A Model Of The Rapture In Daniel 3

Q

In your article titled Rapture References, you have a sub-title, “Where Was Daniel?” It appears that Daniel was mysteriously missing from Chapter 3. Chapter 2 states that Daniel was set up as ruler over Babylon. Chapter 3, the famous fiery furnace chapter, states the statue to be worshiped was set up in Dura. Could it be that Daniel was just not “there” at that time? That the king went on a trip to Dura and Daniel stayed in Babylon. I would love for this to be a model of the rapture of the church, but I just don’t see it. Thank you for any clarification you can give.

A

I think you missed the point. I agree that Daniel was most likely somewhere else on the King’s business. But the point is that even though Daniel 3 is the account of real events it also serves as a model of the end times. Nebuchadnezzar serves a a model of the anti-Christ, erecting a statue of Himself and demanding that everyone worship it on pain of death (Rev. 13:14-15). The fiery furnace represents the end times judgments (Malachi 3:2).

Daniel’s three friends represent the remnant of Israel who refuse to worship anyone but God and are supernaturally preserved through the end times judgments by one who “looks like the son of God” (Daniel 3:25).

Daniel is missing and no explanation is given in the text for his absence. He represents the Church who will have been raptured beforehand and are missing from Earth without explanation. The events of Daniel 3 are portrayed in such a way as to present a model of the pre-trib rapture of the Church