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.