" Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first

resurrection: on such the second death hath no

power, but they shall be priests of God and of

Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years ".  

    (Rev. 20:6)

As we see in the Bible about the coming end of the world it is said a lot . And although there is no specified term, a lot of signs or symptoms are given which people need to know the last time approach . Even after the rather superficial ordering these characteristics , we can definitely say that all the signs listed above can't occur simultaneously because they are very different in nature . It is clear that the last 3.5 years of the reign of Antichrist are chronologically later period of general war . But hunger and disease , for example, are always accompanied by wars , because we can assume their chronological coexistence . In other words, the signs given to us as an indication of the approaching finals , you can at least try to build chronologically , to try to see where we live now at this time .

We believe it necessary to pay attention to the image of Revelation , which tells of the opening sequence of seals with a certain book. Removal of each of the seven seals is accompanied by certain events. And when removing the seventh seal out seven trumpeting angels . Consider the image in detail.

  Removal of the first print : "And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer ". (Revelation . 6: 2)

Removing the second print : "another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword". (Revelation . 6: 4)

Removal of the third print : "And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine ". ( Rev.6: 5.6 )

Removing the fourth print : "And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth ". ( Rev.6: 8)

Removal of the fifth print : "And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled. "( Otkr.6: 9-11)

Removal of the sixth print : "And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places "( Otkr.6: 12-14)

Removal of the seventh print : "And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets ". (Revelation . 8 : 1-2)

  Seven angels sounded :

1. The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up. ( Rev.8 : 7)

2. And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood; ( Rev.8 : 8)

3. And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; ( Rev.8: 10)

4. And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise. (Rev.8 : 12)

5. And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. (Revelation 9 : 1)

6. And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, ( Revelation 9 : 13)

7. And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. ( Rev 11: 15).

We can assume that God showed John the Theologian in the form of images of the sequence of events that are directly tied to the end of the story. That is, this cycle is a kind of key to understanding the history of signs listed in the previous chapter.

Figuratively speaking, the seven seals are some seven large (possibly equivalent) periods, while the seven angelic pipes divide the seventh period to seven smaller (possibly equivalent) periods. And so, if we found out that this is true, then in the hands of modern humanity there would have been the similarity of map of future events - and they're quite sad. War, pestilence, wild beasts, famine, the prospect of choosing between starvation and seal of the Antichrist, Armageddon, Judgment Day - it seems so unreal today! In our time of relative prosperity and relative calm it's hard to believe in the reality of the predestined. But this, surprisingly, is also said in Scripture:

"For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape ".

(1 Thess. 5: 3).

  Or another quote:

  "Behold, victuals shall be so good cheap upon earth, that they shall think themselves to be in good case, and even then shall evils grow upon earth, sword, famine, and great confusion. For many of them that dwell upon earth shall perish of famine; and the other, that escape the hunger, shall the sword destroy ". (3 Ezra. 16: 22,23)

  It is appropriate to quote Seraphim Rose, "Indeed, now later than we think. Apocalypse takes place now. And how sad it is to see Christians and young people, the Orthodox youth, which hangs over the heads of an unthinkable tragedy, and who think that they can continue living in these terrible times, what is called "normal life", fully participating in whims of the insane self-seducted generation . Generation which is completely unaware that "fools paradise" in which we live, should collapse soon, is not prepared for those desperate times that await us. "[3]

In Revelation the opening of the first four seals is accompanied by the release of the four horsemen on horses of different colors. What can they mean? It is believed that the image of the horsemen of the Apocalypse in common with the way the horses and chariots of Zechariah (Zechariah. 1: 8-10, 6: 1-3). And as in the Old Testament, as, respectively, and in the book of Revelation, they symbolize various disasters should be on the ground as we approach the end.

However, among the commentators there's an opinion that the first rider symbolizes the Word of God or the spread of the Gospel throughout the world. Such an interpretation could be considered, not whether a white rider had three more satellites. And then they, in turn, without disagreement is defined as disasters: war, famine, and death, respectively. And such a company, you see, is more suited to white rider of the punishment of God.

Image given in the 19th chapter of Revelation, clearly shows how much more majestic is the image of the Word of God, seated on a white horse. Because more than likely, the riders from the sixth chapter of the Apocalypse, as well as events related to the opening of the seals, allegorically represent tragic events in human history. And the image of the first white rider also symbolizes some dramatic events. The only question is What events?

In general, it should be noted that especially in the early interpreters of the Apocalypse in explaining the images there is more symbolism than in the book of Revelation. For example, here is what St. Andrew writes, Archbishop of Caesarea: "Removal of this print and all other some refer to the dispensation of the incarnation of God the Word, the first - to Christmas, the second - to the baptism, the third - to the former divine signs, .. the fourth - to condemnation by Pilate, the fifth - the crucifixion, the sixth - to the position in the coffin and the seventh - to the destruction and captivity of hell "[4]

But all this is followed by a very significant caveat:

"After reading the interpretation of Methodius, we fully agree with his opinion that" there is no need to attribute it to the unborn Christ, "for the mystery of the Incarnation of the Word of God was made ​​many before this revelation."

All the same, it seems reasonable to consider the whole cycle of opening prints as a solid period from time "X" - the beginning of the implementation of a conditional signs - before the second coming of Jesus Christ. And so, our task is not to pick a reasonable interpretation of the secret image, but can search in the history of this conditional moment "X" of starting removing prints from the Sacred book, or, as we have suggested, the commencement of the described in the second chapter of apocalyptic signs.

Prophetic Millennium

  In order to try to see in the history the possible year of the beginning of achievements of predicted events or the time of the opening of the seals, we should pay attention to the prophecy of the thousand-year period in the history of the Church of Christ, referred to the twentieth chapter of Revelation.

This prophecy is conventionally divided into two major conceptual blocks:

1) the binding of Satan for a thousand years, and his appearance for a short time after a specified period of time;

2) The millennial reign of the saints with Christ.

  a) Binding of Satan.

  "And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season ". (Revelation. 20: 1-3)

b) his appearance a short time.

  "And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison". (Revelation. 20: 7)

c) The millennial reign of the saints with Christ.

  "And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years ". (Revelation. 20: 4-6)

d) After appearance of Satan and his destruction.

  "And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death ". (Revelation. 20: 12-14)

  It is important to understand if they say here about two different millennia, or is it one period. Logic dictates that it's about the same period. Satan is bound, and it's the same period of the reign of the saints with Christ. And since the reign of Christ has never ceased, we can understand that we are in the prophecy of St. John the Divine is not a literal kingdom of Christ, which is "not of this world" (John 18:36), and which has never ceased, but it is the reign of the saints with Christ, or some important period in the history of the Christian Church, which is characterized by a period of one thousand years.

Many interpreters of prophecy are deceived thinking that we are talking about some senses, or the actual resurrection of Chosen, and sensory binding of Satan, which hasn't been and never will in the history. The Bible says that Satan and his angels prepared for the fire at the end of human history. Once and for ever, not for a thousand years. As the saying goes, there is only one sense - that is, the actual, not figurative - resurrection of the dead at the end of human history.

Next, we look at why the millennial reign of the saints with Christ sensual, that is, in the form of appearance for a limited period of earthly paradise for Chosen won't be. Now let's say what is in our understanding the millennial reign of the saints with Christ as the thousand-year period the binding of Satan - it's the one same period, the essence of which can't be understood literally. As Satan doesn't bind senses, but it is only an allegory, and there is no resurrection of sensory elected to reign with Christ, it is also an allegory. And it is permitted as follows. In the history of mankind, there is a period when there was a lot of martyrs for Christ, as prophesied:

"Souls of beheaded for the witness of Jesus and for the word of God ..... and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years"

This period is limited in time, and it's not just a long time, but it is a thousand years exactly. This is the period of the New Testament history, which is the most favorable for the Christian Church. That's what allegories say "binding of Satan" and "the reign of the saints with Christ."

The falsity of the doctrine of chiliasm [5]

  The essence of the doctrine of chiliasm ("chiliasmos" - millennium), or the millennial kingdom of Christ is as follows: "long before the end of the world Christ the Savior will come again to the ground, hit the Antichrist, resurrect the righteous and make a new kingdom on earth in which the righteous as a reward for their deeds and suffering will reign with Him a thousand years to continue enjoying all the benefits of a life time. Then the second, the general resurrection of the dead will follow, the general court and universal eternal retribution. "

However, the doctrine of chiliasts was known in two forms. Some said that Christ, when he will make his millennial kingdom, restore Jerusalem in all its glory, again enters the execution of ritual law of Moses with all the victims, and that the happiness of the righteous will be in all sorts of sensual pleasures. So heretic Cerinthus taught in the first century, imbued with false Jewish and Gnostic beliefs, and after him other heretics continued: Ebionites, Montanists, and in the fourth century - the heretic Apollinaris and his followers. Others, however, argued that the blessedness of the righteous during the millennial reign of Christ will be only in the pleasures of the innocent, pure, spiritual, and won't preach nor to resume then Jerusalem, nor the restoration of the ceremonial law of Moses. Such an opinion about millennium for the first time was suggested by Papias, who lived back in the apostolic age; then it was found in Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Hippolytus, Methodius and Lactantius; in later times resumed, with some features, by anabaptists, followers of Schvedenborg and other mystics and the Illuminates. But neither the first nor the last of its kind chiliasm doctrine can't be accepted by Orthodox Christian ... For

  1. In both its forms it is based on the assumption, that the resurrection of the dead will be double: the first thousand years before the end of the world, the resurrection of the righteous; another - before the end of the world, when sinners, and the last judgment and eternal universal retribution will rise. Meanwhile, the Savior with all the clarity taught that there will be only one resurrection of the dead - the universal one, when in the last day, according to his voice, saints and sinners together will rise from their graves and directly take from him the final judgment and the final retribution;

  "And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day ". (Jn. 6: 39.40)

"Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation ". (Jn. 5: 28,29).

  More clearly it's expressed is the Savior's parable of the strong tares, when he said:

  "Let both grow together and the other (ie, wheat and tares) until the harvest; and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn. "

And further:

"He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. . "(Matf.13: 37-43)

  2. In both its forms it allows coming of Christ the Savior to the earth for a thousand years before the end of the world, contrary to the teachings of the Word of God, which preaches only two comings of Christ: the first - destroyed one, when He came to redeem us (Matthew 20:28); and the second - a nice one, close to the end of the world when He will appear to judge the living and the dead. While still on the ground, during his first coming, the Lord said about His Second, the future coming:

  "For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works ". (Matf.16 27).

or:

"When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left ". . (Mt. 25: 31-33)

  3. In its first form is contrary to, in particular, teachings of the Word of God, that in the resurrection they neither marry, not infringe (Matthew 22:30) (Luke. 20: 34-35), that the kingdom of God is not eating and not drinking (Rom 14:17), and that the ceremonial law of Moses, who had only representatively value until the coming of the Savior, He canceled it forever and replaced by the perfect law, the New Testament (Acts 15: 23-30) (Romans 6:14) (Gal 5: 6) (Heb 10: 1), and others.

  4. If the doctrine of chiliasm in its final form, and kept some of the ancient teachers of the Church - Justin, Irenaeus, Methodius; it held only as a private opinion, and not as a dogma, according to the testimony of the same Justin, who notes that he thinks so, along with some, but many Christians of pure and orthodox faith didn't share his beliefs. This fact is no doubt that -

  5. Other teachers of the Church at the same time directly rebelled against the doctrine of chiliast: Kay, presbyter of Rome, St. Dionysius of Alexandria, Origen, Eusebius of Caesarea, Tikhon African, St. Basil the Great, St. Gregory the Theologian, St. Epiphanius, Bl. Jerome, Filastry and Blessed Augustine, - calling teaching chiliasts pure fiction, fables, funny, ridiculous, totally contrary to St. Scripture.

  6. If we could hold the doctrine of chiliasm as private opinion, only as long as Universal Church expressed its voice. But when the Second Ecumenical Council (381) condemning all errors of heretic Apollinaris condemned his teaching about the millennium of Christ and made ​​for the creed of the word of Christ: "His kingdom there shall be no end" - to be held this doctrine, even in as a private opinion is absolutely unpardonable to Orthodox Christian.

  7. In support of his thoughts chiliasts usually indicate the 20th chapter of the Apocalypse, which sets out a vision of St. John the Divine, as an angel, having the keys of hell, came down from heaven, tied and bound the devil into the bottomless pit for a thousand years, as it was then the first resurrection, when Christ's followers came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years, as at the end of a thousand years, Satan will be allowed out of prison ... for a little while, and will deceive nations, and will soon follow the trial of all the dead and resurrected eternal retribution for them and the Devil. but -

a) It is known that the Apocalypse is a prophetic book and deeply mysterious, the meaning of which is exactly not available to us. To interpret literally the prophetic places, if they appear in this form to contradict other Scriptures, direct and clear, id quite contrary to the rules of saint hermeneutics, which prescribes valid in such cases interpret the prophecies in the sense of the mysterious: because God which gave humans revelation can't contradict himself.

b) How to understand the mysterious meaning of the 20th chapter of the Apocalypse, the best interpreters of it, along with St Augustine, shall declare this chapter as follows: the name of the angel who came down from heaven, having the keys of hell, of course messenger of the covenant - the Lord Jesus who came to earth, to his death abolition of the propertied power of death, devil (Hebrews 2:14), to destroy the works of the devil on earth (John 12:31); under the name of connectedness and the conclusion of the devil in prison to say that the Lord by His preaching, His multiple experiments exorcism of the people, and especially by his death, in fact, drove the devil out, tied good (Matthew 12:29), He has stripped his principalities and powers, plagued boldness to shame, beating on the cross (Col. 2:15). Under the name of the millennial kingdom of Christ the whole course indefinite period of time from the beginning of the blessed kingdom of Christ on earth, or in fact ever since, as the Church might be made under Constantine the great triumph and dominant in the world until the end of time - according to the psalmist.

  "He hath remembered his covenant for ever, the word \ that \ commanded to a thousand generations" (Psalm 104: 8) means vaguely all future generations of men before the end of the world. Under the name of the first resurrection is hidden the resurrection of people in spiritual Christianity, which begins in their communication, justification and regeneration, respectively, said: "Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light". (Ephesians 5:14), and ends when souls of true Christians move from the present life, that was for them as it were death, into real life with Jesus Christ. Further, the resolution of the devil out of prison for a short time to deceive nations, is an appearance of Antichrist on the earth shortly before the end of the world. Finally, the court of all the dead come alive and retribution to both them and the devil is universal, the final judgment, and the last retribution. "[5]

  In general, the prophecy of the millennial reign of the saints with Christ had always a variety of interpretations. However, it seems clear to the reader in general are expounded. The question of the "millennial reign revived in the flesh of the righteous" is removed, as has been said, the decision of the Second Ecumenical Council (381) condemned chiliasm.

It remains, however, an open question about the nature of the millennial reign and his physical life. It seems odd, doesn't it, the question of the term of the millennial reign. However, many people believe a thousand years of Revelation is some "indefinite period", which is proposed to calculate any of the reign of Christ, according to His ascension into heaven, or, as we saw earlier, from the time of Constantine the Great (324-337) - from the time as the Church "might be made a triumphant and dominant in the world." This idea is quite attractive. Indeed, the time of the reign of Jesus Christ can be called all His earthly incarnation and more - for ever and ever! But if we try to find in the history of a period of prosperity of the Church, you have to look, really, not until the third century.

Millennial reign of our Lord Jesus Christ on earth [6]

  "Jesus Christ was born the King" (Matthew 2: 1-2). His very name of Christ means Anointed or King. The first word of his teaching was to inform people that to them the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 4:17), that is, come to earth to reign He - the king of the sky. Words reign on the earth, we mean not to wear purple and a crown, by the people, to judge them, reward and punish according to the laws, what guided the kings of the earth; but there is a reign of above it, which commands themselves kings - reign over the souls of men, their minds and will, which judges the thoughts and movements of their heart, rewards and punishes sovereignly and temporal and eternal reward or punishment, has willingly elements of the world, seen and unseen . This is the reign of our Lord Jesus Christ! It began on the legislation set out in his teaching, marked by deeds, that you can only expect from the King of kings, it is firmly established on the ground and etched cross and His resurrection. His earthly kingdom bears the specific name, unlike the names of all the kingdoms of this world; It is the Church, that is connected to the community of believers, or his loyalists. Like every king is the head of his people, and Christ is the head of the Church, which is His body (Ephesians 1:23). Province of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ on earth was first elected in a small circle of his disciples, and then expanded across the face of the earth. Jesus Christ, in His ascension into heaven, though become more invisible to humans, but in the meantime he reigned and reigns over an area of ​​his own, as the King of the heavenly and earthly king. He promised to present himself in the midst of his subjects, and, of course, in order to control his people and to listen to his requests; is His unchanging word:

  "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them". (Mat.18 20)

  But as he is the king not one of any of the people, but of all generations and nations of men, and announced that in the face of all the peoples His Apostles that He would be available to all, not separated from all and, moreover, at any time, in the following words:

   "Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen. "(Mat.28: 20).

  From these words, we conclude that we live in the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ, which continues until the time when the release will be a little while from the bonds of a hostile spirit ....; and it will happen before the end of the world, long before the time when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power (1 Cor. 15:24); then adds the Apostle:

  "For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death ". (1 Cor. 15: 25-26)

  Do you need proof that the Lord Jesus Christ reigns on earth? One has only to read the annals of the Church of Christ, to be sure, in this undeniable truth. How many enemies she was from the original, apparently weak dispensation it! .... And the Church has extended its fertile canopy far above the many kingdoms and nations. Romans armed the whole world against the Church of Christ, led a bloody war against her for three centuries; it seemed she would have to be razed to the ground; Meanwhile, Roman domination and the most pagan Rome fell irrevocably; The Church of Christ is majestic, triumphant and dominant. Not the lesser evil experienced the Holy Church of perfidious their sons. Heresies and schisms resented her peace, intensified darken her purity and holiness. Heresy disappeared gradually as the stinking smoke, and in the midst of darkness opened a vast multitude of proven Christ-lovers, generous defenders of truth and insightful eloquent philosophers and orators, who gave a special clarity, light, beauty, strength and power of the tenets and ordinances of Orthodoxy.

