My child, know that in the last days, as the Apostle says, perilous times will come (2 Tim. 3:1-7). And so, due to the decline of piety, heresies and schisms will spread within the Church, and then, as the Holy Fathers predicted, there will be no experienced and skilled in spiritual warfare on the thrones of the bishops or in the monasteries. Therefore, heresies will spread everywhere and deceive many. The enemy of mankind will act cunningly to tempt even the elect to heresy (Matt. 24:24). He will not blatantly reject the dogmas of the Holy Trinity, the Divinity of Jesus Christ, or the Theotokos, but will quietly distort the teachings of the Church, its very spirit and statutes, as transmitted by the Holy Fathers and the Holy Spirit. These enemy's wiles will be noticed only by a few, the most skilled in the spiritual life.
Heretics will seize power over the Church, installing their servants everywhere, and piety will be neglected. But the Lord will not leave His servants defenseless and ignorant. He said, "By their fruits you will know them" (Matthew 7:16). So, too, try to distinguish heretics from true shepherds by their actions. They are spiritual thieves, plundering the spiritual flock, and they will enter the sheepfold—the Church— "climbing up some other way ," as the Lord said—that is, they will enter by unlawful means, using violence and trampling on God's statutes. The Lord calls them robbers (John 10:1). Indeed, their first step will be the persecution of true shepherds, their imprisonment, their exile, for without this they cannot plunder the sheep.
Therefore, my son, when you see the destruction of the Divine Order of the Church, the patristic Tradition, and the order established by God, know that heretics have already appeared, though they may at times conceal their impiety and will distort the faith unnoticed, in order to further their advance, deceiving and ensnaring the inexperienced. Persecution will be not only against pastors but against all servants of God, for the demon that guides heresy cannot tolerate piety.
Recognize these wolves in sheep's clothing by their prideful nature, lust for pleasure, and lust for power: they will be slanderers and traitors, sowing discord and malice. True servants of God are humble, brotherly, and obedient to the Church. Monastics will be greatly oppressed by heretics, and monastic life will then be reviled: monasteries will become depleted, the number of monks will dwindle, and those who remain will suffer violence. However, those who hate monastic life, possessing only a semblance of piety, will try to win monks over to their side, promising them protection and worldly blessings, threatening the disobedient with exile. These threats will then cause great despondency among the faint-hearted, but you, my son, if you live to see that time, rejoice, for then those who truly believe, but who have not shown other virtues, will receive crowns for simply standing in faith, according to the word of the Lord: “Whoever confesses Me before men, I will also confess before My Father in Heaven” (Matthew 10:32).
Fear the Lord God, my son, fear losing the crown you have prepared for yourself, fear being torn from Christ into outer darkness and eternal torment. Stand firm in the Orthodox faith and, if necessary, joyfully endure exile and other sorrows, for the Lord and the holy Martyrs and Confessors will be with you: they will joyfully behold your struggle. But woe in those days will befall those monks who have acquired property and wealth and, for the love of peace, are willing to submit to heretics. They will lull their consciences, saying, "If we protect and save the monastery, the Lord will forgive us . "
The unfortunate and blinded do not consider that a demon will enter a monastery with heresy, and it will then no longer be a holy monastery, but mere walls from which grace will retreat. But God is stronger than the enemy and will never abandon His servants. And true monasteries will endure until the end of time, only they will choose deserted and solitary places for this purpose. Do not fear sorrows, but fear pernicious heresy, for it will strip a person of grace and separate him from Christ. Therefore, the Lord commanded that a heretic be considered a pagan and a publican (Matthew 18:17).
So, my son, be strengthened by the grace of Jesus Christ, joyfully hasten to the feats of confession, and endure suffering as a good soldier of Jesus Christ (2 Tim. 1-3), who said : "Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life" (Rev. 2:10). To Him, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, be Honor, Glory, and Dominion forever and ever.
