DANIEL - CHAPTER THREE


  I.        TYPES


A.   Chapter three is prophetic typology.

 

B.   It pictures the trial and deliverance of a faithful remnant of Daniel’s people, the Jews, that is to take place at the time of the end.

 

C.          Close parallel between Daniel 3 and Revelation 13

 

 II.        INTRODUCTION: Three rules of Bible Interpretation


A.   All Scripture has one primary interpretation.

 

B.   All Scripture has several practical applications.

 

C.   Most Scripture passages have also a prophetic revelation.

 

1.    Primary - God’s care for His captive people in the days of Nebuchadnezzar

 

2.    Application - God cares for His own, and we need never to be afraid to be faithful to our convictions and His Word.


3.    Prophetic - Preservation of Israel in the furnace of persecution, especially during the Tribulation, and finally delivered and exalted among the nations.

 

III.       THE TYPES


A.   Nebuchadnezzar, a type of the antichrist

 

1.    A type of the “political beast” who creates an image of himself as an object of state worship (cf. 2 Thess. 2:1-4)

 

2.    Any person refusing to conform will do so under the penalty of death. (cf. Rev. 13:4, 7, 12, 15)

 

B.   The image - a type of the image to be set up in the Jewish temple by the antichrist

 

1.    “Abomination of desolation” (Matt.24:15; cf. Dan. 9:27; 11:31; 12:11)

 

2.    It has the “number of man” stamped on it. (Dan. 3:1)

 

a.    Sixty cubits (90 feet) high

 

b.    Six cubits (9 feet) wide

 

c.    Six - the number of man (cf. Rev. 13:18)

 

3.    The worship of the “image of the beast” will be the culmination of the “deification of man” (man-worship)

 

4.    The Revelation 13 image:

 

a.    Lifelike - v. 15

 

b.    Speech - v. 15

 

C.   The fiery furnace - a type of the Great Tribulation

 

1.    Mentioned as the 70th week (Dan. 9:24-27)

 

2.    Israel will be persecuted - Rev. 12:13-17

 

3.    The course of the persecution (Matthew 24)

 

a.    In the first half of the week Israel will experience the chastisements, but will dwell in the relative safety under the false covenant (vs. 4-8; Dan. 9:27)

 

b.    In the middle of the week great persecution will break out. (v. 9)

 

1)    Because of the desolater (v. 15)

 

2)    Israel will flee from the land (vs. 16-20)

 

3)    Unbelieving Israel will be deceived by the false prophet. (v. 11)

 

4)    Israel will go into apostasy. (v. 12; 2 Thess. 2:11)

 

5)    Believing Israel will be a witnessing people, carrying the good news that these events herald the approach of the Messiah. (v. 14)

 

6)    This period will be terminated by the Lord’s return to establish His Kingdom. (v. 27)

 

4.    The fiery furnace is typical of the fiery trials Israel will endure during the Tribulation. Their fiery furnace at that time will be hotter than any previous trials.

 

D.   Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego - the three Hebrew young men are a type of Israel who will be preserved in the Great Tribulation.

 

1.    All will not be martyred in that day - there will be remnant of believing Jews. (Isa. 1:9; :3, 4; 6:12, 13; 10:21; 26:20; 49:6; Jer. 15:11; 33:25, 26; 44:28; Eze. 14:22; 20:34-38; 37:21, 22; Hosea 3:5; Amos 9:11-15; Zech. 13:8, 9: Mal. 3:16, 17)

 

2.    The nation receives a multitude of witnesses so that individuals are experiencing salvation, and the nation will be saved finally at the Second Advent (Rom. 11:26, 27; cf. Rev. 12:10, 11)

 

a.    The 144,000 - Rev. 7; 14:2-5

 

b.    The two witnesses - Rev. 11:3-12

 

c.    The angel - Rev. 14:6, 7

 

1)    “If men are silenced, then angels become vocal. If Satan could slay and silence every human witness of God’s truth, then God would see to its proclamation by some other means.

 

2)    In the Tribulation the wickedness of man and the power of Satan necessitates a change in the divine method. God will then resort to a method He used before Christ came to earth the first time. (Heb. 2:2; cf. Acts 7:53)

 

3.    Israel is been standing on the other side of the Tribulation brought through victoriously (Revelation 15:2)

 

4.    As with the Hebrew men, it is the Lord who comes to their aid during the fiery trial.

 

a.    The fourth man in the fire - the Son of God (v. 25)

 

b.    The nation will be delivered by the personal coming of the Messiah (Matthew 24:27-31; Luke 21:25; Revelation 19:11-16)

 

E.   The Hebrew men promoted (v. 30) - Israel will be promoted and given positions of power and influence in the Millennial Kingdom of Christ.

 

1.    Restored to the Land - Matthew 24:30, 31; Isaiah 27:12; 43:5-7; Jeremiah 12:15; 24:6; Ezekiel 20:42; 28:25, 26; Joel 3:1; Amos 9:14, 15; Micah 4:6; Zephaniah 3:20; Zechariah 10:10

 

2.    Converted through belief - Romans 11:26, 27; Isaiah 1:27; 4:3, 4; Jeremiah 23:6; 31:33, 34; Ezekiel 36:25, 26; Joel 2:32; Micah 7:18, 19; Zephaniah 3:12, 18; Zechariah 13:1, 9

 

3.    Related to Jehovah by marriage - Isaiah 54:1-17; 62:2-5; Hosea 2:14-23

 

4.    Exalted above the Gentiles - Isaiah 14:1, 2; 49:22, 23; 60:14-17; 61:6, 7

 

5.    Israel will be made righteous - Isaiah 1:25; 2:4; Jeremiah 31:11; 33:8; Ezekiel 36:25, 26; Hosea 14:4; Joel 3:21; Micah 7:18, 19; Malachi 3:2, 3

 

6.    Israel will become God’s witnesses - Isaiah 44:8, 21; 61:6; 66:21; Jeremiah 16:19-21; Micah 5:7; Zephaniah 3:20; Zechariah 4:1-7; 4:11-14; 8:23

 

7.    Israel will be beautified to bring glory to Jehovah - Isaiah 62:3; Jeremiah 32:41-44; Hosea 14:5-7; Zephaniah 3:16, 17; Zechariah 9:16, 17

 

                                                                         End of Chapter 3