Verse 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.
After Daniel revealed through the power of God the dream and the interpretation of the dream to Nebuchadnezzar as recorded in the previous chapter, the king ordered an image or idol of himself to be built and put on display. Apparently, this king had not learned the lesson that there is a God in Heaven that is in control and that he needed to seek out and obey the LORD that Daniel worshipped instead of worshiping himself. The location of the plain of Dura is not known today, but a plain is usually a large, flat open area that would allow for this mammoth idol to be seen for miles. Plains were also regions of travel as the terrain was less arduous for man and beast, so caravans of trade goods may have been common through Dura.
A cubit is roughly 18 inches and a score is 20. So this image was 90 feet high (18inches X 60 = 1080inches divided by 12inches = 90 feet) and 9 feet wide (6 X 18 inches = 108 inches divided by 12 inches = 9 feet). Notice the occult number 6 in these dimensions. There are three 6’s in a cubit, fifteen 6’s in 90 feet, an hundred and eighty 6’s in the height, two 6’s in a foot, and so forth. This idol definitely was composed using the beast number 6 as recorded in the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ. “Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six. (666)” Revelation 13:18 Notice that even the number assigned to this verse from Revelation is divisible by 6 as there are three 6’s in the number 18. This chapter in Revelation compliments Daniel chapter 7 as it describes beasts or one world governments in reverse order of those seen my Daniel in a vision. Remember that God views all governments as ravenous beasts, and Babylon was described as a lion with eagle’s wings in Daniel chapter 7. Remember also that the number 6 is and has always been the number of man because mankind was created on the sixth day of the creation as recorded in Genesis chapter one.
Application: Cyrus I. Scofield in his false doctrine taught that the 666 in Revelation 13 was referring to an end of time world leader called The Antichrist. This is false. King Nebuchadnezzar’s idol and his one world government qualified as the beast represented by the number 6. His empire was antichrist. His army destroyed parts of the nation Judah and the city of Jerusalem and then stole the sacred vessels out of the Temple and took them to Babylon to be used in their pagan worship of devils. There was a continuous disregard for God and for His people. The one world empire of Babylon, like all empires and human governments, was antichrist and therefore had the number of the beast, 666, symbolically attached to it.
Verses 2-3 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. 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.
Babylon was geographically large and so contained many provinces which would have contained many rulers and officials. So it can be imagined that all the elite were at this dedication and that there would have been quite a lot of people gathered on the plain of Dura. One may wonder if this gathering included animals and family members of the elite and if the area was a gigantic camp site.
Verses 4-7 Then an herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages, 5 That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up: 6 And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. 7 Therefore at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all kinds of musick, all the people, the nations, and the languages, fell down and worshipped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
Verse 4 above sheds some insight into the mix of the people gathered as they came from conquered nations and spoke other languages. A cornet was a horn of some kind, the flute was a pipe instrument, the harp was probably a lyre or a zither, the sackbut was a triangular musical instrument with four strings, the psaltery was a stringed instrument, and the dulcimer is thought to be similar to panpipes. So the music was a mix of strings, pipes, and horns, similar to today’s orchestras with strings, woodwinds and brass. The only thing not listed here is percussion instruments or drums. Notice that this gathering was in response to an edict from the king and not a result of an invitation. It was not a party in the sense that people came voluntarily to have an enjoyable time. Attendance was manditory and failure to show appropriate worship of this idol resulted in death by fire.
Verses 8-12 Wherefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near, and accused the Jews. 9 They spake and said to the king Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live for ever. 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 musick, shall fall down and worship the golden image: 11 And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth, that he should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. 12 There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
Remember that in chapter 2 of Daniel, the king was so pleased with Daniel’s God given ability to reveal and interpret dreams, that he elevated Daniel to a ruler-ship position, and Daniel then made his three friends officials over the affairs of the province of Babylon. This action was known to King Nebuchadnezzar so he should have been familiar with these three friends of Daniel and he should have known that they worshipped a different God to the pagan gods of Babylon. The Chaldeans and all the wise men who came under the leadership of Daniel most likely would have resented this change and most likely would have been jealous of Daniel and of the relationship he had with the king. This idol worship event provided them with the perfect opportunity to get rid of these three Jewish men.
Verses 13-15 Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king. 14 Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up? 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 musick, 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?
