Part 9

APOSTASY AND ANTICHRIST ACCORDING TO THE HOLY FATHERS OF THE CHURCH

THE LAST JUDGMENT

(Exerted from a booklet published by Holy Trinity Monastery, Jordanville, NY in 1992, no longer in print.)

The end of Antichrist and his followers will be terrible..  We read in the book of revelation that on the great day of the Lord, Satan and Antichrist and his deputy will dispatch demons to call all the rulers of the world together for a great battle.  When this great army has been gathered at Armageddon, the seventh wrath of God will pour forth on the earth: a great storm of lightning, thunder and explosions and an earthquake of unimaginable proportions – an earthquake so great that islands will disappear and mountains will be leveled.  In an instant all man’s pride will crumble to rubble and vanish – his great manufacturing centers of culture, art and learning, all the things which man worshipped in place of God.

After this will begin the Dread Judgment.  The Saviour frequently taught about the last, universal judgment over humanity – both in parables and in discourses that were unmistakably clear in meaning.  He said: “The Son of man shall come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and then He shall reward every man according to his works” (Mt. 16:27).  The Lord said similar things about the Last Judgment in many other places (Mat. 25:31-42, Jn. 5:22, 27, etc.)  In accordance with the teachings of their Lord, the Apostles proclaimed that the Son of God will pass judgment over the whole world.  St. Paul says, “We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (2 Cor. 5:10).  In another place the Apostle writes to the Corinthians, “Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, Who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the councils of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God” (1 Cor. 4:5).  In his epistle to the Romans St. Paul teaches that at the Last Judgment God will “render to every man according to his deeds: to them who by patient continuance in well doing seeks glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: but unto them that are contentious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath…for there is no respect of persons with God” (Rom. 2:5-11; compare Acts 17:13, 1 Peter 4:5, 2 Peter 2:4 and 2 Thess. 1:7-10).  At this judgment will be judged all people who have lived from the beginning of the world until the end, both evil and good, Christians and unbelievers.  This judgment will be final and will decide the fate of both men and the fallen angels who God “has reserved…unto the judgment of the great day” (St. Jude, v.6).  The judgment will be righteous and impartial: the Lord will reward each according to his works.  To some He will say, “Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Mat. 25:34).  Others will hear this terrible sentence: “Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels” (Mt. 25:41).

[Notice that the Reformation doctrine of “Sola Fide”, i.e. Faith Alone, is not to be found in the words of the Saviour or of St. Paul.  This doctrine of the Reformation is a false or “other gospel” from which we should flee.  They do teach in other places that we are saved by faith but nowhere do they teach that man will be saved by faith alone.]

Then says, St. Ephraim the Syrian, “all of humanity will find itself between the kingdom and condemnation, between life and death, between joy and necessity, and all will stand before the judgment seat, looking downwards and not daring to raise up their eyes.  All will be interrogated and strictly tried, especially we who have lived in carelessness, and seeing all this will start thinking over all their deeds.  Each person will see his own deeds, bad and good.  All those whose deeds are good will joyfully draw near to the judgment seat in the hope of obtaining a crown of life.  If anyone who has serious sins on his conscience leaves this life without repenting, he will become sick at heart when he sees his sins standing before him, accusing him and condemning him, and he will say, ‘Why did I the poor one not struggle with them, but wasted time playing games and so became myself a plaything? . . . Why did I not repent before Him who takes away the sin of the world, but spent my years in delusion? . . . While pondering over this within themselves, they will hear the awful voice of the Judge, Who will cry out and say,  ‘Show your deeds and receive your reward’.  At that hour all the orders of humanity will come forward – bishops, priests, deacons and all the orders of the Church, as the Apostle said: they will rise each in his own rank, ‘every man in his own order’ (1 Cor. 15:23), to render homage to the Lord.  Then the rulers, the wise and the rich will shake with fear, because the hour has come in which everyone’s  deeds will become known both to angels and to men, and each will reap what he has sowed.  . . . After each one has been tried, and all dominions and powers have been abolished and all God’s enemies have been placed under His feet; then at last, as the Lord said, ‘He shall separate them one from another as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats; and He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left’ (Mt. 25:32-33).   . . . Then parents will be separated from children, fathers from sons, mothers from daughters, friends and relatives from each other.  Then false spouses who have not kept their bed undefiled will be separated.  But I will pass by much in silence in my description; for fear restrains me from telling about this” (Sermon on the Honourable and Life-Creating Cross and on the Second Coming).

End of part 9, one part remains.

Part 8

APOSTASY AND ANTICHRIST ACCORDING TO THE HOLY FATHERS OF THE CHURCH

THE  CONVERSION OF THE JEWS

(Exerted from a booklet published by Holy Trinity Monastery, Jordanville, NY in 1992, no longer in print.)

