56    The Bible and the Future of the World 

    The nearly seven years of the Church's great suffering are the years when 

Antichrist is ruler over the world. It is the  sins of Christians which allow 

Antichrist to be born and to have power in the world, especially the sin of 

losing faith in the Holy Eucharist and of accepting the abomination. He will 

attain  some degree of power before then, but he will have authority over 

nearly the whole world only for less than seven years. 

The Expensive Ointment (Mt 26:6 13) 

     Now when Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, a 

woman came up to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive ointment, 

and she poured it on his head, as he sat at table.  (Mt 26:6). 

      `In pouring this ointment on my body she has done it to prepare me for 

burial.'   (Mt 26:12). 

    The disciples had not taken to heart Jesus' words about His own death 

(Mt 26:2). They did not realize that Jesus was about to be put to death on a 

Cross. Yet this woman understood. She knew that Jesus, her Savior, would 

soon die. 

    In the same way, many Christians do not realize that the Church must 

follow in Christ's Way of the Cross. Many do not understand that the 

Church must pass through Her own Passion and Crucifixion. Yet some few 

Christians do understand, as that woman understood. 

Jesus Speaks Before His Passion (John 13:1 to 18:1) 

     Now before the feast of Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had 

come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who 

were in the world, he loved them to the end.  (John 13:1). 

    Jesus speaks to His disciples just before He suffers. Jesus' words prepare 

them for the suffering and changes which will follow. These words are also 

Jesus' words to the Church in preparation for the Church's suffering. Read 

them. 

Love and Suffering (John 15:12 13) 

      `This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved 

you. Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his 

friends.'   (John 15:12 13). 

    Christians show love by suffering for Christ the greatest of this suffering 

is seen in the martyrs who died for Christ. The Church itself will also show 

its love for Christ by suffering. And many members of the Church will be 

martyred during the Church's Crucifixion.