Latest / The Chosen People / The Fiery Furnace
Transcript
- 0:00Speaker 1: Previously on The Chosen People.
- 0:03Speaker 2: From this day forward, you belong to King Nebuchadnezzar, the
- 0:07Speaker 2: Mighty and Eternal. Your old lives end here. To bind
- 0:13Speaker 2: you fully to Babylon, you shall receive new names.
- 0:18Speaker 1: Ashpenaz approached Hananiah first.
- 0:20Speaker 2: You shall be Shadrach, commanded by Aku himself, God of
- 0:27Speaker 2: the Moon.
- 0:29Speaker 1: Ashpenaz turned to Mishael.
- 0:31Speaker 2: You shall be Meshach, the one who searches for the
- 0:36Speaker 2: mysteries of Aku.
- 0:38Speaker 1: He turned to Azariah.
- 0:40Speaker 2: Abednego shall be your name, servant of Nabu, god of wisdom.
- 0:47Speaker 1: Daniel's chest tightened painfully. Names were anchors, threads woven back
- 0:53Speaker 1: through generations, binding identity to purpose. To strip away his
- 0:59Speaker 1: name felt as though Babylon were clawing into his soul,
- 1:03Speaker 1: attempting to claim what no empire had a right to touch.
- 1:08Speaker 3: No, no, quite the opposite. We've been praying King Nebuchadnezzar
- 1:13Speaker 3: would see the truth. Though he is worshipped as God,
- 1:18Speaker 3: there is one God of gods, the Lord of Lords, Yahweh.
- 1:24Speaker 4: There's a secret, Leopi. I intend to mind those depths.
- 1:31Speaker 4: Beginning with you four.
- 1:33Speaker 1: For the first time in years, the great king of
- 1:37Speaker 1: Babylon had met someone who did not fear him more
- 1:41Speaker 1: than God. And though he would not admit it, not yet,
- 1:46Speaker 1: that encounter would haunt him far longer than the dream itself.
- 1:57Speaker 1: The plain of Dura shimmered under the early sun, heat
- 2:02Speaker 1: rising from the packed earth in wavering streams. From miles away,
- 2:07Speaker 1: travelers could see it, a column of gold so vast
- 2:12Speaker 1: it seemed to touch the sky. Drums rolled across the
- 2:17Speaker 1: plain in slow, thunderous cadence. Lines of soldiers stood like
- 2:22Speaker 1: bronze pillars. Envoys and officials from every corner of the
- 2:27Speaker 1: empire crowded together, their silks and jewels a riot of
- 2:32Speaker 1: color against the dusty ground. A broad platform of black
- 2:37Speaker 1: stone had been built at the statue's base. Upon it,
- 2:41Speaker 1: King Nebuchadnezzar stood, draped in a robe of deep crimson,
- 2:46Speaker 1: a crown heavy with emeralds pressing against his brow. For years,
- 2:52Speaker 1: long before the Judeans came to Babylon, the idea of
- 2:55Speaker 1: this monument had been whispered in the court, sketched on tablets,
- 3:00Speaker 1: argued over by architects. A hundred artisans had hammered and
- 3:05Speaker 1: polished the gold plates until their arms gave out. And
- 3:09Speaker 1: now it was finished. Ninety cubits of gleaming immortality. A
- 3:16Speaker 1: statue was built in his honour. But as Nebuchadnezzar looked
- 3:21Speaker 1: up at it, the roar of drums fading into silence,
- 3:25Speaker 1: there was a hollowness in his chest he could not name.
- 3:29Speaker 4: It is finished, and yet.
- 3:33Speaker 1: He remembered another image, one not made by human hands,
- 3:38Speaker 1: a dream that God had revealed to Daniel. For a heartbeat,
- 3:43Speaker 1: the king's eyes flickered with doubt. Then he buried it deep.
- 3:48Speaker 1: This was not the place for hesitation, not with the
- 3:51Speaker 1: eyes of the Empire upon him. He raised his hands.
