The Fiery Furnace

00:00:00 Speaker 1: Previously on the chosen people. 00:00:03 Speaker 2: From this day forward, you belong to King Nebugen Nezar, the Mighty and eternal. Your old live's end here to bind you fully to Babylon. You shall receive new names. 00:00:17 Speaker 1: Hajhpanaz approached Hannanaiah. 00:00:20 Speaker 2: First, you shall be Shadrach, commanded by Aku himself, god. 00:00:26 Speaker 1: Of the Moon. Hashpanaz turned to Michael. 00:00:31 Speaker 2: You shall be me Shak, the one who searches for the mysteries of Aku. 00:00:38 Speaker 1: He turned to azarayah. 00:00:40 Speaker 2: Abed Nago shall be your name, servant of Nabu, God of wisdom. 00:00:47 Speaker 1: Daniel's chest tightened painfully. Names were anchors, threads woven back through generations, binding identity to purpose, to strip away his name. Felt as though Babylon were cloring into his soul, attempting to claim what no empire had a right to touch. 00:01:08 Speaker 3: No, quite the opposite. We've been praying King Nebukanezzer would see the truth. Though he is worshiped as God, there is one God of gods, the Lord of lords Yahweh. 00:01:23 Speaker 1: There's a secret you. I intend to mind those tips. 00:01:31 Speaker 4: Beginning with you, for. 00:01:33 Speaker 1: For the first time in years, the Great King of Babylon had met someone who did not fear him more than God, and though he would not admit it, not yet, that encounter would haunt him far longer than the dream itself. 00:01:57 Speaker 5: Shallo, my friends, from here in the Holy Land of Israel, i'm ya l Extein with the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, and welcome to the Chosen People. Each day we'll hear. 00:02:08 Speaker 6: A dramatic story inspired by the Bible, stories filled with timeless lessons of faith, love, and the meaning of life. Through Israel's story, we will find this truth that we are all chosen for something great. So take a moment today to follow the podcast. If you're feeling extra grateful for these stories, we would love it if you left us a review. I read every single one of them, and if you're interested in hearing more about the prophetic, life saving work of the Fellowship, you can visit IFCJ dot Org. 00:02:43 Speaker 7: Let's begin. 00:02:47 Speaker 1: The plane of Dura shimmered under the early sun, heat rising from the Pact, ear thing wavering streams. For miles away. Travelers could see it. A column of God old so vast it seemed to touch the sky. Drums rolled across the plain in slow thunderous cadence. Lines of soldiers stood like bronze pillars. Envoys and officials from every corner of the empire crowded together their silks and jewels, a riot of color against the dusty ground. A broad platform of black stone had been built at the statue's base. Upon it, King Nebuchadnezza stood draped in a robe of deep crimson, a crown heavy with emeralds pressing against his brow. For years, long before the Judeans came to Babylon, the idea of this monument had been whispered in the court, sketched on tablets, argued over by architects. A hundred artisans had hammered and polished the gold plates until their arms gave out. And now it was finished, ninety cubits of gleaming immortality. A statue was built in his honor. But as Nebukudnza looked up at it, the roar of drums fading into silence, there was a hollowness in his chest. He could not name. 00:04:18 Speaker 8: It is finished, and yet he remembered another image, one not made by human hands, a dream that God had revealed to Daniel. 00:04:31 Speaker 1: For a heartbeat. The King's eyes flickered with doubt. Then he buried it deep. This was not the place for hesitation, not with the eyes of the empire upon him. He raised his hands. 00:04:45 Speaker 4: Here the decree of your king. 00:04:47 Speaker 9: At the sound of the horn, the fruit, the liar, the harp, the pipe, you who are to fall down and worship the image. 00:04:55 Speaker 1: I have said before the murmurs swept the crowd. Somewhere in the sea of voices. An official cried out in the scent, and the cry rippled outward until the plain echoed with it. The king smiled, but the smile was thin, brittle at the edges. The streets of Babylon were restless after the king's decree. Vendors spoke in hushed tones as they sold their goods in the courtyards. Servants carried water jars a little faster than usual, their eyes fixed on the ground. The word had reached every home, every market, every temple bow to the image or burn. In the shaded courtyard of a modest but well kept house, Hannanaiah, Michel, and as Ariyah sat together around a low table. The fourth seat at the table was empty. If Daniel were. 00:05:55 Speaker 10: Here, If Daniel were here, he'd say exactly what you already know. 00:06:01 Speaker 11: Easy for you to say, you're not the one who's supposed to speak for him. When the king asks where we stand? 