The Image of the Beast
In this Chapter, Nebuchadnezzar, who becomes a beast in Chapter 4, makes an image, and forces everyone to worship it. He causes “as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed” (Rev 13:15).
We will just go to the highlights of the story.
1 Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits, and the breadth of it six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.
Dan 3:1
Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold – “the beast” made an image for everyone to worship in place of the true God. The “beast” was identified as the “head of gold” in Daniel 2:38. Now he has made an image of gold for everyone to worship, the image of the beast.
6 and whoever doesn’t fall down and worships shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
Dan 3:6
whoever does not fall down and worship – would be killed. Such was the Trinity doctrine, as we shall discuss in Revelation 13.
8 Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near, and brought accusation against the Jews.
Dan 3:8
came forward and accused the Jews – the Jews would not worship the image that the Gentiles set up. Here we find the strong parallel between Revelation 13:14-15 and Revelation 14:1-5. The spiritual Jews, God’s true saints, would be pure and not worship the image of the beast set up by the Gentiles; as in Revelation 14:4, “these are the ones who have not been defiled with women (the harlot)…the ones who follow the Lamb wherever he goes.”
25 He answered, Look, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the aspect of the fourth is like a son of the gods.
Dan 3:25
the fourth is like the Son of God – identified as Christ in Revelation 1:15. Here Christ, the Son of God, shows that He will abide with those who do not worship the image of the beast.
28 Nebuchadnezzar spoke and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, who has sent his angel, and delivered his servants who trusted in him, and have changed the king’s word, and have yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.
Dan 3:28
Blessed be the God – Nebuchadnezzar praised the true God
who sent His Angel – the Angel of Yihvah, the future Son of God.
29 Therefore I make a decree, that every people, nation, and language, which speak anything 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 no other god who is able to deliver after this sort.
Dan 3:29
any people, nation, or language which speaks against the God of Shadrach – prefiguring the announcement of the Angel in Revelation 14:6-7, “to every nation, and tribe and tongue and people…”fear God and give Him glory…”