Later centuries, even in our time, human passions, prejudices and freethinking repeatedly raised the banner of revolt against the Church of Christ; All such motions depraved human will find in themselves a decent penalty; and the Church of our Lord Jesus Christ remains stationary as a high rock that hides its majestic brow in the sky, inaccessible, surrounded by lightning and thunder of God, or how branchy and dense tree under whose shade and refuge and rest now almost all the nations of the universe. Who produces such miracles over the fate of the Church of Christ, as not one that Her Head? Whose hands can be strong enough to save her from crushing blows and infernal and human malice, excepted, which prophetically said before the foundation of Her: "And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it "(Mat.16: 18)?

  And if the Lord Jesus Christ kept His Church and to store, manage, and run it, it means that he reigned and reigns. Ap. Paul said:

  "For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living". (Romans 14: 9).

  Don't ask anyone how it could be on the ground when on the ground a lot of wrongs, the vices and all sorts of lawlessness, as it is written somewhere: world lieth in wickedness. (1 Jn. 5:19). - We are responsible for it and drew something on the land of God, human-lover, to destroy the works of darkness, or, as the Scripture has said, the devil (1 John. 3: 8). Let's remember the Lord's answer to the Pharisees said to him the reproach that he should eat and drink with publicans and sinners:

  "But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance ". (Mat.9: 12,13)

  How many of these patients healed in the reign of Jesus Christ on earth to our times! May be objected that if the Lord's kingdom on earth, then why is it less righteous in this world, but sinners more? Doesn't it diminished through this power of Jesus Christ? Does it supply a reason to bewilderment and his reign? The least. If He didn't reign, the whole world would be filled with some sinners. But the reign of the Lord Jesus Christ is that although He calls and wants to make everyone in his kingdom, but accepts only worthy and unworthy unbelievers, reject Him, reserves in the kingdom of darkness...
  "But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his ". (Rom. 8: 9).

  Jesus Christ said:

   "For many are called, but few are chosen". (Matf.22 14)

  The reign of our Lord Jesus Christ performed in miracles amazing and even incomprehensible to the human mind. It is like a beautiful flower, planted in the midst of wild and weedy plants that are overgrown, jostle him, but not as strong or drown, nor take away from it beauty and fragrance; because it is protected by the invisible power of the King, who at times expels those plants and throw them into the burning. It met several times with the vicissitudes of mundane, but always triumphed over them. Sometimes flourished in peace and quiet, sometimes subjected to bloody wars.

In times of persecution, it came to such a state that seemed exhausted, but never lost his inner strength: the infidelity of some of his subjects richly rewarded multiplies the martyrs who made it more glorious and majestic flowering, rather than what it was in the world. St. Ambrose compares the church or kingdom of Christ on earth with the moon, which disappears at times, but it remains non-disappeared; eclipsed it can, but does not disappear. The Kingdom of Christ is the whole people seemed, to be delivered in different places hymns that were sung loudly in honor and praise of God their King and Lord; then resided in solitary cells, in the deserts, mostly in the human heart; because Jesus Christ, and pointed to the important thing is the place of his reign in a few words: "The kingdom of God is within you." (Luke 17:21). He said that it will not come to meet, that is, so that was noticeable to see was he - the King of His kingdom; order and added the following: when they say to you

  "And they shall say to you, See here; or, see there: go not after them, nor follow them. For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day ". (Luke 17: 23-24).

  That is a strong and decisive refutation against all who thought that Jesus Christ would come to earth to reign probably a thousand years before His second coming.
What does it mean that a thousand years, when the Lord's kingdom on earth for over 1,900 years? [written in the beginning of XX century] Obviously, reckoning that not what the numbers show, but means for long life - the number of well-known, full, rounded, which is eating instead of the number of years of the same, but unknown, hidden by the will of God from our knowledge. In St. Scripture multiplicity is often expressed a thousand or thousands; for example, the Lord God says about Himself that

  "And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments". (Deut. 5:10).

  Prophet David, comparing eternity of God with human chronology, said:

  "For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night" (Psalm 90: 4)

  and communication. Apostle reiterated that a thousand years before God as one day and one day is as a thousand years (2 Peter 3: 8). And under the word millennium, we can understand a lot of years, but certain of its value in a prophetic sense, we do not know. For the understanding of our rather know that the end of the free reign of the Church of Christ on earth will be the end of the millennial reign of grace, the Lord Jesus Christ; and this will happen when you are gloomy retreat that rise up in the Church of Christ with all the seduction and threats and produce language, similar to that which broken out over the Christians of pagan Rome "[6]

From the foregoing, the thoughtful reader will understand clearly the following: the reign of Christ began with His coming into the world, never interrupted, and never were finished as the Lord: "I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world". (Matt. 28:20). And, as has already been said, the prophetic millennial reign of the saints with Christ should not be seen as a true reign of Christ, for it constantly, and as a period in the history of Christianity - the history of the Orthodox Church of Christ, which is closely related to the inverse relationship with the activity of Satan - with increased activity of the Church of Satan decreases, and vice versa.

Periods in the history of the Church

  Satan was ousted from heaven to earth " in the great fury of his power " ( Rev. 12: 7-12), because he was defeated by the Lamb ( Jesus Christ). He begins his destructive activities on earth : the persecution of heresy. After this is approved by the Church as the predominant religion on earth ("dragon bound "). But before the end of time on the " little season" opposite picture comes as enhanced Satan , love grows cold in humans, multiply transgressions . All this leads to the victory of Satan " on the saints " ( Daniel 7: 25) , and the enthronement of the Antichrist for 3.5 years " to perfect to scatter the power of the holy people " (or Orthodox Christianity ) ( Daniel 12: 7). All this time, the reign of Christ never ends , it does not leave the world of God's grace , without which the world does not stand for , and seconds. The kingdom of Christ , as St. Ambrose said , only " can eclipsed, but not disappear." At the same time , Satan was cast out of the world and was not finally defeated , because he should be " put to death by the spirit of the mouth" of the Word of God definitively only at the end of history ( 2Fess.2 8 Rev. 19: 20-21). That is, the complete victory over evil wasn't there, was only the period of its associated or bound in existence on earth . However, before the end of the world evil on a "little season" will skyrocket. Thus, we are faced with the task of finding some important period of the history associated with the strengthening of the Church of Christ .

The duration of this period we believe to be equal to a thousand years. We know that the Lord , opening his chosen important knowledge about the future , often adheres exactly to the day ( Daniel 12: 11-12). And it's not clear why in this case we need to understand a thousand years as something else .

Thousand years in the history of Christianity

  Consider a general history of the Church of Christ the approval on the ground. The most important historical period is the time of the messianic activity of Jesus Christ

  30 to 34 years AD

  Next comes the so-called apostolic period , which lasted until about the end of the first century

34 - 100 AD

  Apostolic period and subsequent centuries - until the third century - is the period of heavy for Christianity. This is the period of persecution by the pagan Roman Empire. But the time has come , and Christianity was recognized by the state government. For the first time this has happened during the reign of Constantine the Great ( 306 - 337 ) who moved the capital to Constantinople ( 330) and recognized Christianity as the state religion :

313 - the Edict of exemption was issued from taxes churches proconsul of Africa Tsetsilian

319 - Constantine freed the church and clergy from taxes and public service obligations .

321 - approved for the churches the right to acquire real estate and own it.

 
Since that time period, the final days of the Church , marked with seven Ecumenical Councils . The final formation of the dogmatic framework of Christianity begins as a holistic religious outlook. At the Ecumenical Councils dogmatic is approved , heretical distortions are condemned and misunderstandings of words and teachings of the Lord are corrected .

  History knows Seven Ecumenical Councils :

  325 AD - I Nicaea Council

  Council was convened by the Emperor Constantine the Great , in order to put an end to the dispute between Bishop Alexander of Alexandria and Arius , who denied the consubstantiality of Christ to God the Father. According to Arius and his numerous supporters , Christ is not God , and the first and most perfect of creatures created by God .

The Council condemned Arianism developed Creed defined the celebration of Easter . He also held that Christ became man , that is, it had not only the human body, but also the human soul.

381 - I Council of Constantinople

  Cathedral adopted the dogma of the procession of the Holy Spirit from the Father , of equality and consubstantiality of God the Holy Spirit with the other persons of the Holy Trinity - God the Father and God the Son ; supplemented and approved the Creed in the edition , called Nicene ( Nicene- Constantinople).

Repeated condemnation of Arianism . Cathedral explains that the humanity of Christ is not a barrier to be him, and God

  431 - Council of Ephesus

  Condemnation of Nestorianism . Besides Nestorius in his definition Cathedral condemns Keleste's philosophizing . Keleste or Celeste , preaching heresy of Pelagia, denying the significance of original sin and the necessity of grace for salvation .
Prohibits changes Nicene Creed. Cathedral explains that the human nature of Christ is taken without any blemish , unchanged.

451 - Chalcedon Council

The doctrine of the two natures in the person of Jesus Christ, which would be alien to the extremes of Nestorianism and Monophysitism . In between these two extremes is the doctrine orthodox. Made up 30 of the rules of church order .

  553 - II Council of Constantinople

  Council was convened on the dispute between the followers of Nestorius and Eutyches . The main subject of dispute were the works of the three teachers of the Syrian Church who used at one time known , namely, Theodore of Mopsuestia , Theodoret of Cyrus , and Ibas of Edessa , which clearly expressed the Nestorian error , and on the Fourth Ecumenical Council, nothing was mentioned about these three works.

Nestorians in a dispute with Monophysites referred to these works , and Monophysites found this excuse to reject most Fourth Ecumenical Council and argued that the Orthodox Church would be avoided if a Nestorian .

680-681 - III Council of Constantinople

Cathedral was convened against the teachings Monothelites who recognized in Jesus Christ has two natures , divine and human , but a divine will . Council condemned and repudiated the doctrine Monothelites as heresy and decided to recognize in Jesus Christ has two natures - divine and human , and these two natures - two wills , but that the human will in Christ is not nasty and submissive to the will of God .

787 - II Council of Nicaea

Council was convened against the iconoclasm that emerged in the 60 years before the Council , when the Byzantine emperor Leo the Isaurian , who, wishing to remove the obstacles to a peaceful neighborhood with Muslims , considered it necessary to abolish the veneration of icons . Church could not stop the movement of the iconoclasts . This was done only in the Council of Constantinople 843 years of the Empress Theodora . To celebrate the final victory over the iconoclasts and all heretics was set Feast of Orthodoxy.

At the Ecumenical Councils of Christianity finally took shape . Was formulated by the Creed , and received the condemnation of many heresies . At the Seventh Ecumenical Council was condemned iconoclasm . However, after a little while - during the reign of Leo V the Armenian - there was a return to iconoclasm , but on a smaller scale . The final point in this epic set Cathedral on March 11 843 (old style) , which is not considered to be ecumenical , but was called to confirm the decisions of the Seventh Ecumenical Council . And in honor of this event is set holiday , called " Triumph of Orthodoxy." Holiday , this is still celebrated every year on the first Sunday of Lent.

Historically , within the meaning of , in the spirit of this date , no matter how different what is best suited to determine the beginning of the " thousand-year reign of the saints with Christ ."

Shortly thereafter (about 859-863 years) Cyril and Methodius and finish work on the Cyrillic alphabet , and carried out the first translations of the Bible and all liturgical texts .

Baptizing of Rus ( 980) .

Fall of Constantinople ( 1453), and Byzantium disappear. Move the center of Orthodoxy in Moscow . Although the spirit of Orthodoxy lived in the vast Russia - Thousands of churches, temples, monasteries and around the world in the Local Orthodox Churches .

Can a 843 year be the year of the beginning of the millennial reign of the saints with Christ , and the beginning of the thousand-year binding of Satan? We think it can. For if we understand the reign of Christ literally, it would have to be regarded as the beginning of the reign after his ascension , or even from the moment of Incarnation . But then it turns out the problem : there is no one else with Christ reign - there was no more martyrs and " beheaded for the witness of Jesus and for the word of God," while at the time of completion of the Orthodox Church , those who suffered during the Roman Empire , were a great many .

Thus, we have , we think, we can say that the start point of the thousand-year period called the period of the reign of the saints with Christ and the period of the binding of Satan , is 843 years old . And, accordingly, the thousand-year period that we are looking for - this is the period from the year 843 to 1843 .

Beast- kingdoms of Daniel's prophecy .

  Let's look at some interesting prophetic cycle , which may be important for our study. The prophet Daniel we find images that resonate with the images of the Apocalypse. It's about four beasts : the first - as a lion , and the second - as the bear , the third - as a leopard [ lynx ], and the fourth - scary one. Consider this prophetic cycle more:

"And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.

The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it.

And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh .

After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it.

After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns ". ( Daniel 7: 3-7)

  The fact that this is the realm of the angel tells to Daniel:

"These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth". (Daniel 7: 17)

Moreover, it goes on to say definitely that these four kingdoms , which appeared on the earth, will be the kingdom of evil , after which the kingdom will be " saints of the Most High ." Thus, more than 500 years before the birth of Christ Angel Daniel foretold events to happen at the end of the world.

Some commentators see in the four kingdoms the Old Testament kingdoms : the Chaldeans ( Babylon), Medo- Persian, Greek ( Alexander the Great) and Roman . Two of whom Daniel had seen .

However, this interpretation is more suited to the interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar's dream . On that Daniel , explaining the king's dream , says: " More three kingdoms will rise after thee " and " one of them - you " ( King of Babylon ) ( Daniel 2: 38-40) And it is a dream of Nebuchadnezzar golden head statue likened to the kingdom of the Chaldeans (Babylonian ), chest and arms of silver statue - Medo- Persian kingdom , the kingdom like copper - the empire of Alexander the Great , and iron - Roman . And according to the prophetic dream interpreted by Daniel, in the days of the Roman Empire , God " set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed " (Daniel 2:44 ) This refers to the kingdom of Christ - His Church , which shall not prevail against the "gates of hell " to the end of the age .

We pay attention to the fact that God revealed to Daniel the meaning of Nebuchadnezzar's dream , and the prophet was in charge of coming after the Babylonian empire . At the same time , when he was - much later - shown in the vision of four beasts Daniel " trembled" and " confused" and found it necessary to seek clarification from the Angel ( Daniel 7:15 , 16). And by the end of the explanation, it speaks of his confusion as follows:

  "Hitherto is the end of the matter. As for me Daniel, my cogitations much troubled me, and my countenance changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart" ( Daniel 7:28) .

  We must assume that if we were talking about what Daniel saw many years ago (explaining Nebuchadnezzar's dream ) - change of kingdoms, in which he had to live - that Daniel would never experienced such strong feelings against what he saw at this time. In addition, in the last vision he was shown the court " Ancient of Days" over the nations , and that the " like the Son of the Man" (Jesus Christ ) receives from Him an everlasting kingdom .

"And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed " (Daniel 7:14)

Thus, we can assume that the four beasts described by Daniel are four kingdoms , which shall be approved on the ground in a certain period of human history, not a modern Daniel. And he completed the accession of the Holy of Holies , the kingdom will not break down for ever.

In the sequence , the Lord could His chosen righteous show first that the world is waiting in the near future : the four kingdoms of the world of the Old Testament ( Explanation of Nebuchadnezzar's dream ), and then - shortly before the death of Daniel, - four kingdoms that " arise out of the earth" after the birth of Christ.

It should be noted that the four beasts of Daniel's vision , combined in one form beast with seven heads and ten horns . And it is such a beast was featured in the book of Revelation ( Rev. 13: 1). It has "parts" of the four beasts of Daniel's prophecy of the lion, bear and leopard :

  "And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority" . (Revelation . 13: 2 ).

Daniel's and John 's beasts are out of the sea. A sea , waters , rivers - in both cases they are treated as a way of peoples.

But let's back to the first kingdom - beast.

"The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it" . (Daniel 7: 4) .

It needs to say that the image of the prophets " give a man's heart " means - to open people's understanding of the true God. So in the book of Jeremiah we read :

"And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the LORD: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart". ( Jeremiah 24: 7 ) See also Ier.32 39 Iez.11 19 Iez.36 26 .

With this allegory angel showed Daniel that empire will be unprecedented cruelty to God's people , but later the empire will give a large number of Christians. That is what happened with the pagan Roman Empire . May 11 of the year 330 , Constantine the Great officially transferred the capital of the Roman Empire in the city on the Bosphorus , and be named it New Rome , Constantinople . That is , in fact, Byzantium - the first Christian state in the world , came out of the once hostile to Christians of the pagan Roman Empire.

But here's something about the eagles' wings of the image A.P. Lopuhin says in the " Explanatory Bible": "In the book of Daniel the first world monarchy , contemplated under the symbol of a lion, eagle wings attributed ( 7: 4). In the Roman Empire , the eagle was used as the national coat of arms on the flags and coins. From the time of Herod the Great , it was placed at the Temple of Jerusalem and the Jewish coins. This symbol of regal birds author would like to set off on the one hand , the extraordinary power and strength of the Roman Empire that reigned over almost the entire world, with its other predatory inclinations "[7]

Thus, the first beast of Daniel's prophecy can mean the Roman Empire . The second , third and fourth beast of this prophetic cycle in our logic are also the godless kingdoms , or outbreaks of godless activity of a particular duration of approximately equal strength. So equal , that they are in a row , and even merge into one beast in Revelation .