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Prophecies of St. Seraphim of Sarov, St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov), and other Fathers about the Antichrist and the fate of Russia
Prophecies of Saint Seraphim of Sarov
The text of the prophecies of St. Seraphim, recorded from his words by the “servant of the Mother of God and Seraphim” N.L. Motovilov and transmitted by him to S.A. Nilus (from the archive of Father Pavel Florensky):
"More than half a century will pass. Then the wicked will lift up their heads. This will certainly happen. The Lord, seeing the unrepentant wickedness of their hearts, will allow their undertakings for a short time, but their affliction will return to their own heads, and the iniquity of their pernicious plans will descend upon them.
There will one day be a Tsar who will glorify me, after which there will be great turmoil in Rus', much blood will flow because of those who rebel against this Tsar and the Autocracy, but God will exalt the Tsar...
To me, wretched Seraphim, the Lord revealed that great calamities would befall the Russian land. The Orthodox faith would be trampled upon, the bishops of the Church of God and other clergy would apostatize from the purity of Orthodoxy, and for this the Lord would punish them severely. I, wretched Seraphim, prayed for three days and three nights to the Lord that He would deprive me of the Kingdom of Heaven and have mercy on them. But the Lord answered, "I will not have mercy on them: for they teach the doctrines of men, and with their lips they honor Me, but their heart is far from Me."
Any desire to change the rules and teachings of the Holy Church is heresy... blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which will never be forgiven. The bishops and clergy of the Russian land will follow this path, and the wrath of God will strike them down...
Before the birth of the Antichrist, a great, protracted war and a terrible revolution will occur in Russia... The death of many people faithful to the Fatherland will occur, the plundering of church property and monasteries; the desecration of the Lord's churches; the destruction and plunder of the wealth of good people; rivers of Russian blood will be shed.
Then the time will come when, under the pretext of ecclesiastical and Christian progress, to please the demands of this world, they will change and distort the dogmas (teachings) and statutes of the Holy Church, forgetting that they have their origin from the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, who taught and gave instructions to His disciples, the Holy Apostles, about the creation of the Church of Christ and its rules, and commanded them: “Go and teach all nations what I have commanded you.”
From here, the rules and traditions of the Holy Apostles have been preserved to this day, which were explained and finally confirmed once and for all by their Holy Successors - the Holy Fathers, guided by the Holy Spirit at the seven Ecumenical Councils.
Woe to him who adds or subtracts a single word; our faith is without blemish; woe to him who dares to introduce any changes into the Divine Services and statutes of that Church which is the "Pillar and Ground of Truth" and of which the Savior Himself said that even the gates of hell shall not prevail against it...
But the Lord will not be completely angry and will not allow the Russian land to be completely destroyed... I, poor Seraphim, am destined by the Lord to live for well over a hundred years. But since by that time the Russian bishops will have become so impious that their impiety will surpass that of the Greek bishops during the time of Theodosius the Younger, so that they will not even believe in the most important dogma of the Christian Faith—the Resurrection of Christ and the general resurrection—it has therefore pleased the Lord God to take me, poor Seraphim, from this premature life for the time being and then resurrect me for the confirmation of the dogma of the Resurrection. And my resurrection will be like the resurrection of the seven youths in the Okhlon cave during the time of Theodosius the Younger. After my resurrection, I will move from Sarov to Diveyevo, where I will preach universal repentance...
This sermon will be officially announced to all people, not only Russian, but also universal, for the complete knowledge...
Before the end of time, Russia will merge into one great sea with other Slavic lands and tribes. It will form one sea, or that vast universal ocean of nations, of which the Lord God has spoken from ancient times through the lips of all the saints: "The terrible and invincible kingdom of all Russia, all Slavs—Gog Magog, before whom all nations will tremble." And all this, all is true... When the Russian Empire receives one hundred and eighty million for its own possession, the appearance of the Antichrist must be expected.
The Antichrist will be born in Russia between St. Petersburg and Moscow, in that great city which, after the unification of all the Slavic tribes with Russia, will be the second capital of the Russian kingdom and will be called “Moscow-Petrograd,” or “City of the end,” as the Lord the Holy Spirit, who foresees everything from afar, calls it.
Before the appearance of the Antichrist, the Eighth Ecumenical Council of all Churches must take place...
