As we reflect on the experience of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, we may ask ourselves: What is the secret of so strong a faith? How could they have been willing to burn alive rather than worship the image? Think about all the ways that they could have rationalized bowing in submission to the orders of the king. … Continue reading –>
Read Daniel 3:19-27. What happens? Who is the other person in the fire? Having thrown the faithful Hebrews into the fire, Nebuchadnezzar is puzzled to perceive the presence of a fourth person inside the furnace. To the best of his knowledge, the king identifies the fourth figure as “the Son of God” (Dan. 3:25). The king cannot … Continue reading –>
For the three Hebrews, the image worship imposed by the king is a blatant counterfeit of the temple worship in Jerusalem, which they experienced in their earlier years. Although they hold offices in the empire and are loyal to the king, their allegiance to God sets a limit on their human loyalty. They are certainly … Continue reading –>
Read Daniel 3:8-15 and Revelation 13:11-18. What parallels can we see between what happens in Daniel’s time and what will happen in the future? The image of gold standing on the plain of Dura, whose name in Akkadian means “walled place”, gives the impression of a vast sanctuary. As if it were not enough, the furnace nearby can … Continue reading –>
Read Daniel 3:1-7. What likely motivates the king to make this statue? Some time elapsed between the dream and the construction of the image. Nonetheless, it seems that the king can no longer forget the dream and the fact that Babylon is doomed to be replaced by other powers. Not satisfied with being only the head … Continue reading –>
Sabbath Afternoon Read for This Week’s Study: Daniel 3:1-30, NKJV, Rev. 13:11-18, Exod. 20:3-6, Deut. 6:4, 1 Cor. 15:12-26, Hebrews 11:1-40, NKJV. Memory Text: “Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king” (Daniel 3:17, NKJV). “Thus these youth, imbued with the Holy Spirit, declare to … Continue reading –>
Book Untouched by Fire By Andrew McChesney, Adventist Mission A Nigerian student lost his possessions in a red-hot blaze that melted even the iron pipes in his apartment, but he was shocked to find one item undamaged — a copy of Ellen White’s book “The Great Hope”. The student, Olajide Oluwatobi Igbinyemi, immediately read the … Continue reading –>
Further Thought: It is instructive to note that the image of Daniel chapter 2 is made of gold and silver, which are metals related to economic power. The image is also made of bronze and iron, which were used for tools and weapons, and of pottery, which was used in the ancient world for literary … Continue reading –>
Read Daniel 2:34-35, Daniel 2:44-45. What do these verses teach us about the ultimate fate of our world? The focus of the dream is on what will happen in the “latter days” (Dan. 2:28). As powerful and rich as they may have been, the metal (and clay) kingdoms are nothing but a prelude to the establishment of the … Continue reading –>
Read again the dream and its interpretation (Dan. 2:31-49). What does this teach us about God’s foreknowledge of world history? The prophecy conveyed by Nebuchadnezzar’s dream provides a general prophetic outline and functions as the yardstick with which to approach the more-detailed prophecies of Daniel chapters 7, 8, and 11. Also, Daniel chapter 2 is not a … Continue reading –>
