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| > Sermon Archive > Sermons by Author > Rev. Mendel Retief > The golden image and the fiery furnace | Previous Next Print |
| Order Of Worship (Liturgy) Old Book of Praise Ps. 9: 1, 4, 5 Ps. 19: 4, 5 Ps. 97: 4 – 6 Ps. 115: 1, 2, 4, 5 Ps. 68: 8
Scripture reading: Dan. 3 and Rev. 13 Text: Dan. 3: 14 – 30 |
The Golden Image and the Furnace
Ps. 9: 1, 4, 5
Ps. 19: 4, 5
Ps. 97: 4 – 6
Ps. 115: 1, 2, 4, 5
Ps. 68: 8
Scripture reading: Dan. 3 and Rev. 13
Text: Dan. 3: 14 – 30
Beloved congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ,
You all know the history of Genesis chapter 11 where the people said:
“Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.” (Gen. 11: 4)
The LORD then confused their language, and their plan to build the city of Babel miscarried.
Therefore they called the city Babel. Babel means: confusion.
That city, Babel, was the beginning of the kingdom of Nimrod in the land of Shinar (Gen. 10: 10). This city, Babel, was built on the plain, or the valley, of Shinar.
That is exactly the spot where the city of Babylon was later built (Dan. 1: 2). Babylon also means confusion. Babylon was also build in the land of Shinar. And the image which king Nebuchadnezzar has erected was set up in this very same valley (Dan. 3: 1) where the tower of Babel was once built.
Now, there is not only a geographic and historical link between Babel and Babylon, but also a symbolic link and a spiritual link.
The very intention of king Nebuchadnezzar with setting up this massive golden image in the valley of Shinar was the same as at the tower of Babel:
“Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole world.”
It was the dream of Nimrod and his kingdom, and the dream of Nebuchadnezzar: a united glorious kingdom that will last.
Yes, first the God of heaven revealed to Nebuchadnezzar His plans. God revealed to the king of Babylon what will happen to his kingdom and the kingdoms after him; and that He will set up His kingdom, which will make an end to all the kingdoms of this world. God will establish His kingdom which will last forever.
When Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar his dream, exactly what he had dreamt and what he saw in the vision he had, and explained its meaning, Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face, prostrate before Daniel; and he said to Daniel:
“…Truly your God is the God of gods, the Lord of kings…” (2: 47)
That was the King’s first reaction. Truly, Daniel’s God, Jahve, the God of Israel, is the God of god’s and the Lord of kings, for none of the wise men of Babylon and none of their god’s could reveal this.
But, afterwards, Nebuchadnezzar was not satisfied with the revelation which the God of heaven had given to him. The more he pondered about it, the less he must have liked it.
His first reaction of adoration and amazement about this miraculous revelation made place for rebellion. For just think about it! What did Daniel say? Your kingdom, Nebuchadnezzar, will not last. There will come an eternal King, sent from heaven, who will grind your kingdom to powder and blow it away.
Nebuchadnezzar did not want to accept this.
It is over against this interpretation of the dream, over against this revelation from God, that Nebuchadnezzar now comes with a counter dream; a dream of his own imagination.
The head of gold may not be followed by silver, bronze and iron. Neither may there come another King, an eternal King, who will grind to powder all the kingdoms of this world.
He, Nebuchadnezzar, will establish his golden empire forever.
He decides that the image which he saw shall not only have a head of gold, but that it also needs a chest of gold, and thighs and legs and feet of gold. The Babylonian kingdom must last from head to toe – an eternal golden kingdom.
Babylon must rule forever!
And thus he erects an image according to his own imagination: he makes an image like the image he saw in his dream, but this one: pure gold from head to toe.
And thus he reveals his rebellion against God. He refuses to accept the message which the God of god’s has given him. He comes with a counter gospel: not the eternal kingdom of Christ, but the eternal kingdom of Babylon!
