God’s Word for You

Daniel 3:24-25 The fourth one in the fire

by Pastor Timothy Smith on Monday, September 29, 2025

24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar became alarmed and quickly stood up. He declared to his counselors, “Didn’t we throw three men, bound, into the middle of the fire?” They answered him, “Yes, O king.” 25 He said, “But I see four men, unbound, walking in the middle of the fire, and they are unharmed. And the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.”

Something of the structure of the blazing fiery furnace is revealed here, since the king and his counselors are able to see inside it. We cannot deny that this must be a fact that is proven from verse 25. We cannot say for certain what this mechanism was, but knowing something of the technology available at the time, we can guess that very small glass windows could have been used, since glass making was available in Mesopotamia and in Syria long before this (not blown glass, but beads, decorations, and small plates). But since fire needs air, and a very hot fire needs a lot of air, it is easier to imagine window-sized openings that would have allowed the king to see within.

More importantly, something of the attributes of God himself are revealed here. For God is able to do what is not possible in nature or according to natural laws. Certain of God’s attributes are familiar to most readers. Remembering that we must in some things treat the doctrine of Christ differently (since he took on a human body), we know that God is:

▫ Spiritual, a spirit without a body (John 4:24).
▫ Invisible, except where he makes himself able to be seen (Colossians 1:15).
▫ Infinite; he is great, majestic, and supreme. The Most High (Genesis 14:18).
▫ Simple, that is, he is free of division. He is always all of his attributes (Hebrews 13:8).
▫ Eternal, without end and also without beginning (Hebrews 7:3)
▫ Immortal, deathless; although Christ laid down his life for us (1 Timothy 1:17)
▫ Omnipresent, everywhere all at once. (Psalm 139:7-8)

In addition to these, God is also:

▪ Omnipotent, almighty and all-powerful (Genesis 17:1)
▪ Good and merciful (Luke 6:36)
▪ Righteous and without flaw (Isaiah 45:21)
▪ Omnisapient (all-wise) (Isaiah 31:2)
▪ Omniscient (all-knowing) (1 John 3:20)
▪ Omnisanct (holy, and even all-holy) (Hebrews 7:26)
▪ Perfect (Matthew 5:48)

Here in Daniel, in the heart of the blazing fiery furnace, we have one of the most excellent and clear examples of God’s ability to do anything he wills or wishes to do—his omnipotence. He does not limit himself to the so-called laws of nature or of human comprehension.It is God’s order of creation that water will be and is wet, that fire burns and is hot, and so on. But here in the furnace, God sends his angel to protect these men from the flames and the choking smoke, and instead their bonds are undone, their clothes, flesh, and hair are untouched by the flames, and they survive. Indeed, they thrive. They do not escape choking, barely able to breathe, and in need of many months of convalescence. They will emerge healthy and intact, and perfectly able to speak with their king. Luther says, “This took place through God’s absolute power, in accordance with which he acted (on their behalf) at that time. But he does not command us to act in accordance with this absolute power, for he wants us to act in accordance with the ordered power.” And regarding God’s omnipotent power, we can also say with certainty: “God never does something so great that he cannot do something still greater.”

Another question appears with this passage: Who was the fourth one in the furnace with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego? We do not need to take Nebuchadnezzar’s assessment as perfectly correct, that is, the Son of God. But we can certainly say that this was one of God’s servants, an angel of God. Other angels will appear later in this book (6:22; 8:16; 9:21). When the Angel of the LORD appears, that is, the second Person of the holy Trinity, we identify him as God by the things he says or does, or by some other way of identifying him. Here, he is an angel, that much is clear, but there is no other identifying clue, and so we can say that we do not know if he is more than an angel (that is, the pre-incarnate Christ), or not. WELS Pastor Werner Franzmann said: “Here there is no sure, unmistakable identification of the Angel of the Lord as there is in (other) instances. Therefore we refrain from taking that step for fear of asserting what the Scripture does not” (Bible History Commentary, Old Testament, page 540).

Therefore, we can identify some element of architecture, a window or opening in the furnace. That is helpful. We can clearly see God’s omnipotence, and that is glorious. We also see God’s holy angel helping his people in their hour of need, and that is comforting, since we know that he will do the same for us, whether we can see that angel or not. For the Lord will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways (Psalm 91:11). Trust in him at all times, and he will always supply what you need.

In Christ,
Pastor Timothy Smith

 

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