00:06:07 Speaker 1: As Ariah set down the bread. 00:06:10 Speaker 3: Daniel's not avoiding this. He's in Borsippa on the king's business. The Most High wanted him here for this moment. He'd be here, which means the. 00:06:21 Speaker 1: Task is ours. Hanna and Ayah leaned back, staring up at the lattice of sunlight and shade above them. 00:06:29 Speaker 11: There's a difference between quietly refusing and standing when the whole empire's watching. 00:06:36 Speaker 1: We've refused before. Remember the festival of Marta glass spring we conveniently stayed behind. 00:06:43 Speaker 3: Or the King's feast two years ago, the one with those consecrated meats. We walked out before the first toast. 00:06:49 Speaker 11: And each time we got away with it. 00:06:53 Speaker 1: But not this time of friends. This isn't a. 00:06:56 Speaker 11: Social gathering or a crowded feast. This is our line in the sand. Who is our king? Yahweh? 00:07:06 Speaker 1: For never canness? A faint commotion drifted in from the street, the sound of a herald's voice echoing against the stone. It is time to. 00:07:16 Speaker 12: Gather at the King's landing. All quartiers and serves of the palace are summoned at once, and at the sound of the horn, the flute, the lure, the harp, the pipe. 00:07:30 Speaker 13: And every kind of musical instrument, all people's in nations shall bow to the image set up by the King. 00:07:41 Speaker 1: The words faded, replaced by the clatter of sandals on stone. As the herald moved on. The three sat in silence for a moment. Then as Ariah spoke, his tone steady but soft. 00:07:55 Speaker 3: We've been given favor in this city, trusted position. 00:08:01 Speaker 13: We dood of life here. 00:08:03 Speaker 1: And none of their matters that it casts us our souls. Hanna and Ayah's jaw tightened. He didn't like being the one to lead. He didn't feel ready. But the seat at the table was still empty. The plane of Dura was alive with sound. Trumpets blared from towers draped in crimson banners. Drums rolled in deep, steady beats that matched the pounding of thousands of feet gathering on the open ground. The gold statue loomed above them, all catching the afternoon sun until it seemed to burn with its own fire. From the platform at the base Nebugudnezza surveyed the crowd of governors, sattraps, military commanders, priests, and artisans. He spread his hands. The royal herald stepped forward, voice magnified by the amphitheater of the surrounding hills. 00:09:04 Speaker 14: Apsations and languages. This is what your commanded to do. 00:09:13 Speaker 12: In the sound of the hall, the flute. 00:09:17 Speaker 14: The ladder, the hat, the pipe, and any kind of music you want to fall down and rusship the golden image that gene never. 00:09:31 Speaker 1: Could desert sets up. 00:09:34 Speaker 14: Whoever does not fall down in worship, well it did throw to the face of bread. 00:09:46 Speaker 1: A ripple of anticipation swept through the crowd. Never Goodness's gaze drifted upward to the statue's gleaming face. The music exploded, horns braying strings from make, drums pounding like a hard beat gone mad across the plane. A wave of movements swept outward. Tens of thousands dropped to their knees, foreheads lower into the dust. Gold bangles clingked against stone. The sounds like wind rushing through a forest. Except in one small clearing amid the bowing masses, three figures remained upright. Ann and Iron the shil and as a Riah stood shoulder to shoulder, their faces set, their eyes fixed on something far beyond the statue. The wind caught the edges of their robes, but their bodies did not move from the platform. The King's eyes narrowed. He could not yet see their faces, only the break in the pattern, a floor in the design. He leaned toward the captain of his guards, find out who they are. The three Judeans were led up the black stone steps to the platform. The crowd below had thinned, but those who lingered watched intently. Nebukudnezza stood waiting, framed by the towering golden statue behind him, the furnaces smoke rose beyond it, a black column twisting into the pale sky. The soldiers halted, leaving Hannanaiah, Michael and as a Ria to stand before the throne's low dais. For a long moment, the king said nothing. He studied them, their posture, their calm faces, the way they looked at him without fear, yet without insolence. It was the same unyielding composure he had seen once before in another Judean Daniel. When he finally spoke, his voice was measured but carried the edge of steel. 00:12:03 Speaker 4: Is it true, Shadrakneshek, I've been to go that you do not serve me. 00:12:11 Speaker 1: My gods or worship the golden image. I've said I. Hannah and Iah glanced briefly at the others before speaking. 