We know Jesus can walk on water and give sight to the blind, but is he fireproof?
If you read between the lines of The Old Testament, you’ll find an interesting figure who shows up now and again. He’s sometimes referred to as “The Angel of the Lord,” “The Commander of The Lord’s Armies,” or, in today’s case, “The son of the gods.”
These are Old Testament appearances of Jesus, otherwise known as Christophanies. And perhaps the most intense Christophany is found in Daniel 3.
It’s a story of faith and fire. Buckle up.
We’re in Daniel 3. Babylon’s brash ruler, King Nebuchadnezzar, gives a decree that everyone must bow to a golden idol or face the consequences.Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—a trio of exiled Jewish youths—stand their ground, trusting the God of Israel to save them (or not).
Furious, Nebuchadnezzar superheats the furnace, expecting an immediate, grisly death.
Instead, he sees not three but four figures strolling calmly in the inferno.
Who’s that fourth figure?
The king himself describes him as “like a son of the gods.”
Many biblical scholars identify this mysterious visitor as none other than the pre-incarnate Christ.
Why? First, whenever a divine figure tangibly appears in the Old Testament—often called “the Angel of the Lord” or described in deity-like terms—He frequently does what only God can do: receive worship, speak with absolute authority, and rescue God’s people.
Second, the book of Daniel repeatedly references the “Son of Man,” a heavenly figure who reigns in glory (Daniel 7:13–14). Jesus later adopts that very title in the Gospels, pointing back to this divine identity.
It’s perfectly consistent that the “fourth man” would be the same celestial Champion who shows up elsewhere, personally protecting His faithful ones from fiery oblivion.
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Nebuchadnezzar, the guy who once believed he was the pinnacle of power, is left gobsmacked by a presence infinitely higher. Seeing those men step out unsinged—hair intact, robes unscorched—he’s forced to declare that “no other god can save in this way.”
Even in the heart of a foreign empire, the Lord demonstrates that He remains sovereign over kings and flames.
Like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, you and I face our own “furnaces”: unrelenting anxieties, bruising trials, and crushing disappointments.
Sometimes we’re sure they’ll consume us.
But here’s the soul-stirring takeaway: the same Jesus who walked into the inferno with those three exiles walks with us, too.
Long after Daniel’s day, He promised, “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).
Over and over, Scripture declares that trials can’t erase His presence nor thwart His purpose.
When storms rage, He’s there. When fires burn, He’s there. He may not always extinguish the flames, but He stands beside us.
CONSIDER THIS:
Jesus knows what it means to suffer, and he stands with us in our suffering. How does this change your perspective of trials?
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Our trials, as fierce as they are, can never outmatch the One who tames the flames.
The fourth man in the furnace didn’t merely vanish after saving three young men—He continues to rescue, comfort, and guide His people today.
That dear friends, is the heart of every Christophany: Jesus revealed in the midst of peril, proving that no matter the heat of life’s fires, He never abandons His own.
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