Headline News
The Amazing Story of Hanukkah And Miracle Of The Endless Oil
We begin the story of Hanukkah during the reign of the Greek king, Alexander the Great. Alexander conquered Syria, Egypt and the Land of Israel and annexed them into his kingdom. He was a benevolent king who allowed the people in all of his lands to continue to observe their own religious beliefs and customs.
They began in the Temple, clearing it of all pagan idols and building a new altar. The golden Menorah has been stolen by the Syrians and Greeks so the Maccabees made a new one from what they could find.
“Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?” Exodus 15:11 (KJV)
In the beginning. We begin the story of Hanukkah during the reign of the Greek king, Alexander the Great. Alexander conquered Syria, Egypt and the Land of Israel and annexed them into his kingdom. He was a benevolent king who allowed the people in all of his lands to continue to observe their own religious beliefs and customs. Nevertheless, during this time of quiet, many Jews chose to assimilate into Greek culture. This group was termed Hellenistic Jews.
Alexander’s empire divided
When Alexander the Great died, his Empire was divided amongst his generals. The Land of Israel has given to Seleucus. For over 100 years the Jews were afforded much of the same privileges and rights as other citizens of the Empire. However, Antiochus III, the great-greatgrandson of Seleucus, was forced to fight a costly war against the Romans. As a result the Jewish people fell out of favor with Antiochus III and thus the beginning of the end of equality for the Jews in the Syrian-Greek Empire.
In 174 BCE Antiochus III’s son, Antiochus IV, began his reign over the Empire. He was a harsh and cruel king; a tyrant of reckless nature and contemptuous of religions and customs that were not his own.
Antiochus IV – the cruel king
Antiochus IV wanted to unite his kingdom under his religion, worship of the Greek idol Zeus. Within the Empire he stifled all Jewish Law. He removed the righteous High Priest Yochanan from the Temple in Jerusalem. Yochanan was replaced with his brother Joshua – a Hellenistic Jew who called himself by the Greek name Jason. Jason used his position as High Priest to infect the priesthood and the Jewish people with the traditions and religion of the Greeks. Jason was soon replaced by another named Menelaus who defiled the Temple with the worship of Greek idols.
ISRAEL’S National Anthem – HATIKVAH
Yochanan was outraged by his brother’s behavior and that of Menelaus. When Antiochus IV was away fighting a war against Egypt Yochanan began to rally the Jews to disobey the new customs and religion being forced on them. The Jewish people were afraid of Antiochus’ reprisals and mostly did nothing. However, when the Romans spread a rumor that Antiochus IV had been killed, the Jewish people rebelled against Menelaus causing him to flee.
Much to the horror of the Jews, Antiochus returned from battle alive and enraged by Roman meddling and Jewish rebellion. He ordered his army to strike out against the Jews killing thousands. Antiochus IV then ordered a series of extremely harsh decrees against the Jewish people and religion.
All Jewish worship was forbidden. All Scrolls of the Law were confiscated and burned. Observation of Shabbat, the Brit Milah, and abiding by Kashrut were all prohibited under penalty of death. As the soldiers went town to town ravaging the Land of Israel they forced Jewish inhabitants to worship their pagan idols and eat the flesh of pigs. Many complied, but some refused and died for their beliefs.
One day Antiochus’ soldiers arrived in a town called Modiin just outside Jerusalem. An old, great priest named Mattiyahu was an inhabitant of this town. The soidiers built an altar to their pagan idols in the center of town and ordered Mattiyahu to worship at it. Mattiyahu refused. A Hellenistic Jew approached the altar to offer a sacrifice. Mattiyahu took out his sword and killed him, and his sons and neighbors sprang on the Greek soldiers killing or chasing them away.
Mattiyahu knew when Antiochus IV heard of this rebellion there would be a heavy price to pay. He fled together with his sons and neighbors to the hills of Judah. Here they lived in the caves and encouraged all loyal and courageous Jews to join them. They formed legions and would carefully leave the caves to attach outposts of Greek and Syrian soldiers and destroy pagan altars.
When old Mattiyahu was on his deathbed, he called his sons together. He encouraged them to defend God’s Torah. He asked that the tactical leader be Shimon the Wise and in battle the leader be Judah the Strong. Judah was known as Maccabee – a contraction for “Mi Kamocha Ba’eilim HaShem” translated as “Who is like you, O God.” This was sung to God by Moses and the Israelites after God parted the Red Sea giving them safe passage and destroying the Egyptians (Exodus 15:11).
