The Trial Before the Triumph

So the title of our sermon today is, The Trial Before the Triumph.

And here we are on this great feast day of trumpets, and it's wonderful that we do gather here today. We gather in obedience. We gather in commemoration of the future fulfillment of this sacred day. We gather in the fullness of all of its meaning. This Feast of Trumpets, this festival, this holy day, which signals what will be the ultimate intervention of God in the affairs of humanity on a global basis. The Feast of Trumpets represents a dramatic turning point in mankind's history. It depicts nothing less than the return of Jesus Christ to this earth and to begin his establishment of his Father's kingdom, the kingdom of God. So it's wonderful to think about that future reign, and it's coming. Isaiah describes what kind of ruler he will be. Let me read this to you. The government, Isaiah says, will be upon his shoulder. The name, his name will be called Wonderful, the Prince of Peace. The increase of his government and peace, there will be no end. We know the scripture. He will cause them to beat their swords into plow shears, spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift a sword against nation. Neither shall we learn of war anymore. We heard some of those words during the sermonette of that future reality. What a wonderful government it will be. But that government is not yet. And the scripture tells us that incredibly, when Jesus Christ returns to the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, the nations of the earth will actually turn and gather to fight him. And the book of Revelation describes that impending battle, the kings of the earth and their armors will gather together to fight against Jesus Christ and his armies. But I want you to notice, and we need to notice today, that this war against Jesus Christ at his return, this war in fact has begun.

And it begins much earlier as an attack will turn and intensify and come upon those who have been called to rule with Jesus Christ after his return. Let's see this. Turn with me to Matthew 24 as we establish our introduction today. Matthew 24. And I want you to notice here, and we'll see that this war will come to God's people even before Christ's return.

Again, it is important to establish this way by introduction.

Matthew 24. And let's read verses 3 through 13. This is an interesting moment because Christ is now going to be speaking privately to his disciples about this war that will come to them and come to the called out ones. Those who have been called to be first to rule with him at his return. He's going to describe this war that's going to come to him here. Before the trial, before the triumph, the attack before the arrival. Matthew 3, verses 3 through 13. Now, as he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, Tell us when these things will be, and what will be the sign of your coming and the end of the age?

And Jesus answered them and said, Take heed that no one deceives you, for many will come in my name, saying, I am Christ, and will deceive many. And you will hear wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled, for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines, pestilences, earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. And it's almost at this point that I'm sure he looks to make sure his disciples are making eye contact with him and listening. Verse 9, he says and continues, Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you. And you will be hated by all the nations for my name's sake. And then many will be offended, and betray one another, and will hate one another. And many false prophets will rise up and deceive many, and because of lawlessness will abound, the love of many will wax cold.

But he who endures to the end shall be saved, and the gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations. And then the end will come.

So Christ here is speaking to his elect here. Now allow your eyes to fall down a little bit. The scriptures here go down to verse 21 through 22. Verse 21 and 22, this trial before his return.

Verse 21, For then there should be great tribulation, such as not has been since the beginning of the world until this time, nor shall there ever be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved. But for the elect's sake, those days will be shortened.

And he continues by saying that it is only after these days, it's only after the tribulation, that the trumpets will sound and will announce his return. Look at verse 29 through 31 here. Verse 29 through 31. Then immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together his elect from the four winds from one end of heaven to the other. Let's stop there. So it's with this understanding of this trial that will come before the triumph. The trial comes before the gathering here, you see. So it's with that understanding that we're going to ask a question today, and I think it's an obvious one. Will we be ready? Will we be ready for the attack before the arrival? For the war before the return?

Because while we do see here that he will gather together his elect, are we ready for the trial before the triumph? So all that by way of introduction. As I now invite you to turn with me to Daniel chapter 3. Daniel chapter 3, and we're going to begin reading in verses 1 through 6.