And so he gathers all the important men, all the representatives of his kingdom, not only to witness this idolatrous image which he made, but to worship it.
Instead of bowing before the God of gods, and accepting His word; all men will now have to hear the command of Nebuchadnezzar and bow before the image of his own invention: the image of an eternal golden empire of which he is the head.
Yes, this golden image is his protest against God’s revelation.
This golden image is his rebellion against the eternal King, Christ, that will come.
Now, all the important men in his kingdom were aware of this. The news of the dream and its interpretation must have spread like fire throughout the whole kingdom. And so everyone understood that this image in which not only the head but the whole body was of gold, was open rebellion against what the God of god’s has revealed.
This image also displays the riches and splendour of Babylon, for it is an immense image out of pure gold – an astonishing quantity of gold.
But more importantly, it is a counter gospel over against the eternal kingdom of Christ that has been revealed by the LORD.
This rebellion of Nebuchadnezzar against God, in which he wants to equal himself with God, is also described in Isaiah chapter 14. There, in that chapter, the prophet spoke about the king of Babylon (14: 4), saying:
“How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! …For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God…I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’ Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the Pit.” – Is. 14:12–15.
The king of Babylon, says Isaiah, wanted to exalt his throne above the stars and be like the Most High.
Yes, all the nations were gathered to worship the image which he had made – the massive impressive glorious image of his eternal golden empire that will reach to the stars.
Yes, it is still the same theme that started with the tower of Babel: Let us unite ourselves in a mighty city and kingdom that reaches to the heavens!
Let us make a name for ourselves that will not perish.
Dear congregation, that remains the aim of Babylon also in our day; a counter gospel over against the gospel of Christ’s kingdom.
It is before this idolatrous image that the three companions of Daniel are summoned to bow; and refused to bow.
I proclaim God’s Word to you with the theme…
The golden image and the fiery furnace
We will note…
- The idolatry of Babylon
- The trial of persecution
- The steadfast progress of God’s kingdom
In the first place we note…
The idolatry of Babylon
This golden image of Nebuchadnezzar in the valley of Shinar returns in the book of Revelation. We read it this morning in Revelation chapter 13. The mark of the beast is to worship that image.
King Nebuchadnezzar saw an image:
The head of gold – that was the Babylonian Empire.
The breast and arms of silver – that was the Medo-Persian Empire.
The belly and thighs of bronze – that was the Grecian Empire.
The legs and feet of iron and clay – that was the Roman Empire.
These four world empires, which would follow the one after the other, stretched from the time of the Babylonian empire up to the first coming of Christ.
Our Lord Jesus Christ was born in the time of the fourth empire, the Roman Empire, as Daniel foretold. It was also in the time of the Roman Empire that Christ rose from the grave and ascended to His throne in even. The crowning of our eternal King took place at His ascension. That was the start of His eternal reign; that was the stone that struck the image at its feet.
But then the same four world empires are also described in Daniel chapter 7 where they are portrayed as four beasts. There, in Daniel 7, the beastly character of the world empires are pictured. They devour everything like ravenous beasts; especially as they act against Christ and persecute the saints.
The first beast looked like a lion (that is Babylon), the second like a bear (that is the Medo-Persian Empire), the third beast looked like a leopard with four heads (that was the Greeks), and the fourth beast, was different from the others, a vicious monster with ten horns and iron teeth (that was the Roman Empire); one that spoke much blasphemy against the God of heaven and persecuted the saints even more.
So then, the image which king Nebuchadnezzar saw, the same four empires which were represented by four different metals – gold, silver, bronze and iron – are also represented by the four beasts: a lion, a bear, a leopard and a monstrous beast with ten horns and iron teeth.
But then these four beasts return in Revelation chapter 13. The apostle John sees a beast that rises out of the sea. It has seven heads, looks like a leopard, has feet like that of a bear, and a mouth like a lion, a terrible beast with ten horns that speaks blasphemy, just like the fourth beast in Daniel 7.