Roman Empire shown to Daniel in the lion disappears in 476 , but before it got out of God's people - Christians . In fact, 330 years can be considered as the date of occurrence of the first Christian state - Byzantium . It was one of the most important stages of the approval of the Church of Christ on earth . After that Christianity for centuries drawn , producing and burnishing theological and dogmatic beliefs on the side of the Seven Ecumenical Councils (from 325 to 787 ). A Cathedral on March 11 843 , which was not considered to be ecumenical , but was called to confirm the decisions of the Seventh Ecumenical Council , and in whose honor the feast is set " Triumph of Orthodoxy," is like the final point of this development.

  And as has already been said , we believe the most appropriate 843 year for the calculation of the beginning of the prophetic Millennium referred to in the Book of Revelation .

Next is the most suitable for a millennium of Christ's Church , named in Revelation millennial period of the binding of Satan and the millennial reign of the saints with Christ. Therefore, at this time it is not necessary to look for other "kingdom of the beast" of Daniel 's prophetic cycle .

Thousand-year period is not chiliastic paradise on earth . During this period, there were a lot of sad as well as bright pages in the history of the world : the fall of Byzantium , the disengagement from the western part of the Christian Church ( Catholicism), the Crusades, but also the baptism of Russia , the emergence of a great number of saints , his life and miracles to glorify the Church and Orthodoxy . Built churches, monasteries, came to spread Christianity . Millions of people across the land, learning the Word of God , became the faithful children of the Church , accepting Christ as their Savior , building a life according to the commandments , anxiously keeping the tradition and spirit of Orthodoxy in their hearts , making the Mystical Body of Christ - the Orthodox Church .

Much else can be said about the orthodoxy of these centuries , and much books has been written about it. Those who want, can easily and independently investigate this question. To us it's more important to deal with the question of whether the millennium of the prophetic cycle was talking about John the Theologian in his Revelation , exactly thousand years old, and not just some long period ? And if this is true, then we must consider what happened to the world in 1843 - exactly 1,000 years after the set holiday called " Triumph of Orthodoxy."

Sources:  

1. "The Bible of Holy Scripture " (3m ) // reprint Savvino Storozhevsky Monastery Design: "Rule of Faith" M ., 1999

2 ."The Bible of scripture of the Old and New Testament " canonical in Russian translation with parallel passages , 1991

3. Father Seraphim Rose, "How to be Orthodox" Pochayiv Lavra
4. "The Apocalypse. Interpretation of St. Andrew, Archbishop of Caesarea ", Kiev., 2002 Typography of Kiev Lavra - p.160

5. Christ. Reading 1852. II 398-400 // reprint. 1889 "Apocalypse in interpretive and didactic reading " M . Barsov , group of Holy Trinity- Saint Seraphim Diveevsky Convent "Skit ", 1993  

6. F . Yakovlev, "Apostles", Issue 2, page 374 // reprint 1889 "Interpretation of the Apocalypse", Moscow, 2000

7. A .P. Lopuhin "Explanatory Bible" Volume 7 Ch. 11 (3Book of Ezra)

"... I saw clearly how Death

exults, rose from the grave "

Heine

I would like to start with the work of Heinrich Heine (1797 -1856) "Atta Troll." Author is German Jew who converted to Lutheranism in 1825, which he called "an entry ticket into the European society" [3] The poem "Atta Troll", written in the 1841 and left a book in 1843. It is necessary to briefly describe the subject of the poem to make it clear why this work I want to use as a prologue to all further developments.

The protagonist of Atta Troll is a bear dreaming about getting rid of the yoke of the people, "the vile creature that is called man." He keeps saying to his children about the need to "overthrow the tyrant" to establish in the world "kingdom of justice animal", in which, however, a Jew is not equated to the people he wants to destroy, and to his brethren: "Even the heathen, the Jews were given the right citizenship. " In fairness it should be noted that in 1823 Prussia depriving Jews of civil rights, and Heine became, as he himself wrote, "the sworn enemy of the Prussian regime."

Atta Troll says about the "great day of deliverance" and makes the son bear swear "eternal hatred to the people" on the idol altar, which was once human sacrifices, instructing him: "Be an implacable enemy of the oppressors of the damned, their fierce enemy to the grave! "

Christian only outwardly, Heine makes it clear about his preferences when he speaks on behalf of the hunter, companion of the living dead - the son of a witch. And watching from a window at midnight witch's hut games of ghosts:

"As in the theater, in the best seats,

I could watch the spectacle,

Seen clearly as Death

exults, rose from the grave. " etc.

Ghosts chasing some "large red wild game." Among this host of the dead it particularly attracts "dead Jew" - the wife of Herod, who holds a dish with the head of St. John, with whom she becomes very loose, sometimes throwing it like a ball. Heine with words of Hunter offers her to throw in the trash, "this dish with his head is bloody fool." And he admits that he would like "to ride himself" nights of "Hunter is a fun, dislike the cross and flour."

In the poem, there is a set of gloomy images and allegories: like ball bears to the dead, or a strange legend about bears fight with the giants, which reports that when the people were, the Giants ran and threw themselves into the sea.

Generally, a poem just oversaturated images, the hidden meaning of which among contemporaries, for sure, few could understand. I don't want to demonize the poet who can only, as it's often can be with men of genius, intuitively anticipate something, speaking some repeater, which together with his contemporaries "says transcendental." Anyway, this poem can be justly regarded as a prelude to the 1843-44 years, and all followed the same time, which John said about, "Satan will be released for a short time" (Revelation 20: 3).

Comets and celestial phenomena.

Shooting Stars in 1833

November 12, 1833 in the night sky an unusual phenomenon was observed that has come in all the textbooks as "star rain." ".. .On Earth some hurricane hit with falling stars" - Agnes Clarke says in her book "Public History of Astronomy in the XIX century" [4]. "Due to the stargazing in 1833 study of meteorites once and for ever became an integral part of astronomy." She further said: "The main attack took over North America. All the way from the Gulf of Mexico to Halifax sky draws in all directions with smears and covered with majestic fireballs. Only the day that came, though not immediately, put an end to this phenomenon. "

"Morning of November 13, 1833 was memorable because of the phenomenon of" falling stars "- probably one of the largest and most magnificent in the history of mankind ... Perhaps no celestial phenomenon since the first settlers in this country is not perceived with admiration and delight by one part of spectators and with such amazement and fear - by the other. For a long time, "the meteor phenomenon" remained the main topic of conversation, "- Denison Olmsted wrote, Professor of Mathematics at Yale University.

"American scientific journal" reported in 1833: "Although the moon wasn't there when we watched them for the first time, the brightness of them was so great that sometimes we could make out much stress the normal font. Sheds they whiter were much lighter than the moon on a clear frosty night, when the ground is covered with snow. "

After a thorough study of the subject, astronomers have concluded that such meteor events occur every thirty-three years. Yet the phenomenon of 1833 was unique in its drama. Since it was not compared to any stargazing 1866, nor, especially, in 1899. [5]

Comets

In March 1843 the comet approaches the Earth, which many considered a harbinger of doom. She even went into the books as "The March Large comet in 1843." Length of the tail of the comet was 200 million miles, which is 58 million miles greater than the distance from the Sun to Mars! During its return to Earth, astronomers determined to be 512.4 years.

In June 1845 the Earth is again approaching a large comet. This time with a period of treatment in 102050 years.

Tebbutta Comet (1861 II) was bright as Saturn, and its tail is held in the sky angle of 120 degrees, that is, two-thirds of the distance from one horizon to the other. She was so bright that it many times confused with a rising moon. Other large and bright comet appeared in 1861 and 1882.

From the middle of the XIX century until 1910, when the firmament of the comet was visible even in the daytime, which received the name of the Comets for daylight appeared no less than five very bright comets! For comparison, Halley's Comet appearing in 1833 and 1910, not one of them.

Earthquakes

John Cumming in his book "The seventh vessel" describes this time: "Between 1800 and 1865 only in the former borders of the Roman Empire there were at least 35 powerful and destructive earthquakes, which can't fail to attract the attention of the historian. On ... the Scandinavian peninsula and in Iceland from 1700 to 1850 there were 224; in Spain and Portugal - 178; in France, Belgium and the Netherlands - 600 ... On the Apennine peninsula and in the eastern Mediterranean during the period from 1800 to 1850 there were more than 800 earthquakes. " [5]

Natural disasters in the second quarter of the XIX century in Russia [6]

Winter 1839 was extremely cold. In some places, Russians lost about a third of cattle. It was followed by late spring frosts with returns. Sown with a delay of a month. First bread suffered from untimely spring frosts, then of continuous rains that poured down in torrents and the Vilna province, and in St. Petersburg, willows Stavropol Territory. Meanwhile, in South Russia "winter grains almost disappeared from the drought." In 1840, he was one of the worst crops of rye in the XIX century. Disaster was particularly sensitive because poor harvest grasped the same province as in the previous year. The famine was widespread. Disasters hunger were strengthened brutal prolonged frosts that have spread to the Ukraine, New Russia, North Caucasus, Western Europe. In Kharkov province was the coldest winter in 40-s. of XIX century.

Summer and autumn were dry, not only in the Stavropol region, but also in almost all European Russia. Many tens of thousand acres of crops were destroyed by hail, locusts, worms, grasshoppers, early frosts (July 10) and "extreme storms." Storm raged and autumn. In Voronezh evening of November 8 gust hurricane rip almost all roofs. Damaged or demolished many wooden buildings. A few days earlier stormed a "terrible storm, the like of which does not remember the old-timers."

Finally the break came. In 1842 was built the best crop of rye in the past ten years. Although Novorossiysk, Stavropol affected by continuous rains and summer floods, it has not significantly affected the total grain yield in European Russia.

40-s of XIX century were highlighted unusually with devastating hail. So, in 1843, according to incomplete data, noted 326 hailings, which destroyed 209,835 tithes of crops. Particularly devastating hail was "a fateful day in May 27, 1843" when "hail eruption prostrated" from the Baltic to the Black Sea, on the Neman and the Dniester River to the Volga. Hail captured on this one 15, on the other - 17 provinces. Hail accompanied by violent storms, devastation of fields and gardens, the loss of life. Dimensions hailstones sometimes reach an egg. In July, heavy hail continued throughout the European part of Russia. In some provinces hail occurred in August and September. 1843 in Stavropol Territory and Georgia raging blizzard that produced "in various places such devastation. how rarely examples in the northernmost edges of Russia. "

In the early spring of 1844 there was unusually warm weather, which in May was replaced by the cold and rain. They continued in the summer in St. Petersburg, Arkhangelsk, Olonetsk, Novgorod, Tver, Pskov, Vitebsk provinces and in the Baltic States. Particularly affected, Vitebsk province. Rivers and lakes overflowed. On the roads it was difficult to drive. "The bread came to the earth, and in some places completely knocked out." "Garden vegetables from the strong sinking almost destroyed. Unhappy cattle from daily sputum and cold... In short, such a misfortune oldest people forgetting half of them can be "(Journal of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, 1844, part. 7, p. 441). Residents of the western provinces collected bread, driving around in boats on the arable land covered with water. Grass mowed hay and rot in the fields and "covered with blight." From May to September, it was noted 215 hailings, which destroyed not only shoots, crops, but even the straw on the square loaves 181,035 tithes, damaging about 2 million rubles.

While in the north of continuous heavy rains killed vegetation in the southern provinces of the crops suffered from drought and cold weather (August 8, in the province of Kiev snow fell deep in half a yard). Famine, especially severe in the western, north-western and northern provinces, where the Medical Department registered epidemic "evil cramps." Added to this was a strong epizootic - the plague of cattle. Thus, in the provinces of Pskov and Vitebsk sometimes not even half of the horses and cows. Autumn in the north was cold. Started unusually early winter in the south. According to local authorities, "mad, never frozen rivers of the Caucasus covered with ice." No less severe was the winter in the mountains, pastures in the valleys covered with snow. The western part of the Caspian Sea was "completely covered with a thick layer of ice."

Winter 1844/45 year was brutal, not only in the North Caucasus, but also in the whole of Russia. From unprecedented frosts suffered and almost all of Western Europe. January 25, 1845. began an unusual storm from the north-west to south-east in the area from the origins of the Western and Southern Bug to Crimea, "900 miles too long and about 200 miles in diameter." She raged, "with disastrous consequences for the people" in Podolsk, Volyn and Kyiv provinces. Snow cover in Podolsk reached 2 meters in some places.

In 1848, a cholera epidemic has taken off 668,012 lives (five times more than in 1847). Total hurt in 1848 was 1,648,849 people.

In 1849, in the south of Russia there was marked an epidemic of scurvy, which ached 260,444 people. Of these, 67 958 people died.

In early spring of 1850 the locusts appeared in the fields "from the shores of the Caspian Sea in the south-east of the Prut River in the south-west and to the north of the Seim", as well as in the Caucasus. Special devastation caused pests in the Crimea. Locusts "everywhere devoured down not only bread and oats, but all greens ... Malware insect begins to gnaw and vineyards: a similar disaster in the Crimea nobody will remember." To the north the Locust penetrated up to two counties of Kursk province. Also, the bread was harmed by grasshoppers, gophers, bugs, "black fly" and mice. In particular, in the province of Poltava residents of some counties' lost almost all of spring bread and a large part of winter and grass. " Crude fall observed in Kovno province. "In the rare house was sick with fever or fever." Terrible blizzard in Kaluga, Kursk and Tula provinces lasted for 27-29 November. It killed more than 1,200 people.

Only historical sources for the first half of the XIX century noted 35 droughts, 25 times torrential rains harmed crops and grasses, 23 returns of cold weather in late spring - early summer and 21 early frost not only at the end, and sometimes in the middle of summer. For half a century, Russia and Western Europe experienced 31 cold, 8 moderate and 11 mild winters. Only during 1841-1850 years Hail, storms and downpours of more than 3.5 thousand times devastated fields.

Almost every year the epidemic raged. Only from cholera in the early 30's - late 40's. killing more than 300 thousand. persons. From 50 years 46 were hungry, with about a third of them were common, entailed the loss of life and had serious consequences for the Russian economy. Particularly severe "hunger strike" experienced Belarus, the Baltic, the north-western and northern provinces, where sometimes took bread crop failure chronic. Often suffered from natural disasters population of Ukraine, the Volga region, the South Caucasus. A series of severe famine years took place in the countries of Western Europe. [6]

General expectation of the end of the world [5]

Margaret Fuller (Ossoli) once expressed the following opinion: "The brightest feature of this period was the fact that the excitation covered all sectors of society" [Clara E. Sears. "Crazy Days", 1924]. Another observation of the time said: "It seems that there comes a time when strange signs appear in the heavens with such frequency that it becomes uncomfortable" [ibid.]

An article in the "Connecticut Observer" on November 25, 1833 states: "We believe that the rain of fire that we observed on Wednesday morning last week is a terrible thing, it's undoubtedly a forerunner, a merciful sign of the great and dreadful day, which is to be the inhabitants of the earth when will be charged the Sixth Seal. Time referred to not only in the New, but also in the Old Testament, is almost here. "

The period from 1830 to 1850 was a time of strange and disturbing events. People with surprise and dismay looked at a huge circle of light around the sun - the halo. They gazed with awe at the night sky, where the darkness rushed giant comet with a fiery tail. Some said that this comet is aimed at humanity and is the end of the world.

In addition, in 1843, in 1844 more often than any other attracted the attention of the mystics of the world. Called the date of the coming catastrophe of universal scale in the period from 1843 to 1845: Wolfe in Asia, Edward Irving in England, Mason in Scotland, Davis in South Carolina, William Miller in Pennsylvania, Leonard Kelber in Germany and many other famous and not-so people in different parts of the world. They failed to agree on the exact date, and each of them interpreted the prophecy on his own. Nevertheless, that's what is said about them: ".. .In America, Europe and Asia was made ​​much confident and unambiguous statement that the prophets of humanity allotted time runs out in 1843 or 1844"

Foreman in his book "History of prophecy" writes: "Reasons for religious activity met while at every turn, and they were distributed throughout"

W.A. Spicer in his book "Modernity in the light of prophecy" remarked: "Throughout Scripture researchers come to the conclusion that the period of two thousand three hundred years, humanity tempered by the prophet Daniel (8:14), comes to an end, as described in Chapter 9 Daniel, and look to 1844, as at the time of the Last Judgement ..... In Europe - Holland, Germany, Russia and the Scandinavian countries - there were witnesses of God. Joseph Wolff, a missionary from the Levant, preached the approach of Yom Kippur in Greece, Palestine, Turkey, Afghanistan and other countries ". [7]

Bickersteth in his book "A Practical Guide to Bible prophecy" writes: "The newspapers published another letter from Tangier, dated June 20, 1844, which said at the mention of the troubles that have befallen the kingdom of Morocco:" It seems that the Moors (Muslims) always had a bad feeling about this (1844) year. Long before its occurrence, they called each other to beware of the year 1260 (1844 according to the Christian calendar). '"

Naturally, in time of public expectations "end of time" there was the idea of an impending second coming of Christ. Here is one of the evidences of that time: "A certain baptized Jew from Palestine, Josef Wolf, predicted that the coming of Christ will happen in 1847. Harriet Livermore, well known at the time for his eloquence and appeal, and Whittier described in the book "Caught in the snow," everywhere, even in the United States House of Representatives, spoke with sermons on the second coming, collecting every time the crowd of listeners. Lady Hester Stanhope, niece of William Pitt, abandoned the high life in London and settled in Lebanon among the Arabs and Druze, to be closer, she thought, to the place of Advent. "

Judas Alcalay in his research on the history of Zionism in XIX century believed that the 1840s are the time of arrival of the Messiah. E.H. Silver in his book "The Messianic hypothesis in Israel" writes: " The year 1840 was a year of many accepting the coming of the Messiah and the beginning of redemption . " Simon ben Zimah Durand (1361-1444), author of "Commentaries on the Book of Job" believe that the year of the coming of the Messiah is 1850.