Daniel’s narrative does not explain where Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were at the time of this event. Where they on the plain of Dura as ordered by the king? And if so, they would not have bowed down to the image and therefore they would have been quite conspicuous as they defied the king’s edict. Where they just absent and back in the city and so again conspicuous by their lack of attendance and then also in defiance of the king’s edict? Again, King Nebuchadnezzar’s character is revealed in these verses by his rage and fury at being disobeyed. The character of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego is also revealed in that, as their lives were being threatened by an angry king, they remained in control of their emotions and did not appear to panic. They were trusting God.
Verses 16-18 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. 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. 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.
To be “not careful to answer” meant that these three young men were not going to think about how to answer the king diplomatically and to choose words that would be pleasing to the king. In other words, they were going to “tell it like it is” regardless of the consequences. They, by their attitude and words, actually challenged King Nebuchadnezzar to carry out his threat, letting him know that their God was able to save them from the king’s capital punishment as their God was more powerful than this ruler of most of the known world. That would have been insulting to this petulant king and would have fanned his fury, which it did. To add to the insult of these young men resisting his authority, they added that they would not obey and worship the idol he had set up at any cost, even at the cost of their lives. How does a king deal with this kind of bravery and strength of character and of convictions? It is doubtful that anyone in King Nebuchadnezzar’s government had confronted him before in this manner, to his face, with open rebellion to his unjust edicts.
Verses 19-20 Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated. 20 And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.
Visage means face. King Nebuchadnezzar was so full of anger and rage that it showed in his facial features and his attitude towards Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego was no longer favorable but one full of malice that wanted instant revenge. He was going to make a point by heating the furnace hotter than it was normally heated so that the pain of death would be more intense.
Application: True Christian believers have a vindictive and vicious enemy in the form of Satan and his demonic fallen angels. Like King Nebuchadnezzar, Satan is malicious, vengeful and full of rage towards God’s people, and he wants them to be suffering, hurt, and killed. He inflicts persecution through physical sickness, injury, mental and emotional trauma, and in many other ways. He uses his demons and other people to inflict pain and suffering on believers, but like the three Jewish young men in Babylon, God is able to protect His people from Satan and his devils and from those humans working for the powers of darkness. Like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, each Christian believer needs to take a stand against tyranny, whether spiritual or fleshly, and to trust completely in the saving power of the LORD Jesus Christ who is God manifested in the flesh.
Verses 21-23 Then 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. 22 Therefore 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. 23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
Application: The fate of the army soldiers may seem on the surface to have been unfair. After all, they were just following the orders of their king and it wasn’t their fault that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were to be executed for disobeying a direct edict from the king. However, God judged them at that moment and allowed them to be killed. Why? Because all individuals are given a conscience that tells them what is right and what is wrong. It was wrong to kill the Jewish captives and the soldiers could have refused to follow orders. Yes, the king would most likely order their execution, but there was the possibility that God would intervene and save them because of their righteousness. Just following orders from a superior because of fear of reprisal and punishment from that superior will not excuse anyone, including Christian believers, from divine judgement from God, and His judgement is much worse than that of man. “And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.” Luke 12:4
Verses 24-25 Then 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. 25 He 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.
King Nebuchadnezzar had quite the shock when his trusted mighty army soldiers were killed by the intense heat and flames of the furnace and the men he wanted to kill were alive and walking around in the furnace with One who he recognized as the LORD Jesus Christ. What is an earthly king to do when confronted with God?
Verse 26 Then 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.
His first action was to order the men out of the furnace.
Verse 27 And 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.
His second action was to examine, along with his elite rulers, the men and to be sure they were really Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Remember that the Babylonians were a very superstitious people, and practicing occult religion added to their superstition. Perhaps the gods were playing tricks on them. But the three men were who they were and they did not even smell like they had been near a fire. Anyone who burns wood for warmth in the winter months knows that every time the fireplace door is opened to place more wood in the firebox, smoke comes out and makes everything in the room smell like smoke, including clothing being worn. So this was an amazing miracle that these Babylonians could not explain away.
Verses 28-30 Then 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. 29 Therefore 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. 30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the province of Babylon. (Daniel 3)
King Nebuchadnezzar had used the title, Son of God, this writer believes because of divine inspiration at that moment. But since it is doubtful that he would know about the coming Messiah, he decided that the fourth individual he had seen in the furnace was an angel. The third action he took was to proclaim another decree or edict promising torture and death to anyone who criticized God. And his final action to make amends for his hasty and irrational actions was to promote Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Notice that throughout the book of Daniel, the Jewish captives face royal punishment or death, are proven to be correct, and then get promoted in the kingdom.