And so the four beasts of Daniel chapter 7 are all combined as one beast in Revelation 13.
The beast of Revelation 13 represents the kingdoms and world powers during the time of the New Testament.
This beast rises out of the sea – the sea representing all the nations and peoples of this world (Rev. 17: 15; Isaiah 17: 12, 13; 57: 20; Ps. 65: 8; Ps. 89: 9, 10; Jer. 51: 55).
Revelation also tells us that this beast that rose out of the sea, this beast that reminds us of the kingdoms of Daniel 2 and Daniel 7, received authority for 42 months.
We learn from Rev. 11 and Rev. 12 that this period of 42 months represents the total time of the New Testament era, from Christ’s first coming up to His second coming.
So then, this beast out of the sea will exercise its authority for the total period of the New Testament era up to the second coming of Christ.
So then, the four empires of Daniel 2 and Daniel 7 becomes a picture of the governments and world powers during the whole New Testament era, so that Nebuchadnezzar’s dream also has a second fulfilment in our own time in the world in which we are living today.
Now, John saw how all the world followed and worshipped the beast, and that it was the dragon who gave authority to the beast. Satan governed the kingdoms of this world.
This corresponds with the words of Jesus where He calls the devil “the ruler of this world” – John 12: 31.
And thus Revelation 13 describes the kingdoms of this world as a terrible beast governed by Satan.
But not only does the image of Daniel chapter 2 return in Revelation 13, also the golden image of Daniel 3 returns!
The apostle John sees also a second beast, not rising from the sea but from the earth, which is called the false prophet. This false prophet looks like a lamb but speaks like a dragon. He causes all the peoples and nations to worship the beast. He also tells the nations to make an image of the beast, and to worship the image of the beast!
Well, that is Daniel chapter 3 repeating itself in the New Testament era.
That is the golden image in the valley of Shinar which is erected in our day.
The false prophet instructs all who dwell on the earth to make an image of the beast. The false prophet also breathes a spirit into this image, so that this image is filled with the spirit of the antichrist. And so this image also speaks. And those who refuse to worship this image are killed.
All who worship the image receive the mark of the beast, that is: they are marked as belonging to the beast; they are characterised by the same spirit of the beast.
Yes, all who refuse to bow before this image are persecuted. For them a fiery furnace is prepared.
And so the image of Daniel 3 is a reality in our day. It’s an idol in the image of man, representing Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of a golden era that will last; Babylon over against Christ and His kingdom. The height of this image was sixty cubits, and its width six cubits; the image of a man. And thus we also read in Rev. 13 that the number of the beast is the number of a man: 666.
What then is the idolatry of Babylon? It sets up its own kingdom over against the kingdom of Christ. It rejects God’s revelation. It builds its own kingdom in opposition to God’s kingdom. It unites the nations in idolatry, the veneration of man and blasphemy against God. Yes, the very culture of this world is anti-Christ.
Yes, the idolatry of Babylon is the very culture of our own day.
All who are living for this world are worshiping the beast.
The mark of the beast is seen in the clothes you wear, the music you listen, the way you act and speak. The mark of the beast is seen in the spirit that characterises this world.
Dear congregation, we either belong to Christ and His kingdom, or we bow before the beast and his image.
Now, for those who refuse to bow before the image of the beast, there is indeed a fiery furnace prepared.
We note that in the second place…
The trail of persecution
Three young men of Judah, the three companions of Daniel, did not bow.
And so they are accused before the king.
It seems as if Nebuchadnezzar wants to give them a second change, when he asks:
“Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the gold image which I have set up?
Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, and fall down and worship the image which I have made, good!
But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?”
But these three men answered:
“O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter…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. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.” (verses 16 – 18)
This answer must have come to king Nebuchadnezzar like a thunderbolt.
They do not become disrespectful, but they do speak clear language.
