Bible Prophecy In Today’s World

Presented by Mr Raymond Clark

Nebuchadnezzar, supreme ruler over the civilized  world, apparently began to feel proud of his many accomplishments.  Pride often causes men to do foolish things and King Nebuchadnezzar, in all of his power and glory, was no exception.  He caused an “image of gold” to be erected in his honor and arranged for a dedication ceremony in which he required the attendance of all of the important people in his  government.  Everyone who was “somebody”  in the kingdom were in attendance at the dedication ceremony.

 

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego And  The Fiery Furnace

Da 3:1 Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.

 

Da 3:2 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the princes, the governors, and the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.

 

Da 3:3 Then the princes, the governors, and captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, were gathered together unto the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

 

Da 3:4 Then an herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages,

Da 3:5 That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up:

 

Da 3:6 And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.

 

             Nebuchadnezzar set up the image and required that all men, at a given point in time,  bow down and worship the golden image.  Failure to do so would result in people being cast into the fiery furnace.

 

 “…O people, nations, and languages,  Da 3:5 That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up:  Da 3:6 And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace…”

 

            The people were to bow before the image and worship the image every time they heard the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of music.  The people were further warned that “…whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace...”.   Guess who refused to fall down and worship the  golden image?  Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego determined not to bow before any other God but their own.  Putting that in today’s vernacular no true Christian could bow and worship another god because they would first have to deny the “True and Living God”.  No true Christian could ever deny their God.  Any Christian must be prepared to die for the Christian principles for which they stand.  I wonder how many of us today could stand up to that test?

 

 

Da 3:7 Therefore at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all kinds of music, all the people, the nations, and the languages, fell down and worshipped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.

 

Da 3:8 Wherefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near, and accused the Jews.

 

Da 3:9 They spake and said to the king Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live for ever.

 

Da 3:10 Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship the golden image:

 

Da 3:11 And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth, that he should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.

 

Da 3:12 There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

 

 

                        Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego  were accused of having no regard for King Nebuchadnezzar because the refused to bow before another god.  The fact is they respected the King very highly but they placed their God above everything, even their lives. They rather chose death should it be required of them and they had been promised a cruel death if they refused.  There were men in King Nebuchadnezzar kingdom who were jealous of these young  Jewish men for they had been placed in authority over many of them and they were obviously  attempting to discredit them before the king.   As a result they were hauled before the King and the king confronted them with the accusation.  Sadly we have so many men in high places today who stand for nothing and will sell their very souls for power and wealth and we as a nation will pay the price for this lack of commitment.

            We see in this next few verses that King Nebuchadnezzar, in a very arrogant manner, defied the Living God of  Shadrach, Meshack, and Abendnego when he asked the question, “…and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?...”

 

Da 3:13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. Then they brought these men before the king.

 

Da 3:14 Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?

 

Da 3:15 Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?

 

            Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were given another chance to do as the King had commanded.  It almost appeared that the King did not want to take action against them but obviously he saw his authority threatened.  It also appears that he had forgotten what Daniel and his three  friends’ God  had done for him regarding his dream earlier after which he placed Daniel and his three friends in authority in his kingdom.  King Nebuchadnezzar, not unlike many people today, had a short memory and desired to keep all of the glory and power for himself.   He got into trouble several times for his failure to recognize and give God the glory as you will see as we continue through this study.

 

Da 3:16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.

 

Da 3:17 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.

 

Da 3:18 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.

 

            Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused, even in the face of death, to give in to the King’s demand.  I love the way they answered him.  They were very respectful of the King but they feared God, not man, not even the King.  Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego told the King that their God was indeed able to deliver them  and that He would deliver them but even if He did not they still would not serve his gods nor would they worship the golden image.  King Nebuchadnezzar was filled with rage and ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than normal and ordered Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego cast into the furnace. These three Hebrew children still refused to give in to the King’s demand and stood  firmly upon their principles.

 

Da 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.

 

Da 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.

 

             It appears that King Nebuchadnezzar is determined to challenge the true and living God as he pits his god against the God of the universe, a sad mistake that many are making even in our day. 

Daniel 3:21 - 30 (KJV) 21Then 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. 

22Therefore 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 Abednego.  23And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. 

            True to his word the King had Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego bound and cast into the fiery but what the King observed startled him.  Indeed God intervened on behalf of, Shadrach Meshach, and Abed-nego as we see n the next verse

  24Then 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. 

25He 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. 

                Can you imagine the shock King Nebuchadnezzar experienced when he saw them walking around in the furnace with “no hurt”?  He also exclaimed that one looked like the Son of God.  Indeed it was either an angel or perhaps Jesus Christ Himself in the furnace protecting , Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego.  Their unqualified faith proved more powerful than the fiery furnace of Nebuchadnezzar’s and Nebuchadnezzar is about to experience a conversion of sorts as he recognizes the reality of ,  Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego’s God .

            Where was Daniel during this episode.  I cannot answer that but it has been said that he may have been out of the Country on some special mission for the king but that would probably be little more than speculation. But we know tha had he been there he would not have bowed down to worship the image

26Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire. 

27And 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.

  28Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, 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. 

29Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, 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. 

30Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the province of Babylon.

            Once again we see where God took something meant for evil and turned it for good as, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, not only survived, but were once again promoted in the Babylonian Government.   We also see where Nebuchadnezzar made another decree threatening to have anyone who even spoke against  Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego’ God cut into pieces and their houses made into a dunghill.

             This episode once again shows us the power of complete faith in Almighty God.  These guys had said that their God would take care of them but even if he did not they would still not bow before another God.  They were willing to die for their faith and that is the kind of faith that we must have in these last days in which we are living.  When they became willing to die for their faith, God did not require it of them, however, had they not been willing to die in all probability they would have indeed died. Are we as Christians today prepared to die for our faith.  We all think that we are , however, when that time, should it ever come, will we stand true?  I fear that we might cave in if our faith is not well grounded and currently the most important thing in our lives.  Pray to God that it is, other wise we might falter.