“Nebuchadnezzar was so furious with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego that his face became distorted with rage. He commanded that the furnace be heated seven times hotter than usual. Then he ordered some of the strongest men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. So they tied them up and threw them into the furnace, fully dressed in their pants, turbans, robes, and other garments. And because the king, in his anger, had demanded such a hot fire in the furnace, the flames killed the soldiers as they threw the three men in. So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, securely tied, fell into the roaring flames. But suddenly, Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in amazement and exclaimed to his advisers, “Didn’t we tie up three men and throw them into the furnace?” “Yes, Your Majesty, we certainly did,” they replied. “Look!” Nebuchadnezzar shouted. “I see four men, unbound, walking around in the fire unharmed! And the fourth looks like a god!” Then Nebuchadnezzar came as close as he could to the door of the flaming furnace and shouted: “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!” So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stepped out of the fire. Then the high officers, officials, governors, and advisers crowded around them and saw that the fire had not touched them. Not a hair on their heads was singed, and their clothing was not scorched. They didn’t even smell of smoke! Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! He sent his angel to rescue his servants who trusted in him. They defied the king’s command and were willing to die rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. Therefore, I make this decree: If any people, whatever their race or nation or language, speak a word against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, they will be torn limb from limb, and their houses will be turned into heaps of rubble. There is no other god who can rescue like this!” Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to even higher positions in the province of Babylon.”
Daniel 3:19-30 NLT
Some have questioned why Nebedchednezzar would be so angry as to stoke a fire to the point where it would kill those who encroached it. The answer is pride. Given the context of chapter 2, we can see that this statue wasn’t made half heartedly, nor was it made in a whim. This statue was made as a challenge to fate. Nebedchednezzar had decided to call God’s bluff. He was not used to being challenged or threatened. The bold and defiant reply of the 3 Jews hurt his pride. The very public nature of his dream would ensure that 3 dissenters from the very same God who condemned him would be embarrassing to say the least. Yet, his challenge to the prophecy of chapter 2 was met with great veracity. This is one of the special instances where we see a Christophony take place. At this point, the supremacy of God is simply undeniable for the king. Like many, this won’t mean he submits to the truth, but an important lesson about the God of the Jews was learned. He is supreme. He cannot be challenged in any meaningful way. Yet, he has still to understand who God is. Like so many who learn of God and choose to submit half heartedly, it is not enough to acquiesce. God wants more, and he intends to use the young Jews to teach Babylon a harsh lesson about who is Lord of all.
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