Who will resist the Antichrist?
PART ONE
The called and the chosen
The question the church fathers were much concerned about, was who would face the terrible temptation of the end times and the Antichrist. Saint Gregory Palamas rightly wonders: "If only hearing and thinking of these situations cause fear, horror and awe in the souls of people and, in fact, while they are portrayed with condescension, who will endure when they actually happen?" [1]. But Saint Ephraim also confesses that the thought of the end times allowed him to feel the natural feeling of fear[2]. And he raises the same question: "Who has such a diamond soul that bravely carries all the scandals?" Who is such a person, as I described before, a man who will be called blessed by all the angels?”[3].
These questions are rhetorical and express admiration for the Christians of the end times who will stand up to the beast. The Fathers who wonder, answer the question themselves. Those who will face the Antichrist in the last days will be people fortified with a spiritual wall, with a steadfast faith, who, as proof of that, will have the Holy Presence of the only begotten Son of God in their souls. They will be people with diamond souls, worthy of the praise of the Angels[4], "holy and pious", with their hearts devoted to God without hesitation. They will fearlessly reject all the questions of the Antichrist, defying his tortures and imaginary monstrosities[5]. They will be men and women of a brave soul, a soul that can hold amid many scandals. A slight heedlessness, and he will easily be besieged and become a prisoner of the false miracles of the Antichrist[6].
It would not be unreasonable to say that all these characterizations are, at the same time, instructions to Christians about the life they must lead to remain steadfast in faith, should they be living in the time of the Antichrist. However, in other parts of their works, the Fathers give more direct and clear instructions on how we should prepare to face the temptations of the end times.
( excerpt from the book
THE TEACHING OF THE FATHERS OF THE CHURCH ABOUT THE ANTICHRIST by Dr Vasilios Tamiolakis
translated by Nikos Angelidis )
[1] Γρηγορίου του Παλαμά, Ομιλία Δ΄, Εις το Ευαγγέλιον της Δευτέρας του Χριστού Παρουσίας και περί ευσπλαχνίας και ευποιίας, Ε.Π.Ε. 9, σελ. 112 και P.G. 151, 48, « Εἰ δὲ καὶ λεγόμενα μόνον, καὶ συγκαταβατικῶς οὕτω λεγόμενα, φρίκης καὶ δέους τὴν ψυχὴν τῶν συνετῶς ἀκουόντων πληροῖ, τίς ὑποίσει τότε τῶν πραγμάτων αὐτῶν τελουμένων; ».
[2] Εφραίμ, Λόγος εις την Παρουσίαν του Κυρίου, σελ. 114, « Ἐγώ, γὰρ, ἀδελφοὶ φιλόχριστοι καὶ τέλειοι, ἐπτοήθην ἐξ αὐτῆς τῆς μνήμης τοῦ Δράκοντος, μελετῶν εἰς ἑαυτὸν τὴν θλῖψιν τὴν μέλλουσαν ἔσεσθαι τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἐν τοῖς καιροῖς ἐκείνοις ».
[3] Εφραίμ, Λόγος εις την Παρουσίαν του Κυρίου, σελ. 114.
[4] Εφραίμ, Λόγος εις την Παρουσίαν του Κυρίου, σελ. 112-4, « Τότε, ἀδελφοί, τίς ἆρα εὑρεθῆ τετειχισμένος καὶ μένων ἀσάλευτος, ἔχων τὸ τεκμήριον ἐν τῇ ψυχῆ, τοῦ μονογενοῦς Υἱοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡμῶν τὴν ἁγίαν παρουσίαν … Τίς ἄρα ἔχων οὕτως ψυχὴν ἀδαμαντίνην… ».
[5] Βλ. Εφραίμ, Λόγος εις την Παρουσίαν του Κυρίου, σελ. 124, « Μακάριος ὁ εὑρεθεὶς πανΆγιος καὶ πάμπιστος, ὁ ἔχων αὑτοῦ τὴν καρδίαν πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν ἀδιστάκτως· ἀφόβως γὰρ ἐκκρούεται τὰς πεύσεις αὐτοῦ πάσας, καταφρονῶν καὶ τῶν βασάνων καὶ τῶν φαντασιῶν αὐτοῦ ».
[6] Βλ. Εφραίμ, Λόγος εις την Παρουσίαν του Κυρίου, σελ. 116, « Γενναίας ἔσται ψυχῆς, δυναμένης συγκρατῆσαι τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ζωὴν ἀναμέσον τῶν σκανδάλων. Ἐὰν γὰρ μικρὸν ὀλιγωρῶν εὑρεθῇ ἄνθρωπος, εὐχερῶς πολιορκεῖται καὶ γίνεται αἰχμάλωτος ἐν σημείοις τοῦ Δράκοντος καὶ πονηροῦ καὶ δολίου. Καὶ ἀσύγγνωστος ὁ τοιοῦτος εὑρίσκεται ἐν τῇ κρίσει. Αὐτοψεὶ γὰρ εὑρίσκεται, ὅτι ἐπίστευσε τῷ τυράννῳ ἑκουσίως ».
