My Thoughts on the Daniel 3:25 Translation

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I remembered the time I got into the KJV Only movement for many reasons. I felt that the missing verses (such as Acts 8:37) were really there. One of the big translation differences was that Daniel 3:25 in the KJV says "the fourth is like the Son of God". Meanwhile, modern translations say, "The fourth is like a son of the gods." This is one of the big reasons why I tend to lean to the KJV more often than not even when Charles H. Spurgeon was not KJV Only. 

J. Vernon McGee's commentary also says the following regarding the matter:
Another amazing fact was to see a fourth Man whom Nebuchadnezzar described as being in the form "like the Son of God". This should be translated "like a son of gods". Nebuchadnezzar had no knowledge of the living and true God at this time, although Daniel had spoken of Him. Having no spiritual perception, Nebuchadnezzar could only testify to His unusual appearance - He looked like one of the sons of the gods. However, I do beleive that the fourth man was the Son of God, the preincarnate Christ. 

I think the translation "son of the gods" would make more sense than the "Son of God" for that matter. Remember, Nebuchadnezzar was a heathen king who simply acknowledged the power of this unknown God than a worshiper. The Hebrew word in the Strong's Concordance renders the word god as elahh which means god or heathen deity or a generic term for god. In short, Nebuchadnezzar would've mistaken the Son of God to be a son of the gods. 

The same problem would later occur in the New Testament. Many were worshiping God in ignorance as the Unknown God (Acts 17:23). Paul rebuked the pagans saying that they were worshiping God like He was some pagan idol. 

Acts 17:23-25 

3 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, To The Unknown God. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, Him declare I unto you. 24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; 25 Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though He needed any thing, seeing He giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;

Pagans may have this limited capacity to recognize deity. Sadly, many today are treating Jesus the Son of God as a son of the gods instead. They don't see Jesus as the Son of God. It's no surprise that many pagan religions today even have an image of Jesus in their temples. I wasn't surprised to see a Buddhist temple celebrate Christmas with a blasphemous image of Jesus getting a birthday cake from the other gods. I wasn't surprised to see a Taoist or I-Kuan Tao altar have Roman Catholic relics. Some might even believe that Jesus is the Maitreya which will make them easier to lead to Antichrist after the Rapture. Many of them are worshiping another Jesus. It's because the real Jesus said in John 14:6 that no man comes unto the Father except through Him. 

See also: