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