We're going to continue our studies here today in Daniel. We began last time I was with you, and we went through Daniel chapter 2, if you'll remember. Now we come to Daniel chapter 3 in verses 1 through 6. And we turn to Daniel once again, because what we're learning is that through these past recordings of Daniel's persecution and wars with kings and with rulers of his day, they serve then to prepare us for the future wars that we may face with the kings and rulers of our day. The past prepares us for the future. And so let's establish where we are here with Daniel in this new attack which has come to him. And I think we'll see today so relevant to us here today on this great day of trumpets. So Daniel chapter 3, let's read verses 1 through 6 to see where we are. Daniel 3 verse 1, Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold whose height was 60 cubics in its width, six cubics. And he set it up in the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. And King Nebuchadnezzar sent out word together together that the satraps and the administrators and the governors and the counselors and the treasurers and the judges and the magistrates, he sent for them all, all the officials of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. So the satraps, the administrators, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, all the officials of the provinces gathered together for the dedication of the image that the officials of the providences of the image of that of that of King Nebuchadnezzar. And the officials of the provinces gathered together for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. And they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. Verse 4, then a herald crowd cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, that at that time you hear the sound of the horn, the flute, the harp, the lyre, the sultry, the symphony, with all kinds of music, you shall fall down and worship the gold image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. Whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast immediately into the myths of the burning fiery burnis. Let's stop there. Quite a passage. History tells us that at this point in the history of Babylon that some, of course, had been caught up in the first wave of exiles to be brought back to Babylon, but later would come these other waves. This first wave included Daniel and his three friends we will see. But if you check the historical books, you find that there was probably actually three waves of exiles that were brought back into the bondage of Babylon. So in these waves and in this time period, there would have been a continual increasing need that God needed to address with his people at that time. Because God's people would inevitably won't be wondering whether God was in control at all of any of this. Whether he was actually in control of these foreign powers and these foreign gods, if you will. And along with that question would come to them the incredibly strong temptation to compromise. Incredible strong temptation.

But in chapter one, we discovered that Daniel and his friends would not compromise. They're in chapter one on all matters, even down to the food that they would eat or not eat. Chapter two told us we realized that there was a God in heaven who disposes and sets up kings. And in the end, he'll bring all human kingdoms to an end and establish his own for everlasting. Now in chapter three, we now are about to discover in the context of apparent defeat, God is able to deliver his people from the furnace. That's what's about to be made perfectly clear here. And what's about to be made perfectly clear, really, is that whether God does act in deliverance or whether he does not, God's people must serve God as God. Even if their refusal to bow down to foreign gods results in death. And so with the story here in chapter three that we're going to see today, the story of chapter three here in Daniel is the story of a golden image and the story of a fiery furnace. Now those of us who have been brought up in any kind of church environment, you'll be very familiar with this story of chapter three here. And sometimes, indeed, our familiarity with these stories can be great barriers sometimes in bringing them to be applicable to us today. You know, in a sense, we should always read these stories in kind of an agnostic way, you know, and you know what I mean by that. Reading in a way where I want to have fresh eyes, Father, to this story that I'm about to go into. I want to be proven all again who you are and in the message that you want to give to me. That's what we want to try to do today. So imagine for a moment that we are all linked together with one another.

And we're linked together not by choice, but by mandate. Imagine we're all linked together with one another across the nation. And let's just say the primary source in which we're linked are these personal computers that we carry with us each day, whether they're in the form of a laptop or or cell phone that has all the access that personal computers do. We're mandated to have such a device with us every day. And these personal computers which link us are able to be accessed by the controlling powers of the land. And they are not only able to convey information to us, but they're able to also deduce our response to whatever information they've conveyed to us. And that they're able to tell instantaneously whether we're responding and or how we're responding. And so the president has determined that it is in the country's best interest that we should be united around a common source and united around a common belief or religion. After all, in reading history, he discovers that the nation is at its best when the people are united in this way. So in recognizing that this juncture in history, that there is no uniformity, there is no religious uniformity. In fact, the nation is almost too pluralistic. The president institutes a unification around a common symbol and around a common religion. So it's going to be required for all to embrace a common religious symbol. And no one irrespective of their individual conventions is going to be left out with what is taking place.

So everyone is automatically signed up via their social security number for the imagery program.

And what's going to happen is that there's going to be a religious symbol or image brought up on our computer screens every day in every nation on every personal screen on a particular day. And everyone must sign into their account. And as you sign in, you're going to sign in an acceptance to this religious symbol in uniformity. Subsequently, each day it'll be necessary to affirm your commitment to the image. And every home will be monitored within a 24-hour period of time to find out whether each family has conducted the prescribed worship of the day. And so as they turn on their computer, bring up the image, they bow their head in silence for one minute in silent acceptance to a powerful symbol of spiritual and religious unity.