The spirit of darkness promises the establishment of paradise on earth... Among the Slavs and Russians, a true antichrist-demon-man will be born, the son of the harlot's wife of Dan's generation...
But someone from the Russians, having lived to see the birth of the Antichrist, like Simeon the God-Receiver, who blessed the Child Jesus and announced His birth to the world, will curse the born Antichrist and announce to the world that he is the true Antichrist.
The selection of quotes is published from the book: Prophecies about the Antichrist and the Fate of Russia. Moscow, 1997. pp. 35-36; Also see: Russia before the Second Coming. Moscow, 1998. Vol. 2. pp. 549-550; The Antichrist and Russia // Literary Studies, v. 1. 1991. pp. 133-134.
It should be noted that St. Seraphim of Sarov identifies Russia of the end times with the biblical "Gog" and "Magogog", whose invasion will shake the world on the eve of the reign of the Antichrist. Thus, in the book of the prophet Ezekiel (Ezek. 38-39), "Gog of the land of Magog" is the "supreme prince" who is the leader of the peoples of Rosh (Rosa), Meshech (Moschus) and Tubal (Tubal) in the land of Magog - "a great gathering of hordes" that "from the farthest north" will invade the promised land "in the last days... like a whirlwind" (Ezek. 39). And in the Apocalypse it is said about Gog and Magog: "And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be loosed from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, and to gather them together to battle; “Their number is like the sand of the sea” (Rev. 20:7).
Some religious thinkers have long attributed the names Meshech (Mosch) and Rosh (Rosh), mentioned in Holy Scripture, to Moscow and Russia, while Magog refers to the Mongols and the yellow, Asian race. This interpretation became firmly entrenched in Orthodox eschatological thought, especially after the Russian Revolution of 1917. Many holy elders associated the anti-Christian communist state of the USSR, which emerged on the site of the former Orthodox Russia, with these apocalyptic names, whose bearers would play an important role in preparing the reign of the Antichrist.
Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov)
Besides St. Seraphim of Sarov, the outstanding Russian theologian and ascetic, St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov), also predicted in the 19th century that the Antichrist would appear in Russia. In his prophecy about the Antichrist dated October 26, 1861, the saint wrote: “Our people can and must become the instrument of the genius of geniuses [the Antichrist], who will finally realize the idea of a worldwide monarchy, which many have already attempted to fulfill” [See: Prophecies about the Antichrist and the Fate of Russia. – Moscow, 1997. P. 45; Also: Collected Letters of St. Ignatius Brianchaninov, Bishop of the Caucasus and Black Sea. Moscow-St. Petersburg, 1995. P. 27; Also: Complete Works of St. Ignatius Brianchaninov. – M.: Palomnik, 2002. T. 4. P. 536-537].
In other teachings, Saint Ignatius writes about the Antichrist: "The world seems to have unanimously rushed to meet some special person, a genius, a magnificent, triumphant meeting. This is obvious. The person will be so disguised that the masses will recognize him as the Messiah... A path is being prepared, a mental path, for the entry of the action of flattery (see 2 Thessalonians 2:11) into minds and hearts" [Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov. Letters to Monastics. Letter 41, May 18, 1861].
"Those who are led by the spirit of the Antichrist reject Christ, have accepted the Antichrist in their spirit, entered into communion with him, submitted to him, and worshiped him in spirit, acknowledging him as their god. For this reason, God will send, that is, permit them to act deceitfully, so that they may believe a lie, so that all who did not believe the truth but took pleasure in unrighteousness may receive judgment. In His permission, God is just. This permission will be a satisfaction, at the same time a rebuke and judgment for the human spirit... In the very mood of the human spirit, a demand will arise, an invitation to the Antichrist, a sympathy for him, just as in a state of severe illness a thirst for a deadly drink arises. The invitation is pronounced! "A calling voice is heard in human society, expressing the urgent need for a genius among geniuses, who would elevate material development and success to the highest level, who would establish on earth that prosperity in which paradise and heaven become superfluous for man. The Antichrist will be a logical, just, natural consequence of the general moral and spiritual direction of people" [Conversation on Monday of the 29th week. On miracles and signs // Complete collection of works of Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov. - M.: Palomnik, 2002. Vol. 4. Pp. 299-300].
