Dr. David Jeremiah Presents
Living inthe Ageof Signs
Online Destination
Living in the Age of Signs
Online Destination
Sign 2
Heavenly Anticipation
Today’s Audio Devotion:
Heavenly Anticipation
Artist Norman Rockwell created a painting called School’s Out for the 1959 Brown & Bigelow calendar. It showed children running and frolicking with joy as they left school for the summer. This was a popular theme for Rockwell as he released several paintings on this theme. It makes us wonder if he wasn’t reliving his own childhood days when the school year ended and summer fun began.
We should anticipate heaven the way children look forward to summer vacation. When God created us, He placed in our hearts a longing for Him and for eternity. He gave us a hunger for heaven. The reason we love breathtaking glimpses of heaven now is because they somehow remind us of how beautiful heaven will be. We want to look ahead with “true perseverance and eager anticipation.”
Ask God today to give you a focus for your eternal home and think of ways you can reach out to others who might need to know about the eternal home they can have in Christ. Let’s build up one another with heavenly anticipation.
When Christ calls me Home, I shall go with the gladness of a boy bounding away from school.
Adoniram Judson
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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).