“Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astounded and stood up in haste; he said to his high officials, “Was it not three men we cast bound into the midst of the fire?”  They replied to the king, “Certainly, O king.” He said, “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!” – Daniel 3:24-25

Besides being a prophetic book, the book of Daniel is also a book about God’s judgment on a sinful generation. It’s fitting that the Hebrew name Daniel means “God is my judge.” Several stories in the book convey the principle that God has and will continue to judge people. One of these stories is prolific and can be found in chapter 3. It is the story of three Jewish exiled boys who refused to obey an edict proclaimed throughout the land of Babylon to worship a golden statue of King Nebuchadnezzar. When confronted by the rulers they proclaimed their allegiance to Yahweh and were thrown into a fiery furnace to die. However, something miraculous happened! They not only survived the event, but were found to have a companion with them in the furnace who had not been thrown in with them. Who was this unknown fourth person and why weren’t they all being incinerated?

When reading passages like this I often ask myself questions like:

Why did God allow that story to be put in the Scriptures?

What is the purpose for this story?

Is there a hidden message or meaning that God is trying to convey to me?

Should miraculous passages like this be interpreted literally or figuratively? 

Paul mentions in Galatians 4:24 that some Old Testament stories can be interpreted allegorically. Is this one of them? I don’t know the answer to that question but let me propose the following and let you decide for yourself.

In Scripture, fire is a symbol of God’s wrath, judgment, and purification (Isaiah 66:16, Zechariah 13:9).  It’s interesting that here the fire is heated to seven times normal which could represent God’s judgment. In the story, Nebuchadnezzar could represent Satan who desires that humankind bow down and worship him. The guards who arrested the three and threw them into the fiery furnace could represent unbelievers who will not survive the wrathful judgment of God. Note that the three faithful followers of Yahweh were bound before the furnace but “unbound” in the furnace. Could the binding be representative of their sins, which held them captive in their lives and are now forgiven and they have been set free? The fourth person in the furnace was one who was like “a son of the gods.” Dare I say this was Jesus who covered their sins so that God’s wrath would not harm them?

Finally, the original Hebrew names of the three men play a significant role in this story. Hananiah (Shadrach) means “Yahweh is gracious,” Mishael (Meshach) means “Who is like God” and Azariah (Abednego) means “Yahweh has helped.” Because of our sinful nature, we deserve death and the wrathful judgment of a holy and just God. It is only by His grace that we can even stand before Him, being clothed with One who is like (and IS) God who “helps” us by covering our sins with His blood. It is then, and only then, that we are unbound and free to live the life of Christ who lives in us.

This is a beautiful story of steadfast faith, trust and unfailing love of the Father. Is there a hidden meaning or is it all just coincidental? I, personally, like to believe this story was a literal occurrence. Even if it was not, I would have to say there is no coincidence; the Father God is using yet another story to convey His steadfast and unfailing love to His called ones who place their trust and faith in Him and Him alone.

Keep fighting the good fight!

David