Story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego

By Engr. Carlos V. Cornejo

We read the famous story of three Jews in the Book of Daniel who refused to worship a god made by King Nebuchadnezzar.  “’Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?’

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, ‘King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, your majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.’

King Nebuchadnezzar’s face became livid with utter rage against Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.  He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace.  So, these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace.  The king’s command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace.  Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, ‘Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?’  They replied, ‘Certainly, your majesty.’  He said, ‘Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.’  Then Nebuchadnezzar said, ‘Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.’”  (Daniel 3:14-25, 28)

The fire which is seven times hotter than usual represents God, who is perfect, since seven in Scripture symbolizes perfection.  Usually, a fire that is so hot would appear white instead of orange.  It was so hot, as Scripture narrated, that the soldiers who threw in the three, died themselves in the process.   God is sometimes called the Unapproachable Light and the Consuming Fire.  God is the Unapproachable Light because His glory is too bright for us to see in this life, that’s why God does not show up in person because we will die in the process.  God is also the Consuming Fire.  He consumes what is bad and sinful in us without consuming our personality. This was shown in Scripture when God appeared as a burning bush talking to Moses. (Exodus 3:1-5) The bush was burning but the fire did not consume it.  God can make us holy without erasing our personality.  The saints showed to us the different ways of holiness according to their different personalities but always patterned after one model, Jesus Christ.

In the further passage of the Book of Daniel, further details can be read on how they were protected from the heat.  They were shielded from the heat through a fresh wind inside the furnace provided by God.  (Daniel 3:49) And they were singing praises to Lord while being there.  (Daniel 3:57-88) Their situation represents heaven, and the fourth person being with them in the furnace symbolizes God.  They were given comfort by God because they were pure and did not worship idols.  Had they been stained with small sins, they would have suffered a bit of heat, which represents Purgatory.  And Hell of course, are for those who suffer the heat totally because of their attachment to sin and for rejecting God’s mercy.  All sins by the way are always a form of idolatry because it is giving more value to created things than to the Creator.   The Catechism of the Catholic Church says, “Sin is preferring an inferior good to the Greatest Good.”  (CCC 1855)

Another interpretation of their situation is the horrible and painful circumstance they were in, but nevertheless they were happy.  What makes them happy was not the place itself but because they were with God.  As Dr. Peter Kreeft would say, “With Christ the most unpleasant place can make you happy, and without Christ the most pleasant place can make you unhappy.”  A person can be in a concentration camp but feel serene and happy (such as St. Maximilian Kolbe) while another person can be living in a mansion or in a resort with all its luxuries and pleasures but would still feel lonely and miserable minus Christ in one’s soul. Remember that what makes Heaven heavenly (perfect happiness) is not heaven itself, but God’s presence there.  Wherever Christ is there is joy, especially in our souls.