Our God is indeed able to save us from this burning fiery furnace.
And if He wants to, He will save us from your hand.
But even if He would decide not to save us, then we will still not obey your command.
We do not serve your gods.
There is no room for compromise or debate in this matter. The matter is settled: We shall not bow before this image. Not even once!
They feared the LORD more than man.
We may think of Jesus’ words where He said:
“…do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” – Mat. 10: 28
Yes, Daniel’s companions would not have heard this quotation, but they did have the law:
You shall have no other gods before Me.
You shall not bow down before a carved image or before the likeness of anything in heaven or on the earth.
Such passages of Scripture were fixed in their minds.
Yes, they feared the LORD.
Obedience to the LORD and His word was more important to them than their own life.
Dear congregation, what caused them to stand in such a fiery trial?
These young men knew the living God who made heaven and earth, who made His covenant with them; the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob, who delivered their fathers from Egypt. These men, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego, also believed the vision and its interpretation. They expected the coming of the Son of David, the Christ, the eternal King, who will destroy all the kingdoms of this world and will set up His kingdom forever.
In this expectation they lived, and in this expectation they were ready to die.
Now, they could easily have argued by themselves, saying to each other:
“Look, the Lord has given us a very important position in Babylon. If we remain alive we will be able to do much for our brethren, the people of Judah; but of what benefit will our death be to them?
Can we not serve God better if we remain alive?
God has not given us such key positions of authority in Babylon just for nothing, just to be thrown into the fire!?
Let us be wise and escape this death, then our life will be of much more value to God than our death!
Would it not be better for us and for God’s people if we yield for a little while to the command of this dangerous king, rather than to leave our places empty at the court?”
But no! They did not rationalise the matter.
They did not play politics to save their skin. There was no room for debate or compromise.
They simply obeyed the Lord.
They entrusted their lives to the LORD, no matter what the consequences may be.
They realised that nothing is more important in life than to honour God by obeying His word.
They were fully convinced that if God wants to spare their life, then the burning furnace and the wrath of the king will not be able to harm them, but if God would desire to glorify Himself by their death, they are prepared to die for the sake of His Name.
Congregation, no true believer will live in this world without persecution. We may not all be faced by a martyr’s death, and not many of us may ever face a burning furnace in the same way as these young men did, but we will all face persecution. As the apostle Paul said to Timothy:
“…all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.” – 2 Tim. 3: 12
We may not all be persecuted with physical violence, but our name will be despised in this world. All who follow Christ is called to deny themselves and share in the shame of the cross.
The persecution often takes the form of slander, as our Lord Jesus said to His disciples:
“Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.” (Mat. 5: 11)
This persecution is also instigated by the false prophet. It comes from the false church, and also from false brethren.
The false church works together with the world powers and governments of this world in persecuting the saints, as we read in Revelation.
Here, in this text, the focus is on the persecution of the world, but as we learn from other passages it includes also the false church which is counted part of this world and of Babylon. In Babylon the beast and the false prophet are united.
Dear congregation, as long as the church finds herself in this world, we need to flee from the idolatry of Babylon, fearless of what governments or institutions may demand of us.
When the government would try to enforce their own secular curriculum in our schools, we may not bow or compromise.
When the government would force doctors to apply abortion on request, a Christian doctor may not bow his knee before this image of the beast.
When governments enforce unisex and homosexual-agendas, we may not bow.
We may not cling to this earthly and fading life and seek to protect our lives, by rationalising matters and with smart arguments. We need to confess our Lord Jesus Christ, openly and plainly in the face of a secular world where the truth of God’s Word is no longer tolerated, but blasphemed and scoffed at.
We need to fix our eyes on Christ and His kingdom without compromise. For in Christ’s kingdom there is no room for compromise with the world. God’s glory, and obedience to the truth of His Word, ought to be infinitely more precious to us than our own life.
