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Today’s Audio Devotion:
Lessons From May Flowers: Myrtle

Myrtle is a flowering tree common to the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern regions. The variety known as “common myrtle” is possibly the one mentioned a half-dozen times in the Old Testament. Its infrequent mention can be contrasted with the significance of its message in the contexts where it appears.

When the prophet Isaiah first began to speak against the sins of Israel, he said that God would turn the bountiful land into a land of briers and thorns (Isaiah 5:6; 32:13)—an obvious image of judgment. But then, as Isaiah’s message shifted to one of restoration after the Babylonian captivity, he said that the briars and thorns would be replaced by the cypress tree and the myrtle tree (Isaiah 55:13). So the myrtle became an image of peace and prosperity as God restored the land.

Let the myrtle tree remind you that God’s peace and blessing are always on the other side of restoration from sin.

Every breach of peace with God is not a breach of covenant with God.
Thomas Brooks

Some 2,600 years ago, God gave King Nebuchadnezzar a dream. In this dream, the king saw a five–part statue made of five different metals (see Daniel 2). Each section represented an empire, beginning with Nebuchadnezzar's Babylon. Four of these empires have already risen and fallen in history—a clear fulfillment of Daniel's prophetic interpretation. The fifth and final empire indicates a future Europe—a ten nation coalition that will unite under the Antichrist's rule.

You can read about the King's dream and Daniel's interpretation in Daniel 2, but let's take a quick visual look at what you will find:

The Colossus
  1. King Nebuchadnezzar's Babylon

    Daniel's words to the king are clear. "You are this head of gold" (Daniel 2:37–38).

  2. Medo–Persian Empire

    The Medo–Persian Empire conquered Babylon in 539 BC and remained in power for approximately two hundred years (Daniel 5:28).

  3. Grecian Empire

    Greece's Empire succeeded the Medo–Persians (Daniel 8:21).

  4. Roman Empire

    When the Grecian empire was conquered by Rome, all the lands and peoples of the previous kingdoms were assimilated into the Roman Empire through the strengths of the "iron legions of Rome" (Daniel 2:40).

  5. Future European Coalition

    This empire has not yet risen. Daniel foretells a time when the Roman Empire—Europe—will consist of ten kingdoms or leaders. The future Roman Empire will be present on the earth when God sets up His earthly kingdom (Daniel 2:44).

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1:37 / 3:48