And in signing on, the authorities are going to make it clear that the individuals do not have to set aside their personal belief system. They don't have to stop their own agendas of worship. They're simply asked to bow down as individuals, as families, offer worship, if you will, offer reverence to this image on the screen.

Furthermore, failure to do so will mean immediate loss of privileges in relationship to education and employment. And continued failure to do so will demand imprisonment, and prolonged failure will result in death. So, the question, will you sign on?

Will you, dad? Will you, mom? Will you, granddad, grandmother, sign your family on? Will you bow before the image? Now, think about this. This is in the face of the prospect of no job, no employment. That means no food, maybe imprisonment, maybe even death. Could you find yourself rationalizing this image acceptance? Now, that might not be too tremendously helpful to you, that picture. Many of you may have more of a fertile imagination than I have, but I want to somehow bring this notion of this huge statue that was raised up hundreds of years before Christ. I want to bring it right to our present day. And I don't want us to look at this as being locked by hundreds of years ago or something that's remote from our current circumstances. And when you think about this and you think about this scenario, as you do, I want to tell you a few things about this image itself. You'll notice in verse 1 here, we notice, first of all, that it was a very valuable image. That's what we're told there in verse 1. It was a golden image, you'll notice. Now, whether this was solid gold, we don't know, or overlaid gold, but it certainly would have been a valuable piece of work. Certainly in verse 1, it tells us it was a vast image there. Some 60 cubics, it says, with six cubics. So 60 cubics and it's with six cubics. This was a big image.

If you know anything about this area, the plain of Dura, even today, there are a certain kind of tree there. It's called date palms. Maybe some of you have heard that particular tree. They're date palms. They grow to some height of 80 to 90 feet and they just tower over the plains. If you visit this area, sometimes it's impossible to miss it. They're obvious from a distance. They're just awesome. They say if you look up from underneath, it's just an awesome view. Nebuchadnezzar had built an image that would be right there along with them, towering in the landscape of the day, some 15 times approximately the height of an average man. Everyone at that time, they would have been dwarfed by the vastness of this great statue. You couldn't miss it. It dominated everything.

We're not told whether it was an image of Nebuchadnezzar or an image of maybe one of their Babylonian so-called gods. In thinking about this, the probability would probably be very difficult to determine what it was anyway from that height. It was likely that this statue was created in such a way as to be able to represent whatever anybody wanted it to represent.

So someone would have said, what about that statue? What does it mean? Someone else would say, well, it means whatever you want it to mean. Really? In other words, it doesn't have to mean to you what it means to me. All we need to do is just reverence it, come together in unity to worship it. Just take on the image whatever you determine for it. It's a focal point of our nation. It's coming together of unity. And around this big image, there would have been all different kinds of people then rallying to offer worship. Again, not necessarily having to lose their own religious distinctiveness. That may have had a very significant and, of course, a very current dimension to it, as you think about this, I'm sure. Let the image be whatever you choose it to be. Transfer your own ideas of divinity onto it. Don't worry about it too much. The key is that we're all coming together in unity to this image. So that's the image. Now to the image maker. We're told, of course, who the image maker is. We know him very intimately from our last study. We met him before as King Nebuchadnezzar. And you may be thinking about what would bring him now to this point in building this. Because we know at the end of chapter 2, you'll remember that Nebuchadnezzar, he was in a crossroads. And we remember that he had a dream. He didn't know what it meant. And he called all the men together. And they couldn't figure it out. Eventually, God gave Daniel the dream and the interpretation of it. Nebuchadnezzar was so stunned by it that what this God of Daniel had done, that at the end of chapter 2, you'll remember, he actually falls down in worship. And he offers incense to Daniel. Missing the point somewhat, of course. But nevertheless, recognizing that Daniel was in touch with a God that was unlike any of the other gods. He recognized that. He verbalized it. And I believe his discovery was real. And it was honest. He acknowledged there at the end of chapter 2, surely your God is the God of all gods, the Lord of the kings, the revealer of secrets. So his response was to that which was revealed to him. It was good. But it wasn't deep enough to change him. And his behavior going from chapter 2 to chapter 3, it's just really a classic reminder to us. And we've seen this in ourselves, maybe. We've seen it in others. Those who have been encountered by God, who have had a calling of God in such a striking way. They've been stirred, but it only proved to be for a moment. We know those. I'm thinking of several now. I was stirred as even myself. Stirred as a child, a kid. And I left the church. At the moment I was stirred, it wasn't a stirring that actually changed me. Thank God that came later. But we know and have experienced this. It proved to be transient for the king.