In 1831, preach about the second coming were made by William Miller - the future founder of Adventism. He said that nothing can help it, that some voice doesn't give him any rest, saying, " Go and Tell it to the world . " In 1832, he wrote: " The evidence for this comes from everywhere ... That salvation cometh! "

Before the 1844 Anglican priest Morant Brock made ​​a statement: " Not only in the UK await the imminent return of the Savior and raises her voice, warning about this, but in America, in India and in continental Europe. In America, about three hundred priests preach the gospel of the kingdom, and in England about seven hundred . "

Among a variety of other evidences, it is necessary to note the following fact: " The Book of Zohar, composed in 1290 a collection of medieval texts Kabbalism, calls 5600 year of Era of Moses (corresponding to 1839) the year when they open the gates of wisdom ". [5]

It seems the gates were really opened, but only those gates, about which the Savior said to Peter, " ... you - Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it "(Mat.16: 18).

Flash of popularity of spiritualism

Spirituality is the evocation of the dead. It should be noted that in that largely a tragic time for Russia and Europe, when millions were starving, when epidemic was raging, when terrifying signs were, the craze for spiritualism begins in "high society". And there is plenty of evidence, which is reflected by including in the modern literature as one of the signs of age.

According to Y. Vorobyevsky [8] " Spirits, of course, were called before. But this complicated procedure was the prerogative of the magicians of the highest qualification. Then suddenly it became a mass phenomenon. Necromancy, divination on the corpses began to deal by the millions . "

Violation of the prohibition to communicate with the astrologers, wise men, "calling the dead "(Lev.19: 31, 20: 6 Vtor.18: 11), which acquired a mass character, can be likened to an epidemic. Unfortunately, we can't make any statistical increase, we can only rely on the testimony of contemporaries of that time. Nevertheless, this fact is widely known, and adds one more gloomy touch to the overall picture of the mystical fracture forties of the XIX century.

Babis and Baha is

In May 23, 1844 a young Persian merchant, Sayyid Ali Muhammad (1815-1849), who later assumed the name "Bab", begins preaching in the Middle East. Knowing the mood of those years, it is easy to understand that he could count on a complete success. Presumably, the Siyyid-Bab was familiar with the mystical teachings of the Jews, because, as mentioned above, the Kabbalists in 1839 (5600 year era of Moses) expected opening of certain "gates of wisdom." Perhaps that's why he took such a name ("Bab" in Arabic means "gate").

The general background of the excitement the activity of this young man could not remain unnoticed. The result was a sect, which is called the Babis (see. Britannica). Bab called himself as God, which now belonged to all that drops his gaze. After his premature death (executed in 1849 in Tabriz), one of the followers - Mirza Husayn Ali Nuri (1817-1892), despite the opposition of fellow, took over as the "promised to all peoples", which actually declared himself, taking the alias of Baha'u'llah ("the glory of God "), dropping the level of Baba to his own " Baptist ".

Babis-Bahais quite well positioned among the other groups of this nature, greatly fostered literary activities Hussein-Baha'u'llah. He wrote "a book of laws" (Kitab-i-Aqdas), which regulates the life of Bahais.

I must say that many of the decrees of the "divine Baba" had to be soften, or given them different interpretations. For example, in the book of the laws of the Bab (Bayan), for example, stated that " all unique in its own way things had to be presented to him. Bab explained that because Epiphany stands above all comparison, not having any of their own kind thing rightfully belongs to him, unless he decides otherwise . "

Bab forbade his followers to ask "their majesty" questions except in writing and in the " respect of only those items that are worthy of his high position . " See Selections from the Writings of the Bab. [9]

Generally, the Bab introduced into his sect very strict rules. For example, a system of penalties, mandatory payments, deductions from income, regular giving of charity and others. Thus, in the Bayan there was the point, relaxed with the"law of Bahá'u'lláh", " fine ... for anyone who felt terrible neighbor in sorrow . " And if, for example, some religious sects and organizations adopted the "tithe" (10% of revenues), the amount of mandatory contributions to this sect was 19%. This is due to the special affection of the Babi-Baha'i among 19 Babi-Baha'i year consists of 19 months, the last month - from 19 days, with the insertion of the missing days in one month. New Year begins from March 21. The beginning of a "new era" Babis Baha'i believed to be in 1844.

Such attention to the arising of the sect in the middle of the XIX century should be explained. First of all, the very time of appearance of the self-styled mission, as we already know, was full of mystical moods, and it brought him a lot of followers. Today Babis Baha'i call themselves not only as the new world religion. And indeed, the sect is growing, spreading its activities on all continents. However, as they appeared at about the same time, the movement of Adventists, and coming out of the Adventist sect "Jehovah's Witnesses." All this is the brainchild of the troubled 40s of the XIX century.

Of course, Sayyid Ali Muhammad (the Bab) and Mirza Husayn Ali Nuri (Baha'u'llah) are ordinary impostors to play well in a general expectation of the end of light and the coming of the Messiah. Did the organizers of the new sect of secret long-term plans - is unknown, but the purpose of this religious organization today is not the salvation of souls, and the "new world order" and the creation of conditions for the accession of a single world ruler.

" Elect a common language .., please ... common script "- Bahá'u'lláh commands to his followers! In its law provides two stages of the process. In the first step should be selected or one of the existing languages, or an artificial language, which must be taught in all schools in the world, in addition to their native language. Governments of the world should be called through their legislatures to enact this important provision. In the second stage, in the distant future, to be held the final adoption of a single language and common script for all the inhabitants of the earth. Features of the "new world order" identified in the writings of Bahá'u'lláh and his henchmen later. Today, the development of plans for "global" is engaged in a governing body called the Universal House of Justice. That's what they say in its decisions: " The Institute of Contemporary Baha'i Administrative Order constituting the structural basis of the World Order of Bahá'u'lláh, in the future will gain maturity and gradually develop into a Baha'i World Commonwealth. In this regard, Shoghi Effendi [Hussein following the legislator] indicates that the Administrative Order, as its component parts, and within its framework institutions will function effectively and in full force and effect, be established in their rights and demonstrate its capacity to serve not only the kernel, but also true model of the New World Order, which in due time will inevitably embrace all mankind".

Ask ordinary Bahai about goals, and you'll hear about humanism, equality and fraternity, and it's unlikely that someone from deceived will be able explain what an inconspicuous point of the doctrine of the "new world order of the Bahai" really means labeled as " mystery of the Great Reversal in Sign of Lord . "

Interestingly, the main shrine of the Babi - Bahai is the mausoleum of Baba (instead of Bahá'u'lláh), located in Haifa (Israel), where they worship some gates, bowing their heads to the symbolic threshold.

Activation of the secret forces

Masons - blind army of Satan

To talk about the secret is always difficult, because there is not enough information. However, no mention of the picture of secret societies won't be complete. What do we mean by secret societies? Various religious organizations, often anti-Christian - as followers of the initial levels can't even guess. In very general terms we will outline the one, but it must be the most well-known organization- Freemasonry.

The history of the emergence of this organization is not known for certain. There are several legends that we will not recount here.

The structure of this multi-level, which was built in such a way as to lower many participants did not know the parent. However, such secrecy is necessary to them not only for the conspiracy, but also in order to conceal from the rank and file the true goals of the organization. So, at the dedication of a higher rank (degree) of the party to reveal secrets. However, from a true understanding of it is still far away. The next increase is slightly opened another part of the true goals of the organization. And so long as adept with surprise not find that is an organization that has the features of the godless frankly, the Antichrist.

Naturally, to the lower numerous followers no one like never tell. Indeed, the use of blind and obedient force is more profitable and easier. This is what Albert Pike wrote (1809 - 1891) - Freemason of a high-level of initiation - in his book "Morals and Dogma of Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite of free Masonic":

" Blue degrees of Masonry (the first, second and third degree) are just a farmstead or, finally, the portico of the Temple. Initiated there reported some of the symbols, but he purposely straying from the true path of their false interpretation. From it are not waiting for their understanding: it is only required that he imagined that they understand. True their interpretation is known only Princes of Masonry (28th degree and above) .... The totality of the royal and sacred knowledge was hidden so carefully centuries ago, that now it is almost impossible to guess some of the mysteries. Enough for the masses of those who called Masons, to think that all of the content in the "blue" degrees. Anyone who would try to bring them out of deception, would have worked in vain and fruitless, would violate their duties as adept. Freemasonry true Sphinx, buried to the head in the sand, huddled around him for ages! "

It is interesting that adherents of "blue degrees", even after such a frank confession, tend to disagree with this. Here is a quote from the book of J. Robinson'a "Pilgrim trail. Way of one person to the Masonic Temple "[10]about this statement of Pike:" I have questioned on this point enough Masons to make sure that no one agrees with Pike in this matter . " That is, it becomes clear that any information that is not consistent with the views of the cheat, will not be accepted.

The compilers have no intention to carry out a study of Freemasonry in this section, but show some signs of the Antichrist is a must. The symbolism of the many rites and Masonic ceremonies represented the construction of Solomon's Temple, which was destroyed in the year 70 by the Roman armies. As we know, in the third, built the Temple of the Antichrist will sit. "Freemasons" is symbolic for the builders of Solomon's Temple of the Antichrist.

Some are deceived by outward signs, believing that Freemasonry is Judaism. Thus, in 1866, Rabbi Isaac Wise wrote: " Freemasonry is Jewish institution whose history, degrees, titles, slogans and laws from the beginning to the end are Jewish . " With this it's really easy to accept. So one of the highest initiates in the Masonic hierarchy is called "Knight Kadosh." "Kadosh" in Hebrew means "holy". This "degree" refers to the degree of revenge. It is believed that revenge is subject to Hiram (Adoniram) - master, who was killed, according to Masonic legend, with the connivance of the jealous King Solomon. On this symbolic power construction blade replaced during rituals deadly - for kings and priests - a dagger. It is worth recalling that the legend of Hiram (Adoniram) promises that his heirs will break the power of the kings of the earth, representing the "tyranny" of God. [11]

Legend of Hiram (Adoniram) (see. Later in this chapter) came out of the Masonic sources. Sergei Nilus calls one of them: "Les stctes et societes politigieses" -Comte Le Couteuix de Canteleu. This legend was retold by famous Mason Rudolph Steiner. Nilus says: ".. . well-known historian and an outdoor mason Louis Blank in his history of the French Revolutio says that this legend is based on a sacred foundation of all Masonry ".

Many Masonic initiatory rites have their base in the legend of Hiram (Adoniram). A play on the two main plot. The first story - it is the construction of "Freemasons" Solomon's Temple (attributes: a hammer, square, trowel, etc.). The second plot reproduces some traveling, including through the fire. This journey after Adoniram a blazing inferno. This meaning is revealed not for everybodyl. Most Masons have no idea that the "Great Architect of the Universe", whom they worship, is the same horned creature that in Masonic and Kabbalistic tradition (treatise "Sefer ha-Likutei"), considered the "father of Cain."

Masons call themselves as "children of the widow," implying that they are "countless offspring" of Adoniram. When ordained to 14 degrees, they shout in Hebrew: " Yud, Yud, Adoniram! "(Glory, glory, Adoniram).

Masonic legend ends with murder of Hiram (Adoniram). Decomposed body of "high master" is symbolized by bones that each bed occupied a place of honor. In this coffin and often put the initiate. From the tomb, according to General Erich Ludendorff, newly Mason gets artificial Jew.

It's relative to the outer side, and these are the words of the same frank Pike " Lucifer is the light bearer! Strange and mysterious name of the Spirit of Darkness! Lucifer, Son of the Morning! It was he who bears the Light, and the Light of this intolerable blinds weak, sensual and narcissistic soul ! "

We can't know for certain, is that the secret of the higher degrees of Masonry, and not whether they serve Lucifer openly. But exactly what they seek to reconstruct the Temple of Solomon, in which the Antichrist is coming, and in this sense they serve Satan, directly or indirectly, consciously or unconsciously.

In this sense revelations of all the same Albert Pike are interesting, who in August 1871 talks about the three world wars necessary to establish a new world order ".. it need to be three world wars; a third of them will destroy the Muslim world, and then we shall provoke a huge social upheaval, which will show all the horrors of the fatal unbelief. Revolutionary minority will be destroyed, and disappointed in Christianity ... most of us will receive the true light of the teachings of Lucifer. .. "[12]

Freemasonry in Russia

How and when this movement appeared in Russia not known for certain. Some sources indicate that in the seventies of the XVIII century in the walls of the Moscow University has taught a Professor Schwartz, who became one of the leaders of Russian Freemasonry. In any case, the forties of the XIX century in St. Petersburg and Moscow Masons settled down thoroughly. This, in particular, can be seen from the words of the Russian Orthodox nobleman N.A. Motovilov who didn't want to go to deal with his conscience. Here is what she writes about his misadventures:

" I left out of the Imperial Kazan University - Motovilov writes - valid student in July 8, 1826 and on the way to Kiev pilgrimage deprived of her that conceived me on the 20th day of the same in July 1826, and was left an orphan at the age of 17, having a sister Proskovya, fifteen years, through a friend of my mother, Nadezhda Savrasova I've soon became acquainted with the Simbirsk marshal, Prince Mikhail Petrovich Barataev, and soon became friends with him before he revealed to me that he is grandmaster of Simbirsk lodge and Grandmaster of the Illuminati Petersburg lodge. He invited me to join the number of Masons, saying that if I want any success have in the public service, then, without being a Freemason, I can 't achieve that by no means. I replied that my father, my parent, forbade me to join Freemasonry, then, that this is the true anti-Christianity, and I myself, being at university and having found a book about the Masons, in this completely satisfied and even saw the extraordinary vision and predicted the fate of the entire my life, and declared that I go against Freemasonry, Illuminism, Jacobinism, Karbonism and everything having with them the identity and opposition to the Lord God existing. This so angered him, and even more so with a sincere heart open to him the intention to go to St. Petersburg for the determination to serve in His Imperial Majesty's Office that he swore to me that I never and in no way will be successful because of the Masonic networks ties entangled not only Russia but the whole world ... "[13]

Threats of Prince Barataev to Motovilov, due to the failure to join the Masonic lodge, were not empty. The opened position of honorary ranger Korsun district school Motovilov his nominee soon was exhibited and, when he was given to know from the Council and from the University of Kazan Teacher Committee, he was elected to this position, Barataev summoned him and announced: " You wont see this office, as your ears. And not only you will not get the post, but won't get to any other public office, for Musin-Pushkin (then a trustee of the Kazan school district) and Minister Prince Lieven are Masons subordinate to me. My order is the law! "

From this moment the Motovilov persecution began, which eventually brought him to such a breakdown, what he contracted a nervous shock, confined him to bed. In the great suffering he was more than three years. He was persecuted in the service, which he, however, still won thanks to his supernatural power. They prevented his marriage, created a reputation of a madman, and even " in time of governor Zagryazhskiy managed to expose personal arrest on charges of treason . " From that arrest he was released only by order of the Minister of Justice Dmitry Vasilyevich Dashkov.

You can imagine how deeply society was affected. Members of a secret organization became statesmen, until ministers. And what can we say about the simple careerists, which at all times and there was plenty willing to start at least in the Masons, at least in the game, just to move up the career ladder.

Rebellious mood in Europe and Russia

September 9, 1867 in Geneva, the Congress of the League of Peace and Freedom was organised. Dostoevsky visited Congress being at this time in Geneva. In letters to Maykov and Ivanova he describes what was happening: " It's been four days of shouting and obscenities. Started with suggestions that we don't need large monarchies, then don't need faith. And that is what these socialists and revolutionaries lied from the podium in front of 5,000 students - inexpressible. And this kind of rubbish does care unhappy work people? Started with the fact that in order to achieve peace in the world it needs to destroy the Christian faith . "

At this time, Sergei Nechayev founded a secret of "society folk violence," and urged to kill all opposing the revolution or just support the state system. Nechayev emperor promised a painful punishment in the ruins of the state.

Around the same time, the revolutionaries Nikolai Ishutin and Ivan Hudyakov create a secret society like Nechayev. And give him a frank name - "Hell". Member of this society was Dmitri Karakozov assassinated Alexander II - the king who freed the peasants from serfdom.

Acts of terrorism as a means of political struggle were first practiced in Russia since the mid 60s of the XIX century, when in 1866 D.Karakozov attempted to kill Alexander II. The most well-known terrorists were A.Zhelyabov, S.Perovskaya, S.Halturin, S.Kravchinsky, G.Goldenberg. March 1, 1881 I.I.Grinevskiy managed to kill Alexander II. March 1, 1887 was an attempt on Alexander III. Among the organizers of the assassination attempt on the king's life was A. Ulyanov (Lenin's elder brother).

The situation in Russia was merely an echo of what is happening around the world, primarily in Europe. World series of revolutions swept. January 12, 1848 a popular uprising in Sicily, February 24, 1848 - Revolution in France. Although most were quickly suppressed the revolution, they had a significant impact on the future political developments in Europe. Unrest swept France, Italian (Sardinia, Naples) and German lands, including Austria, which intensified the national movements of the Italians, Hungarians and Croats, Romania. In the "New World" it wasn't too calm.

In America

Since 1840 in America organizational structure of American Masons built under the strong influence "of the Scottish circle" - the English branch, divided into the southern jurisdiction in Arkansas and North of Boston.

"Scottish circle" operates in the middle of the XX century, the continuous attack by racist murders and terror against the colonies and neighboring countries. The most important event in this regard was the American occupation of Mexico during the Mexican War (1846-1848), the revolt of the slave-owners, the American Civil War (1861-1865) and hike the Ku Klux Klan against the revival of the Southern States (1867-1870).