Rise of the Maccabees, and the fall of Antiochus
Judah’s followers became known as “The Maccabees” and caused great havoc to the Empire. Eventually Antiochus sent one of his best generals to wipe out this little band of Jewish fighters. Even though the Empire’s army was much better equipped and greater in number, the Maccabees were triumphant in battle again and again.
Antiochus IV realized that he needed to put an end to this rebellion once and for all. He sent an army of 40,000 men in to the Judean hills. When Judah and the Maccabees heard the army coming they cried, “Let us fight to the death in defense of our souls and our Temple!” The Maccabees fought with God in their hearts and the honor of Judaism in their souls. They fought for their Torah and for their Temple. After a series of bloody battles, it was done. They had defeated the powerful army of Antiochus.
With their victory, the Maccabees climbed a mountain outside Jerusalem and looked upon the city. On the 25th of Kislev they descended the mountain to liberate Jerusalem and reclaim their Temple. As they marched into the Holy City they were distressed by what they saw – idols, impurity, and filth everywhere. They entered the Holy Temple and were shocked to see the same. Jerusalem and the the Temple needed to be made Holy again for God.
The miracle of the endless oil
They began in the Temple, clearing it of all pagan idols and building a new altar. The golden Menorah has been stolen by the Syrians and Greeks so the Maccabees made a new one from what they could find. They wanted in light the Menorah to rededicate the Temple to the One True God. They rummaged though the ruins seeking a flask of sanctified oil, but all had been defiled. Finally, they found a small jug in which the Kohen seal was still intact.
They carefully poured the oil into their makeshift Menorah even though they realized that there was only enough oil for one day. They also realized that it would take eight days to sanctify more oil for the Temple. Nevertheless, the Maccabees had faith and dedicated the Holy Temple and lit the Menorah.
Then a great miracle occurred. The oil burned through the first night an on to the second, then on to the third. The oil continued to burn for eight nights until more oil was ready for the Temple. This miracle proved that God was with the Maccabees all along. They fought for what they believed and held fast in face of death with God at their side. Their faith in God and the Torah never wavered and God showed them His Divine presence.
Good Child Missions
NTEB To Once Again Partner With Good Child Missions In Uganda For Their Cup Of Porridge Program And Their 4th Annual Children’s Christmas Dinner
We need your help to provide much needed support to the Good Child Missions gospel outreach in Uganda for the Cup of Porridge and Christmas Dinner Programs
Back in 2022, Now The End Begins partnered with Irad Biryomumesho from Good Child Missions in Uganda to launch something we called the Cup of Porridge Program that give over a thousand children a hot cup of porridge before church on Sunday. That went so well that the Lord led Irad to want to hold a Christmas Dinner to feed the children and give them the gospel of Jesus Christ. NTEB is helping them with that as well, and we invite you to come help us.
“And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us.” Acts 16:9 (KJB)
Irad Biryomumesho got saved through our Radio Bible Study broadcast, learned how to rightly divide, and the Lord gave him a heart to do something right where he lives in Uganda. NTEB is a main sponsor of the work he is doing and we are happy to partner with him. While the Children’s Christmas Dinner is a one-time event, the Cup of Porridge Program happens 52 Sundays a year. We need to raise about $5,000 to fully fund these two events, and if God has prospered you, prayerfully consider clicking on the donate link to help us. Thank you!
Now The End Begins is your front line defense against the rising tide of darkness in the last Days before the Rapture of the Church
- HOW TO DONATE: Click here to view our WayGiver Funding page
When you contribute to this fundraising effort, you are helping us to do what the Lord called us to do. The money you send in goes primarily to the overall daily operations of this site. When people ask for Bibles, we send them out at no charge. When people write in and say how much they would like gospel tracts but cannot afford them, we send them a box at no cost to them for either the tracts or the shipping, no matter where they are in the world. We have a Gospel Billboard program. We are now broadcasting Bible studies, Podcasts and a Sunday Service 5 times a week, thanks to your generous donations. All this is possible because YOU pray for us, YOU support us, and YOU give so we can continue growing.
But whatever you do, don’t do nothing. Time is short and we need your help right now. The Lord has given us an open door with a tremendous ‘course’ for us to fulfill that will create an excellent experience at the Judgement Seat of Christ. Please pray for our efforts, and if the Lord leads you to donate, be as generous as possible. The war is REAL, the battle HOT and the time is SHORT…TO THE FIGHT!!!
