Monarchs, especially ancient monarchs, weren’t known for their tolerance; David was an exception. Nebuchadnezzar was hardly exempt from the general rule, for, as we have already seen, he was ready to slay every wise man in his kingdom, if they couldn’t solve his problem of insomnia (Daniel 2:1-5). So, it isn’t surprising to find him furious (Daniel 3:19) over the boldness of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, when they made it clear to the king that, even under pain of death, they wouldn’t worship his gods, nor fall down before the king’s image of gold (Daniel 3:18). Therefore, Nebuchadnezzar demanded that the furnace be heated up to seven times its normal temperature (Daniel 3:19), and commanded the mightiest men of his army to cast Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego into its flames (Daniel 3:20).
So, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were taken up to the mouth of the fiery furnace, just as they were. In other words, they were taken, while they were still clothed in the regal robes they had on, because the king’s fury was so urgent. Moreover, the mighty men who bound them and cast them into the furnace were, themselves, slain by its excessive heat (Daniel 3:21-23).
How long the men were in the furnace isn’t revealed in the text. However, they had to have been in there for quite some time, if the heat of the furnace dropped to a temperature, so that the king could look into it without himself being slain by the heat of its flames, as his mighty men had been (Daniel 3:24, cp. verse-22). When Nebuchadnezzar did look into the furnace, he was astonished by what he saw, and he asked his counselors, who were still with him, if they hadn’t cast only three men into the fiery furnace. They did, of course, reply that only three men had been thrown into the flames of the furnace.
Nevertheless, Nebuchadnezzar was amazed to see the men were still alive, and not only so, but they were walking around inside the furnace and a fourth man was with them, whom the king claimed had the appearance of the Son of God (Daniel 3:25). Then Nebuchadnezzar came nearer to the mouth of the fiery furnace and called out to Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, referring to them as the servants of the Most High God, and commanded them to come forth out of the furnace’s flames (Daniel 3:26).
When the three men walked out of the fiery furnace, all the men with Nebuchadnezzar saw them, as they were witnesses to the fact that the flames of the furnace had no effect upon their persons. Not only so, but neither were their garments burnt up or singed. Nor, did they smell of smoke! Those present were the king’s counselors, the princes, governors, and his captains (Daniel 3:27), at least some of whom had accused the three men of disobeying the king’s decree (Daniel 3:8).
What this means, of course, is the miracle had to have occurred, as given in the text, if so many witnesses were present, especially since at least a portion of those witnesses were adversarial. The Chaldeans had conspired to get rid of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, because they were jealous of the three’s relationship with the king, and resented the fact that these men were placed in authority over the king’s other wise men and other rulers of the province of Babylon.
Therefore, it makes greater sense that this event occurred close to the revelation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, rather than close to the time he destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple, which he did in the nineteenth year of his reign over Babylon. Why would these men wait seventeen years to get rid of Shadrach, Meshack and Abednego? The ever-apparent political intrigue of the other wise men demands that the time the three were cast into the fiery furnace was much earlier than many scholars believe.
Thus, a miracle had to have occurred as given in the text, if so many witnesses were present, especially since some were adversarial witnesses. Those men had conspired to get rid of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, because they were jealous of their relationship with the king, and resented the fact that the young men were placed in authority over the king’s other wise men and the other rulers of the province of Babylon. There were no tricks, as some may assume. The miracle was certain, and it had an extraordinary effect upon Nebuchadnezzar, which will be the subject of our next study!
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