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The Times of the Anti-Christ – Ministry Report March 2021

And some of those of understanding shall fall, to refine them,
purify them, and make them white,
until the time of the end; because it is still for the appointed time. (Daniel 11:35)

 

Antiochus as Zeus, with laurels

The Times of the Anti-Christ

We have just finished teaching through Daniel chapter 11 on our Friday night Shabbat meetings at For Zion’s Sake, where we came across this rather perplexing scripture in verse 35. The background to the text was the rise to power of the Greek-Syrian king, Antiochus Epiphanes in Jerusalem about 165 years before Yeshua was to be born. What seemed initially as a peaceful transition of power, promising peace and prosperity through Antiochus’s Hellenistic influences, quickly turned violent after he was met with strong resistance form religious Orthodox Jews.

There were many Jews such as Judas Maccabee, who vowed never to assimilate but rather to fight with all resistance against the pagan edicts. Antiochus then imposed very harsh anti-Jewish decrees leading to the death of thousands of Jewish men, women and children who refused to eat pork and renounce their faith in “יהוה” YHVH and worship Zeus. The climax of the persecution resulted in the desecration of the “בֵּית־הַמִּקְדָּשׁ” Holy Temple with Antiochus sacrificing a pig on the “מזבח”‎ Holy Altar to his god and slaughtering of the Jewish priest who served there. This horrific act has become known as the Abomination of Desolation.

This would also be the very same act that Yeshua warned us about in Mathew 24:15 which would happen again, just before His return to establish His Kingdom here on earth.

Is there a lesson for those who are living at the times of the end? Is it that things will and must get very dark (especial for the Jewish people) before the Morning Star rises and Yeshua destroys His enemies with the brightness of His coming (2 Thess. 2:8)? So the question for many arises, why the need for His people to endure horrible suffering just before His return? It is written, “to refine them, purify them, and make them white, until the time of the end”! (Daniel 11:35)

I have often questioned if this is a warning only for the Jews who are alive at the end and must Passover the last anti-Christ to finally reach the eternal New Jerusalem, or could it also be a warning message for the non-Jewish believers who are alive at that time as well? It seems according to scripture that many will be called to enter the suffering of resistance in order to purify themselves and to be ready both Jew and Gentile…

Revelation 6:11

Then each of them was given a white robe and told to rest a little while longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers, were killed, just as they had been killed.

Revelation 7:9

After this I looked and saw a multitude too large to count, from every nation and tribe and people and tongue, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands.

Revelation 7:14

And I said to him, “Sir, you know.” So he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

Revelation 12:11

And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.

Revelation 22:14

Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by its gates.

FZS Outreach in Jerusalem

Now that the Covid lockdowns have eased a bit here in Israel. Gratefully, we have been able to open once again for our daily clothing distribution for new immigrants. People were just so thrilled to finally be able to go out of their homes, some even said coming to us felt like a holiday… Please pray for many opportunities to share the love of Yeshua with those who come to us for help!

Prayer Requests from our FZS family

From time to time we receive special prayer request and praise reports from people who faithfully support our ministry. Often there are little notes attached to their donation slip asking modestly for prayer. Would you please join with us in agreement for the Lord to hear our prayers together for his healing and blessings? Names will remain anonymous for privacy reasons…

 

Some Family News

Finally, we have some personal news to share from the Antolovich family. Our oldest son Daniel has been recruited to Play D-1 Football at The University of Connecticut with a full scholarship. Needless to say, we are very proud of him and we are praying that the Lord will use him to share the love of Yeshua to his other teammates and coaches. Would you also please keep Danny in prayer as he prepares to leave us this June? Although he has US citizenship by birth, he has never lived in the US before…

 

“Danny Antolovich”

 

Thank you very much for your faithful prayers and support for the work of the Lord here in Jerusalem! Please also be in prayer for all of the Lord’s provision in the different outreaches we are involved with!

May the LORD bless and keep you!