“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;” Titus 2:13 (KJB)
“Thank you very much!” – Geoffrey, editor-in-chief, NTEB
Headline News
Pope Leo Warns US President Donald Trump To Not Attack Or Invade Venezuela As Roman Pontiff Makes Move To Keep Socialist Maduro In Power
Pope Leo urged U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration on Tuesday not to try to oust Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro using military force.
Recent public remarks by Pope Leo XIV reveal his ‘strong concern’ about moves by the United States to use force against Venezuela. On his return flight from Lebanon, he said that the U.S. should not attempt a military ouster of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro — instead urging diplomacy or economic pressure. The Roman Catholic Church has a long history of supporting Socialist and Communist countries where Catholicism is the dominant religion.
“And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.” Revelation 18:2 (KJB)
Daring Washington to make its next move, desperate dictator Maduro has rejected Donald Trump‘s ultimatum to step down and flee the country. It comes as the US president held crisis talks with his top generals and is preparing for a classified US Navy briefing on Thursday. At a rally in the capital, the tyrant cast himself as a besieged patriot, telling supporters Venezuela was ready “to defend the country and lead it to the path of peace” as the US weighs land strikes. He said: “We have lived through 22 weeks of aggression that can only be described as psychological terrorism.”
Pope Leo urges US not to attempt military ouster of Venezuela’s Maduro
FROM REUTERS: Leo, the first U.S. pope, said it would be better to attempt dialogue or impose economic pressure on Venezuela if Washington wants to pursue change there. The Trump administration has been weighing options to combat what it has portrayed as Maduro’s role in supplying illegal drugs that have killed Americans. The socialist Venezuelan president has denied having any links to the illegal drug trade.
Asked during a news conference about Trump’s threats to remove Maduro by force, Leo said: “It is better to search for ways of dialogue, or perhaps pressure, including economic pressure”.
The pope, speaking as he flew home from a visit to Turkey and Lebanon, his first overseas trip, added that Washington should search for other ways to achieve change “if that is what they want to do in the United States”.
Reuters reported last month that options under U.S. consideration include an attempt to overthrow the Venezuelan leader, and that the U.S. military is poised for a new phase of operations after a massive military buildup in the Caribbean and nearly three months of strikes on suspected drug trafficking boats off Venezuela’s coast. Leo, answering a journalist’s question, also said the signals coming from the Trump administration about its policy toward Venezuela were unclear.
“On one hand, it seems there was a call between the two presidents,” said the pope, referring to a phone call that Trump had with Maduro last month. “On the other hand, there is the danger, there is the possibility there will be some activity, some (military) operation.”
“The voices that come from the United States, they change with a certain frequency,” added Leo. The pope, elected in May and originally from Chicago, is familiar with Latin America because he spent long years as a cleric in Peru. READ MORE
Now The End Begins is your front line defense against the rising tide of darkness in the last Days before the Rapture of the Church
- HOW TO DONATE: Click here to view our WayGiver Funding page
When you contribute to this fundraising effort, you are helping us to do what the Lord called us to do. The money you send in goes primarily to the overall daily operations of this site. When people ask for Bibles, we send them out at no charge. When people write in and say how much they would like gospel tracts but cannot afford them, we send them a box at no cost to them for either the tracts or the shipping, no matter where they are in the world. We have a Gospel Billboard program. We are now broadcasting Bible studies, Podcasts and a Sunday Service 5 times a week, thanks to your generous donations. All this is possible because YOU pray for us, YOU support us, and YOU give so we can continue growing.
But whatever you do, don’t do nothing. Time is short and we need your help right now. The Lord has given us an open door with a tremendous ‘course’ for us to fulfill that will create an excellent experience at the Judgement Seat of Christ. Please pray for our efforts, and if the Lord leads you to donate, be as generous as possible. The war is REAL, the battle HOT and the time is SHORT…TO THE FIGHT!!!
“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;” Titus 2:13 (KJB)
“Thank you very much!” – Geoffrey, editor-in-chief, NTEB
Donald Trump
Trump Instructs Department Of War To Prepare For Invasion Of Venezuela As 11 US Warships and 15,000 Troops Have Now Been Deployed To Oil Rich Region
More than 11 US warships, including the country’s largest carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, are bearing down on the Caribbean amid escalating tensions between President Trump and Venezuela.
More than Saudi Arabia, more than Iran, and more than every other nation, Venezuela sits upon the largest known oil reserves that exist anywhere on this Earth. Venezuela has 303 billion barrels of proven crude, but under Maduro’s socialist collapse, those reserves are basically locked away. A military intervention would place that oil under a new “friendly” government — or under direct U.S. strategic influence. Washington has wanted this for decades. Every administration knew it. Trump is going to be the one to take it. Oil is energy, and energy is power. That’s the memo.
