Now that you have read chapter three of the Book of Daniel you will know that it is an account of the miracle working power of God. But it is more than that. It is also an account typifying the struggle through the ages of Israel and the true Church and it is an account of the per­sonal victories that we can have through faith in God.

There is a twenty-three year time gap between the writings of chapter 2 and the writing of chapter 3. As we continue in our study it is inter­esting to follow the progress of Nebuchad­nezzar. See if you can come to a conclusion of your own as to whether he eventually believed in God. In chapter 2:46,47 we read -

Daniel 2:46,47
Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face, pros­trate before Daniel, and com­manded that they should present an offering and incense to him. The king an­swered Daniel, and said, "Truly your God is the God of gods, the Lord of kings, and a re­vealer of secrets, since you could reveal this secret."

Nebuchadnezzar appears to be making progress but I believe at this point he had only a change of mind not of heart. He was beginning to go in the right direction but his wicked heart was not regenerated. It is evident that he didn't have true repentance. Why do I say this? Be­cause he continued to worship his own gods. After his acknowledg­ment of the Hebrew God in chapter 2 he simply added Him to his many other gods. Nebuchadnez­zar actually created a multi-faith reli­gion to match his one world gov­ernment.

This is very much like what many churches are try­ing to do today through ecumenicism and now syncretism. People say today, "There isn't really much dif­ference between the way each of the churches worship, and anyway, we all worship the one God". I believe that the method of worship is prescribed by the God you worship, therefore if you are not worship­ping God with acceptable forms of sacrifice, as described by Him in the Bible, then I don't believe it is actually God that you are worship­ping.

Chapter 3 is the introduction to the first of the only three miracles recorded in Daniel. For 70 years the people of Judah were captive in Babylon and over that 70 years they only saw three miracles. Sometimes we complain about not seeing the hand of God move for long periods of time. God has a Divine plan and purpose and He moves with Sovereignty according to His plan. The three miracles recorded in the Book of Daniel are:

Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego in the fiery furnace - Chapter 3.

The writing on the wall - Chapter 5.

Daniel in the lion’s den - Chapter 6.

I believe that God moved in these miraculous ways to console the He­brew captives and show them that He hadn't entirely abandoned them. They weren't completely without hope. Also, these three Divine actions would confound the Babylonians. Although they had God's peo­ple captive, they deported them into a strange land, they were ruling the world, the God of the Hebrews was still in con­trol. He could con­found their plots.

In chapter 2 the dream image that Nebuchadnez­zar had was representative of World Government. The literal image in chapter 3 is more representative of World economics sup­ported by world religion. One upholding the other. The wicked world religion upholds the system of usury (extortionate interest and the practice of charging exorbitant interest although in Bible texts the word usury is used for any amount of interest charged), debt and interest. The temples of ancient Babylon were actually the banking houses of the day. The strongest evidence for the tie between religion and economics today can be seen on our streets during the Christmas and Easter periods.  These 'so called' Christian festivals have become almost completely commer­cial enterprises.  To look at these two areas of religion and the economy walking hand in hand is to only scratch the surface of this sub­ject. Complete books have been written on this topic. The economic system keeps going as the life blood for Babylon type religions.

It has been suggested that the image was a tall, golden column and at the top of the column was a winged disc. This represented the gold standard. It was Nebuchadnezzar who established the gold standard and brought usury (interest) and debt into the economic system. It has also been said that there was some sort of image of Nebuchadnezzar on the statue. This idea, I would say, is based on the dream in chapter 2 that Nebuchadnezzar had and when he saw himself as the image.

Daniel 3:1
Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits and its width six cubits. He set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Baby­lon.

The image was 60 cubits high, that is about 90 feet, and 6 cubits or about 9 feet wide. I would like to help you to identify Nebuchadnez­zar and the Babylonian system now, but to do this well I will have to change the subject for a little while. We are going to have a look at what is termed 'Bible Numerics' and this will teach us some very im­portant lessons.