For as Christ said:
“…whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” – Mt. 16: 25
The epistle to the Hebrews also recommends the faith of these three men to us, where it says that they through faith “quenched the violence of fire” (Hebr. 11: 34).
Dear congregation, it is the hope of a better life that makes us willing to leave this world behind. It is the living hope of the coming of the eternal kingdom of Christ in glory that makes us fearless in the face of death.
As Hebr. 11: 35 also says:
“…Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection.”
In the hope of a better resurrection, in the hope of eternal life and of an eternal inheritance, we are willing to lose this life.
Yes, the promise of an eternal kingdom and inheritance was implanted in the hearts of these men. They expected Christ’s coming, who will crush to pieces all the kingdoms of this world.
And so, by faith in God’s promises, they overcame.
Brothers and sisters, we need to contemplate the glory which has been promised to us, so that this world may become cheap to us, and we may be prepared when necessary to seal our confession with our blood.
These young men did not fear the king’s command, for they knew the Almighty, the God of Israel.
Dear congregation, this history also serves for our instruction and encouragement.
We are indeed living in Babylon, and we too will face the persecutions of Babylon. The Lord calls us to steadfast obedience to His word, and to flee the idolatry of Babylon.
But, let us also note the outcome of this history.
King Nebuchadnezzar was furious. He commanded that they heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated. He commanded some of his strongest and bravest men to bind Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego, and cast them into the burning furnace.
Then even those strong men who had to come close to the furnace fell down dead, but these three men walked freely in the midst of the furnace.
Then, instead of three men there were four, and the king said in astonishment:
“Look!...I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.” – verse 25
In astonishment he now calls these men “servants of the Most High God”.
This confession did not last very long. It was not a true conversion, but when it pleases God He forces such a confession even from the lips of His greatest enemies. That great heathen king Nebuchadnezzar has to confess that there is no god in Babylon, no living God, who is able to save like this God, the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego. He even commands that in all his kingdom everyone has to honour this God, the God of these captives of Jerusalem.
And then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego in the province of Babylon.
Yes, God honoured and rewarded His servants for their steadfastness and faithfulness even in the midst of Babylon, and He honoured them before the eyes of all their enemies who were previously so quick and eager to accuse them before the king.
God sent His Son, the Angel of the LORD, to protect His servants. With the Son of God at their side there was no place on earth as safe for them as in the midst of the burning furnace!
Not even the smell of smoke came on their clothes!
Yes, it was the Son of God, who often in the Old Testament appeared as the Angel of the LORD. He who would become the Christ, He who would rein on the throne of David forever, showed Himself for one moment to the king of Babylon.
This is the future King of the kingdom to come; no one can harm His servants who trust in Him.
Even when God’s children have to enter a burning furnace, He is with them.
Now, dear congregation, this feast of Nebuchadnezzar ended in a strange way.
Did Nebuchadnezzar not gather all these important men of his kingdom to come and bow before the image which he made?
But now all the governors and counsellors and judges and all the important men of Babylon go away with a total different edict from the king: honour the Most High God, or your houses shall be made an ash heap!
We see how God in one moment turned all Nebuchadnezzar’s plans upside down, and made mockery of his idolatrous image. The eternal kingdom does not belong to Nebuchadnezzar, but to the coming Christ, and nothing can stop the coming of His kingdom.
We note this in the third place…
The steadfast progress of God’s kingdom
It is now the third time that Nebuchadnezzar suffers defeat before the God of heaven.
Yes, he thought that he had the victory when he captured God’s people in Jerusalem and placed the holy vessels of God’s temple in the temple of his own god – a trophy of victory over the God of Israel, he thought!
But now he suffers one defeat after the other in this spiritual war. For, first of all, his plans to turn the sons of David’s house into true Babylonians have utterly failed. They do not defile themselves with the food or customs of Babylon.