- 3:56Speaker 4: Hear the decree of your king. At the sound of
- 3:59Speaker 4: the horn, the flute, the lyre, the harp, the.
- 4:02Speaker 5: Pipe, you are to fall down and worship the image
- 4:06Speaker 5: I have set before you.
- 4:08Speaker 1: A murmur swept the crowd. Somewhere in the sea of voices,
- 4:13Speaker 1: an official cried out in assent, and the cry rippled outward.
- 4:17Speaker 1: until the plane echoed with it. The king smiled, but
- 4:22Speaker 1: the smile was thin, brittle at the edges. The streets
- 4:28Speaker 1: of Babylon were restless after the king's decree. Vendors spoke
- 4:33Speaker 1: in hushed tones as they sold their goods. In the courtyards,
- 4:37Speaker 1: servants carried water jars a little faster than usual, their
- 4:42Speaker 1: eyes fixed on the ground. The word had reached every home,
- 4:46Speaker 1: every market, every temple. Bow to the image, or burn.
- 4:52Speaker 1: In the shaded courtyard of a modest but well-kept house, Hananiah, Mishael,
- 4:58Speaker 1: and Azariah sat together around a low table. The fourth
- 5:02Speaker 1: seat at the table was empty.
- 5:05Speaker 3: If Daniel were here.
- 5:07Speaker 6: If Daniel were here, he'd say exactly what you already know.
- 5:12Speaker 3: Easy for you to say. You're not the one who's
- 5:14Speaker 3: supposed to speak for him when the king asks where
- 5:17Speaker 3: we stand.
- 5:18Speaker 1: Azariah set down the bread.
- 5:20Speaker 2: Daniel's not avoiding this.
- 5:22Speaker 5: He's in Borsippa on the king's business.
- 5:25Speaker 3: The Most High wanted him here for this moment he'd
- 5:28Speaker 3: be here.
- 5:30Speaker 1: Which means the task is ours. Hananiah leaned back, staring
- 5:37Speaker 1: up at the lattice of sunlight and shade above them.
- 5:40Speaker 3: There's a difference between quietly refusing and standing when the
- 5:44Speaker 3: whole empire's watching.
- 5:47Speaker 6: We've refused before. Remember the Festival of Marduk last spring?
- 5:51Speaker 6: We conveniently stayed behind?
- 5:54Speaker 3: Or the King's Feast two years ago.
- 5:56Speaker 4: The one with those consecrated meats.
- 5:58Speaker 5: We walked out before the first toast.
- 6:00Speaker 3: And each time we got away with it. But not
- 6:04Speaker 3: this time, friends. This isn't a social gathering or a
- 6:09Speaker 3: crowded feast. This is our line in the sand. Who
- 6:14Speaker 3: is our king, Yahweh or Nebuchadnezzar?
- 6:18Speaker 1: A faint commotion drifted in from the street, the sound
- 6:22Speaker 1: of a herald's voice echoing against the stone.
- 6:26Speaker 7: It is time to gather at the king's landing. All
- 6:30Speaker 7: courtiers and servants of the palace.
- 6:32Speaker 4: Are summoned at once.
- 6:34Speaker 7: And at the sound of the horn, the flute, the lyre,
- 6:39Speaker 7: the harp, the pipe, and every kind of musical instrument,
- 6:44Speaker 7: all peoples and nations shall bow to the image set
- 6:49Speaker 7: up by the king.
- 6:51Speaker 1: The words faded, replaced by the clatter of sandals on
- 6:55Speaker 1: stone as the herald moved on. The three sat in
- 7:00Speaker 1: silence for a moment. Then, as Arius spoke, his tone
- 7:04Speaker 1: steady but soft.
- 7:06Speaker 2: We've been given favor in this city. Trusted positions. We've
- 7:12Speaker 2: built a life here.
- 7:13Speaker 6: And none of that matters if it costs us our souls.
- 7:16Speaker 1: Hananiah's jaw tightened. He didn't like being the one to lead.
- 7:21Speaker 1: He didn't feel ready. But the seat at the table
- 7:25Speaker 1: was still empty. The plane of Dura was alive with sound.
