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Get the latest important news each day on our A MESSAGE OF HOPE FROM DR. JACK VAN IMPE Then these men were bound in their coats; their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace Therefore because the king's commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, fell down bound into the midst of the fiery furnace. Think of the hottest steel plant furnace you have ever seen. Now imagine the temperature as seven times hotter—an increase of 700 percent. Anger often displays itself in overstatements, and Nebuchadnezzar was furious. A small fire would have sufficed. Heating the furnace twice as hot would have roasted these rebellious spirits, killing them ever so slowly. But true to his volatile nature, Nebuchadnezzar was determined to incinerate them, attempting to show the world that he was in charge. . . and that no God of Israel would be a match for his prowess. This would be one more graphic display of a king’s power—and a prediction of the earthly power of the Antichrist to come. Can you feel the heat? But think also of this: Fire not only purifies gold, but it also gets rid of the dross—the flaws and the alien material that cling to the precious metal. That’s why gold is so valuable. It’s pure. Unadulterated. Free of foreign matter. It was the same that day when the three Hebrew children were shoved into the furnace. The dross—the "mighty" men of the kingdom commissioned by the king to do the terrible deed— were destroyed the moment they opened the fiery furnace door, while Daniel’s friends—wearing highly flammable clothing and bound head to foot—found themselves in for further purification of their lives. Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counselors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True O king. He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, came forth of the midst of the fire. And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's counselors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them. The Fourth Man in the Fire Nebuchadnezzar didn’t retreat to his private quarters to wait for an official report on the demise of the three Hebrew children later in the day. He sat there in rapt attention, eagerly watching what his decree would do to anyone who refused to bow to his image. The king was not prepared for what he was about to encounter. Scripture says that he jumped up, astonished at what he saw. As he did, he asked his high officials what was certainly a logical question: "Didn’t we just put three men into the furnace? Why then do I see four men—all unhurt? Are my eyes playing tricks on me? And look. . . no one is bound. Didn’t I see you tying them up? Then, why aren’t they on fire? This makes no sense. They’re still walking around as if nothing happened. But what’s really got me confused is that fourth man. Who is he? How did he get in there?" Perhaps the most telling comment of all comes from the mouth of the king when he says, "the form of the fourth is like the Son of God" (3:25). A more accurate translation of what the king said would be "like a son of the gods." The Babylonians believed that their gods had progeny, so Nebuchadnezzar was commenting on what he thought was a supernatural being in the fire—the fourth man—a son of one of the Babylonian deities. Still unwilling to admit that the one true God might be involved in this miracle, the king continues to credit pagan deities for this bewildering turn of events. The King on a Losing Streak Braving the intense heat, and now bewildered, Nebuchadnezzar approaches the furnace door and personally calls for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego to come out, addressing them as "servants of the most high God." Has the king come a step closer to believing in this God of the Hebrews? How many miracles—or dream interpretations— will it take for this stubborn king to see the light? It does appear that Nebuchadnezzar is becoming somewhat impressed with the power of the God of Israel—the God, he realizes, who has now overruled his decree, leaving these Jewish boys unscathed. At this moment he must also be rethinking Daniel’s prophecy—the dream of the statue that would be pulverized by a rock and encompass the whole earth. The scoreboard in the furnace room now reads: Three Hebrew Children—1 King—0 The king is on a losing streak. He does not know that the fourth person in the fire is the pre-incarnate Son of God, Jesus Christ. He does not know that Jesus has existed from all eternity—"from everlasting" (Micah 5:2)—and that He is "the mighty God" (Isaiah 9:6). Jesus Will Never Leave Us Jesus Christ is the "Son" from all eternity. So, therefore, it really is no surprise that He should appear as a protector of the three Hebrew children during their ordeal. Christ existed before He came to earth. He truly is from everlasting. He is God, the second member of the Trinity. But how did He appear in the fiery furnace, one asks? By a Christophany, an appearance of Jesus Christ occurring in the Old Testament. And now we see Him, this time in the fiery furnace with three men who’d been faithful to their God. What is the message for you and me in this passage? Simply this: Whatever our trials may be, Jesus is always in our midst, administering comfort to us in our greatest hour of need. Hebrews 13:5 states: "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." That’s the message for you and me. We don’t have to go through our fiery furnaces alone. Jesus says, "I’ll go through them with you." Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship and god, except their own God. Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nations, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill, because there is not other God that can deliver after this sort. Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, in the province of Babylon. Here, again, God blesses those who are faithful to Him. The king has little choice but to praise God for delivering Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. He now admits that an angel— which can also be translated "deity"—was sent to deliver them from the furnace. Now King Nebuchadnezzar switches gears again, this time decreeing that anyone who speaks against the great God of Israel shall be cut to pieces, and their houses made into dunghills—a threat, you’ll remember, reserved earlier for the wise men and magicians who could not interpret his dream. The Flaming Flame Will Not Be Quenched Again, this is more than just a story. The deeper meaning of this passage—and of this entire chapter—is this: During the Tribulation period the false prophet will set up an image of the Antichrist and make people bow to it. If they do not worship the image, they will be put to death. During that same Tribulation period the entire world will become a fiery furnace. Psalm 97:3 says, "A fire goeth before him." Ezekiel 20:47 reads, "The flaming flame shall not be quenched." Zephaniah 1:18 tells us, "The whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy." Malachi 4:1 reads, "The day cometh that shall burn as an oven." The Great Tribulation is going to be a horrendous time for earth’s inhabitants. But remember . . the three Hebrew children went through their fiery trial unscathed. Their clothes were left intact, and not even a hair on their heads was singed. There was no smell of fire or smoke on their bodies—all a dramatic picture of the remnant of Jews who are going to be spared during the Tribulation hour as well as millions of newly converted Christians. God always has, and always will, have a way of protecting His own. There is a terrible time coming. Jeremiah 30:7 says, "Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it." That’s the good news. In Daniel 12:1 we also read: "There shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book." Yes, this will be a time of great difficulty for the Jews. But there are also two great statements of encouragement: "they shall be saved out of it" and "thy people shall be delivered." Jesus said in Matthew 24:22, "And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened." This is a key verse because of the word elect. Some Christians believe the Church will be compelled to endure the Tribulation hour because the elect are present. But it’s important to determine which group of "elect" God has in mind. The elect group mentioned here is that group meeting on the Sabbath day, in synagogues, and fleeing from Judea to the mountains of Petra. This cannot be a reference to Christians, but rather to the Jewish elect, referred to in Isaiah 42:1, 45:4, 65:9, and 65:22. Yahweh is speaking here about His wife Israel. They are going to be spared the wrath of the Tribulation period, and this is what the Hebrew children represent and, essentially, what the entire chapter portrays. Now, as we move on to chapter four of the Book of Daniel, will we continue to encounter a hostile, volatile King Nebuchadnezzar? Or will we begin to see some permanent changes in his attitude toward Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego and to the one whom he now admits to be the true God? I think you’ll be amazed—not only at how the drama unfolds, but how chapter four takes us another step closer to the further unsealing of final end-time mysteries. CHANGED LIVES-one at a time No other ministry has ever given me the peace I feel when I listen to you two on TV. Nothing thrills my heart more than to know Bible prophecies are being quickly fulfilled in these end times and that I will see my Jesus face to face very soon! Thank you for your obedience and great sacrifice. My prayers are with you always. N. C.
Thank you for telling the world what many pastors don’t always talk about. I am not always sure why many of them shy away from the end times portion of the Word, but I appreciate you for informing so many of us on what God's Word says about it. R. G.
Dear Dr. Van Impe, Your show is absolutely the fastest half hour of television on the air! I appreciate your interest in telling us about the Rapture, the Millennium, and Biblical prophecy. It really makes me want to keep my life clean and to even do better, pray more, etc. I have such great hope for the future and things that used to bother me don't anymore, because there are much better things coming! Thank you J. D. HIGHLIGHTED PRODUCT OFFERS The Latter Days: Prophetic Study Trilogy God has anointed Dr. Jack and Rexella Van Impe with some amazing revelations about the End Times that correct critical errors Christians have made concerning biblical prophecy. These timely videos will take you through the prophetic revelations from God about the days we are living in and what we can expect for the future. Prophecy: 21st Century Revelations Multiplied myths and errors dating as far back as the fifth century need correcting. This video shares new prophetic truths imparted by the Holy Spirit to Dr. Jack Van Impe. The Seven Mystery Years What do we really know about the Tribulation? In this revelation, Dr. Van Impe paints a fascinating picture of the most amazing 2,520 days of the rapidly approaching future. Day Eight: Planet Earth Forever Day Eight, the eternal reign of Christ on earth is described with accuracy. You can understand it and how it will impact you, starting now!
Why did the Lord take 6 days to create the world when He could have done it instantaneously? In this inspiring prophecy drama, a college student named Scott discovers the shocking truth that the 6 days of creation are a picture of how the course of life on earth would run leading up to the return of Christ ... and that today could be the "final day" of that picture! A thought-provoking film which will inspire Christians, End of the Harvest will also force non-believers to consider the claims of the Bible. WE ACCEPT PRAYER REQUESTS HERE We receive prayer requests from far and wide via the mail, fax, phone, email and now through the prayer section of our website. FEEDBACK: Please help us with your valuable input. Let us know if you enjoyed this electronic newsletter. Thank you!!!!!!!!!!! CONTACT INFORMATION: E-MAIL: jvimi@jvim.com PHONE: (248) 852-5225 (8am-4:30pm Eastern Time) FAX: (248) 852-2692 MAIL: Jack Van Impe Ministries JVIM FAMILY OF WEBSITES: JVIM PROPHECY PORTAL ON THE WEB Privacy Notice: Jack Van Impe Ministries is a non-profit, religious corporation registered in the state of Michigan in the U.S.A. and a registered charity in the province of Ontario in Canada. Our policy has been and will always be to never sell, rent, or barter the names and/or information about those who contact our international ministries. Stewardship: Independent CPA reporting confirms that only 5% of JVIM income is used for fundraising and only 7% is used for administrative costs, including all salaries. A full 88% or more of JVIM income is used directly to fulfill its non-profit mission to share the Good News of salvation and Christ's soon return with the world. |
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