The Fiery Furnace of Daniel Chapter 3
King
Nebuchadnezzar had a statue of himself built 12 ½ feet wide and 125 feet
high. Everyone was to bow and worship
it. Three men did not. They did not even have to stop to consider their answer
to the King as to why they did not do so. They would not worship an idol and
their God would deliver them from the fiery furnace that they were going to be
thrown into for not worshipping the idol.
In a rage of fury the King had his men heat the furnace up seven times hotter than it was.
This is where we usually MISS something in this story.
It describes the Jews being dressed in ALL their garments. They were layered as thought it was fifty degrees BELOW zero temperature out there. They were dressed into their: Coats, hats and “other garments”! The king had mighty men bound the three Jews and throw them into the fire. No one could break those bonds.
They were
wrapped up like a mummy! Then they were
tied up to prevent any escape. Picture
what they looked like BEFORE ever being put in the furnace. REMEMBER this image
in your mind.
The mighty men who threw the boys into the furnace died from the fire JUST TRYING to get the boys into the furnace. Another historical record states the flames coming out of the front of the furnace were 75 feet high!
The boys were so “bundled up” that it says they “fell down” in the furnace.
THEN… (cue the drum roll please)
Upon looking in the furnace the king found NOT three men BUT four! They were ALL WALKING AROUND. Not lying down burning.
This is again another place we usually end the telling of this story with the acknowledgement that they came out not even harmed and the king repented. BUT READ THAT ENDING PART AGAIN!
Correct ending is this:
In the furnace the boys were NO LONGER even tied up. AND they were WALKING AROUND. Remember that image you had of what the boys looked like when they were thrown into the fire. The ropes had burned off and ALL THE EXTRA CLOTHING must have been burned off because they were walking around freely. And not one of the men was harmed.
It gives a
DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE now when scripture states that there was not a hair
singed or the smell of smoke upon them!