00:12:19 Speaker 11: It is true, Great King. 00:12:21 Speaker 1: The king's eyes narrowed. 00:12:24 Speaker 4: I will give you another chance. When you hear the sound of the music, you shall bow. 00:12:34 Speaker 1: If you do, I shall spare you for the sake of your friend. 00:12:39 Speaker 4: Belt a Chazar. But if you do not, you will be immediately thrown into the furnace of blazing fire. 00:12:49 Speaker 1: Hannah and I have felt the weight of the moment pressing on him. He was not Daniel. He had never wanted to be the one speaking for them, but no one else was going to. He lifted his chin. 00:13:01 Speaker 11: Great Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. We bow to the one true God of Israel. 00:13:12 Speaker 4: Look around you. I built these towers, I gathered these armies. I have the furnace to burn you all to it. 00:13:23 Speaker 1: Crisp, there is no god here but me. 00:13:29 Speaker 11: You have the furnace, but our God owns the flame. Do what you will, Great King, 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 hand. 00:13:44 Speaker 1: Nichel's voice joined his steady as stone. But even if he does not, and this is truly the end for us, we still. 00:13:52 Speaker 10: Will not now, not now, not ever. 00:13:57 Speaker 1: The King's jaw clenched beneath the heat of his anger was something else, a sting he could not ignore. Their words were not defiance alone. They were a reminder that there was a power greater than his. 00:14:13 Speaker 4: When you shall meet your God in the flames, we shall. 00:14:19 Speaker 1: The roar of the furnace was deafening. Now a constant, ravenous bellow heat rolled across the plaine in suffocating waves, carrying the acrid tang of burning pitch. The crowd had gathered in a wide park at a safe distance, though even here the air shimmered and stole the oxygen on the platform. The king's stood, rigid eyes fixed on the growing flames mid The soldiers moved in, caused ropes, bit into wrists and ancles. The three Judeans didn't exist, though Hanna and I as chest rose and fell more quickly now me child glanced at him, speaking just loud enough to be heard over the furnace. What could mean? And and iya did? You're not standing? 00:15:12 Speaker 10: And then if the fire takes us, it won't be the end rocks zach A lots be strong and courageous. 00:15:24 Speaker 1: The captain barked in order. Six of the strongest guards stepped forward and see as the Judea's The heat was immediate, searing, while the soldier gagged on the smoke. Another squinted against the brightness of the fire. The teeth bed and a grimace, and the king stepped to the edge of the platform, watching intently. His anger burnt hot, but so did something else. 00:15:52 Speaker 9: If you're not as we on, and this is his last chance to prove it. 00:15:57 Speaker 1: The guards reached the furnace, the heat slammed into them like a wall. One cried out and collapsing, skin i stiring in seconds, and another cropped to his knees, choking in chaos. The threed ingredients were shoved forward and fell into the blaze. The flames swallowed them hull. The surviving guards stumbled back from the opening, their faces blistered, gasping for air. The crowd's mund was low tense. Where's your card now? Means? The flame surged like a living beast, angry and hungry for more. Nebu Goodness awarded them in the flame, where is your God? Then her voice rose from somewhere in the front ranks. My lord, look, Nebu Goodness's eyes snapped toward the furnace inside where clothes should have blackened to ash, where flesh have been consumed. In moments, the three men were walking, walking, and then there was a fourth figure in the flame. Nebukud Nezza's breath caught in his throat. The figure's form was like a man's, but brighter than fire. He was robed in light itself, and every step scattered embers into gold. The flames curled around him as if they were no more than water around his ankles. 00:17:31 Speaker 2: There appears to be a fourth man in the fire. He looks like like a summer went. 00:17:39 Speaker 1: The king stepped down from the platform, drawn toward the furnaces, opening as though by an unseen hand. 00:17:47 Speaker 4: Prepare the iron bars in a water dequied. 00:17:50 Speaker 1: The flames, nebukud Nezza stepped forward, the heat pushing back at him with violent force. Still, the king needed to get clar oh, sir. He needed to see, and deep down he needed to test his own power against whatever force kept these men alive in flames. 00:18:13 Speaker 4: Were shack, I go, are you alive? 00:18:17 Speaker 1: The furnace flared again, and the king was said, smalling onto the ground. He looked up, and the radiance of the fourth man in the fire surged like a falling star. It was brighter than the flame, and more radiant than the sun. Apology. The fourth man's eyes lit with a heavenly glow, and from his mouth a sword appeared high. The flames burned, too fiercely for any man to see. It burned for a moment, then left, and the King rooked back into the furnace. The fourth man was God shir Drac Bushan. 