- 7:33Speaker 1: trumpets blared from towers draped in crimson banners drums rolled
- 7:39Speaker 1: in deep steady beats that matched the pounding of thousands
- 7:43Speaker 1: of feet gathering on the open ground the gold statue
- 7:48Speaker 1: loomed above them all catching the afternoon sun until it
- 7:52Speaker 1: seemed to burn with its own fire from the platform
- 7:56Speaker 1: at the base Nebuchadnezzar surveyed the crowd of governors, satraps,
- 8:02Speaker 1: military commanders, priests and artisans. He spread his hands. The
- 8:08Speaker 1: royal herald stepped forward, his voice magnified by the amphitheatre
- 8:13Speaker 1: of the surrounding hills.
- 8:15Speaker 7: Peoples, nations and languages, this is what you are commanded
- 8:23Speaker 7: to do.
- 8:24Speaker 3: At the sound of the horn, the flute, the lyre,
- 8:28Speaker 3: the harp, the pipe.
- 8:31Speaker 7: And every kind of music, you are to fall down
- 8:37Speaker 7: and worship the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up.
- 8:45Speaker 7: Whoever does not fall down and worship... will immediately be
- 8:51Speaker 7: thrown into the furnace of blazing.
- 8:56Speaker 1: A ripple of anticipation swept through the crowd. Nebuchadnezzar's gaze
- 9:02Speaker 1: drifted upward to the statue's gleaming face. The music exploded,
- 9:08Speaker 1: horns braying, strings thrumming, drums pounding like a heartbeat gone mad.
- 9:15Speaker 1: Across the plain, a wave of movement swept outward. Tens
- 9:20Speaker 1: of thousands dropped to their knees, foreheads lowering to the dust.
- 9:25Speaker 1: Gold bangles clinked against stone. The sound was like wind
- 9:30Speaker 1: rushing through a forest. Except, In one small clearing amid
- 9:36Speaker 1: the bowing masses, three figures remained upright. Hananiah, Mishael and
- 9:42Speaker 1: Azariah stood shoulder to shoulder, their faces set, their eyes
- 9:47Speaker 1: fixed on something far beyond the statue. The wind caught
- 9:52Speaker 1: the edges of their robes, but their bodies did not move.
- 9:56Speaker 1: From the platform, the king's eyes narrowed. He could not
- 10:01Speaker 1: yet see their faces, only the break in the pattern,
- 10:05Speaker 1: a flaw in the design. He leaned toward the captain
- 10:09Speaker 1: of his guard.
- 10:10Speaker 6: Hebrews, find out who they are.
- 10:15Speaker 1: The three Judeans were led up the black stone steps
- 10:19Speaker 1: to the platform. The crowd below had thinned, but those
- 10:23Speaker 1: who lingered watched intently. Nebuchadnezzar stood waiting, framed by the
- 10:29Speaker 1: towering golden statue behind him. The furnace's smoke rose beyond it,
- 10:35Speaker 1: a black column twisting into the pale sky. The soldiers halted,
- 10:41Speaker 1: leaving Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah to stand before the throne's
- 10:46Speaker 1: low dais. For a long moment, the king said nothing.
- 10:51Speaker 1: He studied them, their posture, their calm faces, the way
- 10:56Speaker 1: they looked at him without fear, yet without insolence. It
- 11:00Speaker 1: was the same unyielding composure he had seen once before
- 11:05Speaker 1: in another Judean, Daniel. When he finally spoke, His voice
- 11:11Speaker 1: was measured, but carried the edge of steel.
- 11:14Speaker 4: Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, that you do not
- 11:21Speaker 4: serve me, my gods, or worship the golden image I've
- 11:25Speaker 4: set up?
- 11:26Speaker 1: Hananiah glanced briefly at the others before speaking.
- 11:30Speaker 3: It is true, great king.
- 11:32Speaker 1: The king's eyes narrowed.