Konstantin Leontiev
In addition to St. Seraphim of Sarov and St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov), the outstanding Russian Orthodox thinker K.N. Leontiev also predicted the appearance of the Antichrist in Russia at the end of the 19th century:
"In some half a century, no more, the Russian people will gradually, without even noticing it, transform from a "God-bearing" people into a "God-fighting people," perhaps even faster than any other people. For, indeed, they are capable of going to extremes in everything... The Jews were, in their time, a chosen people much more than we are, for they were then alone in the whole world who believed in the One God, and yet, they crucified Christ, the Son of God, when He came down to earth among them... Russian society, already quite egalitarian in its habits, will rush even faster than any other along the mortal path of universal confusion, and—who knows? – like the Jews, who did not expect that a Teacher of the New Faith would emerge from their depths, – and we, unexpectedly, in about 100 years, from our state depths, first classless, and then churchless or already weakly churchly, – will give birth to that very Antichrist, about whom Bishop Theophan speaks together with other spiritual writers” [Leontiev K.N. Over Pazukhin’s grave. 1891. // K.N. Leontiev. East, Russia and Slavdom. Moscow, 1996. Pp. 678-685].
Hierarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia and former catacomb dwellers
In this context, it is important to remember the warnings of Saint Averky (Taushev) that "the Antichrist will use Gospel sayings in cases where he needs them and even impose church-canonical sanctions on those who disobey him, classifying this or that action of theirs as a crime, as a violation of certain church-canonical rules" [Archbishop Averky (Taushev). Modernity in the Light of the Word of God. Words and Speeches. Vol. 4. P. 289].
We should also remember the warnings of the last legitimate First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, the elder Metropolitan Vitaly (Ustinov, 1910-2006), of blessed memory, regarding the supposed changes that have come to pass in modern Russia: “For some reason, we here simply cannot understand that the Communist Party, having donned the toga of democrats, has remained the same Communist Party (like wolves in sheep’s clothing), with which the Moscow Patriarchate goes hand in hand… It is impossible to negotiate with the godless government that holds a raised sword over your head. You must go either to the catacombs or to a glorious martyr’s death! There is no other way out. Every agreement that is made under a raised sword is a fall. And a fall will certainly follow… This means conspiring with Satan! It is impossible to negotiate with Satan; it is hopeless” [Metropolitan Vitaly. On the Moscow Patriarchate].
It is also important to understand that the false prophecies spread over the past 20 years within the "Whornet Church"—the Moscow Patriarchate—that the Antichrist will supposedly be unable to set foot on Russian soil until the Second Coming of Christ, since he will be confronted in Russia by an "Orthodox Tsar," do not correspond to patristic teaching and are chiliastic and heretical in nature. Moreover, such exalted forgeries have been deliberately created in recent times to lull the vigilance of Orthodox Russians and to deceive even the elect (Matthew 24:24), i.e., Orthodox Christians. On this matter, Holy Scripture clearly states: "Put not your trust in princes, nor in the sons of men, in whom there is no salvation" (Psalm 146:3). That is precisely why the claim that modern Russia (which ranks first in the world in abortions, alcoholism, drug addiction, prostitution, as well as corruption and crime) and its neo-Soviet authorities (who persecute true Orthodox Christians, restore the Soviet legacy of the godless USSR, and have been robbing their own people for over 20 years) are "restraining global evil" is nothing more than heresy, contradicting the Orthodox patristic teaching on the end times and the Antichrist. As for the "Russian Kingdom," which supposedly the "gates of hell" will not prevail against, Scripture clearly speaks not of a state entity or an earthly king, but of the True Church of Christ, which even during the period of Antichrist's persecution will be preserved in the catacombs by the Holy Spirit: "I will build My Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:18). It should also not be forgotten that God-fighting Bolshevism was born and triumphed precisely in Orthodox Russia, transforming it into the atheistic USSR and spreading its pernicious, antichristian influence across half the globe, turning a God-bearing people into a God-fighting people, as Konstantin Leontiev predicted. If such a degeneration could occur in the Orthodox Russian Empire, should modern Russia, which considers itself the "legal successor to the USSR," be deceived? For those Orthodox Christians who rejected the union with the Soviet Church (MP) between 2001 and 2007, this should be obvious.
