Episode 71 - The Daniel Series: Fourth Man In The Fire

This episode uses the powerful image from Daniel 3—three men walking free from a roaring furnace without a trace of smoke—to explore real-world trials like illness, broken relationships, and career challenges, highlighting how faith can transform fiery struggles into freedom. We reflect on the surprising presence of a fourth figure in the fire and what it means for believers to remain whole in the middle of hardship. Sharing inspiring stories like Lee’s journey from stage four cancer to thriving, and Chris Wark’s approach to cancer recovery, we connect hope to habits and community rooted in scripture and practical support. Addressing the long, slow seasons that test patience and identity, we offer encouragement to invite God into the heat, lean on others, and recognize the moments we’re called to stand firm. This conversation provides language, tools, and a promise that the divine presence who saved Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego is still with us today. 

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Transcript

Welcome And Series Context

Reading Daniel 3:19–27

The Fourth Man Appears

Testimony From Lee

SPEAKER_02 0:01

I love that they're unbound. The only thing that burned in the fire was the thing that bound them, the thing that holds you back. You know, when God's done with it, the thing that's holds you back, that's what's going to burn up. Hey everybody, it's Cheryl, and you're listening to Healing Strongs Around the Word, where a podcast of a group of friends sitting around the table and discussing the Bible, God's holy word, and what we're getting out of it. Right now we're studying the book of Daniel, and this is the crazy part. If you've ever heard the story about the fourth man in the fire, that's where this comes from in the book of Daniel. In fact, it's chapter 3, verses 19 through 27. We're going to be studying that today. So join us around the word. Daniel chapter 3, verses 19 through 27. Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual, and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans, and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace. The king's command was so urgent, and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace. Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisors, Were there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire? They replied, Certainly, your majesty. He said, Look, I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed. And the fourth looks like a son of the gods. Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, Shadrach, Meshach, and Nebednego, servants of the Most High God, come out. Come here. So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out of the fire. And the satraps, prefects, governors, and royal advisors crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads cinched. Their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them. Before we start our conversation around the word, I want to give you a quick little testimonial from Lee, one of our jumpstart participants. Lee says, This series has been fantastic. I have really gained so much for each one of them. It is reassuring that I am not alone and I have information and personalities at my fingertips. I am stage four adenocarcinoma, lung than five lesions in my brain. Currently, no activity. Praise God. Thank you for all you do to keep it going. And we celebrate with Lee on that word too. We're keep on praying for Lee for complete healing there. And help us to keep it going too in what we're doing with healingstrong.org. You can visit healingstrong.org slash donate if you feel led to contribute to our amazing organization. Now let's get back around the word. So we go back in the passage just a little bit to see what we had seen yesterday. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abendigo were firmly tied last we saw them and thrown into the blazing fire that was turned up seven times hotter than normal.

SPEAKER_01 3:57

I like it. It's like back in the old days when they had the previous episode and previously on uh in the fire. Yes. So those three men were bound up, and then the King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisors. What did he see? What did he see? Weren't there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?

Back To The Text And Reactions

SPEAKER_00 4:22

Okay, so I think it's funny that the first thing he notices is that there's more men. There's four. I mean, I think I would be going, oh my God, these people are alive and their clothes are not even burned. But the big issue to him, it was so amazing that he sees four people.

SPEAKER_02 4:39

Four people.

SPEAKER_01 4:40

They should be like writhing, screaming, and then what it says unbound, unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.

SPEAKER_02 4:51

So I'm like, uh I don't even know what that's supposed to be. It didn't, they didn't even have time to describe him beyond that. But clearly different than Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. So that's crazy. So, and this man had seen some interesting stuff before, but this is just taking it to the next level.

SPEAKER_01 5:10

Um, he says now he calls them out, calls them out by their name, that his name that they're given, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the most high God, come out, come here.

