The Fourth Man in the Fire

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, it is not necessary for us to answer you on this point.
If our God Whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, He will deliver us out of your hand, O king.
But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image which you have set up!
(Daniel 3:16-18)

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There is a battle raging over our worship. It’s an age-old battle, heating up as we see the forces of darkness aligning in greater measure. Daniel 3 gives us a picture of this scenario.

Nebuchadnezzar commanded everyone, everywhere—in high and low esteem—to bow down and worship the golden image when they heard the sound of the musical instruments being played.

The strategy of the enemy is at all costs to get us to look away from the Lord to a “golden image” (our circumstances), and be ensnared in the “sound” (which creates an atmosphere of confusion around us). Babylon first appears in the Bible under the guise of the tower of Babel in Gen. 11. The Hebrew word for "confused" in verse 9 is babal, which sounds like Babylon.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to worship or serve any god but the living God. When they first arrived in Babylon, they had determined along with Daniel not to defile themselves with the royal food and wine. After fasting ten days, they were healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. Daniel 1: 20 says, “In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom.

The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord, they feared only the Lord—not even the threat of death swayed them.

Their refusal to worship another god infuriated the king, and he had the furnace heated seven times hotter than normal. The furnace was so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers preparing to throw the men in. We may walk through a fiery trial that the enemy has heated seven times hotter than normal… But God!

He can take the fire of destruction intended for us and use it to destroy the enemy, then turn it into a supernatural, holy fire of deliverance! Only that which bound the men was burned away!

It was Nebuchadnezzar who saw the fourth man, who looked like the son of God walking around in the midst of the fire. The Hebrew number for four is Dalet, it means a door. Jesus is the Door, the way to our deliverance. We may not always perceive the Lord in the midst of a trial, but be assured that Satan sees the Lord by your side. For He will never leave you or forsake you! The men emerged from an impossible situation unbound, unharmed, and were quickly promoted!

Jesus always walks with us in our fiery trials. His presence will make the fire of our trials, supernatural and situations will turn around from hopeless to hope-filled and beyond!

Worship Him, for He is worthy!


by Debra Neybert, Training Specialist