As a result of the preaching of the two holy prophets, Enoch & Elias, their miraculous resurrection and ascension into heaven, a remarkable occurrence will come to pass.  A considerable number of Jews will be converted to Christ.  Blessed Theophilact the Bulgarian writes concerning this: “Elias will come as a forerunner of the second coming and bring to faith in Christ all the Jews who will prove obedient, leading, as it were, to paternal inheritance those who had fallen away from Him.”

Behold, I will send you Elias the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord;   And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the child and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse  (Mal. 4:5-6).

Isaiah also cries concerning Israel, ‘Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be save (Rom. 9:27; cf. Is. 10:22).

The conversion of a large number of Jews to Christ will evoke from Antichrist the most intense malice towards all Christians.  Then they will be made to suffer the “great tribulation such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.” (Mat. 24:15-21), for “it was given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them” (Rev. 13:7).

The salvation of a small remnant of the faithful will be dependent only on the shortness of Antichrist’s reign. “And except those days be shortened, there should no flesh be saved; but for the sake of the elect those days shall be shortened.” (Mat. 24:22.

The world rule of Antichrist will last three and one half years.  “And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away and the setting up of the abomination of desolation there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days” (Dan. 12:11; cf. 12:7).  This is the same as the length given for the reign of Antichrist in the Revelation: “and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months” (13:5).  

No human power will be able to stand up against Antichrist.  Only the Lord Himself, coming a second time in all His glory, will vanquish him.  Then the terrible judgment by Christ and the end of the world will come.  “And the beast was taken and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles for him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast and them that worshipped his image.  These both were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone.  And the rest were slain with the sword that issues from the mouth of Him Who is mounted on the horse…” (Rev. 19:20-21).  And the devil who had led them astray was hurled into the fiery lake of burning brimstone with the beast and the false prophet; and they were tormented day and night forever and ever. “ (Rev. 20:10.

WHAT DID THE POPE REALLY SAY?

Recently there was a news article headline that suggested the pope had said that atheists need not believe in Christ to go to heaven.  I had linked this news article on my Facebook.  Some took exception, saying the pope was misquoted.

I am not able to know the exact words of the pope because I cannot read Latin and therefore do not know how accurate the English translations may be.   So far as I can determine from reading Roman Catholic publications, the pope, at the very least did say that atheists should follow their conscience.  I understand this was an effort to reach out to atheists who had asked how they are viewed by the Roman Catholic Church or what their relationship is to the Church.

What is certain is that the pope did not give a clear, certain, apostolic or truly Christian response to the inquiry.   The inquiry would be somewhat equivalent to those in the New Testament who came to Jesus or the apostles asking the way to eternal life or inquiring about their relationship to the kingdom of God.   The answers given by Jesus and the apostles were very different from that given by the pope.  The pope gave a politician’s answer, not an apostolic answer.

In the Old Testament there were sentries placed on the wall of the city whose job it was to blow a certain sound on the trumpet if they say the enemy or eminent danger approaching.  There were different sounds to be sounded on the trumpet for different occasions.   It was crucial that the sentry give a clear and certain sound on the trumpet when the enemy approached so everyone could prepare to be saved.  St. Paul uses this imagery in I Cor. 14: 8 saying “For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle”.   The pope clearly did not give a clear and certain sound or proclamation of the Gospel.  His words had the effect of suggesting or implying the atheists were ok where they were; they just need to follow their conscience.  But following their conscience is what they already are doing and that has lead them to where they are.   The pope failed to recall that the human conscience can be distorted, perverted and darkened by willful and persistent sinning against the conscience.  Man’s conscience, to be a safe guide, must be subject to and conditioned by Truth.  “The heart is desperately wicked, who can know it?”

One is left wondering whatever happened to the words of the Saviour, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.  He that believeth not is condemned already” and “He who rejects Me, rejects the Father who sent me”?  Or the words of St. John of the Apocalypse, “ But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the brimstone: which is the second death.”

The present pope has indicated his desire to reach out to those outside of his church.  He has indicated that his church needs to stop talking so much about the sins of homosexuality and abortion.  The pope seems to be trying to skirt certain issues and play both sides.  But if you compromise your beliefs to win people, what have you won them too?  Where then is the need for repentance? Love without truth is not really love but self-serving.  Once again, he is sounding more like a politician or head of state than an apostolic voice for truth and righteousness.  There really is nothing different about this.  All the popes of recent times seem never to get around to proclaiming the fullness of the Gospel but speak only of nebulous ideas of world community, world peace and brotherhood – the language of the United Nations and the World Council of Churches.

From the Orthodox Christian perspective what the pope says is of little consequence since the pope and the Latin/Roman Church departed from the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church in 1054 AD when they fell into schism and heresy.

Part 7

APOSTASY AND ANTICHRIST ACCORDING TO THE HOLY FATHERS OF THE CHURCH

THE THIRD PERIOD (The first two periods were discussed in parts 5 & 6)

(Exerted from a booklet published by Holy Trinity Monastery, Jordanville, NY in 1992, no longer in print.)

