Annual feast of Saint Gabriel
Amid the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar, the Israelites were taken captive by the Babylonians. At that time, there were three children of God named Azariah, Hananiah and Mishael who were hold captive as the King then was capturing young boys holding them hostage in his castle for they would learn and be trained. The King chose handsome and royalists, to teach them art, governance and the language of the Babylonians nurturing them. But, as the King’s servant served them meat and wine the three children refused him. Rather, they asked only few cereals and water. The attendant warned the children about the King’s punishment if he is to see them thinner. By then, they asked him to give them ten days time to prove him wrong. After the days were over, the servant witnessed their grace even brighter than those who ate meat and drink wine. Their intelligence was praised by the king as well.
Onwards, King Nebuchadnezzar saw a disturbing dream but his spirit was troubled that he forgot it. So the king summoned renowned magicians and sorcerers of the country and began to force them to tell him his dream with its explanation; and when they could not do so, he decided to destroy them. The men were killed, just as the king had commanded. At that time, Prophet Daniel and the three children were being hunted. When the Prophet heard this, he went to the king and asked for a time for he would know and understand the meaning of the dream. Then, he summoned the three children to his companions where together, they asked their God to explain the meaning of the dream. (Daniel 2:1-17)
Then, Prophet Daniel went to King Nebuchadnezzar and told him the dream, “You, O king, were watching; and behold, a great image! This great image, whose splendor was excellent, stood before you; and its form was awesome. This image’s head was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. You watched while a stone was cut out without hands, which struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed together, and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; the wind carried them away so that no trace of them was found. And the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.” (Daniel 2: 31-35)
Prophet Daniel interpreted the meaning of each dream saying, “This is the dream. Now we will tell the interpretation of it before the king. You, O king, are a king of kings. For the God of heaven has given you a kingdom, power, strength, and glory; and wherever the children of men dwell, or the beasts of the field and the birds of the heaven, He has given them into your hand, and has made you ruler over them all you are this head of gold. But after you shall arise another kingdom inferior to yours; then another, a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth. And the fourth kingdom shall be as strong as iron, inasmuch as iron breaks in pieces and shatters everything; and like iron that crushes, that kingdom will break in pieces and crush all the others. Whereas you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; yet the strength of the iron shall be in it, just as you saw the iron mixed with ceramic clay. And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile. As you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will mingle with the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay. And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. Inasmuch as you saw that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold the great God has made known to the king what will come to pass after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation is sure.” (Daniel 2:36-45)
Upon hearing this and appreciating their wisdom, King Nebuchadnezzar honored Daniel and appointed the three children to three districts. The Babylonians got jealous that they urged the king to make an image of himself as just as the dream to signify his enemies. The king believed them, and he made an image of gold, sixty cubits high and six cubits wide. And he set it up on the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. And he sent for the Princes, the elders, the governors, the counselors and the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. (Daniel 3:1-2)
Then a herald cried aloud: “To you it is commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, that at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, you shall fall down and worship the gold image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up; and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.” (Daniel 3:4-6)
But when the people heard that the three children had disobeyed King Nebuchadnezzar, they went to him and accused them. “They spoke and said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, live forever! You, O king, have made a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship the gold image; and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. There are certain Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Azariah, Hananiah, and Mishael; these men, O king, have not paid due regard to you. They do not serve your gods or worship the gold image which you have set up.” (Daniel 3:9-12)
The king summoned them in fury and upon their arrival, he asked why they had not worshiped his God and why they had not bowed down to the image he had set up. He reminded them about the sound of the trumpet, the harp, the psaltery, the cormorant and all the instruments as the announcement for bowing and worships it; and if they do not, they would be thrown into a fiery furnace. The three children spoke up saying, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.” (Daniel 3:16-18)
King Nebuchadnezzar became very angry hearing this. He set the furnace on fire seven times hotter than usual. The flames were so hot, killing those servants. But, the three children walked in the midst of the fire without fear, praising God. They also prayed that he would take them out of the fire. At that moment, God’s angel Saint Gabriel went down to the furnace and struck it. He made the flame as a whirlwind and Ananias, Azariah and Mishael were saved from the fire. So, they praised God in middle of the fire. (Daniel 3:19-23)
When King Nebuchadnezzar saw their survival and hearing their praise, he was amazed. He asked his counselors how they had been released after being detained and thrown into the fire. He then said, “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. Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Ananias, and Azariah, and Mishael, you servants of the highest God, come forth, and come hither. Then Ananias, and Azariah, and Mishael, came forth of the midst of the fire. And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king’s counselors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.” (Daniel 3:25-27)
The king bowed before God; even commanded his people not to worship any other gods or idols except HIM. He even said that those who insult HIS name would be punished for blasphemy; he then, subdued all the Jews for three children. (Daniel 3:28-30)
The day of which Saint Gabriel saved the three children from burning, will be celebrated December 28 in all Orthodox Incarnation Church.
As we seek God’s mercy, Let us plead the angel, who rescued Ananias, Azariah, and Mishael from the fire to deliver us from our present troubles and sufferings, as well as our intercessor, to save us from eternal fire. Let us give alms in his name and do more good deeds. As for those who are far from religion and who worships witches, let us repent and turn to the true Lord, plead him that he may have mercy upon us; Amen.