SPEAKER_02 5:24

Wow. So uh I we were wondering a little bit uh in in a previous passage, you know, it seemed like he had recognized God for a minute and then kind of forgot about it. Now, I mean, it's right in his face. He can't, he can't deny God at this point. He's literally seeing them. I love that they're unbound. They're unbound. The only thing that burned in the fire was the thing that bound them, the thing that holds you back. You know, when God's done with it, the thing that's holds you back, that's what's going to burn up.

SPEAKER_01 5:56

It's like a little thread to him. Seems like a huge rope or whatever to us, a noose.

Unbound And Unharmed Theme

SPEAKER_00 6:03

But it's gone. It's gone. The the ropes are gone. And just casually, the scripture says, So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out of the fire.

SPEAKER_02 6:14

Do you know how long people's fires are sometimes? Oh this is this is a quick thing for them. But what if your fire has been months and years? What if it's a cancer battle? What is it's it been a bitter divorce? What if it's been, you know, a child that's gotten away from you? It's been a bitter long battle. Um, this was your fire can go on for a long time, but they're about to come out of it.

SPEAKER_01 6:44

Then the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and royal advisors crowd around them. So there's people that are in your life that have seen you go through this journey.

Long Fires: Cancer, Divorce, Loss

SPEAKER_00 6:55

Always. I I think we should uh change those names to the Facebookers and the Instagrammers and the social media friends that you have, your coworkers and your co-workers and um all of that. Yeah, they're watching and they're gonna see what happens.

SPEAKER_02 7:12

And then they come out, let's see, they saw saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair on their heads singed.

SPEAKER_00 7:21

And he's got those counted, you know, so he knows how many hair you have on your head. And not any of them were singed.

Witnesses To Your Trial

SPEAKER_02 7:29

The robes weren't torched, no smell of fire. It's as if the fire didn't even exist to these three men when they came out of it. Does that I hope that gives somebody hope that's listening right now, that whatever fire you're sit you're in and you're in the middle of the blazes, when the Lord brings you out in his timing, he's gonna bring you out better than you were before. And it gives me encouragement in my own personal fires, that's for sure.

SPEAKER_01 7:59

Um, Chris Work wrote a program called Square One, um, and he's a cancer survivor, thriver, actually. And he says that the cancer, he is better now after the cancer than he was before. So God can take any situation and use it for your good. And now he's helping thousands of people with their cancer journeys to be thrivers as well.

Hope After The Flames

From Trial To Purpose: Square One

SPEAKER_02 8:26

Healing Strong was started from, you know, our friend Susie that went through cancer herself. And because of a problem, because of a personal fire in her life, her cancer diagnosis, we now have a wonderful organization that um encourages people in their faith and their walk uh while they are battling uh cancer and other diseases. So, yes, God can take a fire and make something really good from it ultimately when you come out on the other side. This passage really, really speaks a lot to me because God used a specific verse in this passage a couple of years ago when I was going through my own personal fire. Um, He used that verse about Nebuchadnezzar calling them out of the fire. And I can say on the other side of that entire fire, that I came out unsinged and better than I was, actually promoted. It was a whole job scenario. It was uh something, something going down that was a personal fire for me. And when I was in the thick of it, God literally used that verse to give me almost a prophetic word that he was gonna take care of it and pull me out of the fire. And that's exactly what he did, like a month and a half later. And I am a standing testimony that God will get you through your fire if you invite him into it, just like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did, he was there in the fire with them. Anyway, thank you so much for joining us for Healing Strong's Around the Word. I hope that encouraged you today. I hope if you are in your own personal fire that you know that you have a fourth man in the fire with you and you are not alone. If you need other encouragement, if you're going through a health journey or a battle, we have healingstrong.org and we have wonderful groups that can help you and encourage you in that battle right now. So check us out, healingstrong.org. And if you like our podcast, consider giving us a like, subscribing, and giving us a review about what you like about it. We always want to hear from our fans. Until next time, remember, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.