And while the door of opportunity was opened to begin a true relationship with God, the door had swung open. Within a relatively short period of time, he found it closed. He was stirred, but in the end he wasn't changed. Likewise, he was moved to say that Daniel was the true God, but something had changed in the meantime. I can imagine that some of those who had seen Nebuchadnezzar so stirred, they would have even said to him at this time, maybe, why, what are you doing? Why are you building that huge statue king? After all, don't you worship the God of Daniel now? No, he still worshiped himself at this point. So the interpretation of the dream stirred him. It opened the door, but he didn't walk through it. So there may have been a desire in the aftermath of those events to consider the God of Daniel and Shadrach and Meshach and Abednego, but we can figure some about nine years had passed now between this chapter two and chapter three. And in those nine years, that period of time of the dream, where it would have been a discovery of humility, it turned out to be a fueling of his pride. And presumably, that dream and the exciting nature of it, the head of gold, you remember? Now, presumably, that just stirred his imagination. Instead of humbling him, he forgot about the part of it tumbling. You remember in chapter two, now it just fastened on to it. And he builds this huge structure, if you will, as a symbol of that golden headship. It's amazing. It's that development of that dream concept. Now, you'll notice the marketing strategy here in relation to this image. It's pretty interesting. He's decided to use music to charm the people into bowing down. That's verse five. You'll notice verse five again. There's all these different instruments. The horn, the flute, the harp, the lyre, the sultry, the in symphony, with all kinds of music. We were there to draw them. Also, though, there was a furnace to frighten them. So the music played. It attracted the people, those who didn't get with the beat, if you will. They had the furnace waiting for them. So you got the positive and the negative here reinforced all together to bow down to this image. So that's the image, the image maker. What about the image worshippers here? Well, you'll notice again in verse two, I thought this was quite striking. He summoned together all the people. You see the list there. Satraps, administrators, governors. You know, this is a big deal. Counselors, treasurers, judges, all of them, all the officials, magistrates, come to the dedication of this image. He convenes his Congress, if you will. The same list is repeated there for emphasis. In verse three, you know, they didn't have highlighters back in that day, so they would repeat things, you know, for emphasis. I think Daniel was wanting to get across just the magnitude of what this event that was occurring, this whole government. All the officials were coming together. They would have gotten there and they've spoken together. We're assembled. Did you get the word? Yeah, I got the word. What are we supposed to do? I don't know exactly. There's this image in the plane of Dura. He wants us all there. I wonder what it'll be like. They all arrive, and it's really kind of humorous and pathetic here. You'll notice that the end of verse three, and they all stood before the image of Nebuchadnezzar, that the image Nebuchadnezzar had set up. They all stood before it. So all this build up, they arrive and they stand. You know, you can imagine the nudging. Okay, we're here. What are we supposed to do?

What happens now? It's a reminder to us, even though maybe thousands of people are prepared to do something, to bow down to something, even though they don't know what they're doing or bowing down toward, it's a powerful message that even though thousands do it, it doesn't make it right or even make sense. They all stood. Heard the herald. That's verse four. And the herald cried aloud, verse four, to you it is commanded O peoples, nations, and languages. You know, this was the king of the known world at that time. This is a big deal. He loudly proclaims, verse five and six, that at that time you hear the horn, the flute, the harp, the lyre, the sultry, the symphony, all kinds of music. You shall fall down and worship the gold image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. And whoever does not fall down and worship is cast immediately into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. I'm sure it was already crackling there, you know, just to give them a little bit extra motivation. As soon as they heard the horn, the lyre, the harp, all kinds of music, you're to fall down, PS, if you don't fall down, there's a fiery furnace waiting for you. Verse seven, so at that time you can understand when all the people heard the sound of the horn, fruit, there it is again, flute, harp, lyre, symphony, all kinds of music, all the people, nations, and languages, all of them fell down and worshiped the golden, the gold image which Nebuchadnezzar had set up. So in summary, they all showed up, they all fell down.

What a pathetic situation! A 90-foot image in the plain of Dura, all the people, all the nations, the symbols, the music plays, they fall on their face. But, but we know, in the mix of all the false God bowing down, there God's people stand. Stand. So here, in a sense, here's the attack before the arrival, the war before the return, the trial before the triumph, that comes to God's people, before the trumpet sounds, before the triumph of Christ's return.

