Dr. David Jeremiah Presents
Living inthe Ageof Signs
Online Destination
Living in the Age of Signs
Online Destination
Sign 2
The Four Loves: Agape—Our Love for God
Today’s Audio Devotion:
The Four Loves: Agape—Our Love for God
The New Testament was originally penned in Greek, and there are four different Greek words translated love. The word agape represents the essence of divine love—God’s own special love. It’s the love God has for us and the kind of love He gives us for Himself and others.
Osborne Gordon, a nineteenth-century British pastor, said, “There is no soul so pure and heavenly that it can throw back upon God all that love which He lavishes upon us. God loves us infinitely more than it is possible for us to love Him; but whatever feeble flame of love is kindled in our hearts and goes up as a sacrifice to Him, we are only giving Him of His own.”
That’s a good description of agape. The greatest command within Scripture is to love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind, and soul (Matthew 22:37). It’s the Lord Himself who gives us the agape that allows us to do that. Let His love set your heart on fire, and return it like sparks flying upward to Him.
Our love of [God] is nothing more than His love to us, reflected back upon Him, the source of love.
Osborne Gordon
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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).