- 11:34Speaker 4: I will give you another chance. When you hear the
- 11:40Speaker 4: sound of the music, you shall bow. If you do,
- 11:47Speaker 4: I shall spare you for the sake of your friend, Belteshazzar.
- 11:52Speaker 4: But if you do not, you will be immediately thrown
- 11:57Speaker 4: into the furnace of blazing fire.
- 11:59Speaker 1: Hananiah felt the weight of the moment pressing on him.
- 12:03Speaker 1: He was not Daniel. He had never wanted to be
- 12:06Speaker 1: the one speaking for them. But no one else was
- 12:09Speaker 1: going to. He lifted his chin.
- 12:12Speaker 3: Great Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in
- 12:16Speaker 3: this matter. We bow to the one true God of Israel.
- 12:23Speaker 4: Look around you. I built these towers. I gathered these armies.
- 12:30Speaker 4: I have the furnace to burn you all to a crisp.
- 12:36Speaker 4: There is no God here.
- 12:39Speaker 3: You have the furnace, but our god owns the flame.
- 12:43Speaker 3: Do what you will, great king. If we are thrown
- 12:46Speaker 3: into the blazing furnace, the god we serve is able
- 12:50Speaker 3: to deliver us from it. And he will deliver us
- 12:53Speaker 3: from your hand.
- 12:54Speaker 1: Mishael's voice joined his, steady as stone.
- 12:58Speaker 6: But even if he does not, and this is truly
- 13:01Speaker 6: the end for us, we still will not bow. Not now,
- 13:06Speaker 6: not ever.
- 13:07Speaker 1: The king's jaw clenched. Beneath the heat of his anger
- 13:12Speaker 1: was something else, a sting he could not ignore. Their
- 13:16Speaker 1: words were not defiance alone. They were a reminder that
- 13:21Speaker 1: there was a power greater than his.
- 13:23Speaker 4: Then you shall meet your god in the flames.
- 13:27Speaker 6: We shall.
- 13:30Speaker 1: The roar of the furnace was deafening now, a constant
- 13:35Speaker 1: ravenous bellow. Heat rolled across the plain in suffocating waves,
- 13:41Speaker 1: carrying the acrid tang of burning pitch. The crowd had
- 13:46Speaker 1: gathered in a wide arc at a safe distance, though
- 13:49Speaker 1: even here the air shimmered and stole the oxygen. On
- 13:53Speaker 1: the platform, the king stood rigid, eyes fixed on the
- 13:58Speaker 1: growing flames.
- 14:00Speaker 6: Mind them.
- 14:01Speaker 1: The soldiers moved in. Coarse ropes bit into wrists and ankles.
- 14:07Speaker 1: The three Judeans didn't resist, though Hananiah's chest rose and
- 14:12Speaker 1: fell more quickly now. Mishael glanced at him, speaking just
- 14:17Speaker 1: loud enough to be heard over the furnace.
- 14:19Speaker 6: Look at me.
- 14:20Speaker 1: Hananiah did.
- 14:21Speaker 6: You're not standing alone.
- 14:23Speaker 3: And even if the fire takes us, it won't be
- 14:27Speaker 3: the end.
- 14:28Speaker 6: Rock, Shazak, Amatz.
- 14:31Speaker 3: Be strong and courageous.
- 14:35Speaker 1: The captain barked an order. Six of the strongest guards
- 14:39Speaker 1: stepped forward and seized the Judeans. The heat was immediate, searing.
- 14:46Speaker 1: One soldier gagged on the smoke. Another squinted against the
- 14:50Speaker 1: brightness of the fire, teeth bared in a grimace. The
- 14:54Speaker 1: king stepped to the edge of the platform, watching intently.
- 14:58Speaker 1: His anger burned hot, but so did something else.
- 15:03Speaker 4: If your god is real, then... This is his last chance.
- 15:07Speaker 6: To prove it.
- 15:08Speaker 1: The guards reached the furnace opening. The heat slammed into
- 15:13Speaker 1: them like a wall. One cried out, collapsing, skin blistering
- 15:17Speaker 1: in seconds. Another dropped to his knees, choking. In the chaos,
- 15:23Speaker 1: the three Judeans were shoved forward and fell into the blaze.
