selected from
Nebuchadnezzar’s army for their strength, either to prevent these Jews from
escaping or being rescued, or, more likely, most able to withstand the extreme
heat of the super-heated furnace. (As we note in Vs 22 below, the fire was so
hot that the radiant heat killed these mighty men of strength.)
It is notable that the fire did not kill Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego on the spot at this time.
Daniel 3:21 – 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.
Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego were cast into the furnace, tied up while fully clothed. In such a hot furnace, clothing would be more of a problem than a benefit! The furnace must have been fairly sizable in order to permit these three Jews to be thrown into it. Even the door opening must have been big enough to permit this.
Daniel 3:22 – 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 Abed–nego.
urgent – or “hasty” Translated “hasty” in Daniel 2:15 where it had the idea of a decree needing to be carried out urgently or in haste.
That is, the order was given quickly with the expectation that it be carried out immediately. Those ordered to throw them into the furnace were expected to do as they were told without any dispute. These mighty men had been ordered to do this. Seemingly, no time was permitted for them to do it safely because they were apparently unprotected from the heat, and the fire’s heat killed them, noting that the furnace was exceedingly hot (that is, way above its normal operating temperature).
Daniel 3:23 – And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed–nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
It is obvious that the mighty men had been able to cause Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego to go into the furnace before they themselves were killed. Possibly the three Jews had shielded the mighty men until they were cast into the furnace.
That they fell down into the furnace strongly suggests that the doorway or opening into the furnace was above the fire itself and that they fell downward into it. Even if it had been at normal operating temperature, they would have had difficulty in getting out again before being burnt to a crisp. It suggests a furnace somewhat like a pit. However, this would then imply that Nebuchadnezzar was sitting higher than the furnace opening (and well away from it too!) because in Vs 25 below he says that he could see them walking about in the fire. Vs 26 below calls the furnace doorway “the mouth” of the furnace. Note that the three Jews seem to have got out of the furnace without assistance, so the door can’t have been too far above the fire.
In Daniel 2:49 the same word is translated “the gate”.
Daniel 3:24 – Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, [and] spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.
astonied – to be startled; be alarmed. “astonied” is the Old English form of “astonished”. The actual meaning here could to be alarmed probably through fear, or it could mean to be amazed at what he could see.
Nebuchadnezzar is now seeing four men (see Vs 25 below) in the furnace when only three had been cast into it. This obviously does not compute within his thinking. How can there be four after only three went in? His counsellors declare that the king has spoken truly: that only three men were indeed cast into the fiery furnace. These same counsellors are also witnesses to these three coming out of the furnace unharmed.
Daniel 3:25 – 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.
the Son of God – or “a son of the gods”
But in spite of only three men being cast into the furnace, Nebuchadnezzar can see four men, not just in the furnace but walking about in the midst of the fire as if nothing at all is wrong. They have apparently not just survived, but have no obvious injury or hurt. Not only is this so, but the fourth person (for whom he cannot account at all) is, to him, like (resembles; has the appearance of) the Son of God. (In Vs 28 below, Nebuchadnezzar calls this same person an “angel”, as one who is sent by God.) It is most likely that Nebuchadnezzar wasn’t referring to this person as the NT would refer to Jesus as the Son of God. Instead, the actual language used strongly suggests that Nebuchadnezzar considered this fourth person to be what he considered to be a son of the gods. It is likely that the Aramaic here should be translated as “a son of the gods”.
form – appearance
like – or “resembling”
“and the fourth person appears to resemble the Son of God”
He didn’t actually say that it was the Son of God but that this person resembled what Nebuchadnezzar apparently considered the Son of God should appear like (or a son of the gods).
However, while Nebuchadnezzar may have simply described this person as a son of the gods, it is also reasonable for us to interpret this person as the Son of God, and thus a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ the Son of God in one of His Christophanies (earthly bodily appearances of Christ in the OT).
Most commentaries do assume that this person was actually Jesus the Son of God, although the actual terminology doesn’t define this so clearly. Note such as in Joshua 5:13-15 where Joshua worships this person and is told to take his footwear off because he is standing on holy ground. This person declares himself to be the “captain of the host of the Lord” and may be assumed to be Christ.
In Exodus 3:5, Moses is told to take off his shoes because he is standing on holy ground; clearly he is communicating with God (we may assume Christ) in the burning bush).
Daniel 3:26 – Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, [and] spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed–nego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come [hither]. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed–nego, came forth of the midst of the fire.
mouth – gate; door
It is amazing that Nebuchadnezzar can now approach the opening to the furnace without being fried alive. We must assume that he did not approach the furnace doorway too closely. However, in calling out to Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, he must have made eye contact with them and was able to be heard by them, because they respond to his command and come forth out of the furnace. We would have to assume that they didn’t need help to get out of the furnace, as the heat of the fire would still have been deadly to anyone else at close quarters.
Here Nebuchadnezzar declares them to be servants of the most high God; that is, the God who is above all other gods. Note what Nebuchadnezzar said to Daniel in Daniel 2:47 – The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth [it is], that your God [is] a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret.
It took a miraculous response from Daniel to prompt the king to declare God to be God of gods, and it has taken a miraculous invention from God to prompt a similar statement about the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego. In each case it is what their God does that defines His sovereignty.
It is clear that the three Jews were not injured or burnt in any way, noting Vs 27 below. We must assume that the fourth person (the Son of God) didn’t remain in the furnace but must have returned to where he had come from originally.
Daniel 3:27 – And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king’s counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.
Not only was Nebuchadnezzar an eyewitness to this miraculous event, but his retinue who were gathered around him were also eyewitnesses to this miraculous event. (He would never have gone anywhere without this royal retinue.) It appears that not one of them could deny what actually happened; thus such a witness would carry a lot of weight in a court of law. On the word of one person an event is not established, but with two or more witnesses that event may be established. “In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.” (2 Corinthians 13:1b)
Also note Deuteronomy 19:15 – One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.
Being an eyewitness means that a person can testify in a court of law that an event has actually taken place as claimed. The disciples were eyewitnesses of Jesus’ life and could testify that His life was as described in their writings. Such testimony has to be accepted as true unless the witness can be discredited (which the world tried to do but couldn’t).
2 Peter 1:16 – For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
1 John 4:14 – And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son [to be] the Saviour of the world.
1 John 1:1-3 – 1That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; 2(For the life was manifested, and we have seen [it], and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) 3That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship [is] with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
It must have been an awesome sight to see three men make their way out of such a fiery furnace without any burning at all: no singed hair, no scorched clothing, not even a smell of burning at all. This had to be the ultimate of protection from a fire like this. Even fire-walkers who allegedly walk on red-hot rocks do generally show some evidence of having walked on fire, and it’s only their feet exposed to the fire, not their whole bodies. Nor do those nearby get killed by the heat coming from those rocks. But here these three Jews come out of that fire as fresh as if they had never been near a fire at all. Physically this is impossible, but not for God for whom all things are possible (Matthew 19:26).
Daniel 3:28 – [Then] Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed [be] the God of Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abed–nego, who hath sent his angel, and
delivered his servants that 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.
Blessed – This is that word that derived from the act of kneeling or the act of worship. (See its use in Daniel 2:19 & 20)
have changed the king’s word – or have frustrated the king’s utterance or command
It is clear that Nebuchadnezzar saw a connection between an angel and the Son of God (see Vs 25 above). He would have understood this fourth person to be a messenger or servant of the gods, or even of the most high God (since His servants such as Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego were able to demonstrate far greater powers than any other god appeared to demonstrate). It is also clear that Nebuchadnezzar saw the connection between trusting in God in spite of the king’s decree to worship (implying trust) of the image. They had even surrendered themselves fully and not held back anything of themselves because of this trust in their God.
Christians are also required to give their whole bodies as a living sacrifice; not just a part but a commitment of the whole life. Romans 12:1 – I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, [which is] your reasonable service.
Daniel 3:29 – Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language,
which speak any thing amiss against the God of
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed–nego, shall be cut in
pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other
God that can deliver after this sort.
Nebuchadnezzar
seems to be fond of making decrees, especially those that make trouble for
those who disobey. In that respect this is not really any different, for any
who disobey will suffer dire consequences. Any who say anything in error about
the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego will be
cut in pieces (dismembered), and their houses made a dunghill. See Daniel 2:5 for a similar decree to be enacted if
those Chaldeans couldn’t tell Nebuchadnezzar what he wanted them to tell him.
Clearly Nebuchadnezzar loved violent deaths for those who wouldn’t do exactly
as he decreed!
shall be
cut – shall be made into
pieces – member; limb;
member of the body
shall be cut in pieces
– probably dismembered or torn apart. Note the hanged, drawn and quartered
penalty of the Middle Ages. Nebuchadnezzar was not the only one to want more
than just the death of those who disobeyed!
every
people, nation, and language – That is, all under the rule of Nebuchadnezzar, no matter what country
or ethnic group they belong to.
Nebuchadnezzar
seems to have been someone who made absolute commands that left no room for any
personal interpretation. It wasn’t enough to do what he wanted, but it had to
be done also his way or else. Personal initiative was not something many
people would have enjoyed under his rule! Note also that there would generally
be little benefit to those who worshipped God under threat of death.
Daniel 3:30 – Then the king promoted
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed–nego, in the province of
Babylon.
Shadrach,
Meshach and Abed-nego had already been set “over the affairs of the province of Babylon” (Daniel 2:49) so this appears to have been a
promotion above that again. It doesn’t give details on this and these three
Jews are not mentioned again in Daniel (or anywhere else, either) after this,
so we can only surmise that they now had more authority than they had had
before.
Also, did
Nebuchadnezzar promote them because they were considered to be better than the
others, or was there some superstitious idea behind this: that you don’t ever
want to mess with any God who can do this (and that goes for His servants as
well)?
Far too many
Christians are satisfied to suffer in an “acceptable” way. That is, suffering
is alright as long as it doesn’t interfere with their everyday life. They even
gripe about suffering hindering their “calling” for God. Of course, too many
consider a calling only justified if it fits in with the rest of their lives.
Or if it brings in enough money to buy their big house, boat etc etc. Very few acknowledge a calling that might cause them
to really suffer. On the other hand, Paul wrote that “(we) suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of
Christ.” (1 Corinthians
9:12). Instead of
questioning if our suffering might be a hindrance to our style of living, the
question should really be if our lifestyle is a hindrance to our suffering.
Shadrach,
Meshach and Abed-nego were prepared to sacrifice all
for the sake of their calling to serve God. Paul echoed this when he told the
Romans that they should offer themselves as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1), not just some but all
on the altar of commitment. The measure of a good Christian is that they will
suffer for Christ (2 Timothy 3:12). Your suffering defines your commitment to God. How do you measure up?
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