In 1843, the Jewish community has created an independent Order "B'ne Brit" - Zionist secret lodge, belongs to the lodges of Freemasons. "B'ne Brit" means literally "sons of the union." They began to take an active part in the preparation of the "American Revolution." And in 1867, already known A. Pike was sent to America (Nashville), where under his leadership "the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan" were organised "to bring the light of Lucifer" to the American continent.

Fragment of A. Pike's speech in April, July 1889, before the 32th degree of "Scottish circle": " We honor God, but it is a god worshiped without prejudice. Religion of Freemasons is designed primarily to lead us all devoted to higher degrees in purity Luciferian doctrine. If Lucifer was not god, then was it Adonai, whose acts are marked by brutality, misanthropy ... and rejection of science; even slandering him (Lucifer). Yes, Lucifer is a God, and unfortunately Adonay is also a god. The old law says: there is no light without shade, no beauty without ugliness, and no white without black; Absolute can only exist in two gods ... This is why the doctrine of Satanism is heresy. And truly pure, true philosophical religion is the belief in Lucifer, the god of light, stated by Adonai. But Lucifer, the god of light and goodness, is struggling for humanity against Adonay, the god of darkness and cruelty . "

This quote one can find in the main documents in the library of the Scottish Pike Circle in Washington DC, in English or in French.

As a result Freemasonry was strengthened in the United States, and all the supreme power was in their hands. Masonic symbolism has been used, in particular, for the creation of the main print of United States, which shows a truncated pyramid with the eye of Lucifer and with the signature on the top of the Latin Novus Ordo Seclorum (New World Order).

William Miller - founder of Adventism

organizer of the "meeting of Christ" in 1843 -1844

William Miller (1782-1849) was born in Pitsfilde, Massachusetts, USA. He was the eldest of 16 children and had very modest education, consisting of several classes of secondary school. Lack of knowledge Miller compensated diligent reading books. Although the family in which the creator of the motion brought Adventism distinguished deep piety, Miller, as he tells us about himself, went through a long period of doubt, ending on the age of thirty. Since that time, in the course of two years, Miller studied the Bible and came to the conclusion that of men and angels are hidden only the day and hour of the Second Coming, but not the year. Exploring prophetic verses, he was looking for the information that would have pointed to this event. Miller's conclusions were based mainly on the book of Daniel:

" From the further study of the Scriptures .... I have concluded that the 2300 days began with the seventy weeks, with 457 of BC .. 1335 ... and that day, which began from the time that the daily sacrifice and regulations abomination of desolation (Daniel. 12:11), it's necessary to count since the establishment of the papal government, after the elimination of pagan abominations, which I would advise to date, according to the best historians, about 508 BC... If you count all these prophetic periods from a few dates set by the best chroniclers for the events with which, obviously, you should count that all of them will be completed in 1843 ". [14]

Miller even indicated a specific date end of the world and the second coming of Christ: March 21, 1843.

In 1831, Miller made ​​a hot sermon on the proximity of the second coming. Initially, these "revelations" weren't successful. Most of the students, " leaving them unattended, apart from idle chatter ". [14] However, in 1833, Miller became an elder in one of Baptist congregations in New York State. Since then, his sermons begin having a huge success not only in America but also in Europe. Adepts of the new doctrine later became known as Seventh-day Adventists (from the Latin "adventus" - "coming"). In 1839, Miller gained an important supporter - the well-known pastor of the Boston church "Chardon Street Chepl" Joshua Hymes, much more Miller contributed to the fact that it became a national phenomenon of Adventists. It was Himes who began newspaper company in support of the doctrine of Miller. First published in the Boston newspaper "signs of the times" and in the New York magazine "Midnight Cry," the beginning marked of the flow of publications, brochures, books, rushing to all corners of the world.

When predicted 1843 passed, Miller put off a phenomenon till March 21, 1844. It also noted place - a mountain in the state of New York. Superstition of the "prophet" followers, dressed in white robes, in a large number gathered there that day, had unsuccessfully waited performance prediction. And there were many thousands. People sold their property, hoping to soon enter into the kingdom of heaven. Nothing happened.

In summer of 1844 they produced new calculations, according to which the 2300 days and mornings from Daniel 8: 14 must end not in the spring, but in autumn of 1844, when the Jews celebrated the Day of Atonement. New news spread around the world, and entered in the history of Adventism as "Midnight Cry", by analogy with Matthew 25: 6. William Miller, after some hesitation, joined this movement: " I was disappointed twice - he wrote - but, despite the fact that I was surrounded by the enemy, my mind is completely calm and I hope for the coming of Christ as strong as before " .

Specified time has come, but in October 1844 the Second Coming didn't happen. There was a "great disappointment." After this one part of the Adventist moved away from the movement, and the other part began the search for an error in the calculation of Miller. Subsequently, Miller himself acknowledged doctrinal error, which led him to the wrong interpretation of the Bible. After the "Great Disappointment" Miller, as well as many of his students and followers, no longer tried to call the exact timing of the second coming.

"Jehovah's Witnesses" - grasshoppers,

serving to "thief" "from the gloom and darkness."

Meeting prepared by Miller doesn't seem empty and random, although certainly it was needed not to erect hands to the sky, but sprinkle ashes, because, if our assumptions are correct, then the predicted happened:

" And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison" . (Revelation. 20: 1-7)

When the March 21, 1843 have been named pipes doomsday meeting was moved to March 21, 1844, then on October 22, 1844, and then found another interpreter, who said that the coming of the place, but who appeared so far in the heavenly tabernacle Parser handles his business, and suggested wait 30 years - until 1874. Others made it clear that their business can finish which was the 70 - 100 years, and then it is necessary to wait till 1914. Then it was transferred to the 1932-33, and many more times.

But Adventists are not alone who shouted "Hosanna" to invisible "God", that appeared in the world unseen, " as a thief in the night . " These are the new sect, who call themselves Jehovah's Witnesses. This is an American rather successful financial institution "Biblical and Tract Watchtower Society of New York, Inc." (Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc). The organization was founded in 1884 by Charles Russell (1852 -1916), who took the teachings of Adventism as the Invisible advent of a "God." Russell in his books, speaking of the coming of this invisible " god "often uses the image of Christ's parable, who appeared calling" thief "," who appeared as a thief "incorrectly interpreting verses (Matthew 24: 43 Luk.12: 39), where says only that it is necessary to stay awake and not to sleep. Several times Russell writes about the " thief ", which will come from the" gloom and darkness "of" clouds and gloom ":

" These texts clearly state and illustrate the process of the Lord's coming. They show that he will be present invisible, doing the work of which the world quite a while will not guess. Therefore His arrival should happen quiet way, invisible and completely unknown to the world, the same way as "thief" would came - with no noise and no other attention-grabbing manifestations "

" The last group of statements is as true as the first, and it explicitly teaches the opposite to the quiet, unobtrusive, similar to the thieves the process of the coming and presence of the Lord . "

".. .Our Lord claimed as an indisputable fact, that his kingdom would be established without external visibility, and His coming, His presence will be as a thief, requiring careful, attentive awake to recognize and distinguish it .. "..

" Many recognize the glory and power of the new rulers of the earth, but because of the clouds and darkness surrounding him they didn't recognize the king"

" But, thanks to God, selected were noticed and armed, and will neither be deceived nor disappointed. Although around Him clouds and darkness , they see His presence and are happy that their freedom approaches " [15].

Russell taught at that time that the " thief "was invvisible in 1874. But he doesn't deny the connection with the 1844:

".. .This reached its culmination in 1844, just thirty years before 1874, when (according to the teachings of Jubilees) Christ - Bride and Reaper - really came. In this we find another striking parallel between the hour for centuries. Cause these thirty years exactly correspond to thirty years from the birth of the baby Jesus to the Anointed Messiah - Baptism and represented as the Bridegroom and Reaper at the age of thirty years " [16]

Russell claimed that "a thief "who appeared quietly in 1874 will finish his business in" invisible tabernacle " in 40 years (until 1914), then end must be held.

Today original idea is unfairly "forgotten", and new adherents presented this fact a little different: that by saying this figuratively, metaphorically, meant something else. After all, as is the case with Adventists, they were disappointed.1914 year came, and the prediction didn't come true, end of the world has once again failed. Russell then went on to explain that the war in 1914 was not Armageddon, but will lead to Armageddon, and apologizing, in the preface to a new edition of his book, "The time is near," just moved the deadline to 1918, to which fortunately for himself, and to Unfortunately for followers, didn't live. General management of the organization postponement of doomsday than once: from 1914 to 1918, then to 1925, and even later to 1975 year. And so on.

Russell rightly accuses the papacy in all its many sins. However, starting with Catholicism, Russell brings his hatred for the whole of Christianity as a whole, calling all Christians servants of Satan, and the Church - the Antichrist, although under the Antichrist in the Bible refers to it, " the man of sin "and" son of perdition ", rather than an organization, and the more the Church of Christ. Calling all Christians as followers of Satan , "witnesses" called themselves for some reason as Christians, although Christianity doesn't have any relationship with. For them, the second coming of Christ is not a real person, but merely serves as a figurative expression of some "true church", which should, in their opinion, to become the head of the world. They called themselves " tireless locusts of anointed Christians "[17]," the host of Jehovah's anointed locusts "[18]. And this " locusts ", serving as a" thief "from the" gloom and darkness , "called for the abolition of all governments and religions in order to replace them with a single kind of" world government "[19]. That is, in fact, they declare the same purpose as the Illuminates, Freemasons, Babis Bahai, advocating for a new world order headed by a single world government, paving the way for the reign of the Antichrist.

Satan is released from the hellhole

Miller claimed that his prophesy made ​​by " a voice coming from the sky ". [5]

Doesn't that get a little uncomfortable after all that reading? Comets, earthquakes, disasters, famine and epidemics, and on this background, the ghosts of the abyss manifested secret forces hidden until then in the shade. Some of them are aimed at the overthrow of the monarchy and the eradication of religions, hands defrauded, acting under the banner of liberalism, freedom and brotherhood. Others are working to create a "new world order", organized the assassination of kings, carried out the revolution, pull down the age-old foundations.

Analyzing the history, we can't say that any one person or even any organization, party, sect or other force in the world was in 1843 -1844 and marked the exit from the depths of Satan, which said John the Evangelist. In the form of individual " man of sin "," son of perdition "or Antichrist will be 3.5 years until the end of human history in the end times. In the middle of the XIX century there is a fracture, and the world breaks, everything activates destructive, which can only appear at this point in the historical arena: natural disasters, diseases and epidemics, wars and revolutions, secret societies and religious sects, false prophets and leaders of the revolutionaries. The world began to change rapidly.

Linking it with the prophetic millennium, we can say this: 843 - 1843 is the period which the Book of Revelation says about:

" And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection" (Revelation 20: 4-5)

And since 1844 a period began known as the "little season" when allegorically Satan was set free. Destructive forces activate, as described in these words:

" And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison" . (Revelation. 20: 1-3,7)

As the millennium reign of the saints with Christ is a period of relatively favorable for the Church of Christ's time in the history of mankind - in comparison with the previous and subsequent years - and the image of the binding of Satan for a thousand years, and after thousands of years out of the abyss to " little season " , there is only an indication of the changes taking place in the world. Changes have an apocalyptic nature. In essence, it's the struggle of Satan to mankind, and especially " to whom who have the testimony of Jesus Christ " never ends. This is shown in the vision of John as persecution of wife by dragon (Revelation's chapter 12). But it was pleased to God to bind Satan for a thousand years, and in the history of the Church of Christ there was a period of relatively peaceful existence. Now we live in a time of increased rebellion and growing chaos, a period which in the prophetic writings of St. John the Divine is called " little season ", and we, of course, are interested in this period, and the question is: Can we find out how long will this" little season " continue?

Sources:

1. "The Bible of Holy Scripture " (3m ) // reprint Savvino Storozhevsky Monastery Design: "Rule of Faith" M ., 1999

2. "The Bible is the book of scripture of the Old and New Testament " canonical in Russian translation with parallel passages , 1991

3. Shimon Dubnov " The recent history of the Jews " http://www.il4u.org.il/history/dubnov/68.html

4. Public History of Astronomy in the XIX century . Translation from English / Clark A .; Lane .: Seraphim VV priv. - Assoc. Imp. , St. Petersburg . University, ie . before . Eng . Astron . Islands . - Odessa : Mathesis, 1913. - 678 c.

5. W. Sears "As a thief . Case of never coming coming " St. Petersburg, Impaks , 1993 p. 351

6. http://randewy.narod.ru/gml/meteo2.html

7. William Ambrose Spicer "Our Day in the Light of Prophecy" Pacific Press, 1917 - p. 380

8. Y.Vorobevsky " A knock at the golden gate " Part 2 (Essay 7)

9. http://bahai-library.com/russian/bha/aqdas

10. J. Robinson " Pilgrim trail . Way of one person to the Masonic Temple , " New York, 1993 http://freemasonry.narod.ru/Publications/PATH.doc

11. Y. Vorobyevsky . Path to the apocalypse : the Omega Point

12. N. Bogolyubov "Secret Society of the XX century " Vra , 1997

13. S. Nilus " Great in the Small" With the publication of Nilus ' "Great in the small " third edition, revised and enlarged 1911 Sergiev Posad .

14. White J. Scetches of the Christian Life and Public Labors of William Miller. Battle Creek , 1875 page 55-57 // on http://www.synergia.itn.ru/iegova/issl/evm/3.htm

15. Charles Russell Volume 2, Chapter 5, " The process of return of our Lord "

16. Charles Russell Volume 2, Chapter 7, " Parallel era"

17. " The Watchtower", 1998 January 15 , p. 28

18. " The Watchtower", 1998, May 1, p. 9-10

19. " The Watchtower", 2005, June 1, p. 3-7

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Legend of Hiram - Adoniram .

  " No mortal knows neither patronymic, nor gender, nor the tribe of mysteriously gloomy personality of Adoniram whose genius is so much higher of people of the land , as far as the top of the highest mountain towers over the small stone showered with dust of its foot . This superhuman person breathe with the deepest contempt for the human race and this contempt is legal: who as a foreigner lives among Adam's children doesn't belong to the human race.

And deep in the glare of the fire blazing Adoniram sees an image of a man, but the greatness of his is immensely superior to any mortal. It approached this to him and said to him a word :

- Come here, my son , come without fear ! I blew on you, and the flame has no power to interrupt your breathing.

And in deadly to children of Adam element, enveloped in flames , Adoniram found untested , unheard bliss , fond of him in the depths of the fire.

- Where do you following me? - Adoniram asks who appeared .

- To the center of the earth, in the soul of the world , to country of Cain rule , which is closely and inseparably freedom reigns . There is the ultimate of Adonai tyranny , of jealous God ; there , laughing at his impotent rage , we can freely and openly eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge . There is the reign of your fathers .

- But who am I? And who are you ? - Adoniram asks .

- I am the father of your fathers , I am the son of Lamech , grandson of Cain , I am Tubal-Cain ....

And in she sanctuary of fire kingdom Adoniram brought face to face with the head of his great race. Lucifer , who gave life to Cain , on the face of his son reflected luster of all its ineffable beauty and infinite majesty ...

- Give ear to me, O my son ! There will be a son from you, who you won't see , and he will make of thee a countless offspring. And your race will be far above Adam's on, but this breed win under its feet thy kindred . And many centuries noble clan of yours will give all its courage , all the entire genius to the thankless and senseless breed of Adam. But the day will come , and the best will become strongest , and they will restore faith of the Lord of Fire. Your children, united under thy name, will smash , as weaker vessel , the power of kings of the earth, for they are the representatives of the tyranny of Adonai ... "

".... till the thousand years should be fulfilled:

and after that he must be loosed a little season."

(Revelation. 20: 3)

Beasts of Daniel's prophecy

Thus, we hypothesized that the millennial reign of the saints with Christ a thousand years, and the binding of Satan can't be shaped, and the specific historical millennium. Especially in human history, we seem to be possible to distinguish this period. At 843, the frame completes the formation of dogmatic Christianity, which providentially isn'ted in the history of the holiday, "Triumph of Orthodoxy." And then follows the millennium of Christianity throughout the world. Of course, as the binding of Satan wasn't literal, just not a literal kingdom of God on earth, and this millennium. It's just a thousand-year period of relatively favorable existence of the Church of Christ, its spread across the land, the title reign of the saints with Christ.

The end of thousand-year period falls in the middle of the XIX century, and it is marked by many events: natural wonders, revolutions, a general expectation of the end of the world, and, as a consequence, the activation of different preachers, the emergence of sects and new religious movements: Adventists, Jehovah's Witnesses, Baha'is, Babis . This could be and we add a splash of scientific and technological discoveries that resulted in a radical transformation of the world. Good or bad - it doesn't matter. It's a fact that around the middle of XIX century, the world began to change rapidly.

And we put forward the hypothesis that the spike occurred the events that resulted in a change in the world, as well as strengthening the godless activity was shown to John the Revelator as the image output on Satan's "little season." This metaphor is easy to understand, since the changes started in the end will lead humanity to a close, the end of this, our familiar world.

Let's try to determine if it would be possible, the duration of the "little season." Let's not be deceived his prophetic name. "Little season" might not be too small if measured in human terms. Let's not forget that for God and a thousand years as one day (2Pet.3 8)

The first beast of Daniel's prophecy

Let's return to disassemble earlier prophecy in the book of Daniel, where were shown four mysterious kingdoms, the meaning of which turned out to be not clear to Daniel - that's why he needed explanation of Angel.

" I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head troubled me. I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things... "(Daniel 7: 15-16)

Let's briefly recall some four beasts were shown to Daniel

".. And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.

The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it.

And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.

After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it.