The trial came to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, just in the same way the attacks come to God's people today, just as they will come to God's people and intensify in the future. You see, think of all the things that are requiring us to bow down today, all the things that come in our lives that are requiring us to bow down, God's people are to stand. So what about these non-conformists? Verse 8, Verse 8, Therefore at this time certain Chaldeans came forward and accused the Jews. So there were there others there, other than Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. I think the story could have fastened on to several of God's people, but we are focused in on those three. And you remember what we read at the beginning of the study today in Matthew 24. Here is certain Chaldeans came forward and accused the Jews. What did we read in Matthew 24? They will deliver you up to tribulation and to kill you. You will be hated by the nations for my name's sake.

We read many will be offended. They'll betray you and one another, and will hate one another. You know Daniel and his three friends, they were already elevated in the government. Many will be offended. So think about who's betraying these three now. They were those who they served next to at this time.

So whether these Chaldeans were fueled by anger, they may have been angry at the advancement that was given to Daniel and the three friends after the interpretation there at the end of verse 2. They were put in an elevated position. They may have been jealous. We don't know, but they hated them. They hated these three. Took it upon themselves to inform the king. You know, not everyone is... we're not getting 100% participation, king, in this imagery program. You know, the verses 9 through 12, verse 9 through 12. So they spoke and said to king Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live forever. Verse 10, You, O king, have made a decree. Let me remind you, king, that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, the flute, the harp, the lyre, the sultry, the symphony, and all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship the gold image. Let me remind you, king, and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast in the midst of the fiery furnace, in the burning fiery furnace. Verse 12, There are certain Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men, O king, have not paid due regard to you. They do not serve your gods nor worship the gold image which you have set up. Stop there for a moment. So you see it here. These certain Jews, which you have set up over the provinces. You know, I think they're kind of rubbited into the king there. You know, these guys that you gave the elevated position just because they interpreted some kind of... especially because their friend interpreted some kind of dream. These guys that you placed in high position, we could expect those who have given you... who you elevated, you expect those of all people to give you this honor, to this image, and fall down to this monument. But Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, they pay you no attention, O king. They never... they neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold that you've set up. And we read now that Nebuchadnezzar was furious, and he summons the three friends of Daniel. Look at verse 14. Verse 14, Nebuchadnezzar spoke to them, spoke, saying to them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold that I've set up? He doesn't give them a chance to respond. Verse 15, he makes this statement. Now, if you are ready at the time to hear the sound of the horn, and flute, and harp, and lyre, and sultry, and symphony of all kinds of music, and you fall down and worship the image which I have made, good. But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the mist of the burning fiery furnace. And who is the God who will deliver you from my hands? How quickly he forgets. So there it is at the end of verse 15. Who is the God who is able to deliver you from my hands? And you know, that's what the culture thinks. We're in control of you now. We have your lives, we have your kids, we have your education, we have your future. How are you going to even eat?

Don't even step foot into that university.

We have you. Who is the God who will deliver you from this? What God is able to rescue you now? And of course, the answer is going to be just you wait and see. That's the answer. Just wait and see.

That's the answer. That's the answer of the church. Just wait and see. So I want you to realize that the answer is not necessarily to try to dismantle the monuments.

That would have been a futile endeavor for these three young men.

But you see, often we find ourselves distracted by trying to dismantle the monuments, refusing to go into the furnace, not realizing that it will be in the furnace that Christ will manifest Himself.

Sometimes we constantly try to keep the furnace away from us because we've assumed that if we ever go into that furnace, that that'll be the end of us. When point in fact, it may well be, as been shown in my life, as been shown in so many times in the past of God's people, it may well be that the only way God will bring forth His people and His church towards its destiny is to go through the furnace. Through the furnace. So the very things that we least desire are the very things that we need the most. The very things that we run from are the things that might make us and bring us to the end. It's a whole different way of thinking. It's a whole different way of thinking that God's people have to take on.

