Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated.
Nebuchadnezzar absolutely lost it. His whole face changed when he looked at Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He was so furious that he ordered his men to crank up the furnace seven times hotter than usual.
When you stand up for what's right, some people will turn up the heat, literally.
📚 Historical Context
In the historical context of the Babylonian exile around the 6th century BC, King Nebuchadnezzar had built a massive golden image and commanded all people in his empire to worship it upon hearing certain music. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who were Jewish exiles and faithful servants of God, refused to bow down, declaring their allegiance to the one true God instead. This act of defiance provoked Nebuchadnezzar's intense anger, leading him to order the furnace heated to an extreme degree as a means of executing them.
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