Hillsong United has a new song called “Another In The Fire.” At first glance, this might seem like an unusual title.
But astute Bible scholars will recognize that phrase as a reference to Daniel 3.
That’s the chapter that describes how King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold and ordered all his officials to bow down and worship it. “Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace.”
Then some astrologers (Chaldeans) denounced the Jews, especially Shadrach, Meschach and Abednego, for failing to bow down. “They pay no attention to you, Your Majesty!”
Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar ordered Shadrach, Meschach and Abednego into the furnace, which he ordered to be “seven times hotter than usual.” The flames were so hot, in fact, that the fire killed the soldiers who threw the men into the furnace.
Now comes the part that inspired the song.
King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?”
They replied, “Certainly, Your Majesty.”
He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”
Many Bible scholars believe that fourth person was, in fact, THE Son of God, Jesus Christ! They note that he was the “fourth” and the Hebrew word for four is Dalet, which means “a door.”
So Hillsong United declares that when we face trials and tribulations, we should remember that “there was Another in the fire, standing next to me” and “there is a cross that bears the burden where Another died for me.”