So, Sadrak, Meshach, and Abednego, they replied to the king here. Verse 16. Verse 16. Sadrak, Meshach, and Abednego answered and they say to the king, Oh Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. In other words, we're not going to go into some big theological diatribe. He knew. They had had an encounter with King Nebuchadnezzar before. But, verse 17, we want you to know, if it's not clear already, if we're thrown into this blazing furnace, verse 17, if that's the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fire of furnace. And He will deliver us from your hand, oh King. Verse 18. But if not, let it be known to you, oh King, that we will not serve your gods, nor will we worship your gold image which you have set up. You know, I think they knew what they were going to say on this day. They may be prayed that God, we hope this day doesn't come. But if it does, help us to be prepared. You know, I think they may have talked to each other. If this day comes, my friend, let's think about what we're going to do. Let's be ready. We're going to do this together. If this ever comes to an open challenge, we're not going to compromise. I can almost see them coming to that discussion and embracing one another in these fearful times that they were in. But they knew this great image. It represented compromise. And anytime we pray, and every time we're stirring in the heart, this is what we should pray for. That we're given understanding. And when God gives it to us, and we recognize this is going to be compromise, don't do it. Don't do it. Let me ask you this morning. Let's propose that the far-fetched notion that I described at the beginning of this message, suppose that just for a moment it's actually going to happen in this country, and that there will be some scenario in which the church is going to be seen in a great act of rebellion against the government.

Are you ready? Because we should take note that this future kind of scenario here that I described, it's not that far-fetched. In fact, it's not far-fetched at all. Because the Bible, in fact, does speak of a future day, and the days leading up to Christ's return, in which God's people will be in exact scenario such as this. Keep a marker thingy here, and Daniel, we're going to come right back. But I want you to see, just let's turn for just a moment to Revelation 13 here. We'll come right back to Daniel, but Revelation 13 and this future scenario, this prophecy that is painted for us here in Revelation 13. We're going to read verses 11 through 17. Here we see the fact that the Bible does describe a future reality that will come to God's people, just as it came here to Daniel's three friends. The same choice will come to many of God's people prior to Christ's return, prior to the trumpets. We're here about to read of a future image that God's people at that time, before Christ's return, will be demanded to bow down to. Sound familiar? So this demand here in Revelation 13, verses 11 through 17, it comes, though, from the dragon himself. Make no doubt. Satan the devil. Revelation 13, verse 11. Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in the presence and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. He performs great signs so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast, who was wounded by the sword and lived. And he was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast. And that image of the beast should both speak and cause many as who would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. Verse 16. He causes all at this time. He causes all both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave to receive a mark on their right hand and on their foreheads. And that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast or the number of his name. Let's just stop there for a moment. You know, what's most chilling to me about this future reality described here is that we can actually hold this prophecy up to that which of Daniel's recordings. We hold that which is to happen to that which has already happened. It's already happened in history. The recordings of Daniel against God's people then and here we see it against God's people to come. And all that we're reading about these things about fulfilled history, we see in a fulfillment that is yet to come. So in this future society that God's people will find themselves in, the scripture here says this future time, very detailed. There's no distinction between small and great, rich and poor, free and slave. We can see that happening and developing, can't we?

The distinctions are leveled out. No one will be able to buy or sell anything or unless he or she publicly accepts the precepts, the supremacy, reverence, the authority of the government led by none other than the beast. You'll receive a mark of approval. So this future evil government will look to have ultimate power over all of mankind and over all of God's people who we live in at this time. We don't know if it's a literal mark, but what we see here is that it does speak to an allegiance to the beast. They receive marks on their foreheads and on their right hands to allegiance to this power. It's going to be a mix of religious and political power. So if we think about that, though, even if it's not a literal mark, think about what it might be pointing to. It's revolving then. There wanting to be marked, marked people by their thinking, you know, here. Everything that revolves around their thinking about whatever revolves about their hands, their doing. So they want to control our thinking and how we act.

So the struggle will be to not allow the fear and the pressure and all that to come into our thinking and to come into our actions and begin to sway us in those ways. It's going to be very difficult when we think about these things and think about maybe not even relation to ourselves but even to our family when you see the hardship on our families. But, you know, we're to take that fear that they're trying to instill in us and place our fear in God and that He is the only influence of our hearts, our thinking, and our actions, just like Daniel and his three friends.

Let's turn back to Daniel, if you will. We're going to work to a conclusion now.

Back to Daniel in chapter 3 as we will conclude the story here.

Are we prepared to face what the three friends are facing now? How will Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego respond, do you think?

Daniel chapter 3 and verse 18, you know, if we were reading these with fresh eyes, we'd be saying, I wonder what's going to happen, you know, that's the way we need to look into this.

