What is the context?
The king orders the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual and commands strong soldiers to bind the men and throw them in. They are cast into the fire fully clothed and firmly bound.
The heat kills the soldiers carrying out the order. The men targeted by the decree fall into the furnace, and the situation appears to leave them no means of escape.
The details establish the severity of the threat before the rescue is described. Neither protective equipment nor an unnoticed avoidance of the fire explains what follows.
How is this passage commonly understood?
Henry and Wesley emphasize God’s power to preserve the men when the king has done his worst. The deaths of the soldiers make the danger plain.
The passage states the increased heat and its effect. It does not provide the furnace’s exact construction, a modern temperature reading or a detailed account of the soldiers’ movements.
What is our position?
We don't have a position on this passage yet. When our study reaches a conclusion the text supports, it will appear here.