After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns." (Daniel 7: 3-7)

It is imperative that the four beasts in the aggregate, combined in one account for the beast that appears in the Apocalypse. Here is how it Archpriest Sergei Bulgakov writes, "the beast of Revelation correspond to the four great beasts don't like one another. The first of them "like a lion", the second - "like a bear", the third "like a leopard", the fourth beast was dreadful and terrible, who "was different from all the beasts" (Dan. VII, 4-7). In John Feral these images focus on one thing: "the beast which I saw was like a leopard, but had feet like a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion and the dragon gave him his power" (XIII, 2). This difference doesn't alter the substance of the matter, which is the beast that embodies the fullness of Feral with its various aspects and manifestations. The Beast of Revelation has seven heads (At Daniel's the same number obtained from the addition of the two heads of the first beast with four heads of the third and the fourth head, Dan. VII, 6-8) ". [3]

This once again confirms our assumption that these four beasts preimage four outbreaks godless activity should occur in the New Testament period. And, moreover, make it clear that shown in the Apocalypse beast out of the sea doesn't mean the Antichrist, as some commentators think, but godless forces in general.

The first beast of Daniel's conduct, as we have seen previously, the prototype of the Roman Empire.

The second beast of Daniel's prophecy

Let's try to find a period in the history of the godless activity similar persecution of the Christians of the Roman Empire, or the second beast of Daniel's prophecy, likening bear.

After the collapse of the Roman Empire in 395 AD, when Theodosius last year became the sole ruler of the Roman Empire (or 476 years old when he died Julia Nepos - the last person who held the title of Emperor of the West), before the thousand-year period "binding of Satan" and "reign saints with Christ, "-that is up to 843 years - we don't see a splash godless activity comparable to theomachy times of pagan Rome.

If since the collapse of the Roman Empire, until the ninth century - the beginning of the "thousand-year reign of the saints with Christ," or, in other words, the most favorable time for the Church of Christ, we don't find the flash of rebellion, as shown in the image of Daniel Bear, it's just not worth it to seek until the middle of the XIX century, or until the end of the millennial period. But since the middle of the XIX century, and it was after 1843, activation begins of godless powers, and we assume that it is from this time we should talk about "exit Satan for a little while." And therefore it is logical to look for traces of the second beast after this year, closer to our time.

It is regrettable to say this about my beloved homeland, but apparently the second beast of Daniel's conduct was the prototype activation godless forces on the territory of Russia in the first half of the XX century.

" And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh!'" (Daniel 7: 5)

We shouldn't demonize our history, which is fraught with grave consequences for the present and the future of Russia, but the fact remains, God-fighting terror swept across Russia. And the "bear", "ate a lot of meat." Many famous sons of the fatherland disappeared at the beginning of the revolutionary upheavals.

Danger of destruction of Russia with the aid of Desovietization

Visions like Daniel and John the Divine don't give us more information about the "bear" and the duration of this period. In the prophecies show only that the godless forces of four times in the New Testament story as much as possible on the rise. The first time it happens in the Roman Empire, the second time, as we assume, on the territory of Russia in the beginning of XX century. And if the first period was very long and ended apparently with the collapse of the Roman Empire, the second could be much more concise. Russia as an Orthodox state, by God's permission has experienced only a short time, but not less atrocities godless forces. This, thank God, not over the collapse of Russia, and we hope to Russia as the Third Rome, stay till the end of time. Because our goal is to learn and try to understand what or why God allowed it. But we can't declare any part of the history of Russia as "black hole" that requires desovietization or something like that, as this process will be used to destroy the destructive forces of Russia.

If we don't want, then we have to learn to separate the activity from the godless aspirations of the masses, who supported the Bolsheviks at the time and created a socialist state, which had for all its faults many positive sides. And, perhaps, the only way our country can survive in the XX century. Having made ​​an unprecedented industrial spurt, maximum effort, from an agrarian country, Russia was transformed into a state with a powerful industry and modern weapons. Maybe only as a result of this transformation Russia was able to defeat fascism, and remain on the historical map of the world. As the reforms of Peter I, destroying patriarchal attitudes, helped create the modern navy, the army and the iron and steel industry, and as a result, helped Russia to survive in a changing world, so, perhaps, reform the Bolsheviks helped keep Russia at this time. We must learn to separete theomachism of different forces and aspirations of the masses of Russia, even though they are often very tightly interwoven.

For Christians of modern times, like anyone, it is important to learn to hear the words of Christ for the forgiveness of his enemies. Especially because the enemies in the civil war were our own brothers. In fact, as long as we do not forgive each other, the civil war isn't over.

We remember and honor the sacrifices of the martyrs, but their share of the executioners and the ideological construction of the first socialist state in the world - the Russian people, the people who defeated fascism and built the USSR. We who live here - in Russia - Orthodox Christians, it is impossible to think differently if we don't want the Third Rome disappearance from the world map. And Orthodox Christians scattered throughout the world as a result of bloody deeds of the godless forces need to find the strength to end the civil war in their hearts and minds, and try to play one of the most difficult Christian precepts. Otherwise, we risk losing Russia.

We believe that reconciliation with the historical past is possible, if not to declare communism absolute filth and communist choice of the Russian people a tragic mistake, but if we hear in socialism hidden prophecy, in the words of Archpriest Sergius Bulgakov in his article "Christianity and Socialism," written in 1917 year.

"So, in relation to socialism to Christianity should remain the governing appeals Apostle, the first of which states:" Do not quench the Spirit, "for socialism threatens the extinction of the great spirit, but it is joined immediately and the second call:" Do not despise prophecies. " We must hear the "prophecy" and socialism, and not despise his misunderstanding or prejudice. Prophecy in socialism is dull and dark, but ineradicable premonition that "the image of this world passeth away," his bark is melted and the waters of the universe "God's face reflected back." Blind and deaf that prophecy in socialism as compared to how it is given in the Christian promise of a new earth and a new heaven, the same is true in their lives ... But it was in the era when blanched and temporarily blunted in Christianity these misgivings, in socialism they had known the life force "[4]

We should realize that the Russian people who supported the idea of communism at the time of a total collapse of all the ideas and the failure of the old regime from government, motivated by the desire for the good of all, that is, in fact, the desire to implement the principles of Christian love of neighbor. But the communist idea was flawed, as was based on a materialistic and atheistic basis. Hence went all distortions and theomachism.

And you can even offer fabulous in its boldness idea of synthesis of communist ideology with Orthodox world, which would be an error correction materialistic communism and forwards, instead of the civil war and return to the West, is rapidly losing the human form of capitalism.

In the prophecy of Daniel we saw four beasts, but in the New Testament stories only two of the four described outbreaks of rebellion took place. Expected two similar activation time which has not yet come. The time and nature of the third, we do not know anything. But in the fourth question, oddly enough, much more clarity. All commentators agree that it is the most brutal and total, but only lasts 3.5 years (Daniel 7: 25 Daniel 12: 7 Rev. 12: 14) or 42 months (Revelation 13: 5 Rev 11 2) or 1260 days (Revelation 12: 6), and will happen before the end of the world, with the arrival of the Antichrist.

Interpretation of the beasts of the Apocalypse

Disassemble the "little season" on the one hand is easy because we are its contemporaries, on the other hand, it's difficult, because of the predicted have not come true, and remains hidden. Having considered the image of the beast of Daniel's prophecy, we come to the conclusion that the two images ("like a lion" and "like a bear") are already of the facts, and the other two ("like a leopard" and "a terrible fourth")are not yet open.

In order to confirm our assumption that the vision of Daniel refers to the New Testament history, let's take a closer look at the animals that have been shown in a prophetic vision of John the Revelator and try to understand the fact that they stand for.

Revelation occurs four animal images, which can be attributed to the power of the enemy: the dragon, the beast out of the sea, the beast out of the earth (with horns like a lamb), and the beast upon which sits the harlot-Babylon. Consider these images in more detail.

1) Dragon

" And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne. And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days. And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. " (Revelation. 12: 3-9)

Characteristics of the image:

Great red dragon

Seven heads and ten horns;

Crowns - with the number of seven - on the heads of the dragon.

The text clearly states that the beast is Satan. But he was shown to John, apparently, not in its own view, but as an allegory. Many heads, horns and crowns, of course, carries a hidden meaning.

2) The Beast out of the sea.

" And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. " (Revelation. 13: 1-7)

Characteristics of the image:

Beast (not the dragon), emerging from the sea;

Seven heads and ten horns (comparable with Satan-dragon);

Crowns - with the number of ten - on the horns (as opposed to the seven crowns for the seven heads of the dragon Satan);

On their heads - the names of blasphemy;

Given mouth in blasphemy against God and dwell in heaven;

Has the features of a leopard, a bear, a lion;

Has the dragon power, his throne, force;

One of the heads is kind of mortally wounded, but healed;

Has the power to win for a short time even the saints, and of all nations and tribes.

3) The Beast out of the earth

" And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. " (Revelation. 13: 11-17)

Characteristics of the image:

Out of the ground;

Has two horns like a lamb (Lamb in Revelation is sometimes referred to Christ, for example, Rev. 17: 14);

Speaks like a dragon;

Has all the power of previous animal and uses it to make all the nations to worship the previous beast, or - death;

Performs great signs and wonders that no one can't repeat, and thus deceives people;

Makes everyone take some of the previous identification of the beast under pain of deprivation of the right to sale or buy anything.

4) the beast that carries the harlot-Babylon

" So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration " (Revelation. 17: 3-6)

Characteristics of the image :

Is in the desert;

Has the purple color

Has seven heads and ten horns (associated with two other beasts, but doesn't have any crowns on heads, like a dragon, or on the horns, like a beast out of the sea);

Full of names of blasphemy.

Analysis of the various interpretations

Usually it's the fourth beast, which sits on the harlot-Babylon stands for commentators as to the key for the understanding of similarities with him beast coming up out of the sea, because his image has some decoding of the text. But let's ask the question: Are these images identical? And can ewe apply the decryption of one to interpret and explain the other?

In Revelation three similar in some general features of the beast are given (by number of heads and horns): red dragon is Satan, the beast from the sea, colored wild beast. But we know that all three are not Satan. Satan is only the first animal - a red dragon. Consequently, two other images, though similar in some respects, may be still different images, and we shouldn't use the decryption of one image to another interpretation.

Existing opinions.

Here is what Irenaeus (130-202 years) writes, " The coming of his [the Antichrist] John depicted in Revelation: " And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. If any man have an ear, let him hear. He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints. "(Rev. 13: 2-10). Then he speaks of his armor-bearer, which is also called a false prophet, " And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live" (Rev. 13: 11-14)." [5]

So, in the opinion of Irenaeus : dragon is Satan, the beast out of the sea is the Antichrist, the beast of the earth with horns like a lamb is a false prophet, "squire" of Antichrist . A similar view belongs in the VI century to St. Andrew of Caesarea:

St. Andrew of Caesarea in "The Interpretation of the Apocalypse" (written between 563 and 614 years): " Some animal under [coming out of the sea] have some of the lowest power of Satan having authority over other demons, and by coming out of the ground after it [with horns like lamb] - Antichrist. Methodius, Hippolytus, and others take this beast for most of the Antichrist coming from restless and stormy sea "

And on the third beast (with horns like a lamb), the saint writes in the chapter with the revealing title "On the false prophet" (word 13 chapter 37): " Some say that this beast is the Antichrist, others think - Satan and his two horns - Antichrist and the false prophet. If you think that the false prophet will come in your face, it f inappropriate to take the serpent Satan, the beast out of the sea - for the Antichrist, and the beast of this, according to the blessed Irenaeus, - for the false prophet "

Thus, in the interpretation of Andrew Cesarean also red dragon is Satan, the beast out of the sea is a power of Satan or the Antichrist, and the beast of the earth with horns like a lamb is a false prophet . That is, a parody of Christ in all its details, the Antichrist will be, according to some commentators have their forerunner, " the Baptist apostate false Christ-magic and deception will do all to the seduction of the people that took the Antichrist as God, as the famous finisher of those miracles and been undoubted Fame, like the Baptist, leads believers to the Savior, and for a lie to deceive people try to imitate the truth ". [6]

Hippolytus of Rome who lived in the II century (170 - 236) left us a book "About Christ and Antichrist," agrees with the interpretation of Irenaeus about the Antichrist and his false prophet, but believes that the image of the beast out of the earth with horns like a lamb - it's the kingdom of the Antichrist, and the two horns of it are the Antichrist and the false prophet " (Revelation. 13: 11-18) In this case, the beast rising from the earth, he calls having to be the kingdom of the Antichrist, and by the two horns (of course), as himself, and the false prophet, has come along with it. Tags: his horns are the likeness of a lamb (mean) that he wants to be like the Son of God and shows himself king . " Other beasts in the same Hippolytus of Rome have no interpretations, but to explain the time of the Antichrist Hippolytus used the imagery of the Old Testament. Specifically, the vision of the four beasts shown to Daniel, leaving without consideration of other beasts of the Apocalypse.

Does the beast out of the sea mean the Antichrist?

It is easy to see that the beast out of the sea combines all the features of the beasts-kingdoms of Daniel's vision: " And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion "(Revelation 13: 2). Matches the number of heads (1 + 1 + 4 + 1 = 7 [one lion, one bear, four-ounce, one - scary]) and the number of the horns - 10 at the last beast of Daniel's vision, and 10 horns in each of the three beasts of the Apocalypse

However, commentators of early centuries, as mentioned earlier, believed that Daniel's vision of the Old Testament refers to four kingdoms: Babylon, Medo-Persian, Greek and Roman. That is the conclusion of them apparently has declined previous interpretation of King Nebuchadnezzar's dream, this Daniel, exactly where these kingdoms were shown as a graven image (Dan. 2: 1-45). But this explanation is hardly appropriate, since Daniel himself distinguished between the first and the second dream vision. The first dream of the king of Babylon, he, with God's help explains to him, using these images. But the second vision, caused him embarrassment and awe (Dan. 7: 15), and demanded an explanation of the Angel. In addition, the last vision clearly refers to the end times, as it involves and the Court of Christ over all nations (Daniel. 7: 13-14).

This interpretation of beasts-kingdoms of Daniel's vision, as the kingdoms of the Old Testament, is shared by many commentators today, although more likely it can be assumed that these images are shown of the kingdom are not modern Daniel. What do combine the four beasts of Daniel's vision, the image of the beast out of the sea, in the vision of St. John the Divine, clearly referring to the New Testament time. And if this is true, then the image of the beast out of the sea can't mean the Antichrist. Antichrist should be considered as the image of the beast out of the earth, " had two horns like a lamb , "that is seeking to become like Christ.

If we take the view that there will be and the false prophet, there is another important historical figure, requiring its description and explanation. And now, for example, Daniil Sysoev says that the false prophet will impersonate the Messiah.

" And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon " (Revelation. 13, 11). So, we can see how there is a new, third beast, the third member of the demonic "trinity" ... A false prophet - the forerunner of the fake, fake deceiver, the villain .... And the third beast, the prophet will impersonate the Messiah, he is a Jew, a descendant of Dan " [7]

According to the interpretation of Daniil Sysoev false prophet would be pretend to be the Messiah. Logic interpreter is clear: if the Antichrist will pretend to be God, the false prophet will be to impersonate the Messiah. But under a false Christ, under a false messiah Church has always understood the Antichrist, not someone else. Therefore, it seems unnecessary to enter more and the false prophet - the figure is as meaningful to her was paid as much attention in the vision of St. John the Divine, as the Antichrist. We believe that a false prophet in Revelation is called as the Antichrist. He - the beast out of the earth, with horns like a lamb - is a clear sign that indicates that a false prophet, a false Messiah Antichrist will try to convince everyone that he is the Second Coming of Christ. Besides, it is said that it will make many miracles to deceive people, even relegate fire on the earth (Revelation. 13:13). And this will be done by the Antichrist in order to convince all of his supposedly divine dignity.

The beast out of the sea, identical to the beasts of the four-kingdoms of Daniel's vision is not the Antichrist, but something else.

An interesting look at the beast coming up out of the sea Archpriest Sergius Bulgakov has, " The vision of the beast contemplated Seer "on the sand of the sea" as "out of the sea." The latter is here synonymous with deep, but can refer to in this case and the sea folk, natural humanity, taken from its carnal and spiritual life, in this sense, its animalism. Beast as in this case, obviously, means the State , and not just in the sense of State law enforcement organizations, helping humanity on its ways, but a totalitarian state, that pretends to be the sole and complete in the beginning of human life . "[ 3]

Further, Archpriest Sergei also pays attention to the identity of the images of the New and Old Testaments: " One beast of Revelation correspond to the four great beasts do not like one another. The first of them "like a lion", the second - "like a bear", the third "like a leopard", the fourth beast was dreadful and terrible, who "was different from all the beasts" (Dan. VII, 4-7). In John Feral these images focus on one thing: "the beast which I saw was like a leopard, but had feet like a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion and the dragon gave him his power " (XIII, 2). This difference doesn't alter the substance of the matter, which is the beast that embodies the fullness of Feral with its various aspects and manifestations. The Beast of Revelation has seven heads (at Daniel's, the same number obtained from the addition of the two heads of the first beast with four heads of the third and the fourth head, Dan. VII, 6-8) ". [Ibid.]

In understanding of Archpriest Sergius Bulgakov: dragon is Satan, the beast from the sea is a totalitarian state, and beast of the earth is the Antichrist (also the false prophet). Admittedly, that such an interpretation most harmoniously combines the Old and New Testament prophecy. And we must remember the words of Christ and the Apostles, spoke about what will be the Antichrist (cf. John 5: 43) - " and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition "(2 Thessalonians 2: 3.8), but not to talk about another" false prophet "nor as a helper or as a precursor of the Antichrist, nor, especially, the false messiah.

