Part 5

APOSTASY AND ANTICHRIST ACCORDING TO THE HOLY FATHERS OF THE CHURCH

THE EPOCH OF ANTICHRIST

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

The entire life and activity of Antichrist can be viewed in three periods:

THE FIRST PERIOD of Antichrist, from the day of his birth to the moment of his debut will pass in obscurity.  St. John Damascene says that, “Antichrist will be raised secretly”.

THE SECOND PERIOD of the life of Antichrist will be opened with his conspicuous entry into the role of universal teacher or “prophet”.  It is very possible that he will begin his activity under the conditions of a world war, when man, having endured all the horrors of it, will not see any way out of his calamitous blind alley, because all the means for the resolution of it will be in the hands of a secret society co-acting with Antichrist.  He will offer a plan for the successful resolution of the world crisis, based on social and political wisdom – the establishing of a uniform political and social structure over the whole world.

Having wearied of the agitation of war and crime, mankind, being spiritually blind, will not recognize this project as a cunning snare luring it into the most merciless, continued slavery.  To the contrary, man will hail Antichrist’s manifestations of great erudition, wisdom and genius.

Worldwide publicity of Antichrist as a genius thinker, a new leader and a saviour of all people will flash throughout all nations in the shortest period of time.  “Evil spirits dispersed over the universe will excite in men a universal, most exalted opinion of Antichrist; a general rapture and irresistible attraction to him,” says St. Ephraim the Syrian.  [These predictions were made long before TV and the Internet.]

During this period of his activity, Antichrist will not use any violent methods but will strive to win the confidence and affection of people by means of deceit and a hypocritical, theatrical mask of virtue. [Such predictions are very believable in view of the kind of deceit and gullibility that holds sway over our society at election times.]  He will, says Vladimire Soloviev, “throw a shining cover of good and truth over the mystery of iniquity.”  St. Ephraim states that he will come “in such a manner as to deceive all.  He will appear humble, meek, a hater (as he will say himself) of unrighteousness, shunning idols, showing a preference to piety, good, a lover of the poor, beautiful to the extreme, steadfast, affable to all and especially esteeming the Jewish people because the Jews will be awaiting their Messiah…He will take cunning measures to please everyone in order that the people will quickly come to love him; he will not accept gifts nor speak in anger nor show a gloomy appearance but with a decent exterior he will set about deceiving the world, until he is enthroned.”

From the richest ascetic experience of our great spiritual athletes, it is known to us that when the dark demon cannot vanquish the spiritual athlete, encountering his steadfast resistance, a more powerful devil comes in the image of “an angel of light” (2 Cor. 11:14).    This “angel of light” strives to instill sympathy and confidence towards himself into the spiritual athlete, thus luring him to his destruction.  Therefore, we are able to conceive how easily and quickly the radiant image of Antichrist will be able to attract general sympathy. 

The result of this deceit will be that, from mankind, there “will arise a demand for an invitation to Antichrist.  A voice of appeal will issue forth in human society, expressing the urgent need for a ‘genius of geniuses’, who would elevate material development and progress to a higher plane and bring about prosperity on earth” (Bishop Ignaty Brianchaninov).

The hypocrisy of Antichrist during this period will go so far that he will not only demonstrate tolerance toward  Christianity, but will even offer his readiness to patronize it.  Externally, he will strive to imitate Christ.  The majority of Christians, not being guided by the spiritual understanding of the Church, but rather by worldly wisdom, will not see through this deceit and will acknowledge Antichrist to be Christ in His second advent.

The monks of the Solovetsky Monastery have handed down an answer which Saint Zosima gave to his spiritual children who asked him how to recognize Antichrist when he comes.  The holy monk gave this precise reply, “When you hear that the Christ has come to the earth or has appeared on earth, then know that it is Antichrist.”  And this answer is also most precise: “The world of man will not recognize Antichrist; it will acknowledge him to be Christ, it will proclaim him as Christ… But it will be neither necessary nor even possible for men to give a report to each other of the coming of the Son of God.  He will appear suddenly; He will appear in His omnipotence to all men and the whole world at one time” (Bp. Ignaty Brianchaninov).

The Saviour Himself forewarned, “Then if any man shall say to you, ‘Lo here is Christ, or there’; do not believe it… Wherefore if they shall say unto you, ‘behold, he is in the desert’; do not go out: ‘behold, he is in the secret chambers’; do not believe it.  For as the lightning comes out of the east and flashes unto the west, so shall the coming of the Son of man be” (Mat. 24:23-27).

In order to deceive men, Antichrist will show forth many stupefying miracles.  His “coming”, says the Apostle Paul, “is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and false wonders” (2 Thes. 2:9).  And St. Cyril of Jerusalem adds, “Being the father of falsehood, he will deceive the imagination by means of false actions so that the multitude may think that they see a dead man raised who is not raised and lame men walking or blind men seeing when no cure has been wrought” (Catechetical Lectures).

All these measures of Antichrist – his teaching and fame as a genius, his false miracles and his whole hypocritical, theatrical life – will have one goal: to seize in his own hands all the power of the world over all people.  The attaining of popularity amongst the Jews will be the first stage on this road.  Antichrist will make every effort so that the Jews will acknowledge him as their promised Messiah.  He will succeed in completing the organization of the Jewish government and will set about realizing the age-old dream of the Jews – the restoration of the temple of Solomon.  After this “he will be constrained by men and will be proclaimed king and the multitudes of the Jewish people will love him; he will restore Jerusalem and will erect the temple for them” (Synaxarion, Triodion of the Fast).  [This has profound implications for the multitudes of Evangelicals who also anticipate the restoration of Jerusalem and the millennial reign of Christ on earth from Jerusalem.  This doctrine, known as Chiliasm, was condemned as heretical by the Church centuries ago.  It was this very materialistic and earthly kingdom understanding that caused the Jewish nation to reject Christ when he came saying my kingdom is not of this world.]              End of part 5 – to be continued