Why Do We Consider It Normal Today For Someone To Go To a Monk and Ask To Know “the Future”?

By Metropolitan Nektarios of Hong Kong

I read that some people write that they visit some Elders and ask them “when will the events happen”?

What does “the events” mean?

About world wars, the taking of Constantinople, and the like?

I believe you understand how foolish this is, if it really happens…

Does someone go to a place of monastic asceticism, meet a monk, and the questions he asks are whether there will be wars and when will they begin?

Elder Eumenios Saridakis on How the Third World War Was Avoided By the Intervention of the Panagia

By Monk Simon

Elder Eumenios once told me that the Third World War would have taken place, in the area of Russia, namely Ukraine, and he also said this later when we went on a pilgrimage to Russia.

"We were all at the forefront," he told us.

"What do you mean 'we'?"

"All of us, Father Porphyrios was there, Father Iakovos was there, Father Paisios was there, all of us monks went to the forefront."

The Truth Behind the Alleged "Prophetic Vision of Saint John of Kronstadt"

By John Sanidopoulos

Multiple Orthodox Christian websites have in circulation a text often known as the "Prophetic Vision of Saint John of Kronstadt", allegedly written by Saint John of Kronstadt himself, concerning a vision he saw in January of 1901 that deals with specific apocalyptic events of the future, often with amazing details, revealed to him by Saint Seraphim of Sarov. Despite the confidence this alleged prophecy has in detailing future events, certain details have clearly proven to be false, but this does not stop anyone from continuing to circulate this false prophecy.

Concerns About Prophecies and the Coronavirus

By Father Andreas Agathokleous

It is good to sometimes put ourselves in the shoes of people who do not attend Catechetical and Religious discourses, nor go frequently to ecclesiastical Services, without, however, being considered atheists. They simply stay a little away from "ecclesiastical events", with a bit of skepticism and substantial concern.

These people, listening and reading, through social media, about prophecies, about the relationship between the coronavirus and God's grace, about the demonization of the forthcoming vaccine, and a lot of other "abouts", what do they have to say?

Concerning the Alleged End-Time Prophecy of Abba Moses the Ethiopian

As with many alleged end-time prophecies distributed in Orthodox Christian literature, what is known of the origins of the "Prophecy of Abba Moses the Ethiopian" is almost impossible to determine. You can come across its title in a catalogue of Athonite manuscripts from 1895, where a manuscript is found at Philotheou Monastery in a translation into simpler Greek. The first time this prophecy is published, it appears in the Athonite periodical Αγιορειτική Βιβλιοθήκη (ετ. Ε΄, 1940-41, αρ. 50-51, Νοέμβριος-Δεκέμβριος 1940, σ. 108) in the November-December 1940 issue (pictured below). There it says that it came from a manuscript of a cell of the Great Lavra Monastery, specifically the Cell of Symeon the God-Receiver of Elder Benjamin the Monk. As far as I can tell, this manuscript is never mentioned anywhere before this time.

Concerning the Alleged Prophecy of Abba Pambo

By John Sanidopoulos

If one searches "Prophecy of Abba Pambo" on the internet, you will come across many websites that present this alleged prophecy of Abba Pambo as either a prophecy reflective of our times or as an eschatological prophecy foretelling coming and future events. This is because it is presented in a deceptive way. Three things should be noted about this alleged prophecy:

First, this prophecy does not have Abba Pambo as a source, as it claims. Instead, it is one of the anonymous sayings of the Desert Fathers attributed to Abba Pambo that probably dates no earlier than the eighth century. This is confirmed by the fact that it refers to "canons" as part of the structured hymns of the Church. However, canons don't date to the time of Abba Pambo, who reposed around the year 375, but to at least the seventh century, though really the eighth century. The only reason the name of Abba Pambo is associated with this alleged prophecy is because Palladius in one sentence of his biography of Abba Pambo mentions that he had the gift of prophecy, but in none of the authentic sayings do we actually have a record of these prophecies, which were probably not eschatological at all, but foretold things in the immediate future within his lifetime.

