Journal: Bibliotheca Sacra
Volume: BSAC 171:682 (Apr 2014)
Article: The Fiery Furnace
Author: Charles E. Baukal, Jr.

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BSac 171:682 (April-June 2014) p. 148

The Fiery Furnace

Charles E. Baukal Jr.

Charles E. Baukal Jr. is a combustion engineer in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Most people who have even a cursory knowledge of the Bible are familiar with the account of the fiery furnace, which is particularly a favorite children’s story of both man’s faithfulness and God’s sovereignty. The basic conflict in this narrative is between Nebuchadnezzar’s call to worship a statue (an idol) and Yahweh’s strict prohibition against worshiping idols. Baldwin noted that “the incident represents the conflict between worship of the true God and the humanistic use of religion to boost the powers of the rulers of this world.”1 This is a conflict between the most powerful man in the world at the time and three young men transplanted from their homeland. When accused of failing to obey the king’s command, the three friends pleaded nollo contendere (“no contest”).2 Regarding this narrative Pace wrote, “The actions of the three young men of Dan. 3 threaten Nebuchadnezzar himself, for by not serving the deities that sanction his rule, give him prosperity, and protect his very life, they denigrate the king’s royal standing. The author shows that for Nebuchadnezzar, their refusal is not only a religious act; it is a thoroughly political one–namely disloyalty to the state.”3

The vision of a great statue in Daniel 2:31-33 parallels the creation of a large statue in 3:1. The statue in 2:32 had a head made of gold, while the entire statue in 3:1 was made of gold. The main participants in the fiery furnace narrative, Nebuchadnezzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, are mentioned in both chapters. Daniel 2:37 names Nebuchadnezzar as the “king of kings,” while 3:7 demonstrates his power when everyone except Shadrach,

BSac 171:682 (April-June 2014) p. 149

Meshach and Abednego4 bowed down to the statue at Nebuchadnezzar’s command. Ultimately Yahweh is shown in 3:28-29 to be the true King of kings, which is an important conclusion of the fiery furnace narrative.

The phrase “burning fiery furnace” appears eight times in

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