P.O. Box 53055    
Los Angeles, CA 90053   

THE FOURTH MAN IS ALREADY THERE

Even if you've read Daniel chapter three a hundred times, and heard about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego as a bedtime story since you were five years old, you probably never heard it as rendered in one church I heard about. But as this excitable preacher was telling the story, God up in heaven was very much concerned. "My three boys are down there in that fire," He cried, His voice echoing throughout Paradise. "My boys are in danger; they're in the flames." And all the angels gathered around, great distress on their faces.

God rose up from His throne, love and worry written on His face too. "We cannot let those three boys perish in the fires of that Nebuchadnezzar! Never! I must do something to help My boys." And He looked around. "Where's such-and-such angel?" And He named one of the kingdom's most mighty angel warriors, a being with a wonderful spirit, a rescuing heart. "Where's that angel?" And the summoned angel stepped forward.

"How long will it take you to travel down to that little planet, earth, that tiny place, that plain of Dura?" God asked. "How long to make the trip . . . because My boys are in such danger?" And the angel responded immediately. "Father, I can be there in five minutes."

"Five minutes!" And God was in despair. "In five minutes, they'll be gone. Nothing but ashes. Five minutes is far too long!" And He turned in the other direction. "Give me Gabriel then! Gabriel, My greatest archangel. Gabriel, the speediest of all My forces." Well, Gabriel was instantly standing front and center. And God leaned forward, more anxious than ever because time was running out. "Gabriel, My best angel, My commanding angel, how long to wing your way down to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego?" And Gabriel, eager to charge the gates of Babylon, his wings already fluttering, warming up, told the Father: "Two minutes."

"Two minutes!" And God paced in frustration. "We can't wait another two minutes! And the flames are so hot! My boys are in grave danger."

So God went to the final option. "I'll send My own Son! That's what I'll do! Jesus, My only Son, will make the journey. Who can travel to earth more quickly than My only begotten Son." So He cried out: "Jesus! Son! Quickly! Our children are in the flames! Two minutes is too long to wait! Hurry! Jesus, Son, where are You?" And the angels looked around the courtroom of heaven; they gazed high and low. They looked in every corner. But they didn't see Jesus anywhere. Where could He be? And the Father cried out again: "Jesus, we have no time to spare! My Son, where are You?"

And from far, far below, from clear down on that distant planet, that faraway speck in the universe where a little king named Nebuchadnezzar had lit his little fire, came the shout of reply: "Don't worry, Dad, I'm already down here!"

Well, friend, we could almost rest our case right here. Because this is the lesson of Daniel three. There are trials and tribulations that are red-hot in nature; they're life-threatening. In fact, sometimes they don't just threaten a believer's life, they TAKE it. But the Son of God, that swiftest of ambassadors, is the fourth Person in the flames. I just love how this old Bible passage reads in the Clear Word paraphrase we've been sharing with you recently. Listen:

"The king [Nebuchadnezzar] who was watching from a safe distance, suddenly jumped to his feet and, staring toward the blazing furnace, said to his advisors, ‘Didn't we tie up three men and throw them into the fire?' They said, ‘Yes, we did, Your Majesty.' Then he said, ‘Look! I see four men in there! All of them are untied and walking around in the fire! And the fourth one looks like the Son of God they told me about!'"

And the testimony of the Bible is this: when trials hit, the believer in Christ can know that Jesus is with them. Just as literally as this fourth Man was standing there in the fire, protecting His three friends, the resurrected Jesus — through the presence of the Holy Spirit — is actually there with you. "In This Very Room," as the Christian song suggests.
A Bible passage that always springs to mind right here is found in the beloved book of Isaiah chapter 43. Verse two is the promise, but let's lead in from the very beginning. Here it is:

"But now, this is what the Lord says — He who created you, O Jacob, He who formed you, O Israel: ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are Mine." And now this is tremendous; listen: "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord, your God."

Well, those are beautiful words, but I imagine an objection is welling up in your throat. It's there in mine as well. "Wait a minute!" we cry out. "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego didn't get burned . . . but John Hus did! My nephew did. A little girl down at the grade school drowned just last week; despite what the Bible said, the waters DID pass over her." A modern-day reading of this verse might say this: "When you climb on board a widebody Airbus 300 jet, it will never crash." And yet planes go down all the time with Christians on board. So it's true that in a sin-sick world, Isaiah 43 is not an iron-clad, 100% sure guarantee. Water drowns and flames burn and cancer kills. But I want to point you to two facts right here.

First of all, there are five words here which ARE ironclad. "I will be with you." A Bible hero named Peter was in prison . . . and God was with him. God gave him a Monopoly card which said: "Get out of jail free." John the Baptist was in prison, and God was with him too. Even though he died — TEMPORARILY. The great apostle Paul was stoned, but God was with him and spared him. The great deacon Stephen was stoned, and God was with him too. But he died — TEMPORARILY.

All through these 66 books, the Old and the New Testament, we're always promised two things. God is present in our trials. And our trials, even if they lead to death, are temporary. The trials will be temporary, and the death will be VERY temporary. The Old Testament reminds us, in the book of Hosea: "Death, where is your sting? Grave, where is your victory? Or destruction?" And the New Testament echoes the same in First Corinthians 15. Paul himself says that death is not to be feared. Dying or not dying is not a great issue for the Christian because Jesus conquered death. Because Jesus is with us in our trials. Because Jesus made death so temporary. He's with us; that's the main thing. Some people die in the flames; others don't . . . but He's with them all.

Notice here again in Isaiah 43 this beautiful assurance: "I created you. I formed you. I have redeemed you. You are Mine." That was the cry of God on behalf of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. "Those are My boys. Let's move! Let's do something!" The same is true for us. God is as concerned about the flames surrounding you, the problems, the mounting bills, the looming divorce. "That's My child. Come on, heaven, let's swing into action! Come on, brigades, let's fire up the engines!" Does heaven always rescue? No. But it always travels to the spot. Holy angels, and even Jesus Himself — through the presence of the Holy Spirit — join you in your darkest moment.

I have to share here that this concept of suffering and the presence of Christ is very, very real to the Voice of Prophecy, especially for this reason: because of the mail which arrives here at Box 53055, Los Angeles, 90053. A flood of mail each and every week, as people share their heartfelt experiences, the fiery furnaces of their own existences. Friend, persecution is a very real thing in the here and now! Some of you listening right now are experiencing sorrow and pain that we can only imagine. But it always amazes and humbles us how many of YOU — here we are preaching to you and YOU'RE the ones demonstrating this back to us — testify about the presence of Jesus in your life despite the hardships. "This and this and this is happening," you write, "but I know God is good. Praise His name!" Incredibly, some of these people, with a list of trials a mile long, offer to pray for US!

It reminds me of how the apostle Paul writes about all of the bad things that have happened to him; in fact, he almost brags about his laundry list of lamentable occurrences. Beatings and whippings and prison and hunger and shipwrecks. But he praises God! He celebrates God's presence, just as you letter-writers do. What's the secret? Well, let's let Paul himself answer on behalf of all of us. Just six words from Philippians 3:20:

"But our citizenship is in heaven."

Someone's house burns down. That's bad news. But their citizenship is in heaven. Their body is wracked with pain and disease; it's terminal for sure. But a glorified new body is promised, because their citizenship is in heaven. Someone's spouse has left them; they're lonely, trying to pay the rent. But God promises them they won't be lonely in a well-populated better land; their citizenship is in heaven.

That's why Jesus, who loves us so much, can give that seemingly impossible encouragement to the persecuted man or woman:

"Rejoice and be glad."