Daniel 3:30

"Then the king promoted," etc. For as they honoured God by giving themselves up to death, so, too, they were themselves honoured not only by God, but also by the king. And they taught strange and foreign nations also to worship God.

And so in this way Nebuchadnezzar said, "'Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who sent his angel and rescued his boys because they obeyed him and they opposed the word of the king and handed their bodies over to the furnace, that they might not serve any God except their God. And I have set out a decree: 'All people, tribes, and tongues who shall ever speak blasphemy against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be destroyed and their houses shall be plundered, because there is no other God who is able to rescue in this way.' And he prospered Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the country of Babylon and strengthened them and promoted them to lead all the Jews who were in his kingdom." [Daniel 3:28-30] And so it is necessary to observe, beloved, how faith towards God pours out such great grace. For even as they handed themselves over to death, they glorified God himself, in this way again they also were not only glorified by God but also by the king and they taught the tribes and the barbarian nations to revere God. For this truly happens to befall us even now, for when one of the saints is called to martyrdom and magnificent things are done by God for him, immediately all who see wonder, and many believe through the signs and in this way they also become martyrs of God. To whom we also have believed, so let us also inspire ourselves to be worthy before God, being chaste in body, soul, and spirit, so that we ourselves may receive the incorruptible crown together with the blessed martyrs, and may hymn with them to God. For his glory is forever and ever. Amen.

"In spite of myself, then, I revere the God of the Hebrews, And I command all the people in my land to join in praising him. 'Come, then, holy children, come forth from the furnace, For I am convinced that your God is in truth …

Verse 30. "Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to honor in the province of Babylon." Those commentators who say that the three youths were previously not judges set over the provinces but mere overseers of individual government agencies in Babylon, would have it that they were now appointed as judges over the provinces.

We have no certainty concerning the date of this story, only that if this image, which Nebuchadnezzar dedicated, had any relation to that which he dreamed of, it is probable that it happened not long after that; some reckon it to be about the seventh year of Nebuchadnezzar, a year before Jehoiachin's captivity, in which Ezekiel was carried away.