BIBLE NUMERICS

In the ancient languages letters often had a numer­ical value. This is true of both the Hebrew, as used in the Old Testament, and the Greek, as used in the New Testament. This fact is most obvious today when we look at a Roman Numeral clock. 'V' is equal to five and 'X' is equal to ten etc.

Numbers are important to God and in His numbering system the num­ber seven is equal to or shows Divine per­fection.

Let's take a look at a passage in the New Testa­ment to show a point -

Mark 16:17-20
"And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover." So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the ac­companying signs. Amen.

This passage of Scripture has had its authenticity questioned because it was missing from some of the original manuscripts. As we shall see it does measure up to God's Divine calculator.

Number of words:

of these 21 nouns:

The vocabulary of this passage totals:

Check how often the number 7 comes out in these verses and try to prove that they are not of God.

The passage has

Six, in Bible Numerics is the number of man. It falls one short of 7, the number of Divine perfection.  As I said before, in the Hebrew each word has a numerical value. If you take each word in the original text of 3:1 it will add up to 4,662.  That is 7 times 666.  Perfection or ul­ti­mate blasphemy of the anti-Christ Babylonians one world system. The Babylonish system and the system of anti-Christs are the same thing.

Daniel 3:1
Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits and its width six cubits. He set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Baby­lon.

Nebuchadnezzar was a type and a forerunner of the whole Antichrist system. He was the prototype who looked forward to the whole dy­nasty of Popes to come, opposing true Israel. Nebuchadnezzar held the title of 'Supreme Pontiff' of the Babylonish mystery religion just as the Pope in the Vatican today is the 'Supreme Pontiff' of that system. He dominated all the rulers of the world.

Even though this is a true story it is also a type. As the 3 men were thrown into the fiery furnace by Nebuchadnezzar for their stand,  so the Roman Catholic Church has persecuted and murdered Christians right down through the centuries.

Daniel 3:2,3
And King Nebuchadnezzar sent word to gather together the satraps, the admin­istrators, the governors, the counsellors, the treasurers, the judges, the magis­trates, and all the officials of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the im­age which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. So the satraps, the administrators, the governors, the counsellors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces gathered together for the dedi­cation of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up; and they stood before the image that Neb­uchadnezzar had set up.

The whole bureaucracy was there. Wherever you have the Babylo­nian system they multiply the bureaucracy - eg. the public service. It's in their best interests to keep the system afloat. This was true of Ancient Babylon, true of the Pagan Roman Empire, true of the Papal Roman Empire, true of Europe today and true of Australia today.

Daniel 3:4,5
Then a herald cried aloud: "To you it is com­manded, O peoples, nations, and lan­guages, that at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and saltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, you shall fall down and worship the gold image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up;

They had to bow down FOR Babylon is a system of conformity. Babylon will never be satisfied until everybody bows. It doesn't just want a majority or to just be in control. As long as there is even one who will not bow, their system is not safe. IT IS A SYSTEM OF COMPULSORY CONFORMITY.

In Revelation 13:16,17 we read that everyone was to take a mark.

Revelation 13:16,17
He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

During the Dark Ages the Papacy enforced Confirmation on all its flock, by fear; the ceremony involving both the right hand and the foreheads. The Papacy forbade all com­merce and trade by Roman Catholics with Protestants, who refused to be Confirmed and ac­knowledge the Pope. Babylon is a system that will punish if you don't conform. The people of the Reformation were called Non-conformists because they wouldn't conform to the religious establishment of that day. This is why we stay out of the denominational scene, because they demand conformity. The true church of God is NOT a denomination. We assemble under God's authority, the authority that Jesus gave in Ephesians 4.

Daniel 3:6
"and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace."

Here we see the penalty for non-conformity - death. You're not allowed to have an opinion of your own. If you interpret the Scripture a little bit differently to the ecclesiastical hierarchy of today they go off the 'deep end' and if they had the power they would throw you into a fiery furnace.  That's what Nebuchadnezzar did and that's what Romanism did when it had power.