Regarding the chiliastic expectations of many contemporary Russian Orthodox patriotic figures, it would be useful to recall the words of the prominent theologian and saint of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, Archbishop Averky (Taushev): "What's most frightening is that those who hold this attitude, contrary to the teachings of the Church (except for the ringleaders and ringleaders of this heresy, who understand perfectly well what they are doing, where they are going, and where they are leading others), sometimes don't even realize that they are participating not in the establishment of the Kingdom of God on earth, but in the preparation of the Kingdom of the Antichrist. After all, according to the prophecy of a number of Holy Fathers, the idea of establishing a prosperous and peaceful life on earth... will be seduced by none other than the Antichrist and attract their sympathies. So, this is who these modern heretics—the neo-chiliasts—ultimately serve!"
Some Orthodox thinkers believed that the view of the Antichrist as an exclusively Israeli ruler, physically enthroned in the restored Temple in Jerusalem, was not universally accepted within the Orthodox Church, and that the "temple of God" (2 Thessalonians 2:4) should be understood not only as the physical Temple of Jerusalem, but also, figuratively, as the Christian Church as such—that part of it that would degenerate into the "Church of the Evil Ones." In this regard, the prophecies of St. Seraphim of Sarov and St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov) that the Antichrist could be born and come to power in Russia, which had renounced true Orthodoxy (or rather, in the territory of the revived pre-apocalyptic red beast of the USSR—"Gog and Magog")—become especially relevant.
Archbishop Lazar (Zhurbenko), bishop of the Catacomb Church persecuted in the USSR, warned his flock that "the Antichrist cannot come until the wounds of the beast are healed." By this "beast," following many holy New Martyrs, he meant the anti-Christian, God-fighting USSR, which arose on the site of the once Orthodox Holy Rus'. And by the "wounds of the beast" he meant the disintegration of the USSR into fragments ("wounds"), which the disguised God-fighters would inevitably attempt to "heal," under the guise of a pseudo-Orthodox revival.
Bishop Lazar repeatedly pointed out that Scripture does not specify in which country the Antichrist will appear, but it does say that he will attempt to deceive even the elect (Matthew 24:24). After all, the prefix "anti" in the word "antichrist" is translated from Greek not only as "against" but also as "instead." That is, "substitution." Therefore, according to Schema-Archbishop Lazar, the Antichrist is a substitution, an external counterfeit of Christ. This counterfeit is now being observed in the once Holy Rus': the True Church is being replaced by a False Church, the historical Orthodox statehood by a false statehood, the Orthodox monarchy by a false monarchy... Considering that today the governments of all countries of the world, including... and the Russian Federation, are controlled by representatives of the "tribe of Dan", then the appearance of the Antichrist can occur in any of these countries, especially where he will need to carry out a counterfeit in order to deceive even the elect (Matthew 24:24).
Nowadays, counterfeit Orthodoxy is becoming more dangerous than outright heresy and atheism. It's difficult to seduce an Orthodox Christian with heresy (and even more so with atheism), but counterfeit Orthodoxy, an imitation of it, not only seduces vast masses of people today but also leads them away from true Orthodoxy, and therefore, from salvation.
It is the deep conviction of Schema-Archbishop Lazar that only a complete rejection of the Soviet godless legacy, its ideas, symbols, bearers and leaders, sincere repentance and the conversion of the Russian people to true Orthodoxy and the True Orthodox Church can prevent the fulfillment of the terrible prophecies about the appearance of the Antichrist in Russia, which has long ceased to be Orthodox.
On this matter, the holy righteous Father John of Kronstadt warned: "If the Russian people do not repent, the end of the world is near."
