20th-century Elders Said about the Last Days

Ever since the ascent of Our Lord Jesus Christ to heaven, His faithful have been waiting for His second coming. The Holy Scripture tells us, “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.”¹. Throughout the ages, people wave been looking for signs of the last days, the presence of the Antichrist; many have been apprehensive and overcome by the fear that they might have to live in the dark days of the anti-Christ’s rule. Should we also be thinking about the last days from the same perspective? How did the Holy Fathers contemplate the last days and the Second Coming of Christ? Surprisingly, they viewed these events with joy. Below is a collection of notable quotes and prophecies from some of the most respected and revered 20th-century saints on salvation in the last days, the anti-Christ, finding joy and freedom from fear.

When the Lord revealed to His saints the glimpses of the future, His intent was not to instil fear. He wanted it to be our sobering moment, a call to repentance, an invitation to change our lives. By doing all these, we can delay Judgement Day and let more people be saved. Many predictions about the anti-Christ and his rule were revealed to elders such as Saint Lavrentiy of Chernigov and Gabriel Urgebadze. They shared them with their disciples to guide them in their life choices.

The last days: understanding the approach of the anti-Christ’s reign

Saint Lavrentiy of Chernigov shared the following revelation from the Holy Spirit about the future coming of the anti-Christ: “Where a table with the holy icons used to stand, alluring devices will be placed as temptations for the people. Many would digress from the truth and would want to watch and listen to the news. In this news, the anti-Christ will reveal himself, and many will accept him. The world will see him once. Blessed will be all those who will not wish to meet him and see his vile face. Those who will choose to watch and listen to his talk and his promises of worldly riches will be tempted and bow to him. That will be the moment of their death for everlasting life.”

Saint Gabriel (Urgebadze) accorded with father Lavrentiy’s predictions. “The struggle of the Prophets Enoch and Elijah with the anti-Christ will be shown on television. By His great mercy, the Lord will allow it to be televised for the world to see.”

The last days. Food and nutrition

Saint Gabriel taught not to take bread from a man with the seal of the anti-Christ, but he insisted that food with the number of the beast would not harm a Christian. “Say the Lord’s prayer, cross your food and sprinkle some holy water to sanctify your food.” Elder Nikolay took the same view. When they began to place bar-codes on food, people were worried and approached him with questions.

“It is sinful to have food from God and to refuse to ear it. I always thank God for not abandoning me and sending me gifts through the people – a loaf of bread, or this can of fish. He took out from his bag a can of fish with a bar code, made the sign of the cross over it and said to his lay sister, “Let us pray and have the meal that God has sent us,” On another occasion, he added, “For the end of times, stock up on faith, not on food.”

Someone asked Elder Gabriel if it would be acceptable to steal food if people without a seal were not allowed to buy it. He replied, “If you steal, you will break God’s commandment and by doing so, will accept the anti-Christ. A faithful of God should but his trust in Him. In the last days, the Lord will perform for His people untold miracles; just one leaf of a tree will give them enough food to last for a month. A true believer will cross the soil, and it will give him bread.

The Church

According to Elder Lavrentiy, the last days will be a difficult time for the church. Shortly before the enthronement of the anti-Christ, the doors of the churches will be closed, but they will still be decorating them outside and inside. They will continue to guild the domes and bell towers. When the renovation of the main church is complete, the reign of the anti-Christ will begin. All the churches will be in brilliant shape, but people will not be able to visit, as the bloodless sacrifice of Jesus Christ will no longer be offered there. The churches will be places for Satan’s gatherings². They will be empty of His grace.

Saint Gabriel instructed his disciples as follows: “Keep doing good deeds so that you will be saved by your kindness. In the last days, the followers of the anti-Christ will keep going to Church, crossing themselves and preaching the Gospel. Do not believe anyone who has done no good deeds. You will only know a true Christian by their deeds.”

“His seal will be made not only invisibly but also visibly, on the forehead and hand.”³

Keep a living relationship with Christ

In the same vein, the elder of the Holy Mount Emilian (Vafidis), who departed in 2019, advised the faithful to keep a living relationship with Christ and refrain from thinking too much about the anti-Christ. Failing to do so would make him, not Christ, the central figure of our lives. “Worry not about the last days, the anti-Christ and the signs of his coming.

Remember: as long as we have Christ in ourselves, the anti-Christ is powerless to do us any harm. Concerning the day of judgement at the end of our lives, he remarked, “I know that the anti-Christ will come, and there will be the second coming of the Lord. But I do not know when it will happen. Tomorrow? A thousand years later? I cannot know that. But I am not concerned because I know that the second coming of the Lord will happen for all of us at our last hour. That last hour is around the corner.”

So let us sustain our faith and trust in the Lord at all times and cultivate virtues in our souls in preparation for meeting Him. Let us begin this very moment.

(A. Parkhomchik)