Page 110 - Daniel

not singed, their cloaks were not harmed, and no smell of fire had
come upon them.

Nebuchadnezzar apparently was able to observe the interior of the
furnace from a safe distance. What he saw, however, brought him to
complete astonishment. He could not believe his eyes and in his
excitement stood up and asked his famous question in verse 24. Yes,

three men had been thrown into the furnace, but Nebuchadnezzar saw
four men. What’s more, they were free, unhurt, and walking around in
the heat and flames, making no attempt to come out. Most astounding of
all was Nebuchadnezzar’s statement that “the appearance of the fourth
[man] is like a son of the gods.” Who was the fourth person in the
furnace? While the King James Version identifies this individual as “the

Son of God,” the English Standard Version more accurately interprets
Nebuchadnezzar’s identification of this fourth person. Could this be a
reference to a theophany, an appearance of the preincarnate Christ?
While it is possible, we must remember that the identification is being
made by a pagan king. It is doubtful that Nebuchadnezzar would
recognize the Son of God unless he was given prophetic insight. But he
realized that the fourth person was more than a mere human. Possibly

this was an angel sent to protect these three faithful servants of God (cf.
3:28; 6:22).

When the men came out, it was immediately apparent to
Nebuchadnezzar and the assembled throng that the God of Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego was greater than the gods of Babylon. Although
obviously all the people could not get close enough to see precisely what
had happened, the king’s officials witnessed the event. In using the
expression “the Most High God,” Nebuchadnezzar was not disavowing
his own deities but merely recognizing on the basis of the tremendous

miracle that had been performed that the God of Israel was higher.
There was no question that a mighty miracle had been performed. The

Scripture is careful to note that the hair of the three Hebrews had not
been singed and their clothes were intact without even the smell of
smoke. The fire had destroyed nothing except the ropes that bound
them, the symbols of Nebuchadnezzar’s unbelief and wrath.

Just as Nebuchadnezzar’s reign is symbolic of the entire period of the