Day 24

Day 24

 

Because the king’s command was urgent, and the furnace was exceedingly hot, these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego fell bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. But they walked about in the midst of the flame, singing to God and praising the Lord. (Daniel 3:22-24)

The quote above, taken from the book of Daniel, is part of the story of the Three Holy Youths. This event was a profound one that once again showed the Pre-Incarnate Son of God. Let's take a few moments to look at this event in full.

In Chapter 3 of the book of Daniel we see that the Prophet Daniel had found favor with King Nebuchadnezzar because he was able to interpret a dream the King had. Because Daniel was able to interpret this dream, by a vision from God, the King set him over all of Babylon. The King also proclaimed the God of Daniel as the God of gods and the Lord of kings. 

Hananiah (Shadrach), Mishael (Meshach), and Azariah (Abednego) (the three Holy Youths) had been taken prisoner and led away as captives with other Jews during the Babylonian captivity. Through Daniel they found favor with King Nebuchadnezzar, and were also set over affairs of Babylon.

Eventually, King Nebuchadnezzar forgot about his proclamation of God as the God of gods and he built a large golden idol. He commanded that all peoples bow down and worship this idol when they heard the sound of the trumpet, the pipe, the harp, the four-stringed instrument, the psaltery, the symphony, and every kind of music. Anyone who didn't, would be cast into a fiery furnace. As so it was that all bowed down to the idol when they heard the music, all except for Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. This enraged the king and he ordered them to follow his decree. They refused saying: "...there is a God in the heavens, whom we serve, and He is able to save us from the burning fiery furnace; and He will deliver us from your hands, O king. 18But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods, nor worship the golden image you set up.”

The Three Holy Youths were then bound and cast into the fiery furnace. The king, in his rage, ordered the furnace to be stoked so high that it burned those around it. However, the Three Holy Youths walked in the midst of the flames and prayed and sang. We then read that an angel of the Lord came down and made the furnace to be as though a dew-laden breeze was blowing through it and they were unharmed and sang praise to God.

The king heard them singing, and when looking into the furnace, he saw four men, not just the three that had been cast in. Then the king said, “Behold, I see four men untied and walking in the midst of the fire, yet they are not destroyed; and the vision of the fourth is like the Son of God.” This is the Angel of Great Council that is referred to in the 4th katavasia. 

Tomorrow we will learn more about this manifestation of the Pre-Incarnate God.

In Christ

Fr. David