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
