But there came a time, in the multiplying of the objects illustrative of God's attributes, when they, by their very numbers, minimized divine dignity. Their constant, visible, tangible presence to the senses began not simply passively to represent God, but actively to personify Him, and Jehovah was subdivided. He was still the great God; but these others were given not only a name, but a personality which shadowed Him and dishonored Him, by admitting them to fellowship with Him, and regarding Him as no longer alone the great I Am. Though supreme, His supremacy was not exclusive; it was comparative. He was over others, who also were gods, with whom He shared His power, and to whom was to be given somewhat of His worship. He was not indeed denied, but He was dishonored. He became only one of the many gods along with Baal and Ashtaroth. But the worship of Him was not abandoned. He was worshipped along with these others, as One among many. And finally polytheism had become the belief of the world, except of the many scattered small communities which, with their priests of the Most High God, like Melchisedek and Job, held the true light from extinction. "Jehovah" became a name for the Deity of a nation; each nation, while reverencing its own god, not denying power to that of another nation. Man's little thought was trying to localize the Deity in its own small tribal limits. Philistia worshipped its Dagon, but it feared and made trespass offerings to Jehovah of the Ark of Israel's Covenant.[18] Nebuchadnezzar, startled by a vision of a Son of God in the flame of his fiery furnace, in an hour of repentance could decree that the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego should not be spoken against.[19] This was the second step in religion's retrograde movement. The personified natural objects were actually worshipped. No longer considered simply as _representatives_ of God, they were actually given a part of God's place, and were worshipped as God. The prayer was not, "Jehovah, hear us, for the sake of Baal, through whom we plead!" nor "O Baal, present our petition to Jehovah!" but, flatly and directly, "O Baal, hear us!"