Those facing tough times might look to this story for inspiration, knowing that it is possible to stand firm in their faith even if God does not come to their rescue. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, however, worshipped only the One True God, and they refused to bow down to the false idol. I do not lean in either direction of the figure being an angel or it being Jesus himself, but the point of the figure is to show that God provides a way out for his faithful servants. Daniel 4 – Is Nebuchadnezzar’s Madness Historical? God is unique! I think it is fairly arguable that the mysterious fourth figure in the furnace was Gabriel, one of the prominent angels and holy ministers of God. It’s an age-old battle, heating up as we see the forces of darkness aligning in greater measure. The Hebrew number for four is Dalet, it means a door. But by faith we believe that the word of God is truth. Daniel was now called Belteshazzar, Hananiah was called Shadrach, Mishael was called Meshach, and Azariah was called Abednego. As to whether or not Nebuchadnezzar actually converted or not, it is very clear according to the text that he did not. There is a battle raging over our worship. Many Christian commentators identify the fourth person as the Son of God, a “pre-incarnate Jesus Christ” (Miller, Daniel, 123-124). Some may speculate that this is the case in this Daniel passage. We may walk through a fiery trial that the enemy has heated seven times hotter than normal… But God! Long has taught full time at Grace Christian University since 1998, specializing in Bible and Biblical languages. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image which you have set up! (Dan. This, said, “angel of the LORD” could also be a different angel than that which appears in the various other passages. His presence will make the fire of our trials, supernatural and situations will turn around from hopeless to hope-filled and beyond! When Daniel turned out to be the only man capable of interpreting one of Nebuchadnezzar's troubling dreams, the king placed him in a high position over the whole province of Babylon, including over all of the wise men of the land. Only that which bound the men was burned away! However, when Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego remained standing, the king was furious, but then the king had them men brought to him to tell them exactly what they had to do when they heard the sound of music, however, when the men failed to do as he commanded, he threw them into a fiery furnace. Hearing this story the children’s ministry leader would always say that it was Jesus in the fire. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to worship or serve any god but the living God. He identified it as a son of the gods, which must mean that he didn’t think it was just another person. However, Montgomery points out the Aramaic phrase “son of the gods” was a “perfectly pagan phrase” (106). They were brought before Nebuchadnezzar to face their fate but remained courageous in the face of the king's demand to bow down before the golden statue. As a result, they found favor with King Nebuchadnezzar. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were bound and cast into the flames. I do not know if we will ever know who the fourth person in the fire was until they have been relieved to us in heave, and when I am in heaven I do not even think that I will care about these things I will just be so in awe of my creator. But as King Nebuchadnezzar peered into the furnace, he marveled at what he saw: Then the king called the men to come out of the furnace. Nebuchadnezzar is even angrier at three Judean exiles for defying him to his face and orders the furnace be made still hotter, seven times hotter (an idiom meaning “as hot as possible”). Once in captivity, the youths were given new names. Heartbeat International, Success and Motherhood: What Amy Coney Barrett's Nomination Means to Me, Diversity, Unity, and Pregnancy Help Organizations, Jesus and a Common-Sense Approach to Racial Reconciliation, « Anna: A Heart of Worship Welcomes the King. Book of Daniel From the King James Version of the Bible, Scripture Readings for the Second Week of Lent. Abednego is Raphael the Arc Angel (Magi, King, Wise Men). King Neb was not a Christian man so he could have seen an angel and to him, it was a son of God. After a while Nebuchadnezzar noticed than the men were basically standing in the furnace, but they were not alone. This therefore glorified angles and heavenly beings and would make sense as to the reasoning of this being an angel. All four are walking around unharmed. What is different about this fourth person is not stated, but Nebuchadnezzar believes he is seeing some kind of divine being in the flames. It definitely shows that it was a divine intervention but it has nothing to do with Jesus specifically. none of us were present when these events took place. All we get is, “He answered and said, “But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods” (Daniel 3:25). Needless to say, this made quite an impression on Nebuchadnezzar who declared: Through God's miraculous deliverance of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego that day, Nebuchadnezzar declared that the remaining Israelites in captivity were now protected from harm and were guaranteed freedom of worship. If this is the case, what does this do to our theology? I do not think that we can have a very accurate description of that fourth man in the fire because if the person who is telling us and that is king Neb. was this the son of a god or could he have been the God himself? Acts 2:42-47 - The Early Community of Believers. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego emerged unharmed, with not even a hair on their heads singed or the smell of smoke on their clothing. You must believe only in the one true God in order to be saved. Even though he praises the God of the Jews, He still believed in his own customs of pagan gods. Daniel 1:8-16 - What was Wrong with the King’s Food? However, one of the more interesting characters in this story is the fourth figure that walks around in the flames with the three friends. ( Log Out / While toleration of the Jews would have been particularly applicable during the persecution of the Jews under Antichious, there is hardly a period in Jewish history since the dispersion began when they have been entirely free from persecution. Change ). Not the fourth person in the furnace. And Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego received a royal promotion. There is scriptural evidence for the idea of God sending his angels and angel armies to take care of his people in real and tangible ways. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! As Daniel 3:17 says, God can save us but even if he does not, the Jewish people enduring oppression from Antiochus would not compromise their traditions even if this refusal led to their death. What is understand of who this person is? Bible scholars believe he was either an angel or a manifestation of Christ. His most recent book is Galatians: Freedom through God’s Grace (Wipf & Stock, 2019). It is these elements of this narrative that the importance rests on. Similar to Nebuchadnezzar’s reaction in chapter 2, the king confesses the god of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego is powerful and issued an edict to protect their right to worship their own God and not to worship his gods. Who is the mysterious fourth person in the fiery furnace? Meshach is Michael the Arc Angel (Magi, King, Wise Men). If keeping with the idea that the figure in the flames was glowing, there is something that stood out to me. The story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego is a very impressive one as the faith of the three young men was not shaken even at the point of death. Who Was King Nebuchadnezzar in the Bible? Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who is understood as the fourth person in the fire? Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. This reminds me of King Agrippa in Acts 26:28! As far as who the fourth person in the fire is, I would like to think that it is a pre-incarnate Christ. King Neb. Among those deported to Babylon were four young men from the tribe of Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. The lesson here is that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego trusted God and were determined to be faithful without any guarantee of deliverance. The Hebrew word for "confused" in verse 9 is babal, which sounds like Babylon. Daniel 3:19 states, “He ordered the furnace heated seven times more than it was usually heated.” When the servants of the king brought the 3 men into the fiery furnace, the people who went to throw them into the furnace died due to the extreme heat. I also find it interesting that as a child in Sunday school, I specifically remember learning this fourth person in the furnace was merely an angel. It is only by the work of the “Most High God” himself. The story takes place about 600 years before Jesus Christ was born when King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon besieged Jerusalem and took captive many of Israel's finest citizens. In the passage we see that the 3 men believed that God was going to protect them. No one will ever actually know who this fourth person in the fiery furnace was but it does not matter. • 1963: Martin Luther King Jr. references them in his Letter from Birmingham Jail Learn how your comment data is processed. Today's Christians might not be threatened by fiery death, but many are tested nonetheless.
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