Archbishop Averky (Taushev) also wrote: "As the Holy Church teaches, the time of the Antichrist's appearance depends, in essence, on us ourselves. If we have true repentance, a change in our lives, and a conversion to God, it will be delayed by God. And our Holy Rus' can still be resurrected and reborn to new life, but again, if such repentance is shown by the Russian people, even if only for an apocalyptic half-hour..." [Archbishop Averky (Taushev). Modernity in the Light of the Word of God. Vol. III. P. 126].
Opinions of different people
Here is what Hieromonk Seraphim (Rose), of blessed memory, wrote regarding the hopes for the revival of Orthodox Russia: “The entire future depends on us: if we are reborn to the true Orthodox life, then Holy Rus' will be restored; if not, then the Lord can take back His promises… Just as Nineveh was pardoned after the people repented, and Jonah’s prophecy about its destruction thus did not come true, so the prophecies about the restoration of Holy Rus' may not come true if the Russian people do not repent… The resurrection of Holy Rus' depends on the efforts of each individual soul; it cannot take place without the participation of Orthodox people – our common repentance and our internal, and not just external, feat” [Hieromonk Seraphim (Rose). The Future of Russia and the End of the World. 1981].
Orthodox thinker Vladimir Moss writes about contemporary events:
"At the beginning of the 21st century, we are witnessing a gradual, voluntary return to Sovietism... What is common to all these attitudes toward Soviet power is a refusal to see its real, satanic essence and, consequently, a refusal to repent of the sin of collaborating with it... The axiom of Orthodox spirituality is that the only path from evil to good is through repentance. Deeds without repentance do not save, for repentance is the first fruit of faith, the first act of a truly Christian conscience... Few Orthodox Christians would dispute that the fall of the Orthodox empire in 1917 and its replacement by the Soviet anti-empire was a terrible tragedy, a terrible sin weighing on the collective conscience of the people. However, many argue that this sin can be—or has already been—washed away not by repentance, but through patriotism or suffering, or simply the passage of time.
But time destroys only material, not spiritual, realities, and patriotism that is not formed or does not serve the higher patriotism of the Heavenly Kingdom is nothing more than another form of idolatry. As for suffering, if it is not accompanied by faith and repentance, as was the case with the good thief, it only leads further into hell...
The sin that must be repented of is the sin of actively supporting or passively acquiescing in the substitution of Satan's authority for that established by God. Today, more than 80 years after the onset of this tragedy, the Russian people as a whole—with the significant exception of the Catacomb or True Orthodox Church—have not repented of this sin. Neither the persecutions of the 1920s and 1930s, nor the wars of the 1940s, nor the Cold War of the 1950s-1980s, nor the relative freedom of the 1990s brought people to the realization of what they had done. This is why the people's suffering continues, without any clear sign of future relief.
"A revival is still possible... But this will only happen if the lessons of the past 80 years are learned, and the mirage of an "Orthodox empire," founded not on true faith and repentance, but on pride and self-aggrandizement, is forever and completely rejected. Regarding such pseudo-empires and anti-empires, we must earnestly pray to God: "Let not the seat of the destroyers, who devise violence contrary to the law, be near You" (Psalm 93:20)" [V. Moss. Empire and Anti-Empire.]
In this regard, one cannot but agree with the explanations of the Confessor Fathers of the Catacomb Church. In the work "Essays on the Catacomb Church," the following explanation is given by the Holy New Martyrs:
"A great sin lulls the conscience of people, especially believers, with preaching about the IRRELEVANCE OF THE PEOPLE for the blood shed in the revolution, for betrayal of the Lord God, the Church, and the Motherland. Such preaching is a lie. The Old Churchmen admit their guilt before God and pray that the Lord will send prophets who, as in ancient Israel, would not lull people with references to the deception of rulers or circumstances, but would firmly tell the people that there will be no salvation until they return to the path of the "God of their fathers." Those who seek "the kingdom of God and His righteousness" are granted, without their efforts, a "Christian state," and those who seek "the rest" are given the Soviets. If we beg the Lord for the prophets of truth and listen to them, we will receive a "respite"; if we do not listen, we will strengthen the existing order."