We're told they burned and executed over 100 million martyrs.  Roman Catholicism is the woman of Revelation seventeen.

Revelation 17:5,6
And on her forehead a name was written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marvelled with great amazement.

Daniel 3:7
So at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the horn, flute, harp, and lyre, in symphony with all kinds of music, all the people, nations, and languages fell down and worshipped the gold image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

Babylon was keen on music. We must be careful to draw a line between our music and the music of today's Babylonish system.

Daniel 3:8
Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and accused the Jews.

Everybody had bowed down except these three Judahites. I want you to now imagine a great plain, a large field, maybe thousands of people gathered there from all races and nations. A great, big, gold column above the plain. All these people in their robes of state - princes, counselors and mighty men. Then as the music begins to play they all drop to their knees and with faces to the ground they begin to worship this great image. In the middle of all these thousands of people bowing down there were three young men still standing, not knowing of what the consequences of their actions might be. Maybe death, or maybe, if they could explain their convictions to the King he might be lenient towards them.

Immediately their enemies rushed to the King.

At this point in our study of chapter three I think that the question may be asked, `Where was Daniel?'. One might think that because Daniel wasn't listed with the three Judahite boys that he may have bowed down to the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. I don't believe that this is the case, especially in view of the overall stand that we see Daniel makes in our study. The only answer could be that he was out of the country. Perhaps on a state visit somewhere, acting in an ambassadorial role. Whatever the situation was, there is no evidence to say that Daniel had disobeyed God at this time.

Daniel 3:9-13
They spoke and said to King Nebuchadnezzar, "O king, live forever! You, O king, have made a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship the gold image; and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.  There are certain Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego; these men, O king, have not paid due regard to you. They do not serve your gods or worship the gold image which you have set up." Then Nebuchadnezzar, in rage and fury, gave the command to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. So they brought these men before the king.

'In his rage and fury...' I think of men like Hitler, Mussolini, Chairman Mao, Stalin, Idi Amin etc. and if any one had dared to defy them or their system to their face! Even the behaviour of our politicians in parliament and the behaviour of some 'Christians' today. Defy them and they fly into what can often be described as an unhuman rage. There is a hatred for God's people. That fury and rage has resulted in persecution and death.

Daniel 3:14
Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying to them, "Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the gold image which I have set up?

Nebuchadnezzar interviewed them.

Daniel 3:15
"Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall down and worship the image which I have made, good! But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?"

"... and who is the god who will deliver you from my hands". This is where Nebuchadnezzar made his fatal mistake. He made a challenge that God couldn't fail to take up. Nebuchadnezzar had crossed the line of foolishness. He wasn't dealing with three Hebrew boys any more. He was dealing with the One, True, Ever living God, El Shaddai, the Lord God Almighty, and God was bound to intervene. That's why we know that God will intervene in this land, because the enemy blasphemes Him every day. God delivered them and God will deliver us. AMEN! How often do we feel like we are the only ones left preaching this message. We look around and while every one else is bowing down to Babylon we seem to be the only ones left standing. If you have felt like this then you need to know that God never leaves Himself without a witness! The Apostle Paul taught the Romans on this subject using the Prophet Elijah as an example. Let's read from Romans chapter eleven.

Romans 11:1-5
I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel, saying, "LORD, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life"? But what does the divine response say to him? "I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal." Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace.

God is speaking to us today. He has a remnant and in due time He will call them out.

Daniel 3:16
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.

The Hebrews weren't careful how they answered.

Luke 12:11,12
"Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say."

They didn't give it a second thought, they weren't careful or cautious. They did two things. The first is seen in verse 17 and the second is seen in verse 18.

Daniel 3:17,18
"If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king.  {18} "But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up."