00:19:05 Speaker 11: Servants the most. 00:19:06 Speaker 9: High God come out. 00:19:08 Speaker 1: The three figures emerged from the furnace mouth, stepping onto the packed earth. Their ropes were gone, their garments unburned, their hair untouched. The only smell was the faint scent of the smoke they'd passed through. Clinging not to them but to the air they carried with them. The crowd surged forward, the officials and governors pressing close to see for themselves. The King looked at them, and for the first time in years, his voice faltered. 00:19:43 Speaker 4: Less be the Cardo who delivered his servants, who trusted in him. 00:19:48 Speaker 1: But even as he spoke, he felt the war in his own heart was far from over. The furnace still roared behind them, but now it whose only background a hollow threat, robbed of its power. All eyes were on the three Judeans standing in the open air, untouched by flame. Nebukudnezza descended from the platform, the heat of the black stone fading under his sandals as he crossed the packed earth. He stopped only a few paces from them, searching their faces as if to find some hint of trickery, but there was none. He turned, his voice, booming across the plain. 00:20:34 Speaker 9: Lest be the god of Shadrak, Mishak and Amenigor, who sent his angel and delivered his servants who trusted in him. They set aside the King's command and yielded up their bodies rather than serve or worship any god except their own god. 00:20:50 Speaker 1: The crowd murmured in amazement, their awe spreading like fire through dry grass. The King raised a hand for silence. 00:21:00 Speaker 9: Therefore, I make a degree any people, nation or language it speaks anything against the God of shadrack be shack and a bit of gold shall be taught. Limb from Limb, and their houses laid in ruins. For there is no other God who is able to rescue in this way. 00:21:20 Speaker 1: A cheer rose rolling over the plane. Soldiers struck their spears against their shields in a steady rhythm, a sound like thunder. Hanna, Nami, Michel, and Azariah exchanged brief glances. Limb from Limb. 00:21:40 Speaker 11: He's got a lot to learn about our God. 00:21:42 Speaker 1: We're still in Babylon. I wouldn't expect things to change often. The king returned to the platform. Servants called for the musicians to play again, but he waved them off. Later that night, long after the officials had dispersed and the crowd had gone home, Nebukudnza remained. He stood at the base of the golden statue, its polished surface gleaming in the torchlight. He looked up at its unblinking face. The wind carried the distant hiss of the furnace as it cooled. The words of his own decree echoed in his mind. No other God is able to rescue in this way, and behind them the image of the fourth man in the fire, brighter than the flames. For a moment, the King felt the weight of his own words pressing back on him, but he set his jaw, turning away. The statue loomed behind him as he walked into the dark, still unbroken for now. 00:22:54 Speaker 7: If your faith has been kindled by this podcast and it has affected your life, we love it. If you left her review, we read them, and me personally I cherish them as you venture forth boldly and faithfully. I leave you with the biblical blessing from numbers six Iva Hashem vishmerecher Yeah Heir hashempanave eleven ye Sa hashempanave Lechra Salon. May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make his face shine upon you. May he be gracious to you. May the Lord turn his face towards you and give you peace. 00:23:36 Speaker 1: Amen. You can listen to the Chosen People with Isle Exstein add free by downloading and subscribing to the pray dot Com app today. This prey dog comproduction is only made possible by our dedicated team of creative talents, Steve Katina, Max bard Zach Shellavaga and Ben Gammon are the executive producers of The Chosen People with Yaile Extein, edited by Alberto Avilla, narrated by Paul Coltofianu. Characters are voiced by Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvado, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan, Stephen Ringwold, Sylvia Zaradoc, Thomas Copeland, Junior, Rosanna Pilcher, and Mitch Leshinsky, and the opening prayer is voiced by John Moore. Music by Andrew Morgan Smith, written by Aaron Salvado, bre Rosalie and Chris Baig. Special thanks to Bishop Paul Lanier, Robin van Ettin, Kayleb Burrows, Jocelyn Fuller, Rabbi Edward Abramson, and the team at International Fellowship of Christians and Jews. 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