Dr. David Jeremiah Presents
Living inthe Ageof Signs
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Living in the Age of Signs
Online Destination
Sign 2
The House of Mourning
Today’s Audio Devotion:
The House of Mourning
Randy Alcorn is well-known for his writing on heaven and eternity. However, after his wife died of cancer, the knowledge that she is in heaven waiting for him hasn’t minimized the fact that he misses her deeply. Of this time of grief, he says, “The Lord has—through the process of grief—restored me to a place of being able to…write again, to be able to do things again.”1
The lessons “in the house of mourning” are always the deepest. When Jesus faced death, He said, “Nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done” (Luke 22:42). Everyone who has suffered, especially in the “house of mourning,” knows that lessons are learned in that “house” that cannot be learned elsewhere—especially not in a party house. It is only in difficult days that the reality of Romans 8:28 hits home—that God is able to cause all things to work together for good.
Embrace the hard times God allows you to experience. Embrace them as wise teachers that will take you deeper into God’s sufficiency.
Death is the foreshadowing of life. We die that we may die no more.
Thomas Hooker
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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:
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King Nebuchadnezzar's Babylon
Daniel's words to the king are clear. "You are this head of gold" (Daniel 2:37–38).
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Medo–Persian Empire
The Medo–Persian Empire conquered Babylon in 539 BC and remained in power for approximately two hundred years (Daniel 5:28).
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Grecian Empire
Greece's Empire succeeded the Medo–Persians (Daniel 8:21).
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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).
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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).