The Day of New Beginnings
The Furnace of Blazing Fire
Dan 3:1-30:
Chapter three of Daniel tells the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego and the fiery furnace. The chapter begins by explaining how Nebuchadnezzar had an image of gold, sixty cubits by six cubits, set up on the plain of Dura with the command that everyone should fall down and worship it at the designated signal. Anyone failing to do so would be thrown into “a furnace of blazing fire” (vs. 1-6). What Nebuchadnezzar had erected was much more than an idol. In verse four the Babylonian herald proclaims, “To you the command is given, O peoples, nations and men of every language…” On a spiritual plane this indicates there was an attempt to bring the whole world under a false system of worship that denied the presence of God and exalted the accomplishments and achievements of man. The dimensions of the golden image are significant. Six represents man. Sixty by six represents man in all his worldly glory. It’s also significant that the image erected is made of gold. Gold in the Scriptures always represents the divine. So here is an image, made of gold, but with the dimensions of man. It is symbolic of man worshipping himself and his achievements, making himself a deity. The fourth chapter of Daniel describes how Nebuchadnezzar came under judgment for just such an attitude. In verses 30-32 we read, “The king reflected and said, ‘Is this not Babylon, the great, which I myself have built as a royal house by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?’ “While the word was in the king’s mouth a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is declared: sovereignty has been removed from you, and you will be driven away from mankind, and your dwelling place will be with the beasts of the field. You will be given grass to eat like cattle, and seven periods of time will pass over you, until you recognize that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind, and bestows it on whomever He wishes.’”
In 3:8-12 we see how Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego refused to bow down to the golden image and had charges brought against them by certain jealous Chaldeans. Verse 11 holds significance for us: “But whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire.” This decree of Nebuchadnezzar also reveals God’s intentions. He too says that whoever does not fall down and worship the image of Babylon shall be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire. Nebuchadnezzar’s edict was meant as a punishment for all those not obeying. God’s intent however, is to find those in the earth who will be true worshippers and then refine them. John 4:23-24 teaches that the Father seeks out those who will worship Him in spirit and in truth.
There is much symbolism in the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego. Much has been made of the “mark of the beast” of Revelation 13. In 13:18 it states clearly the number of the beast is the number of man: six hundred and sixty-six. This corresponds with Nebuchadnezzar’s image. The beast of Rev. 13, among other things, represents a world system that attempts to exclude God and worship and deify man; not a man, but mankind in its ego and glory. It’s the very spirit of Babylon that prevails in the hearts of all men, even Christians, until self is crucified and the Lordship of Jesus Christ takes precedence.
From God’s point of view the blazing furnace of fire symbolizes His purifying of all true worshippers. When He finds those who will not “bow down” to spiritual Babylon’s decrees, but desire to love and worship Him with a sincere heart, He throws them into the “blazing furnace” to purify and refine them. Malachi 3:1-3 bears this out beautifully:
1 "Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; and the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming," says the LORD of hosts.
2 "But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap.
3 "He will sit as a smelter and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may present to the LORD offerings in righteousness.
These passages state God is like a refiner’s fire. He sits as a smelter and purifier. These verses also indicate the process of refinement has a unique fulfillment in the days preceding His manifestation to the earth (vs. 1-2). Who is it that He is purifying? The sons of Levi! In the Old Testament the Levites were the priests of the Lord. Among other things they offered the sacrifices unto the Lord. Today, the sons of Levi are not literal Jewish priests from the tribe of Levi, but all those who offer up worship to the Lord from the heart (Heb. 13:15, Rev. 1:6). These are the ones to whom these passages apply. He will refine and purify them, just as gold and silver are refined in a smelter’s furnace, until only Christ is reflected in their spirits. The human element of self will be burned away.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego are types of the true worshippers of the Lord. Look at their responses in 3:17-18: “If it be so, our God who we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire, and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.” The three Hebrews had set their hearts to worship only the Lord. After their proclamation of dedication, they were thrown into the fire. This is the same pattern God follows with us. Once we declare our desire and intent to be true disciples and worshippers of the Lord, He throws us into the blazing furnace. Notice in verse 19 that Nebuchadnezzar orders the furnace to be heated seven times hotter than it was usually heated. Seven in the Scriptures indicates completion or perfection. The “furnace of the Lord” in our lives is designed to bring us into a perfection of spirit. Verse 17 indicates that God is able to deliver from the furnace of blazing fire. When God puts the fire to our lives to purify us, an abundance of His grace is thrown in with us. This is symbolized by a fourth man moving in the midst of the flames with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. When Nebuchadnezzar sees it, he exclaims, ”Look I see four men loosed and walking about in the midst of the fire without harm, and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods (vs. 24-25)! The Lord walks with us through the fiery furnace of the trials and testings He puts us through to perfect us. Through our trust in Him to complete His purposes in our lives, His grace is continually manifested to us. In verse 27 we read, “And the satraps, the prefects, the governors and the king’s high officials gathered around and saw in regard to these men that the fire had no effect on the bodies of these men nor was the hair of the head signed, nor were their trousers damaged, nor had the smell of fire even come upon them.” It’s significant also that when Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego are thrown into the furnace, they are bound and tied (:vs. 21,23). But when Nebuchadnezzar beholds them in verse 25, he exclaims, “Look! I see four men loosed and walking about in the midst of the first without harm…” The only way we as Christians can be free and loosed from the carnal bonds that hold us is to be thrown into God’s blazing furnace of fire. Only God’s consuming fire can burn away that which binds us.
For those whose heart is not right within them, however, the furnace of blazing fire results in punitive judgment. This is symbolized by Nebuchadnezzar’s valiant warriors being consumed by the fire as they carried up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego (vs. 20-22). The true worshippers, however, emerge not only unscathed, but enter in to a new prosperity as a result of their experience in the blazing furnace (vs. 30).
In this hour of God’s dealings upon His people the experience of the furnace of blazing fire is set before all who desire to walk on with God into a greater maturity. Let there not be any fear in our hearts of God’s cleansing fire. But let there be a hunger within us to have it said of us as it was spoken concerning Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego: “…Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, who has sent His angel and delivered His servants who put their trust in Him, violating the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies so as not to serve or worship any god except their own God.”