THE FIERY FURNANCE

DANIEL 3
 OBJECTIVES
List and discuss the three Hebrew boys and the
fiery furnace.
 INTRODUCTION
• Daniel chapter 3, is the most up to date
chapter in the Bible. Even while we read and
study it, Christians in certain parts of the world
will be suffering in prison, or facing death
because of their faith, and belief.
• Situations will get worse. Revelation 13 says
that at the end of time persecuting authorities
will erect a symbolic image and require
everyone to worship it or be killed.
 NEBUCHADNEZZER’S IMAGE
• Nebuchadnezzar was deeply
moved by Daniel’s God to
repeat the dream, and provide
an intelligent interpretation. As
a result, he promoted Daniel to
a high position in the Kingdom
of Babylon.
• He loved the head of gold on
the image applying to Babylon.
However, he was not happy
with the idea of another nation
overtaking Babylon as the
world power.
• The King determined to
write his own prophecy by
making an image of gold
from head to toe. This was
to symbolize a golden
Babylon that would never be
replaced.
• The statue he made was
taller than any image he had
ever seen ,or heard about. It
was 9 feet wide and 90 feet
tall.
• The statue was built in the
center of the city square,
and orders were given to
every citizen living in
Babylon, to gather in the city
square.
• Instructions were given that
upon the playing of the
music, everyone was to bow
down and worship the
image, or thrown into the
fire.
• As the musician began to
play, everybody in Babylon,
except Shadrach, Meshach,
and Abednego bowed to
the golden image.
• Other workers of the
government noticed that
the three, who held high
positions in the
government did not follow
the King’s command.
• The King was notified and
ordered that the three
Hebrew boys be brought
before him to explain their
disobedience.
• Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego bravely and
respectfully told the King
that they could not bow and
worship an image that could
not hear, and answer them.
• The King gave them
another chance, while
demanding that the fire be
made seven times hotter.
• The young men told the
King they will not bow, and
if thrown into the fire, God
would deliver them. They
insisted that even if God
did not deliver them, they
would not bow.
• The musicians played
again and everybody,
except the three Hebrew
boys bowed to the
golden image.
• King Nebuchadnezzar
became enraged, and
ordered that Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego
be thrown into the fire.
• The three Hebrew boys
were bound, hands and
feet, and thrown into the
fire.
• The fire was so hot, it killed
the men who threw them
into the fire.
• As the King looked into the
fire, he saw four men. The
fourth one, he exclaimed,
looked like the Son of God.
 HOW THE KING IDENTIFIED JESUS
• Nebuchadnezzar recognized the
fourth man in the fire as Jesus,
The Son of God, because Daniel
Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego witnessed to him
about God, even though they
were in captivity.
• The fire did not burn the Hebrew
boys, neither were there any
smell of smoke on their clothes,
or bodies. The God of heaven,
had delivered them, just as they
had told the King.
• Nebuchadnezzar
declared to the entire
nation, that anyone
who speaks negatively
about the God of
Shadrach, Meshach,
and Abednego, would
be punished.
 MORAL OF THE STORY
• The moral of this story is to stand for godly
principles and not compromise to be accepted
by peers, and others.
• Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were
teenagers who stood firm for God and His
principles. They refused to bow to the golden
image of King Nebuchadnezzar.
 CLASSWORK
1. Why did King Nebuchadnezzar build the statue
completely of gold? 2pts
2. How wide and tall was the statue? 2pt
3. After building the statue, what did the King do? 2pts
4. What instruction was given to the citizens of
Babylon? 2pts
5. How did the three Hebrew boys respond to the King
after it was revealed that they refuse to follow the
King’s command? 2pts
6. Describe what happened to Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego, and how they were
delivered. 3pts
7. How did the King identify the fourth man in
the fire, and how was he able to? 2pts
8. What is the moral of the story? 3pts