In addition to St. Seraphim of Sarov, St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov), and the Righteous John of Kronstadt, the Venerable Elder Ambrose of Optina also warned: "If in Russia, due to disdain for the Commandments of God and the weakening of the rules and regulations of the Orthodox Church, and for other reasons, piety becomes scarce, then the final fulfillment of what is said in the Apocalypse of John the Theologian must inevitably follow" [Prophecies about the Antichrist and the Fate of Russia. - M., 1997. P. 46].
Another elder, Schema-Hieromonk Aristocles of Athos, wrote:
"We are now living through the time before the Last Judgment. God's judgment of the living has begun, and there will be no country on earth, no person untouched by it. It began with Russia, and then..."
Only repentance through suffering will save Russia. All of Russia will become a prison, and we must continually beseech the Lord for forgiveness. Repent of our sins and fear even the slightest sin, but strive to do good, even the smallest. After all, even a fly's wing has weight, but God's scales are precise. And when the smallest goodness weighs in, then God will show His mercy on Russia...
But first God will take away all the leaders, so that the Russian people will look only to Him...
"The end will come through China. Some kind of unusual explosion will occur, and a miracle of God will appear. And life on earth will be completely different, but not for very long" [Prophecies about the Antichrist and the Fate of Russia. – Moscow, 1997. Pp. 46-47].
Hieromonk Seraphim (Vyritsky):
" If the Russian people do not repent, it may happen that brother will rise against brother again. The time will come when not persecution, but money and the delights of this world will turn people away from God, and far more souls will perish than during the time of open atheism. On the one hand, crosses will be erected and domes gilded, but on the other, a reign of lies and evil will dawn ."
Let us remember these prophetic warnings, refraining from participating in the apostate processes of "healing the wounds" of the red beast of the USSR, which is now being restored by yesterday's God-fighters under the false guise of an imitated "Orthodox Russia," and from participating in the fratricidal confrontation between fraternal Orthodox peoples, fueled by anti-Christian forces on both sides—East and West. A true Orthodox Christian cannot "fight on the side of one devil against another, on the side of Babylon against Egypt, or on the side of Egypt against Babylon" [V. Moss. Empire and Anti-Empire.]
This is precisely why Orthodox Christians must refrain from participating in these processes, which bear the stamp of apostasy: "Apostasy is permitted by God; do not attempt to stop it with your feeble hand. Remove yourself, fence yourself off from it, and that is enough for you" [St. Ignatius Brianchaninov].
One must spiritually protect oneself from any influence or participation in apostate events, not being deceived or succumbing to the false, momentary political passions and elements of "this world." "My joy, I beseech you, acquire a peaceful spirit!" taught St. Seraphim of Sarov. According to the saint, this means "bringing oneself to such a state that our spirit is not disturbed by anything. One must be like a dead person, or completely deaf or blind, during all the sorrows, slanders, reproaches, and persecutions that inevitably come to all who wish to follow the saving paths of Christ. For through many sorrows we must enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Thus were all the righteous saved and inherited the Kingdom of Heaven, and before Him all the glory of this world is as nothing; "All worldly pleasures and shadows lack what is prepared for those who love God in the heavenly abodes—there lies eternal joy and triumph. In order to give our spirit the freedom to ascend there and be nourished by the sweetest conversation with the Lord, we must humble ourselves with unceasing vigilance, prayer, and remembrance of the Lord" [Teachings and Prophecies of St. Seraphim of Sarov].
And most importantly: as Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk explained, it is important to remember that “the closer the world gets to the end, the more true love becomes scarce, and with love, true piety diminishes, while hypocrisy and lies increase” [Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk. On True Christianity. Book 1, Part 1, Art. 1, Chapter 2, Item 80].
P.S.: It is noteworthy that not only members of the True Orthodox Church and the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, but recently even some followers of the Moscow Patriarchate, have increasingly begun to pay attention to the prophetic warnings of St. Seraphim of Sarov and St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov). Thus, Professor A. Osipov writes: “There is a prophecy of St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov) that is directly relevant to Russia, to our people. It reads: ‘Our people can and must become the instrument of the genius of geniuses (the Antichrist), who will finally realize the idea of a universal monarchy.’” A serious warning, lest we be deceived by the tsar who will certainly come and for whom many long, ignoring the processes taking place in the life of our society. After all, we have now been given complete freedom to believe and live according to the Orthodox faith: monasteries and churches are open—pray and be saved. But are we living?! No, we are waiting for an earthly king, forgetting that “the Kingdom of God is within us” (See >>> ).