- 15:28Speaker 1: The flames swallowed them whole. The surviving guards stumbled back
- 15:34Speaker 1: from the opening, faces blistered, gasping for air. The crowd's
- 15:39Speaker 1: murmur was.
- 15:40Speaker 4: Low, tense. Where is your god now, Hebrews?
- 15:46Speaker 1: The flame surged like a living beast, angry and hungry
- 15:51Speaker 1: for more. Nebuchadnezzar roared at them in the flame.
- 15:55Speaker 4: Where is your god?
- 15:57Speaker 1: Then, a voice rose from somewhere in the front ranks.
- 16:01Speaker 6: My lord, look!
- 16:02Speaker 1: Nebuchadnezzar's eyes snapped toward the furnace. Inside, where clothes should
- 16:08Speaker 1: have blackened to ash, where flesh should have been consumed
- 16:11Speaker 1: in moments, the three men were walking.
- 16:16Speaker 3: Walking.
- 16:17Speaker 1: And then, there was a fourth figure in the flame.
- 16:22Speaker 1: Nebuchadnezzar's breath caught in his throat. The figure's form was
- 16:27Speaker 1: like a man's, but brighter than fire. He was robed
- 16:31Speaker 1: in light itself, and every step scattered embers into gold.
- 16:37Speaker 1: The flames curled around him as if they were no
- 16:39Speaker 1: more than water around his ankles.
- 16:42Speaker 2: There appears to be a fourth man in the fire.
- 16:45Speaker 2: He looks like.
- 16:46Speaker 3: like... Like a son of the gods?
- 16:50Speaker 1: The king stepped down from the platform, drawn toward the
- 16:53Speaker 1: furnace's opening as though by an unseen hand.
- 16:58Speaker 4: Prepare the iron bars and water to quiet the flames.
- 17:01Speaker 1: Nebuchadnezzar stepped forward, the heat pushing back at him with
- 17:06Speaker 1: violent force. Still, the king needed to get closer. He
- 17:11Speaker 1: needed to see. And, deep down, he needed to test
- 17:17Speaker 1: his own power against whatever force kept these men alive
- 17:21Speaker 1: in flames.
- 17:23Speaker 5: Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, are you alive?
- 17:28Speaker 1: The furnace flared again, and the king was sent sprawling
- 17:32Speaker 1: onto the ground. He looked up, and the radiance of
- 17:36Speaker 1: the fourth man in the fire surged like a falling star.
- 17:41Speaker 1: It was brighter than the flame and more radiant than
- 17:44Speaker 1: the sun. Who... who are you? The fourth man's eyes
- 17:50Speaker 1: lit with a heavenly glow, and from his mouth a
- 17:54Speaker 1: sword appeared. The flames burned too fiercely for any mortal
- 18:02Speaker 1: man to see. It burned for a moment, then left.
- 18:07Speaker 1: The king looked back into the furnace. The fourth man
- 18:12Speaker 1: was gone.
- 18:13Speaker 4: Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, servants of the Most High.
- 18:17Speaker 6: God, come out!
- 18:19Speaker 1: The three figures emerged from the furnace mouth, stepping onto
- 18:24Speaker 1: the packed earth. Their ropes were gone. their garments unburned,
- 18:30Speaker 1: their hair untouched. The only smell was the faint scent
- 18:35Speaker 1: of the smoke they'd passed through, clinging not to them,
- 18:39Speaker 1: but to the air they carried with them. The crowd
- 18:42Speaker 1: surged forward, the officials and governors pressing close to see
- 18:46Speaker 1: for themselves. The king looked at them, and for the
- 18:50Speaker 1: first time in years, his voice faltered.
- 18:53Speaker 4: Blessed be the God who delivered his servants!' who trusted
- 18:58Speaker 4: in him.
