What happened in Daniel 3:24-end

Daniel 3:24-25
(24)  Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, [and] spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.
(25)  He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.


He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.

Now I've heard a preacher say this is the first appearance of Jesus on the earth. In fact, we have a common eulogy that describes God as the "fourth in the furnace". That is because of the way he was described: "and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God". But it's not Jesus. Jesus has never showed up on the earth as a man until John 1:14.

What Nebuchadnezzar was actually seeing was a vision! A vision! And the meaning of the vision is simply that God is with these men! Simple!

God opened his eyes to see a vision, and it wasn't Jesus in the furnace, but an ANGEL. The word "son of god" is "bar elahin" which is sometimes translated "angel" (see Good News Bible). And in case, you don't agree with that, see verse 28.

[Then] Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed [be] the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his ANGEL… (Daniel 3:28)

So Nebuchadnezzar confessed what he saw was an angel of God.

In fact, it appeared like only the king saw it, because he said, "Lo, I SEE", not "we see", or "can't you see?" Lo, I see four men… and he was the only one who described the how that fourth man look like. Now, you don't describe a picture to a person if the picture is right before the eyes of both of you and the other person isn't blind. It's only when people around me are not seeing what I'm seeing will I ever need to start to describe.

Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.

It can also be seen this vision just like every other vision was very brief: it had disappeared when he called out for the three men.

Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, [and] spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,… no mention of the fourth man anymore, just the three men were called. Evidently, the vision has disappeared.

Well if you ask me, can a person who is not saved have a vision? I'll refer you to Cornelius (Acts 10:3), to Paul on his way to Tarsus (Acts 9:3-6)

…Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire… no fourth man anymore.

And in verse 29, God was to be honoured in every nation, on the earth.

Blessed be the name of the Lord for the written word.