The War in HeavenYou may ask: “Then why was Revelation written if we can’t interpret it?” It’s written to show the warfare taking place in the spiritual realm, to show the serious war that the antichrist, the devil, wages against Christ.
“>Part 23
Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time (Rev. 12:12). He speaks to those who conquered by the Blood of the Lamb. Let us remember how important it is to be united with Christ, communing of His Body and Blood. Let us be witnesses and confessors through our words and deeds. Let us not fear death. The devil has fallen, and Heaven rejoices with those who dwell in it. Since the Ascension of the Lord to Heaven, Since His Crucifixion and the completion of the whole economy that brought man to Heaven, Heaven is open. And people enjoy this blessing of the Kingdom of God. And vice versa. While Heaven and those who live there rejoice, grief comes to earth and the sea. Woe to those who live on earth and in the sea, for the devil has come down there with great fury, knowing that his time is short. It appears that this is talking about how after the Crucifixion and the salvation of the world according to the Divine economy, when the devil was cast down to earth, those living on earth will experience various temptations, trials, and sorrows, which will be orchestrated by the devil, who is enraged because his days are numbered. Why is he furious? Because he hates God; the devil doesn’t desire God. And seeing that little time remains, his fury creates such a state of affairs. The devil becomes very irritated when someone tells him he has little time left.
And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man Child (Rev. 12:13). As we’ve said, this woman is the Church. As soon as the Lord completed the work of the economy of the salvation of man, as soon as Christ ascended into Heaven and the events of Pentecost took place, persecution immediately began. The first three years were unspeakable, terrible torments, followed by persecution of various kinds—heresies, schisms, scandals, incidents within the Church. The Church is in constant persecution, although it’s perhaps not the persecution of the first centuries (there were similar persecutions in other countries quite recently).
The Dragon Ready to Devour the Child, Giusto de’ Menabuoi, 14th C.
We’re constantly learning about new martyrs in countries where people are persecuted for their love of Christ. As clerics, monks, bishops, these people were put to death for their faith. Thousands of monks and clerics were killed in the countries of Eastern Europe during the political regimes that used to exist. For example, over the course of seventy years, 20–25,000 martyrs appeared in Russia just according to official documents, including St. Luke of Crimea, who is well known to us.
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 (Rev. 12:14). Time intervals of three and a half—we meet this number again, which we will see again. It’s said that the woman—the Church—had two wings. The Holy Fathers explain that these wings are the Old and New Testaments. The Church flies thanks to these wings.
And where is it flying to? To the desert, to its place. The desert is the place of the Church. We can reflect on this. When the mass persecution of Christians ceased after the first centuries, where did the Church establish itself to truly express the Gospel, to raise up saints, and strengthen the world? In monasticism, in the desert. The endless number of ascetics and holy monks who populated the desert, from then until today, preserve the experience and Tradition of the Church.
What does monasticism give us?
Many people ask: “What does monasticism give us?” Various things are suggested: monks write and preserve books, manuscripts, do embroidery, they host guests… But that’s not the essence of it. Monasticism offers something different. It consists in the fact that through monasticism, the truth and authenticity of the Gospel preaching is preserved and maintained. In the monastery, in the monastic community, the experience of the first Christians is carried out, when everything was shared among them. They were non-acquisitive, permanently lived in community, and their sole concern and thought was instruction in God’s word, serving God and partaking of the Holy Mysteries. Such was the life of the first Christians.
Over the years, it was difficult to maintain such a life in the midst of social reality, but this way of life is truly preserved in monastic communities; the Gospel word and the experience of the saints are faithfully imprinted in them. That doesn’t mean people are saved only in the monastic order. That would be a heresy and insult if someone started talking or thinking like that. Man is saved in the Church. The Church saves man. And monasticism exists within the Church, feeding off of it. Without the Church, neither monks nor laity could exist.
It says here that the Church flees into the desert and remains there for three and a half years. And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood (Rev. 12:15). The Apostle John saw the serpent spewing from its mouth a stream of water resembling a river, that flows and tries to flood the Church and destroy it—these are scandals, schisms, heresies, sufferings that constantly descend upon the Church, trying to stifle its word, hinder the existence of the Church, and limit its presence.
And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth (Rev. 12:16). Miraculously, the earth opened up and swallowed the river flowing towards the Church, which the devil spewed out of his mouth to drown it. These are images that refer us to a different reality. The Church endures attacks; the devil tries to destroy it. It hides in the desert. The earth swallows the flood of water and the Church doesn’t drown. We live through this every day. How many times have we said, “What will happen? Everything’s falling apart.” We’ve said this countless times now, and before, and throughout all ages. But whatever happens, the Church continues to proceed on its path. No matter how many scandals, trials, problems, and persecutions occur, the Church continues its way. We as people get lost; floods of water may drown us, but the Church—never.
