Topical Bible: Fire: Furnaces of

◄ Fire: Furnaces of ►

Jump to: Nave's • Hebrew • Library • Subtopics • Terms

Topical Encyclopedia

In biblical times, furnaces were significant both in practical and symbolic contexts. They were used for various purposes, including smelting metals, baking bricks, and as instruments of execution. The imagery of furnaces often appears in Scripture to convey themes of judgment, purification, and divine intervention.

1. Practical Uses of Furnaces

Furnaces in ancient times were primarily used for industrial purposes. In the process of smelting, furnaces were essential for extracting metals from their ores. This is alluded to in passages such as Ezekiel 22:20-22, where God speaks of gathering Israel into the furnace to melt them as silver is melted. The imagery here reflects the refining process, where impurities are removed to produce pure metal.

Another practical use of furnaces was in the production of bricks. In Genesis 11:3, during the construction of the Tower of Babel, the people said, "Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly." This indicates the use of kilns or furnaces to harden the bricks, a common practice in ancient Mesopotamia.

2. Furnaces as Instruments of Execution

One of the most notable biblical accounts involving a furnace is found in the Book of Daniel. King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon used a fiery furnace as a means of execution. In Daniel 3:19-23, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown into a blazing furnace for refusing to worship the golden image set up by the king. The furnace was heated seven times hotter than usual, yet the three men emerged unharmed, protected by divine intervention. This event demonstrated God's power to deliver His faithful servants from peril.

3. Symbolic and Prophetic Uses

Furnaces also serve as powerful symbols in biblical prophecy and teaching. They often represent God's judgment and purification. In Malachi 4:1, the day of the Lord is described as a coming day that "will burn like a furnace," where the arrogant and evildoers will be set ablaze. This imagery underscores the severity and thoroughness of divine judgment.

Similarly, in the New Testament, Jesus uses the imagery of a furnace to describe the final judgment. In Matthew 13:42, He speaks of the wicked being thrown into a "fiery furnace," where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. This metaphor highlights the eternal consequences of rejecting God's kingdom.

4. Theological Implications

The use of furnaces in Scripture often points to deeper theological truths. The refining process, as seen in the smelting of metals, is frequently used to illustrate God's work in purifying His people. In passages like Zechariah 13:9, God declares, "I will bring that third through the fire; I will refine them as silver is refined and test them as gold is tested." This reflects the process of sanctification, where believers are purified through trials and tribulations.

Moreover, the deliverance of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from the fiery furnace serves as a testament to God's faithfulness and sovereignty. It reassures believers of His presence and protection in times of trial, emphasizing that God is able to save and deliver those who trust in Him.

In summary, the concept of furnaces in the Bible encompasses both literal and metaphorical uses, serving as tools for industrial purposes, instruments of judgment, and symbols of divine purification and deliverance. Through these varied applications, the biblical narrative reveals profound insights into God's character and His dealings with humanity.

Nave's Topical Index

Daniel 3:6
And whoever falls not down and worships shall the same hour be cast into the middle of a burning fiery furnace.
Nave's Topical Index

Strong's Hebrew

8574. tannur -- (portable) stove, firepot
... as tenuk Definition (portable) stove, firepot NASB Word Usage furnace (2), Furnaces
(2), oven (10), ovens (1). furnace, oven. From niyr; a fire-pot -- furnace ...
/hebrew/8574.htm - 6k

Library

Fire on Earth
... the best gifts'; and take care that you do not put the fire out"'quench not ... There
were the furnaces, large enough to drive an engine of five or six thousand ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture e/fire on earth.htm

Conflagration
... of Zeuxippus. The consequence was that they too were speedily raging like
huge furnaces of inextinguishable fire. The flames shot ...
/.../chapter lii conflagration.htm

The Emperor Purposed, on Account of the Heresy of Aetius and the ...
... large city, there were fires in the brasiers and extinguishers of every house, and
in the ovens of the baths, and in the furnaces of all who use fire in the ...
/.../the ecclesiastical history of sozomenus/chapter xvi the emperor purposed on.htm

The Lord's Furnace
... comes it that so many Christian Churches are ice- houses instead of furnaces? How
comes it that they who profess to live in the Zion where this fire flames are ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture h/the lords furnace.htm

'Let Him Alone'
... and the degraded and 'dangerous' classes, which mark the despair of our modern
reformers and civilisers and elevators, for no fire in their furnaces can melt ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture a/let him alone.htm

On the Incarnation of Christ.
... because it is more consistent with truth, do we not rather say, what we often see
happening in furnaces, that it has become wholly fire, seeing nothing but ...
/.../origen/origen de principiis/chapter vi on the incarnation of.htm

Cast Your Eye Round the Room in which You Sit...
... he will even boldly offer to be warmed by hot water pipes instead of a fire. ... It must
have melted in the frightful furnaces of ambition and eager technicality. ...
/.../chesterton/whats wrong with the world/chapter 17 cast your eye.htm

The Incense of Prayer
... the things that make our hearts cold; we have to stir the fire, and only ... altar; though
perhaps but smouldering, like the banked-up fires in the furnaces of a ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture j/the incense of prayer.htm

On the Glory of Martyrdom.
... form by the roaring flames (for this also is generally the care of the workmen),
whenever from the panting furnaces is vomited forth the glowing fire, the rich ...
/.../on the glory of martyrdom.htm

2 Timothy i. 13-18
... of fire is rolling before His face. The books of our deeds are opened. The day itself
is burning as an oven, the angels are flying around, and many furnaces ...
/.../homily iii 2 timothy i.htm