This will be the final article on Hanukkah and in we will look at the final week of Daniel’s 70 week prophesy which prophesies the coming of Antichrist and the 3 1/2 years of tribulation which comes just before the Lord’s return to claim His people and His kingdom on earth.

We have seen how Antiochus IV Epiphanes is the central evil character of the story of Hanukkah and his actions forecast the actions of the final Antichrist who comes at the end of the age. Antiochus is a type of Antichrist Just as was Pharaoh, who tried to destroy Moses to stop him from leading Israel back home, or King Herod, who tried to kill the baby Jesus before He could bring salvation. So Antiochus tried to blot out Jewish faith and stop
Christmas from ever happening. History has been full of these Antichrist types; Haman, Hitler, Stalin, etc. God allowed them to fulfill His purposes and there will be one more to come before the end. Daniel gives a snap-shot of him, Jesus forecast him, the Apostles referred to him, and John gives the final picture of him in the Book of Revelation.

Daniel calls him “the prince” who comes out of Rome and makes a seven year covenant with Israel but breaks it in the middle –

“And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week (7 yrs): and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.” – Daniel 9:26,27

We know it was the Romans who destroyed the city of Jerusalem and the Temple shortly after the Jews rejected Jesus and crucified Him. So, this ‘prince’ will come out of Rome. But Jesus Himself predicted this destruction of the Jewish Temple would not be the final desecration –

“When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) …. For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.” – Matthew 24:15-21

After predicting the Temple’s destruction, Jesus predicted another would come and set up the ‘abomination of desolation’ in the Temple. How could this be if the Temple were destroyed? The obvious answer is this abomination would come later and the Temple would be rebuilt. After that abomination is set up the “great tribulation” would begin, greater than any before in history.

The Apostle Paul also predicts this coming Antichrist calling him the ‘man of sin’ –

“Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.” – 2 Thessalonians 2:3,4

Paul reveals that this ‘man of sin’ will not be revealed until a great ‘falling away’ occurs first. This is the exact pattern revealed in Hanukkah. This is referencing Christians compromising their faith or leaving it all together. Now you cannot fall- away from something you never had to start with. This gives us serious concern as we watch mainline Christian confessions in the United States and Europe give in to clear Biblical abominations such as homosexuality, perversion of marriage, joining with pagan worship such as the doctrine of Chrislam currently rising, killing of the unborn, and a host of other non-Biblical practices. They are doing exactly what Paul said the Antichrist would do – “Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God”  , saying they know better than God. They have embraced the doctrine of humanism which declares man is higher than God.

The Apostle John also foretold of these same events –

“Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.” – 1 John 2:18,19

John also was given the revelation of Jesus which gives much more detailed predictions of Antichrist –

“And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. … And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. If any man have an ear, let him hear.” – Revelation 13:1-9

This is the final Antichrist who comes out of the beast (empire) that Daniel called Rome, desecrates the Temple, blasphemes God, makes war on the saints of God, but is only given power for 42 months, or 3 1/2 years. He is the ‘prince’ who made a 7 treaty with Israel but broke it in the middle and them for the next 3 1/3 years tries to eliminate Israel and the saints.

We can tell the time is near for this Antichrist for the following reasons:

1. Israel is back as a nation and the nations of the world are aligning themselves against her.
2. Groups in Israel are actively planning to rebuild the Temple. The Jewish Sanhedrin is reformed and a High Priest has recently been elected.
3. The spirit of Antichrist is moving in nations around the earth perverting cultures and institutions of faith. As John explained “Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.” – 1 John 2:23,23. It must be understood that to acknowledge the Father and the Son means to obey what they taught. One cannot condone abortion, divorce, homosexuality, fornication, or any of the sins God condemns and still acknowledge God! The only answer to these sins is repentance and restoration back to the truth.
4. The teaching of false doctrines in schools or churches, such as humanism or evolution or Chrislam (mixing of Christianity with Islam) can only happen if the light is dimmed and the darkness is let in. This is clear evidence of the spirit of Antichrist at work. When schools outlaw prayer to God or His 10 Commandments they are legalizing Antichrist.
5. Signs are appearing in the heavens which point to the final war between heaven and earth and the return of Messiah. The Blood Red Moons of 2014-2015 are clear signs and the sign of the woman in Revelation 12 tell us the time is very near.

“And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.” – Revelation 12:1,2

While an entire article could be set aside for this one item, I will just give the key points here.

In September 2017, Virgo will appear with the Sun under her head and the Moon under her feet.

The planets Mercury, Mars, and Venus move into the constellation Leo, which also has 9 principle stars, making a crown of 12 stars.

The King (or Messiah) planet Jupiter moves into the pelvic region of Virgo and goes into retrograde motion for 42 months (retrograde means appearing to move back and forth). 42 months is the normal gestation time for a baby.

While all these elements occur frequently, the last time they all appeared together is estimated to be 5600-6000 years ago, or in the time of Adam and Eve.

Why is this important? The very next verses in Revelation 12 are about the Dragon (the Antichrist) waging war on the woman and her fleeing into the wilderness for 3 1/2 years where she is protected by God. Then war breaks out in heaven, Michael and his angels fight the devil and his angels and the devil and his angels are thrown to the earth. Then the great tribulation begins as the Antichrist wars on the saints. But the saints overcome him  ” by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.” –

“And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days. And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child. And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. … And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” – Revelation 12:6-17

This is one of the most exiting stories in the Bible and it takes place over a short time; a thousand two hundred and threescore days or a time, and times, and half a time both of which equal 3 1/2 years.

This heavenly sign will be displayed this September for the first time since Adam and Eve. Once it begins there will not be much more time before God finalizes His plan to conclude all history as Daniel revealed in the 70 Week prophesy. Against this revelation all our petty grievances, selfish plans, and earthly desires look kind of small. Let us take the prophets seriously –

“Today, if you will hear His voice,
Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.” – Hebrews 3:15