“For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.” Matthew 24:7 (KJB)
On our Podcast today, our main story was about Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, and his fervent denial that he had ordered a ‘second strike’ on the ‘narcoterrorists’ gunboat. He said “As usual, the fake news is delivering more fabricated, inflammatory, and derogatory reporting.” A few hours after the Podcast wrapped, President Trump issued the announcement that yes, Hegseth had absolutely ordered the second strike that brutally killed the survivors of the first strike. Can you say ‘war crime’? And before anyone can be brought to trial, Trump will have already given the order for the US military to invade Venezuela. Is Trump really so concerned about stopping the drug trade that has been going on for over a century? Nope. He wants the oil, and he’s going to invade them to get it, because that’s what the people who hit his right ear with that warning shot last summer have told him to do.
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11 US warships and 15,000 troops now in Caribbean as Venezuela tensions escalate
FROM THE NEW YORK POST: A Marine Expeditionary Unit capable of an amphibious land invasion has also been deployed as part of efforts to stem the flow of drugs into the US from the socialist country.
“The military’s job is to defend the homeland,” Secretary of the Navy John Phelan told Fox News on Saturday night. “That’s exactly what we’re doing, and we’re using our best assets to defend the homeland. Drugs kill more Americans than we’ve ever lost in wars,” he said. “So I think at the end of the day, the president has correctly identified this as an attack on the country, which it is.” Venezuela’s socialist president, Nicolas Maduro, is being blamed for allowing narco vessels to set off from his country for US.
JUST SAY NO. Listen as Congresswoman Maria Salazar tells you that Venezuela sits upon the largest known oil reserves on Planet Earth, and that Trump is going to take it. And oh, almost forgot, let’s stop the drugs, too, said no one ever. WWIII, anyone? pic.twitter.com/hyrl152ZlK
— Now The End Begins (@NowTheEndBegins) December 2, 2025
Among the 11 warships currently in the Caribbean is the USS Ford, which houses the Carrier Strike Group featuring nine carrier air wings, or more than 70 aircraft, including squadrons out of Virginia, Florida and Washington state. Other ships deployed to the region include the USS Iwo Jamia, a Wasp-class amphibious assault vehicle capable of carrying up to six Harrier II attack aircraft.
The USS Gravely and the USS Stockdale, two naval guided-missile destroyers, are currently operating in the Caribbean along with the larger guided-missile cruisers, the USS Lake Erie and the USS Gettysburg.
Up to 2,200 Marines, based out of Camp Lejeune and Marine Corps Air Base New River in North Carolina, are also stationed in the Caribbean. In total, around 15,000 troops, including the Marines on ships and about 5,000 personnel at bases in Puerto Rico, are now in the region, the Conversation reported. Roosevelt Roads naval base in Puerto Rico has been reopened as part of the buildup.
The growing firepower is part of Trump’s Operation Southern Spear, which aims, with support of the Coast Guard and Department of Homeland Security, to control the flow of deadly narcotics heading north to the US. It coincides with efforts to modernize US armed forces using AI, unmanned systems and hypersonic missiles, as well as a push from Trump to bring shipbuilding jobs back to America. READ MORE
Now The End Begins is your front line defense against the rising tide of darkness in the last Days before the Rapture of the Church
- HOW TO DONATE: Click here to view our WayGiver Funding page
When you contribute to this fundraising effort, you are helping us to do what the Lord called us to do. The money you send in goes primarily to the overall daily operations of this site. When people ask for Bibles, we send them out at no charge. When people write in and say how much they would like gospel tracts but cannot afford them, we send them a box at no cost to them for either the tracts or the shipping, no matter where they are in the world. We have a Gospel Billboard program. We are now broadcasting Bible studies, Podcasts and a Sunday Service 5 times a week, thanks to your generous donations. All this is possible because YOU pray for us, YOU support us, and YOU give so we can continue growing.
But whatever you do, don’t do nothing. Time is short and we need your help right now. The Lord has given us an open door with a tremendous ‘course’ for us to fulfill that will create an excellent experience at the Judgement Seat of Christ. Please pray for our efforts, and if the Lord leads you to donate, be as generous as possible. The war is REAL, the battle HOT and the time is SHORT…TO THE FIGHT!!!
“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;” Titus 2:13 (KJB)
“Thank you very much!” – Geoffrey, editor-in-chief, NTEB
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