True, there may be a problem of interpretation places the Apocalypse, where it is said of the beast and the " false prophet ", as it were, of two persons (Rev. 16: 13, 19: 20, 20: 10):

" And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. "( Rev.16 13)

" And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before 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 a lake of fire burning with brimstone" (Rev. 19: 20)

" And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. " (Revelation 20: 10)

Many commentators, as it seems to us, treating vision of St. John the Divine, forgot about getting the form of prophecy, namely, that John didn't come up with images that convey some secret language of the descendants of important information, but he had a vision, which he wrote not understanding much of what he saw.

Here what he says about it:

" I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea" (Revelation. 1: 10-11)

While the text of the interpreters sometimes becomes apparent that they think differently, or forget, that John doesn't describe the nature of events, and vision, the essence of which, perhaps, even they are not understood. Here, for example, what Fr Sergey Bulgakov says:

" And when he writes and describes him to open, he grabs the familiar images, looking for funds transfer. They are inadequate and inaccurate, but they convey the very essence of what he had seen and heard and the guarantee is the inspiration of the described events "[3]

But if we remember that this is a vision that is described by John the Theologian, much will fall into place. John is shown a vision of the beast out of the sea, and the false prophet were thrown alive into the lake of fire (Revelation. 19: 20). Does this mean that these images are of two people? We see the destruction of two enemy images: the state of the godless (by Bulgakov) and the Antichrist (the false prophet). Our land is cleansed through the overthrow of the beast and the false prophet in the lake of fire.

And that could mean " the beast and the false prophet ... shall be tormented day and night forever and ever . " Perhaps this image says that cast into the lake of fire people who were godless activities. And in John's vision, it was presented in fairly concise manner as beast cast in the lake of fire. After all, the fate of the enemies of God is in the lake of fire (Rev. 21: 8)

Danger of literal

interpretation of some images

It can be assumed that many commentators believed the Antichrist beast out of the sea also because in Revelation 13:14 speaks of animal images, or " icon "(in the Slavonic translation). And this image will speak and act to the same.

" And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. "

(Revelation. 13: 11-15)

Prophetic Image certainly pushes some commentators to suggest that the image of the Antichrist, the more the image speaks and acts. But only if we understand the vision literally. We've already seen that the image of the dragon of the sea, the beasts of the identical four kingdoms of Daniel's vision, and not a person, and his " image " isn't an image of the Antichrist. Once again, we are faced with the danger of a literal interpretation of the secret places of the Apocalypse. So, we must understand the " image of the beast "as a symbol of the Antichrist state or the Antichrist godless forces. And we should separate allegorical prophetic image (vision) and the events that it describes in this way. Otherwise we get the interpretation like the following:

" It is said that the demons by magic often spoke through images, statues, trees, water and other things; maybe even through the bodies of the dead, as it showed Simon Magus before the Romans in the presence of the Apostle Peter, who denounced his deception, showing rebellion dead, whom he raised himself. Therefore, there is nothing strange in the fact that the forerunner of the Antichrist and his armor-bearer with the help of demons, making an image of the beast, false show him speaking, beating all orders not to worship him "[6]

St. Victorine Petaviysky in interpreting the prophecies of the " way of speaking , "writes that the statue of the Antichrist, hoisting of the temple in Jerusalem" will include a fallen angel "[8] Other commentators have said that the statue will be enlivened by Magis. All of these are examples of the dangers of literal understanding of the mysterious images.

In the same way, the words about one of the heads of the beast out of the sea as it was mortally wounded (" Thou slain beasts in death ") and healed is interpreted by those who believe the Antichrist is beast out of the sea, as False wonder of Antichrist.

" And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. "( Rev. 13: 3)

Daniil Sysoev wrote about this passage: " There are two complementary explanations for this verse. First, that the Antichrist will be like a mortally wounded, but healed by the power of Satan. That is going to happen staged an attack that ended instantaneous allegedly miraculous healing. It will be a kind of witchcraft wraith induced people. There is a second interpretation, related to the first. It is very old - dating back to Saint Irenaeus of Lyon, get it from the St. John the Evangelist. According to the second interpretation, the deadly wound means that after this "miracle" antichrist will restore the global Roman Empire "[7]

If we understand the beast out of the sea as the Antichrist, the interpretation is clear: the Antichrist had a mortal wound, but was miraculously healed. However, another interpretation is the restoration of the missing state (the Roman Empire), it's more suitable, if we assume that the beast from the sea is not a person. And if we stay on the assumption that the beast from the sea is a godless power or totalitarian state, as Archpriest Sergius Bulgakov believed, the second explanation is closer to the truth.

So, we stay on following interpretation of the beasts of the Apocalypse:

red dragon - Satan;

the beast from the sea - a kind of godless force maximum stepping into the New Testament period four times;

beast from the earth, with horns like a lamb - the Antichrist (also the false prophet).

What godless force

dows the beast out of the sea mean?

So, the beast out of the sea is, according to Archpriest Sergius Bulgakov, a totalitarian state or some godless system (force). To decrypt this way we have used images of the four beasts of Daniel's prophecy. And it is clearly stated that it was " four kingdoms , "or, in other words, the four spike godless activity should occur in the New Testament period. And if they are shown to Daniel individually, then to John they are shown in the form of a beast.

And if the beast from the sea isn't the Antichrist, but some godless force, it is interesting to consider: what can actually mean image of mortal wound on one of the heads of the beast, which is healed in a wonderful way for the observers.

" And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. " . (Revelation. 13: 3)

As it was shown earlier, commentators are suggesting that the image points to the Antichrist, believe that the Antichrist will allegedly fatally wounded, and wonders of Magis convince everybody of its miraculous healing. But if the image of the beast out of the sea is a kind of God-fighting force, this phenomenon has more global properties. We don't undertake to answer unequivocally, what is meant here. It can be assumed that meant the disappearance of the state of Israel, and the appearance of it again on the world map in 1948. Although, of course, it isn't the state of education, but in the power of the godless, scattered throughout the world after the fall of the Jews, but hasn't disappeared and isn't soluble in the environment of other nations, but insurgent from oblivion after 18 centuries scattering.

Of course, this image could mean an event which hasn't happened yet. However, the image of a mortal wound healing and in tune with what was said about the beast that carries the harlot-Babylon:

" The beast that thou sawest was, and isn't; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and isn't, and yet is . "(Revelation 17: 8).

This image can be said more globally, and it hardly describes one nation or one country, and the godless forces in general. Let's consider the image in detail.

The image of the harlot-Babylon on a scarlet beast

" So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration. " (Revelation. 17: 3-6)

The image of the harlot has a name: " MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. "(Revelation 17: 5). Image of harlot-Babylon is provided with detailed explanations. Similarly, the scarlet beast wearing harlot gets the most lengthy explanation.

Let's see what the Holy Fathers say about the image.

Hippolytus of Rome meant by the image of harlot the Roman Empire, where, in his opinion, the Antichrist should prevail. Recall that the saint lived in the days of the Roman Empir.

Archbishop. Andrew of Caesarea : " Some have taken this harlot in ancient Rome ... We are the same ... I think that is called a whore at all earthly kingdom, as it were, in one body to represent, or the city, who will reign until the coming of the Antichrist. Former Rome lost the royal power since the earliest times, unless we assume that the former dignity again return to it ... [6]. " That is, Andrew of Caesarea in the VI century doesn't see such a city, and tends to generalize that the harlot is " all earthly kingdom ", or any city in the future, if such appears.

Archpriest Sergei Bulgakov , " "The Great Whore" is here a general and preliminary qualitative designation of the kingdom of the beast, civitas diabolica. Angel promises to "show court over her," "[3]

What is interesting, Sergei Bulgakov in images of harlot-Babylon and the beast on which she sits sees some extent identification. That is, the harlot in this manner can't be considered separately from the scarlet beast, and vice versa.

" Chapter XVII (with XVIII) overarching theme is the fate of the beast, and the historical judgment of God's over him, the first of which is devoted to the fate of its predominantly foreign, the second is the cultural and economic. This idea is expressed in the dual form of wife-whore of Babylon and the kingdom of the beast, and they both spiritually merge almost to the identification , though still and different "(ibid)

" "And I saw a woman sitting upon a scarlet colored beast" (the purple color is a symbol of wealth and splendor). Here, we see the image of woman and the beast outwardly and inwardly converging to the spiritual identification "(ibid);

" "Secret" is a decree on the hidden, symbolic meaning of this image, which is common for the "woman and the beast." In other words, this is evidenced by their internal and external communication, spiritual identification "(ibid).

Archbishop Averky (Taushev) : " More general interpretation is inclined to see in this harlot, bearing the name of Babylon, all the general lowland-sensual and anti-Christian culture of the last days of humanity, which expects a terrible global catastrophe at the end of the world and the Second Coming of Christ. The fall of "Babylon" appears in the Apocalypse as the first act of the victory in the global fight against the Church of Christ with the sinful kingdom of the devil "[9]

Orthodox writer N.E. Pestov defines harlot as "fallen away from the Church of Christ", giving this explanation: " The mystery of iniquity its artfully disguised for centuries. But in the era of the antichrist its wickedness has reached its apogee. Then it will be unmasked and become apparent betrayal of the one who by his vocation was to be the Bride of Christ "[10]. Next, he speaks of " the bad and false Christians " writes: " it is the evil inside the church, like a poison in the blood , "etc. This position is clearly taken from the sect, which this image interprets as the Catholic Church and Babylon - as the Vatican. This is clearly wrong statement, which happens to be accepted by some Orthodox commentators.

Analogy with the Church is seen probably because the image of " wife clothed with the sun "(Rev. 12: 1) uniquely interpreted by everyone as the image of the Church of Christ. And that's why the image of a harlot for many people acts s its opposite. A cup in hand looks like a harlot contrast Eucharistic chalice. But the Church is the mystical body of Christ, God can't be the body of a harlot (1 Cor. 6:15), and there can't be two churches - good and bad, for one church (Wed Ephesus. 4: 5) is the pillar and ground of the truth (1Tim.3 15). In addition, we find in the description of the harlot-Babylon the following characteristics:

"... Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. "(Revelation. 18: 2)

" And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth. " (Revelation. 18:24)

" And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration. " (Rev. 17: 6)

All-encompassing is obvious: " all nations , "" all that were slain upon the earth . " Last time addressing to the misconception of N.E. Pestov, we note that the community is " bad Christians or imaginary - only in form - Christians "and Babylon, as a community of murderers saints and spiritual degrees, where is found the blood of prophets and" all that were slain upon the earth "can't be reconciled in any way. Only sectarians who hate the Church can think so. Think, but not to justify!

What then may be hiding under the images harlot-Babylon and carring her scarlet beast, which, according to Archpriest Sergius Bulgakov, has inner identity? Recall that according to St. Andrew of Caesarea, it is " all earthly kingdom . " We must understand that St. Andrew is referring to an earthly kingdom, which the apostle James calls the world, friendship with whom is enmity against God:

" Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God . " (James 4: 4)

In this sense, Christ puts himself against the world:

" And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world. " (John 8: 23)

But the world as God's creation, created originally good (Genesis 1: 8 - 25), can't be in a murderer or something nasty to God. It is obvious that harlot-Babylon refers to a specific community of people. And the angel said to John:

" Come hither; I will show unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: "(Rev. 17: 1)

And further it explains:

" And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. " (Rev. 17: 15).

And it's not just people in general, who presides over someone or something. The nations don't know Christ either, or hostile to Him and His Church. This is what we mean by the characteristic " scarlet beast ", full of names of blasphemy (Rev. 17: 3). However, is it possible to blaspheme Him Whom you don't know? No. In addition, about a scarlet beast it says:

" The beast that thou sawest was, and isn't; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and isn't, and yet is. "(Revelation 17: 8).

Key words here: " come out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition "or more" was and isn't and is to come . " That is, in the first case: appear and disappear into the abyss. In the second case detail: there was, for some time and wasn't seen again appeared to be lost in the future in the final abyss. These characteristics can't be attributed to the peoples who don't know Christ. Since the Gentiles were always and never disappeared (" was and isn't and is to come "). And even more so, ignorant of Christ nations came not out of the abyss, and even the question of the death of the Gentiles isn't solved by the Church unequivocally.

Thus, the water, on which sits the harlot Babylon, is a lot of people from different tribes and peoples struggling with Christ and His Church. This is godless force of all time. Here comes the inclusiveness in the characteristics of the image: the beast and the harlot denounced " the blood of prophets and saints and all that were slain upon the earth . "

Harlot sits on the beast (the godless force) that can be understood as a sign of subordination of the beast to the harlot. Harlot takes precedence over a scarlet colored beast, as the rider takes precedence over the horse.

Certainly not by accident John was shown the image opposite the image of the Church (wife, clothed like the sun). The fact that harlot in any way can't be ranked among the Christian community (be it Catholic or Protestant) seems obvious. But look for the opposite of the Church may be worth. The word "church" is translated as " a gathering of people . " Essentially, this is a close-knit group of like-minded people united in the conviction of different tribes and peoples. May be a harlot symbolizes just kind of close-knit community of a single faith. And more cohesive than the godless nations, and languages, designated way " many waters ", where the harlot sits.

Harlot is otherwise referred to the city of Babylon, and the scarlet beast stands for " people and nations, and tongues . " That is, the tip of the godless ideological forces (the harlot-Babylon) is outnumbered than " many waters "(languages, tribes and nations) as far smaller population of the city in relation to the tribes and peoples. And community leading in atheistic deal has all the features of the church, but opposite to it. Hence the image of his wife-whore opposite image Woman clothed with the sun. And a bowl of abominations in the hands of a harlot may also indicate a perverse nature of this community, a parody of the Church, or act as an additional attribute indicating the ideological elite, as it were, to a certain godless anti-church. Though perhaps the fact that the cup is a symbol of intoxication fornication.

Trying now to call it community specific name, I think, is impossible. Only because that the image passes through the centuries. And some of its manifestations today can only be a part, but not the whole. Revelation says that there are forces an orderly and consciously resisting the truth and fighting the Church. And also that there are many tribes and nations that support the anti-church. As it is written:

" With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. " (Revelation. 17: 2).

In this sense, Bulgakov is right: Between a scarlet beast and the harlot-Babylon there's a lot of identity. " Living on Earth "voluntarily revel wine of her fornication, that is, choose the lusts of this world, even knowing that it is contrary to God, and through that become more and more committed to the anti-church. The harlot and the scarlet beast mutually use each other. Harlot-Babylon uses a scarlet beast (nations and tongues) to blaspheme God (" the beast full of names of blasphemy ") and fight with the Church and Christians," the woman drunken with the blood of the saints and the blood of Jesus , "finding in it her rapture. And the nations drunk withis way struggle with God, for the glory and riches of this world (James 4: 4).

It should be noted that in Revelation there are two symbols of the city, opposed to each other: this is the city of Jerusalem and the city of Babylon. In addition to its literal meaning, historic towns, they are endowed with different meaning. So Jerusalem represented the kingdom of heaven is called the " heavenly city "(Rev. 3: 12 Revelation 21: 2,10). And the name of the city "Babylon"is translated from the local language as "gate of God." It is clear that it means the god of the Gentiles. And how can we not recall the prophetic words of Christ said to Peter about the Church:

" That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. "( Matt. 16:18).

Perhaps the image of Babylon in Revelation represents those " gates of hell " which are not destined to overcome the Church. And if the city of Jerusalem in Revelation represented as the kingdom of heaven, then Babylon becomes its ideological opposite, the realm of " the prince of this world "(John.12: 31), a metaphorical city filled with fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. (Rev. 21: 8).

Participation in the affairs of the spiritual Babylon - this is the way that leads to destruction. But here is the possibility of salvation through repentance. For people who are still able to repent, words are turned:

" And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. " (Revelation. 18: 4)

Here you can see some of the contradictions: on the one hand, about scarlet beast it is said that it came out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition. At the same time, it is people who couldn't get out of the abyss and to them or some of them the words are addressed: " Come out of her, my people . "

Therefore, excessive literalness in the interpretation of the allegorical imagery here may be harmful and lead in astray. We need a certain extent detached view, we need the ability to capture everything and understand the essence of the message, expressed sometimes with the help seems contradictory images.

Such contradictions we can try to explain, for example, as follows. In death " all evil " goes ( Rev. 21: 27). In this sense, the scarlet beast, as the image of God-fighting force, goes into perdition. He came out of the abyss - the ideology of Satan, the main militant atheists. And the people and nations, its components are only deceived. And that's why through repentance they can come out of this spiritual Babylon. And saying, " My people , " voice from Heaven shows that under seduction aren't only pagans. But it may have another explanation: for example, that only by becoming a Christian you can get out of this spiritual Babylon. That is, God is calling to become the people of God, and through it to get out of spiritual Babylon. Maybe appeal " my people "is a reference to the Jews.

We pay attention to the fact that the holy fathers tried not to go into too detailed interpretation of the images that have been and may still be a long time will remain to a certain extent intimate. That's why the church interpreters often leave many details without explaining: likeseven mountains on which the woman sits, or what the following words mean:

" And the beast that was, and isn't, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition. " (Rev. 17: 11)

What (or who) do ten horns of the beast and the seven heads represent, what does the number of the beast - 666 mean, etc. Although similar in-depth study of details and interpretation of it are sins of different sects. That's why we don't undertake to treat many of the images, which may have not opened yet, or can't be understood by our generation.

The third and the fourth beast

of the prophecies of Daniel

The third beast of prophecy

" After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it. " (Daniel 7: 6)

It isn't yet possible to say what would be the third surge godless activity, similar to those that took place already in New Testament times: the Roman Empire and on the territory of Russia in the first quarter of the XX century. We can't say where we could find a third burst of activity godless, why the prophecy used image of the beast resembling a leopard, ​​why he has four heads, four bird's wing, and what " power was given to him" means. All that we seem to find out later, when the "third kingdom of the beast" will begin to take shape.