Firstly in verse 17 they showed their faith in God's power and secondly in verse 18 they showed their submission to God's will. Many of us would say verse 17 but how many of us could say verse 18. There are times when God's will may not be our will, but He says, "Have faith in Me, have confidence in Me, but be submissive enough to take my refusal". If God wants to do it another way be prepared to say, "Yes", to what God wants to do. Job said in chapter 13 and verse 15 of his book, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him". These men said, "NO! We're not bowing to your image". From the Book of The Acts of the Apostles we can see how Peter and John made their stand for God.

Acts 4:18-20
And they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said to them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. "For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard."

There is a line that Christians have the right to draw. Just like the early Protestants, protesting against what is wrong in the sight of God, they kept saying "No!" They wouldn't bend. They wouldn't bow. They wouldn't burn.

Daniel 3:19
Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and the expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. He spoke and commanded that they heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated.

Full of fury. His face became contorted. (hatred, vengeance, anger, violence, murder).

Daniel 3:20-23
And he commanded certain mighty men of valour who were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, and cast them into the burning fiery furnace. Then these men were bound in their coats, their trousers, their turbans, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Therefore, because the king's command was urgent, and the furnace exceedingly hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

Nebuchadnezzar's hate was so great that he was prepared to sacrifice his own top men. Mighty men of valour, men he could rely upon in a time of war. When demons take over, people are prepared to sacrifice the blood of their own in order to destroy God's people. This has happened down through history and is still happening all over the world today.

Daniel 3:24,25
Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counsellors, "Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?" They answered and said to the king, "True, O king." "Look!" he answered, "I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God."

The fourth man in the fire was Jesus. This experience is often referred to as a theophany. That is a pre-Bethlehem appearance of Jesus. Many people mistakenly think that Jesus has only been on the earth once before but as we can see from these Scriptures this is not the case.

There is something else that we should recognise in this whole experience and that is that God didn't deliver the boys FROM the fire, He delivered them IN IT. Here is an important point from Peter's first letter.

1 Peter 4:12
Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you;

Throughout history not every one has survived the persecution, but the three Hebrew boys represent the fact that God has always had a witness.

Daniel 3:26,27
Then Nebuchadnezzar went near the mouth of the burning fiery furnace and spoke, saying, "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here." Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego came from the midst of the fire. And the satraps, administrators, governors, and the king's counsellors gathered together, and they saw these men on whose bodies the fire had no power; the hair of their head was not singed nor were their garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them.

In the fire three things happened to the boys. 1. In the fire they got a new freedom. 2. In the fire they got a new fellowship. 3. In verse 30 they were rewarded with a new sphere of service.

Daniel 3:28
Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God!

Nebuchadnezzar had come another stage closer to God but he still wasn't converted.

Daniel 3:29,30
"Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation, or language which speaks anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made an ash heap; because there is no other God who can deliver like this." Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego in the province of  Babylon.

In our summary of chapter three we will note the following points:

This story typifies the struggle of the ages.

It's the story of God's true church and true Israel as they have passed through the furnace of affliction.

Nebuchadnezzar represents both the Papal system and the New World Order.

The victory that the Hebrews won typifies the victory that we are going to win.

We will see Babylon, Roman Catholicism and One Worldism, fall. Everything we know to be wicked will be taken off the face of the earth. (Rev 19:1-3).

God is saying to us, "Come out from among them and be separate", says the Lord. "Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you shall be my sons and daughters," says the Lord Almighty". ( 2 Cor. 6:17,18).

Remember also that this chapter can have a personal application. What's your furnace today? Many of us, as we go through our own personal fiery furnaces, do it with our eyes closed. We need to open our eyes. If we keep faithful to God then we will find Him in the furnace. Reach out and take hold of Jesus' hand. Open your eyes, He's there. There's no back door in the furnace - only one way in and one way out. 

• Home • Chapter 1 • Chapter 2 • Chapter 3 • Chapter 4 • Chapter 5 • Chapter 6 • Chapter 7 • Chapter 8 • Chapter 9 • Chapter 10 • Chapter 11 • Chapter 12 • Appendix • Bibliography • Summary of Prophecies •