Maxim Stepanenko, a former representative of the Missionary Department of the Tomsk Diocese of the Moscow Patriarchate, dismissed by diocesan authorities for denouncing immorality and unbelief in post-Soviet Russian society, also writes about those who blindly extol the modern Russian Federation and refuse to acknowledge its grave spiritual ills:
"America was not originally a faithful wife to Christ, for the majority of its population are sectarians and heretics. But Russia was a faithful wife to Christ for 1,000 years, then betrayed him, and now betrays and fornicates! Less than 0.5% of the population attends church in Russia on Sundays. More than 90% of women and men are murderers (this refers to abortions)."
It will not be surprising if the Antichrist reigns in Russia, and many will perhaps shout to him: “Hosanna!..” After all, everyone will be sure that the Antichrist will reign in the USA or Italy, or in Israel, but not in “holy” Rus'...
For whose sake will the Antichrist come? To deceive the elect: “For false Christs and false prophets will arise and perform signs and wonders, so that, if possible, they will deceive even the elect” (Mark 13:22).
Who are the chosen ones? Orthodox Christians. Where are the most Orthodox Christians? In Russia.
Where are icons most venerated? In Russia. Meanwhile, the chosen ones will be tempted by a "miraculous" icon: "And he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image (i.e., an icon – MS note) of the beast who had the wound by the sword and lived. And he was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast would both speak and cause everyone who would not worship the image of the beast to be killed" (Rev. 13:14-15).
Where is the "Holy Fire" most revered? In Russia. Meanwhile, the chosen ones will be tempted by fire from heaven: "...and he performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men" (Rev. 13:13).
Where are the most Pharisees, who consider themselves better than American tax collectors? In Russia. Where else do the inhabitants of a country mired in unbelief, lack of faith, murder, and sin proudly call their Fatherland "holy"? Only in Russia. Where do they most yearn for a tsar, considering him an indispensable attribute of a "proper" Orthodox state? In Russia.
Only in Russia are there so many favorable conditions for the coming and reign of the Antichrist…”
ARCHIMANDRITE CONSTANTINE ZAITSEV ON THE EMERGENCE OF A "CHRISTIANIZED" DISGUISED COMMUNISM
Archimandrite Constantine Zaitsev of Jordanville on how "Communism will purposely shift to embracing religion":
"The Antichrist spirit is victoriously entrenching itself, and it is namely in this new 'climate' that 'orthodox' communism is growing old and in general all 'dark powers' are losing their individual significance. The antichrist structure is being erected openly -- and this is being done purposely under the customary tokens: it is a substitution, a falsification which is taking place at full speed and in all possible directions. To this spirit Communism is adjusting itself, purposely concealing its bestial repulsiveness..."
"... in its enticement, it enchants not only those who, taking the path of the evil ones, willingly succumb to this enchantment - but also those who are ready to run towards any tiny flame of apparent Orthodoxy which betokens to them. They do not take account of how deceitful evil can be, outflanking people 'from the right'... there is another chain of phenomena manifesting an initial evolution of Communism in the direction of 'religious rebirth' ... the Soviet intelligentsia [are] ready to religiously realize their social ideas... They (the leaders of the Kremlin) are wise enough to know that if they can win the minds of men through impressive scientific achievements, they may win the souls of men by a gradual transition from atheistic Communism to agnostic Communism. All such manifestations of religiousness are far removed from Christ; moreover, they are inimical to Him... it is a transitory stage of the growing apostasy which is already submerging 'historical' Communism into the bygone past. Let us note that the most advanced religious thought of the West is beginning to understand Communism in such a manner. It is already not content with a tactical acceptance of the principle of 'co-existence', but it is prepared to invest communism with a positive religious purpose..."