- 18:59Speaker 1: But even as he spoke, he felt the war in
- 19:02Speaker 1: his own heart was far from over. The furnace still
- 19:08Speaker 1: roared behind them, but now it was only background, a
- 19:12Speaker 1: hollow threat robbed of its power. All eyes were on
- 19:17Speaker 1: the three Judeans standing in the open air, untouched by flame.
- 19:23Speaker 1: Nebuchadnezzar descended from the platform, the heat of the black
- 19:27Speaker 1: stone fading under his sandals as he crossed the packed earth.
- 19:32Speaker 1: He stopped only a few paces from them, searching their
- 19:35Speaker 1: faces as if to find some hint of trickery, but
- 19:39Speaker 1: there was none. He turned, his voice booming across the plain.
- 19:45Speaker 5: Blessed be the god of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who
- 19:48Speaker 5: sent his angels! and delivered his servants who trusted in him.
- 19:53Speaker 5: They set aside the king's command and yielded up their
- 19:57Speaker 5: bodies rather than serve or worship any god except their
- 20:00Speaker 5: own god.
- 20:01Speaker 1: The crowd murmured in amazement, their awe spreading like fire
- 20:06Speaker 1: through dry grass. The king raised a hand for silence.
- 20:10Speaker 4: Therefore, I make a decree.
- 20:14Speaker 5: Any people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the
- 20:18Speaker 5: god of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb
- 20:23Speaker 5: from limb and their houses laid in ruins. For there
- 20:27Speaker 5: is no other god who is able to rescue.
- 20:30Speaker 6: In this way.
- 20:31Speaker 1: A cheer rose, rolling over the plain. Soldiers struck their
- 20:37Speaker 1: spears against their shields in a steady rhythm, a sound
- 20:41Speaker 1: like thunder. Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah exchanged brief glances.
- 20:48Speaker 3: Lim from Lim? He's got a lot to learn about
- 20:52Speaker 3: our god.
- 20:53Speaker 6: We're still in Babylon. I wouldn't expect things to change
- 20:57Speaker 6: so quickly.
- 20:58Speaker 1: The king returned to the platforms. Servants called for the
- 21:02Speaker 1: musicians to play again, but he waved them off. Later
- 21:07Speaker 1: that night, long after the officials had dispersed and the
- 21:11Speaker 1: crowd had gone home, Nebuchadnezzar remained. He stood at the
- 21:16Speaker 1: base of the golden statue, its polished surface gleaming in
- 21:21Speaker 1: the torchlight. He looked up at its unblinking face. The
- 21:25Speaker 1: wind carried the distant hiss of the furnace as it cooled.
- 21:30Speaker 1: The words of his own decree echoed in his mind.
- 21:34Speaker 1: No other god is able to rescue in this way.
- 21:39Speaker 1: And behind them, the image of the fourth man in
- 21:42Speaker 1: the fire, brighter than the flames. For a moment, the
- 21:47Speaker 1: king felt the weight of his own words pressing back
- 21:50Speaker 1: on him. But he set his jaw, turning away. The
- 21:54Speaker 1: statue loomed behind him as he walked into the dark.
- 21:59Speaker 1: Still unbroken. For now. This Pray.com production is only made
- 22:07Speaker 1: possible by our dedicated team of creative talents. Steve Katina,
- 22:12Speaker 1: Max Bard, Zach Schellewager, and Ben Gammon are the executive
- 22:16Speaker 1: producers of The Chosen People, narrated by Paul Coltofianu. Characters
- 22:21Speaker 1: are voiced by Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvato, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan,
- 22:26Speaker 1: Stephen Ringwald, Sylvia Zaradok, Thomas Copeland Jr., Rosanna Pilcher, and
- 22:32Speaker 1: Mitch Lashinsky. Music by Andrew Morgan Smith. Written by Aaron Salvato,
- 22:37Speaker 1: Brie Rosely, and Chris Baig. You can hear more Prey.com
- 22:41Speaker 1: productions on the Prey.com app, available on the Apple App
- 22:45Speaker 1: Store and Google Play Store. If you enjoyed The Chosen People,
- 22:49Speaker 1: please rate and leave a review.