The fourth beast of prophecy

" After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns. I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things. " (Daniel 7: 7-8)

On the fourth kingdom, oddly enough, more is known. Because and Daniel, and John, and Ezra tell in the third book, and all the prophets, when they speak of the coming Day of Wrath, describe the events related to the time of arrival of the Antichrist. After all, with the arrival of the Antichrist fourth flash godless activity is linked shown to Daniel in a strong and terrible beast.

That's why we can very accurately determine the duration of this period. 1260 days, or 42 months, or 3.5 years the Antichrist will rule, referred to as " the man of sin "and" the son of perdition . " Terms of reign of the Antichrist are totally unambiguous.

Also we know that there will be a departure from the faith. So Jesus says, "when he come, will the Son of man find faith on earth "?

Therefore, to survive in the dying nature, in a moral decline and general apostasy from the truth, in the cities will be almost impossible, the Savior tells to" flee to the mountains , "that means hiding from the government and corrupted society.

The faith won't disappear completely, and even the Church will continue, albeit in a small remnant. John the Revelator is shown in the image of the wife, who had fled into the wilderness (Rev. 12: 14), that is hidden from the eyes godless in inaccessible places.

As it's shown in human history, there will be many killed and tortured for the faith, but most will be those who quietly accept the new ruler. And it will be truly the last days!

About the print of the Antichrist

First of all, we note that in the history, as the Apostle John says, there are many antichrists (1Ioan.2: 18). Antichrists were at all times, and will, in fact, that " man of sin "and" son of perdition "is talking about John the Evangelist in the Apocalypse. It must be remembered always as bowed Antichrist, as well as " who did not take print "were, are and will be at any time.

Another confirmation that the Antichrist and his seal is a phenomenon characteristic for different times, we can learn from the Bible. Revelation says that in the beginning of the millennium reign of Christ with him will reign those who

" had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads"( Revelation. 20: 4).

That is, during the time of " first the kingdom of the beast "- the Roman Empire time - there were bowed and not bowed to the Antichrist, who accept and did not accept the seal of the Antichrist.

On the basis of a literal misunderstanding of the place of the Apocalypse chiliasts argued that the millennial reign will come after the " man of sin ", who conquered the whole earth. And this, as we know, is a mistake. Antichrists and their prints (though still figuratively) is a timeless and "international" phenomenon and characteristic for all four flares godless activity are shown to Daniel in the form of four animals, which are destined to occur in the period between the first and second coming of Jesus Christ.

Illustrative in this respect are the words of St. Seraphim of Sarov, said to spiritual children in the first half of the XIX century: " You will not live up to the Antichrist, and the time of the Antichrist will experience "[11] That is, the Seraphim calls at times of Antichrist, apparently coming flash godless activity in Russia. It is clear that, as in the Roman Empire there were those who accepted and did not accept the print, and during the second flash godless activity (Antichrist times) there were adopted and did not accept print. And is it not in some physical act, but in the spiritual renunciation of Christ.

Now there is a lot of talk about the last days of the Antichrist and his print. Surely the time is coming to an end, the chaos intensified, amplified, and the retreat of people, there is a "cooling of faith." But all this was predicted and known Church. So let's listen to the words of Ignatius (Bryanchaninov): " The retreat allowed by God not to encroach infirm stop your hand. Persists, save by yourself, and that you've had enough. Check out the spirit of the times, study it to avoid as much as possible the influence of him . " [12]

There is little on what we can influence, but ourselves, and how often the desire to correct others, the desire to teach are just the machinations of the evil spirit, exciting pride and destructive self-confidence. As it's instructed by Seraphim of Sarov " acquire the spirit of peace and thousands around you will be saved . " The more unacceptable to blame the hierarchy of the Church, while there is no breach of regulations of the Seven Ecumenical Councils - a landmarks that we should hold.

As we already understand, antichrists have always been, and there was always the danger of betrayal (print accepting). In Rome renounced Christ and sacrificed to idols became such, such were in Russia. But it is certainly not the ones who put on "budenovka" with a star went to the front. We know that the whole army was in the stars, but that didn't turn them away from the Lord of warriors who defended Russia from the world of neo-paganism - fascism. Thus the LORD helped our soldiers. Print of Antichrist was taken by those who mocked the saints buried alive, drowned in boiling tar, killed, who pulled down the temples and disfiguring, who condemned to death by starvation and people poisoned gases, shot guns, rebellious peasants. But the severity of the betrayal by those who replaced the cross on the membership card for material benefits. These accepted the print of Antichrist! And when John the Evangelist speaks about the print, without which you can't buy bread - it's true, it will be, but it will be in the most recent times - at the fourth and final outbreak of rebellion - in the days of " the man of sin and son of perdition . " But then, even the name of Christ can't be utter without being caught. And the accepting of print for food or benefits would be a betrayal of Christ, as we are warned in advance.

Today there is no such thing. But we shouldn't delude ourselves, like, the time of those is still far away. You can accept the print anytime, anywhere, and to each of us sooner or later a choice may come. You can accept print in seemingly tranquil times. This print is betrayal and denial. Whether there is a formal renunciation, in words, or the adoption of printing on the forehead and arm. This betrayal can't be justified either by fear of hunger, nor, especially, the desire "to live like everyone else." Compromise with Satan isn't possible, and any dealings with him leads to death.

Print of Antichrist isn't some form, which was drew, appropriated or applied to laser, print the Antichrist is a conscious rejection of Christ. God did not give in the past, the present and will not in the future give Satan and the host of his power over the human heart and mind. Especially, there wasn't, isn't and won't be such a terrible instrument as print (character, word, symbol) that one touch would kill the person in the sanctity of the Spirit received in christening. It is written:

" your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost"( 1Cor.6: 19).

Body is likened to the temple. Will the temple become unholy, when the enemy trace out a sign on the outer wall of it? No! Till people inside (the essence of the human soul) keep him faithful, until " abomination of desolation " is set, nothing external is scary! Although you shouldn't treat that lightly and complacent. Time is going to end, the chaos is intensified, and we must be vigilant.

" Let no man deceive you by any means "(2 Thess. 2: 3)

However, it is unacceptable not to listen the voice of the Church, to seek out the Antichrist prints in passports, VATs, cards and other documents, if the Church tells us that today it isn't the print of the Antichrist.

Sources:  

1. "The Bible of Holy Scripture " (3m ) // reprint Savvino Storozhevsky Monastery Design: "Rule of Faith" M ., 1999

2 . "The Bible of scripture of the Old and New Testament " canonical in Russian translation with parallel passages , 1991

3. S.N. Bulgakov " Apocalypse of John" Paris 1948

4. S.N. Bulgakov " Christian socialism", Nauka, Novosibirsk, 1991, p. 232

5. Irenaeus ' " Against Heresies ( Refutation and denial of what is falsely called knowledge ), V 25-36 Ch. XXVIII. About the difference between the righteous and the wicked ; about the future of apostasy and the Antichrist at the end of the world "

6. Andrew of Caesarea, " Commentary on the Apocalypse of St. John the Divine "

7. Daniil Sysoev " Commentary on the Apocalypse" Missionary Center . priest Daniil Sysoev , 2011 p. 188-189

8. Victorin de Poetovio . Sur l'Apocalypse et autres ecrits. Paris , 1997 , r.108 (Sources chretiennes, 423).

9. Archbishop Averky ( Taushev). Apocalypse : Or Revelation of St. John the Divine , M .: Cross Library of Serbia 2006

10. N.E. Pestov "Reflections on the Apocalypse " Orthodox Brotherhood of St. John the Evangelist , 2011

11. "The Life , teachings and prophecies of St. Cerafim Sarov " Poltava Eparchy of the UOC Spaso-Preobrazhensky Mgarsky Monastery , 2001

12. Bryanchaninov I. " Complete collection of works" Palmer , Moscow 2007

Now we come to the most controversial part of our study - the calculation of the date. Formally there's no ban of it in Scripture. Matthew recorded the words of Christ:

" But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. " (Matthew 24: 36)

Firstly, it's restricted to small time period - day and hour - and there is no prohibition numbered year or a larger time period. Secondly, the apostles, and through them to all the faithful are encouraged to keep track of what's going on in the world, so that at some point in history, it was possible to conclude that the approximation of the time.

" Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it's near, even at the doors" (Matthew 24: 32-33)

And those who have these signs doesn't want to see the Lord even exposes the hypocrisy:

" He answered and said unto them, When it's evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowering. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times? " (Matt. 16: 2,3)

And if the judge logically, must sooner or later come a time when people are "signs of the times" and to commit events will learn time approximation end of history. For example, it would be quite obvious after the arrival of the Antichrist: it's enough to add three and a half years. Now it's not so obvious, but it's much clearer than before. However, all thoughts on this topic are only predictions and attempt to read the "signs of the times."

Method number one

Three times in the Bible is a sentence that says about the duration of an important period of history, and to pronounce it in the mysterious, if not encrypted, form. This key phrase is, "to a time and times and the dividing of time." And it meets both the Old and New Testaments.

" And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. . " (Daniel 7: 25)

" it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished. " (Daniel 12: 7)

" And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent ." (Revelation. 12:14)

All interpreters unambiguously interpret these lines as three and a half years. Here's how St. Cyril of Jerusalem talks about it " the Antichrist will reign for three and a half years. Since not from questionable books, but from Daniel we read, "shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time." Time is the year, times the same - the next two years the evils in the three terms together, and half a time six months there. Also I have interpreted the following way: one thousand two hundred and ninety days "

St. Chrysostom: "He (the Antichrist) will not abide so long as heretics show, but as many days as it's written in Daniel. And this time is indicated by very clear - three years and six months, as the scripture calls the time of year. St. John also identified forty-two months. "

Bl. Augustine: "no one can doubt, though very negligent and dormant like read Daniel's the book, that the kingdom of evil, the Anti-Christ, against the Church has to be, though, for a little while, until the final judgment of God, the kingdom of the saints will receive an eternal here (Dan. 7). For the time and times and half a time is one year and two and a half; and because three years and a half, which is the number of days laid (Daniel 12: 11-12) can be seen, and sometimes the number of months that Scripture speaks. "

Bl. Theodoret, based on the words of Daniel (Daniel 12: 7-11), said: "This is three years and a half; as he called time a year that will see more clearly from the following, both at the time said, times and half a time, when the end in the overthrow of consecrated people, and they shall see the holy one and all this come to pass. After three and a half years of persecution and then continue all this come to pass. " ... "Words time, times and half a holy Daniel meaning three years and a half, during which will rule this speaking horn (Antichrist)." And elsewhere: "the abomination of desolation will be given to the 1290 days (Daniel 12:11). Said before: the end of time, times and half a time (Daniel 12: 7), the angel said that Daniel didn't quite understand, because the calculus time by leaps grasped incomprehensible to him ". [3]

Of course, it's not the only interpretation.

With regard to the duration of the reign of the Antichrist question doesn't arise because it's in defined with number of months different places - 42 (Rev 11: 2 Revelation 13: 5) - and even with the number of days -1290 (Daniel 12: 11). Surprising is "coding method": "time, times and half time." In fact, it's a formula that can be expressed mathematically as follows: 1 + 2 time time+ 0.5 time

or 3.5 * X = Y

where: X is any factor ("time");

Y is duration is the period

The number "X", referred as "time" is multiplied by a factor - or a universal factor (3.5). Let's explain: if the "time" (number X) is equal to one year, the determined period (Y) is equal to 3.5 years. If we take as a "time" for two years, then the defined period will be equal to seven years. If X = 20, Y = 70. Seventy years can also be expressed by the formula - "a time and times and the half of time."

For "X" it may be taken not only the year but also the month, day and even minute, which consequently affect the duration of the period defined by (Y), the formula will not change. Three and a half days, too, can be expressed by the formula - "a time and times and the half of time." We also note that the 3.5, 7, 49, 70, 490, - common in Scripture periods, all described by this formula.

It seems that the main Christian symbol - the Cross - as in some way connected with the factor 3.5. If we take the three intersecting lines of the integer and the uppermost horizontal bar (the symbolic image plates with the letters INRI "Jesus of Nazareth - King of the Jews") for 0.5 or half integer.

So, we have the formula and the universal factor, and it would be logical to build a table of possible "times." Of course, this table was built.

Time (X)

Period (Y)

Originally this table continued after the "time" 666. However, subsequent calculations have shown that the numerical series can end this "time." As several other calculations quite clearly pointed out that the end time of our world is the year 2334. Thus, the mystical "time" 666, multiplied by the universal factor, given, as we see it, nothing else, as the date of the Antichrist.

One could argue that between 2331 and 2334 there are only three years, not three and a half years. But if from the beginning of 2331 the year we count three and a half years, it turns out mid-year 2334.

So, the first method of calculating the dates:

1) 3.5 * 666 = 2331 2331 +3.5 y = 2334

Method number two

The following method is based on the prophecy of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 25:11 30: 1-24) with respect to the end of the Babylonian captivity. It's known that Judah was conquered by the Chaldean king Nebuchadnezzar, and 70 years, as predicted earlier prophets continued so-called Babylonian captivity. There is reason to believe that the image of the Babylonian captivity in addition to direct - actually seventy-year period-is more and more global sense, presenting the image of being in captivity worldly, corrupting - captivity of sin. And the captivity will end only with the destruction of the world, has become a spiritual Babylon.

Among historians there is no consensus on the question: what year to start counting the beginning of the Babylonian captivity. Therefore we need some of the history.

History

In 627 BC dying king Ashurbanipal formidable Assyrian state, and after that - in 626 BC- separated from Assyria Chaldeans kingdom with its capital Babylon. In the next 20 years, the once powerful Assyria finally collapse under the blows of Babylon, and the Medes, which was divided between all her former possessions. Syria and Palestine, including Judah, had become an easy prey of Babylon. Egypt has also decided to take part in the division of the Assyrian heritage. Pharaoh Necho even tried to support the Assyrian garrisons in northern Syria, hoping to pick up their hands on, but failed. Then another commander Nebuchadnezzar II, who later became the ruler of Babylon, Egypt inflicted defeat in Syria at the Battle of Carchemish, and Necho had to retreat to Egypt to gather again the strength to fight with Babylon.

At this time, little Jews who were actually between two fires - Egypt and Babylon - ruled King Josiah (640 -609 BCE) years of his reign were relatively prosperous. the Scythians attacked the weakened Assyria, passed west of Judah, not significantly affecting the possessions of Josiah. In recent years, he even managed using the weakening of the Assyrian kingdom, to extend its authority to some areas, once formed part of the Kingdom of Israel, and later became the possession of the Assyrian king. Judah ceased to pay tribute to Assyria. [4]

There is reason to believe that if it were carried out some reforms of social character: in particular, passed a law to limit the term of the debt bondage, and ordered several proceedings (Jeremiah 22: 15-16), the last independent king Josiah of Judah. Becoming king at age 8, Josiah inherited a country, depraved half-century reign of his grandfather Manasseh (687-642 BC), who has brought Judah to the last stage of moral decay. Idolatry was elevated to a state religion. Even in the Temple of Jerusalem for public worship there was idol Astarte (4 Kings 21: 7). For this the Lord was angry with Judah finally (4 Kings 21: 10-16).

After Manasseh, his son Amon rules for two years (642-640 BC), but he was killed by conspirators. Josiah came to the throne a child. Unlike his grandfather and father, he was raised in piety, and in the eighteenth year of the reign decided to purge the country from idols, to eradicate idolatry and return to the faith of their fathers. In 622, he throws the idol of the Temple and the destruction of the idols conducts nationwide. Almost all the ministers vile cults were killed at the same time (4 Kings. Chapter 22 and Chapter 23) In the same year there was made ​​a covenant with the people of Judah and finding of "The Book of the Law" - or "Book of the Covenant" of Moses. From the year 622 the first time in decades, they celebrated the feast of Easter (4 Tsar23: 21-23). And this pious king, one "was not, either before or after " similar to him, (4Tsar 23: 25) was the last independent king of Judah. He was killed by an arrow in the battle with Necho (609 year), but this death is the will of God, to fulfill the promise not to give the pious king to see the horror and devastation coming upon Judah.

" Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof ... Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore my wrath shall be kindled against this place ..... But to the king of Judah which sent you to inquire of the LORD, thus shall ye say to him : ... Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the LORD, when thou heardest what I spake against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a desolation and a curse , ...., Behold therefore, I will gather thee unto thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered into thy grave in peace; and thine eyes shall not see all the evil which I will bring upon this place. And they brought the king word again. "( 4 Kings. 22: 16-20).

Next comes the reign of his son Jehoahaz. But he lasted only three months, he was arrested and taken to the Pharaoh of Egypt. On Judah Pharaoh imposed tribute (4 Kings 23:33). It's no longer the people chooses a ruler, Pharaoh puts Jehoiakim (609-598 BC ), who ruled for 11 years. It was dependent king, and its share is unenviable. So in 606 BC it has imposed a tribute to Nebuchadnezzar (4 Kings 24: 1). In various sources there is no unity on this date. We define it as follows. Josiah reigned from 640 to 609 BC. After that, for three months, power came to Johanan. Joachim became the next king, appointed by Pharaoh (from 609 to 598 BC)

" And Pharaohnechoh made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in the room of Josiah his father, and turned his name to Jehoiakim, and took Jehoahaz away: and he came to Egypt, and died there. "(4 Kings 23:34).

In the third year of his reign Nebuchadnezzar takes Jerusalem by storm, captures some of the vessels of the temple in Jerusalem and imposed tribute on Judah. But historians can't come to a conclusion in what year it happened. According to A.P. Lopuhin: "When and under what circumstances subordinating of Jehoiakim to Nebuchadnezzar happened - it's difficult to determine with precision: in the book of Daniel (I: 1-2), Nebuchadnezzar in the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim was besieging Jerusalem, took it and seized the vessels of the temple in Jerusalem, 2 Chron. XXXVI: 6 with Joachim and there was put in chains, "to lead him to Babylon". [5]