And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ (Rev. 12:17). The devil, the dragon, was angry at the Church and went to make war with the rest of its seed, which preserves the commandments of God and has the testimony of Jesus Christ. You see, we have two obligations to be true children of the Church: to keep the commandments of God, and to have the testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ. Without observing the commandments, man can’t live in Christ—it’s impossible. And wherever we see that we can’t keep the commandments due to our human weakness, let us make up for it with repentance and humility, to cover our shortcomings and omissions, labor by the grace of God to be guardians of the Divine commandments, and be in union with Christ. That’s why it’s so important to keep the commandments, by which we unite with Christ Himself.
The second is the testimony. It’s impossible to be a Christian and not have a testimony about Christ. You can’t have your Christian experience only as your own personal experience. It doesn’t work that way. Why? If you really love someone else, if you love your brother, then the best thing you can do is to offer him a great gift, a great blessing, and help him to know Christ. It’s impossible to be a Church person and never open your mouth to tell someone else about God. St. John Chrysostom says: “Nothing is more frigid than a Christian who cares not for the salvation of others.”1 It’s sad, because sometimes we see it in our lives. For example, a man is working at his job. Around him are people who also live conscientiously, in a Christian manner, by the life of the Church. They’re in the same place, but they don’t talk about it with each other, as though they’re secret Christians. They don’t start a single conversation: They’re afraid to say they believe in Christ, that they love Christ; they’re afraid to show that they fast, to show their connection with Christ, only not to discover yourself and not hear an ironic or derogatory phrase or unpleasant comment addressed to you. They see that a man needs support; they always see him nearby and never say anything. Such things are typical of spiritually unhealthy people. If you were spiritually healthy, then love for your brother wouldn’t allow you to remain silent, seeing his sufferings, his needs, his need for the word of God. He who doesn’t know the word of God suffers eternally. How can you see your brother doomed to eternal sufferings and not say anything to him?
Elder Ephraim of Katounakia, Holy Mountain: Ecumenism is dominated by unclean spirits”I went to my cell and prayed, asking Christ to inform me what Ecumenism is. I received His reply, which was that Ecumenism has a spirit of wickedness and is dominated by unclean spirits.”
“>Elder Ephraim of Katounakia told us that there was a monk where he lived who didn’t lead a very consistent monastic life. Fr. Ephraim was a bit younger; he had no relationship with this man and he thought, “What can I say to him? Am I responsible for him?”
One time, while in prayer, he was given a vision by the grace of the Holy Spirit of how this monk died. They were carrying him off to be buried. At the same time, Elder Ephraim received word that this brother was separated from God forever. Simply put, he went to hell, he fell away from God. Fr. Ephraim was very sad and perplexed.
When they carried the coffin past him, he went closer to look at the deceased (this all happened in a vision). Just then, the dead man rose from the coffin and said to him: “Fr. Ephraim, what have you done to me?” That is, what have you done? Why didn’t you help me in this state? Why didn’t you say anything to me? You saw that my way of life wasn’t good for me! You saw that I wasn’t living well, that I was treading the path to hell with this life! What did you do for me? Why didn’t you say anything even once? Why didn’t you say, “Brother, you’re living a bad life!” Why didn’t you tell me, why didn’t you try to help a little?
Therefore, we mustn’t be indifferent to the salvation of our neighbor. Of course, that doesn’t mean we have to run off and become preachers. First and foremost, we must become proper people who observe God’s law, so we can tell others while living according to God’s way ourselves. So we don’t justify ourselves, saying, “I don’t live like this myself—what am I going to tell someone else?” This is cunning. You don’t get rid of your responsibility this way. Because of love for your brother, it’s useful for you to become better yourself, just as parents need to become doubly inattentive after their children are born, to become an example for their children. You can’t tell your child not to smoke while you smoke yourself. That would be hypocrisy. At least tell him not to be like you; show him an example of what to avoid. You can’t insult your parents and get annoyed that your child insults you. He saw how you speak with grandma and grandpa or with your mother-in-law. How can you demand respect from him in such a case? You need to be two times, ten times more attentive as soon as you have a child whom you have to help.
In the same way, we have to be very attentive in observing the law of God, both for our own sakes, and for the sake of our brethren. To help them and not harm them, so we may have a testimony of Christ in this world. At every hour, we’re called, in various circumstances and events, to give a good testimony about the truth of Christ to our brethren. We have obligations to the souls of others.
Christ tells us that we must feed our brother when he’s hungry. We have to give him a piece of bread. What kind of bread is this? He’ll eat it and get hungry again. But it’s important to give it. But think about it: If our brother has a hunger for eternity and Truth, and you refuse to say anything to him out of your indifference, out of embarrassment, out of fear or something else, it will be disastrous for yourself and for others.
To be continued…
Photo: pravlife.info 
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