I wonder what they're going to do, you know, it's a great story. It's a wonderful story here and exciting. How would they respond? Daniel chapter 3 and verse 18, 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. So now filled with fury, verse 19 through 23, and Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and the expression of his face changed towards Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

You know, maybe he was thinking, surely these kids will come around, these young guys. He spoke and commanded that they heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated, and he commanded a certain mighty man of valor who were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, cast him into the burning fiery furnace. Then these men who bound in their coats, their trousers, and their turbans, and their other garments, they were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

Therefore, because the king's command was urgent and the furnace was exceedingly hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And these three friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Such detail there, you know. It tells us that they were throwing in even with their coats, and their trousers, and their turbans, and other garments. You just... that speaks to the complete anger of Nebuchadnezzar.

You know, sometimes some of the guys would be going, ah, that's a nice... that's a nice turban there. You know, could we take that off before we cast him in, you know? I wouldn't mind having that. He was just so angry. Just get him in there. Heat it up seven times. Hotter. I don't know if that was smart.

That might only quicken their death, you know. That wouldn't show him very much. But it's typical in rage. Heat it up seven times. That'll show him. No, it won't, and it didn't. Because there in the furnace, three of them are walking around. But you'll notice not three, but four. Verse 24, and then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished. He rose up in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?

They answered and said to him, True, O King. He knew the answer to that. Verse 25, Look, he answered. Now see four men loose walking in the midst of the fire. And they were not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. Amazing. Incidentally here, these furnaces, they were used for making bricks, and they were almost like a tunnel. And there would have been areas in which you could look in to see different aspects of the furnace, blocked off at one end, open at the other.

They had struts that ran down the center of it for support, but they had ventilation in different areas. So you might be able to look in and be able to see what's going on in the various aspects. So Nebuchadnezzar approaches the opening. Verse 26, He went near the mouth of the burning fiery furnace. That spoke something there because he saw what happened to the other guys, but he spoke saying here, verse 26, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High, God, come out, come here.

And Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came from the midst of the fire. It's an amazing picture here. Verse 27. Here we go again. And all those previous characters are here to witness all of this. Verse 27, In the satraps, the administrators, the governors, the king's counselors gathered together, they saw these men on whose bodies the fire had no power. The hair of their head was not singed, nor were their garments affected. And the smell of fire was not even on them. Let's stop there. So they're all analyzing them, smelling them, you know, poking them around.

All those... just think of the absolute witness, you know, that was given to these men. And they were able to see God's hand in all of this.

And you know, you know how you smell after a campfire. You know, a small campfire. You can't get that out of your clothes for days. None of that is here. Not even a hair on their head. You know, just all these scriptures come to mind. I'm going to resist going down different roads here, but not even a hair on their head was harmed. Amazing! Nebuchadnezzar makes a great summary of it all, verse 28 through 29. Verse 28 and 29, Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, Bless be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him. And they have frustrated the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any God except their own God. There it is. Therefore I make a decree to any people, nation, or language which speaks anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses be made an ash because there is no other God who can deliver like this. Let's stop there. They trusted in him, he says, and they defiled me. They gave up their own bodies to worship me over any other God. They worshiped their God over me. Amazing!

I wonder, does this challenge you this morning? Does this challenge you? Do you find any point of residence in your own heart? You find yourself looking at this and wondering, I'm not sure if I'd be there.

So often, and myself included, we can't even deal with the fireworks around us, much less the walking into the furnace. But when the fireworks come now, when the furnace comes later, you know, this is where the exile draws his strength. This is where the exile draws her strength. From these past recordings and recordings and recordings of God's power and sovereignty, his deliverance of those who choose to worship him alone. They trusted God, defiled man. So, again, we turn to Daniel on this great day of trumpets. And we're learning here that in these past recordings of Daniel's persecution and wars with the kings and rulers of his day, they serve to prepare us and to strengthen us for the future wars that we may face against the coming kings and rulers of a future time. And it may be, well, be as in so many times in the past that we, that the way that God will bring forth his people and his church toward their destiny will be through the furnace. And if that day comes, be strong. Be just like these three heroes and say, let it be known we will not serve your gods. We will not worship the golden image that you have set up. And I'll leave you as we think about Daniel chapter 3 and all that it tells us. Let's never forget these words from the King Nebuchadnezzar's very own mouth. There is no other God who can deliver like this.