In the second place all his wise men and all the prophets of Babylon were exposed: there is no revelation in Babylon; no one to tell and interpret the dream. They had to acknowledge: the gods do not dwell with us. But the God of heaven do speak, and He proclaims the future. Daniel, a servant of the living God came with the revelation from God and proclaimed to the king the eternal kingdom of Christ, which will put an end to the kingdom of Babylon and all the kingdoms of this world.
And now the third blow – three men who refuse to worship the image which Nebuchadnezzar made, and a most spectacular miracle to prove the power of their God. This is the living God who protects His children even in the midst of a burning fiery furnace!
Who can make war against such a God? Who can resist the coming of His kingdom?
Even in the midst of Babylon God made a Name for Himself.
All those high and important men of Babylon went home with an astonishing story to tell, and with the warning of the king in their ears: fear this God, or hour house will be made an ash heap.
And so the tables were turned around.
Congregation, note that this victory was not accomplished by a vast number of God’s people who gathered political power in Babylon, or by any visible power that they possessed, or by great organisations who formed a pressure group in Babylon, or any such power; but that this unbelievable victory came by the humble and simple obedience of three men who feared the Lord.
Yes, simple childlike obedience to the clear word of God.
It is in this way that the kingdom of Christ makes progress in this world, when we more and more subject ourselves to Christ and to His word. The church does not need more clever men, or more influential men, or more dynamic personalities, or richer members, or greater power. If the church is in need of any men, then the need is for holy men, faithful men who dare to stand alone, faithful men who entrust their lives to God alone.
The progress of the kingdom of Christ in this world is not seen in the increase of visible power or splendour, or in huge ecumenical movements or organisations.
No, God’s people remain a small trampled people in the midst of Babylon.
The steadfast progress of God’s kingdom becomes evident when a young man determines in his heart not to defile himself with the food of Babylon, and when three young men in humble simple obedience to God refuse to take part in the idolatry of Babylon.
The war between Christ and Satan is on, but it is a spiritual war fought with spiritual weapons. The battle field was not the political arena or a show of human power, but the trial of faith in the seemingly small incidents of life.
How could Daniel make such a fuss about remaining undefiled?
Why should his friends not yield for a little while and bend their knees only once?
Because: Christ’s kingdom makes steadfast progress in this world not by the greatness of our number, or the greatness of our power, but by the faithful obedience of humble servants.
God uses humble men and women who shun the defilement of Babylon, and flees her idolatry, and who fears the Lord, to turn the kingdom of Babylon upside down.
Yes, the power of Christ’s kingdom does not lie in numbers or earthly splendour or might, but in holiness and righteousness.
We see the coming of Christ’s kingdom when young men and woman refuse to bow before the image of the beast; when they refuse to receive the mark of the beast.
For that is the mark of the beast: to be driven by the spirit of the beast.
That is the mark of the beast: when the nations are building their own golden kingdom.
That is the mark of the beast: when people are building the kingdom of Babylon over against the kingdom of Christ.
Daniel refused to receive the mark of the beast on his right hand when he refused to defile himself with the food of Babylon.
Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego refused to receive the mark of the beast on their forehead when they refused to bow before the image of the beast.
Congregation, we are either citizens of Jerusalem, or citizens of Babylon.
We cannot be citizens of both this world and the New Jerusalem.
We either expect and eternal Babylon, or an eternal Jerusalem – the kingdom of this world or the kingdom of Christ.
We are either sealed on our foreheads as belonging to God, or we are marked as worshippers of the beast that live for this world.
Let us subject ourselves to Christ and His Word. It will surely cause a fiery trial of persecution, for we are still facing the powers of Babylon. But the Most High God is with us.
Let us lift up our eyes and await the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
God has seated Him at His right hand.
His is the kingdom and the power and the glory – forever.
Amen.
* As a matter of courtesy please advise Rev. Mendel Retief, if you plan to use this sermon in a worship service. Thank-you.
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