The third period and the final activities of Antichrist will begin with the seizure of all world power into his own hands.  A condition of utter ruin of the nations of the earth from a great world war will greatly assist him in this.  The majority will see a worldwide administration under Antichrist as the only possible way to avoid new wars and to bring about a new, peaceful blossoming of mankind.

The word of God portrays Antichrist’s coming to world power in the following manner: on the face of the earth, devastated and ruined by war, “then kings shall arise’ (Dan. 7:24).  Seven of them will have “the same thoughts” as Antichrist and will “submit their power and authority to him: (Dan. 17:13).  The other three rulers will attempt to maintain their independence:  Antichrist will have to defeat them by military force (Dan. 7:8, 20, 24).

After Antichrist’s victory over the three “kingdoms”, removing the only obstacle in his path to world mastery, the book of Revelation portrays him in the form of a red beast, having ten horns (i.e. the ten kingdoms submitted to him) and seven heads (i.e. the seven rulers who voluntarily submitted themselves to him and act in the capacity of his representatives in their countries) (Rev. 13:1 from the interpretation of that verse by the Holy Fathers St. Irenaeus of Lyons and St. Cyril of Jerusalem).

Concerning the world wide power of Antichrist, the book of Revelation says: “And power was given him over all kindreds and tongues and nations” (13:7).  Although the usual human endeavors and means will have significance, the main source of his success will not stem from them.  “And his power shall be mighty, but it will not be his own power” (Dan. 8:24).  Antichrist will receive his authority and power from Satan.  “And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority” (Rev. 13:2).  Only by this constant satanic cooperation with him will it be possible to explain Antichrist’s unusual success in seizing power over the earth so quickly and his exceptional strength, which no human force will be able to resist or hinder. 

The general acknowledgement of Antichrist as worldwide ruler will occur simultaneously with the universal acknowledgement of him as the one spiritual leader of all religions.  Vladimir Soloviev in his last work, Three Conversations, expressed the opinion that Antichrist, having attained power, will gather some form of ecumenical council with representatives from all religions.  In this council (in Jerusalem) Antichrist will offer to unite all into one fold under one pastor.  He will turn his main attention to the Christians of all confessions, promising every sort of protection in return for their acknowledgement of his leadership.  St. Ephraim the Syrian writes, “ He will call himself the preacher and re-establisher of true knowledge of God.  Those not comprehending Christianity will see in him a representative and champion of the true religion and will join with him… and the children of worldly wisdom will hail his presentation… (Bp, Ignaty Brianchaninov).

It is very important to note that all the Holy Fathers consider the main cause of the rapid captivation of mankind by Antichrist to be the lack of spiritual understanding and its total submersion in worldly matters and ways.  [The secularization of Christianity and its consumerism mentality as represented in much of contemporary Christianity will prepare many to receive the Antichrist without discernment.] 

Part 6

APOSTASY AND ANTICHRIST ACCORDING TO THE HOLY FATHERS OF THE CHURCH

TWO PROPHETS

(Exerted from a booklet published by Holy Trinity Monastery, Jordanville, NY in 1992, no longer in print.)

The efforts of Antichrist to pass himself off as the true Messiah, however, will meet with an unexpected and miraculous counter action in the persons of two Old Testament prophets.  The very two who, by the will of God, not having tasted death, were taken unto heaven until a certain time, will re-appear on earth before the end of the world in order to fulfill their mission and suffer death.  The names of these two holy prophets are Enoch and Elias.  The Lord will sent them into Jerusalem in order to give people in those last days a final and miraculous warning against the deception encompassing them.  Without hindrance they will proclaim the falsehood of Antichrist for three and a half years, the duration of his second period when he will be preparing himself for the seizure of world power.  No being able at that time to take leave of his appearance of meekness and benevolence even towards his enemies, Antichrist will not be able to hinder or take any sort of violent action against the prophet.

In the book of Revelation it is written, “And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days clothed in sackcloth.  These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.  And if any man will hurt them, fire proceeds out of their mouth and devours their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.  These have power to shut the heaven so that it will not rain during the days of their prophecy: and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues as often as they will.  And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them and shall overcome them and kill them” (Rev. 11:3-7).

In the book of the Prophet Malachi one of the witnesses is directly named: “Behold, I will send you Elias the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord” (4:5).

Despite the preaching of the two witnesses the majority of people, due to the nature of their own carnal minds, not only will fail to see the total fraud in the exterior behavior of Antichrist, but will surround him with their praise and glorification.  “When the nations and the peoples see such virtues and powers (in Antichrist,), all will have one thought – to pronounce him ruler, saying to each other: “Will another man so good and so truthful be found?’” (St. Ephraim the Syrian).

End of part 6

To be continued