When Metr. Augoustinos Kantiotes Foretold the Coming of a Great Epidemic

In 1990, the fiery Metropolitan Augoustinos Kantiotes of Florina (+ 2010) foretold a coming apocalyptic epidemic that sounds a lot like the current pandemic of the coronavirus. Decide for yourself. What he said can be read in translation below and you can listen to his words in the recording under it as he said it:

The Enochites: An Early 20th-Century Russian Apocalyptic Cult That Worshiped St. John of Kronstadt

In 1902-03 there were reports in The New York Times of a Russian sect emerging that revolved around the worship of St. John of Kronstadt - while he was still alive. Of course, he condemned this movement, yet this did not stop the fanaticism of the people, who misinterpreted his unique miraculous powers as a sign that the end of the world was near. Could this cult be behind the alleged prophecy of St. John of Kronstadt regarding the end of the world from 1901? It's interesting this movement began the very next year after this alleged vision. Below are the articles which describe this movement further:

A NEW RUSSIAN SECT: Rise of the Enochites in Zarizyn -- Inventions Foretell the End of the World (October 26, 1902)

RUSSIAN PEASANTS WORSHIP FATHER JOHN: Sect Has Been Formed Founded on This Veneration (October 28, 1902)

Russian Fanaticism and Ignorance (November 09, 1902)

STILL WORSHIP FATHER JOHN: Many Russian Peasants Believe He Is Christ -- A Scene at a St. Petersburg Station (February 19, 1903)

Are the Prophecies of Saint Kosmas the Aitolos Authentic? The True Story

By John Sanidopoulos

It was the winter of 1941. Greece was embroiled in a war with Italy. The Italian army had invaded Greece on 28 October 1940, before the Italian ultimatum had expired. The invasion was a disaster, the 140,000 troops of the Italian Army in Albania encountering an entrenched and determined enemy. The Italians had to contend with the mountainous terrain on the Albanian–Greek border and unexpectedly tenacious resistance by the Greek Army. By mid-November, the Greeks had stopped the Italian invasion just inside Greek territory. After completing their mobilization, the Greeks counter-attacked with the bulk of their army and pushed the Italians back into Albania – an advance which culminated in the Capture of Klisura Pass in January 1941, a few dozen kilometers inside the Albanian border. The defeat of the Italian invasion and the Greek counter-offensive of 1940 have been called the "first Axis setback of the entire war" by historian Mark Mazower, the Greeks "surprising everyone with the tenacity of their resistance."

Will Constantinople Be the Capital of Greece in 2020?

An 1803 map from Cedid Atlas refers to Istanbul as Islambol 
(though the Bosphorus is called the Istanbul Strait on the map)

By John Sanidopoulos

Last month President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey made remarks and answered questions on current issues in a joint interview with Kanal 7, TVNET and Ülke TV in Istanbul. Among the things he commented on was the name of the city of Istanbul, and whether or not it would be called Constantinople again. He said: "Istanbul will never be Constantinople." He further said: "This is Islambol. We do not have any Constantinople on our minds or in our dreams. We will not allow something like this to happen."

Islambol is a Turkish folk-etymological adaptation of Istanbul created after the Ottoman conquest of 1453 to express the city's new role as the capital of the Islamic Ottoman Empire. It is first attested shortly after the conquest, and its invention was ascribed by some contemporary writers to Sultan Mehmed II himself. Some Ottoman sources of the 17th century, most notably Evliya Çelebi, describe it as the common Turkish name of the time. Between the late 17th and late 18th centuries, it was also in official use. The first use of the word "Islambol" on coinage took place in 1703 during the reign of Sultan Ahmed III. The term Kostantiniyye (Costantinopolis) still appeared, however, into the 20th century.

The Prophetic Elder Paisios and the Misuse of His Words

By Monk Moses the Athonite

Very much has been said and written about the blessed Elder Paisios the Athonite (1924-1994). Already 16 years have passed since his blessed repose. He passed away on 07/12/1994 in the Monastery of Saint John the Theologian in Souroti, Thessaloniki and is buried there. His tomb is a pan-Orthodox place of pilgrimage. People of all ages come from far away to light a candle and invoke help for their needs.

Prophets and Prophecy in the Church

The following homily was delivered on October 19, 2014 for the feast of the Prophet Joel in the Cathedral of the Holy Protection in Edessa, at the request of Metropolitan Joel of Edessa.

By Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos and Agiou Vlasiou

On this occasion [the feast of the Prophet Joel] he [Metropolitan Joel of Edessa] asked me to say a few constructive and supplicatory words, therefore in obedience I wanted to speak on the Prophet Joel and prophecy in the Orthodox Church and in our Orthodox tradition. Essentially I will speak about the theology of prophecy and generally the great value had by the Prophets in both the Old and New Testaments.

The first point is that when one reads, my beloved brethren, the Old Testament, especially the lives of the Prophets, one will find that the Prophets were not just some thinkers, they were not just some theologians, as we now call them, nor were they philosophers. Because there is a huge difference between a Prophet and a philosopher. Philosophers think and attempt to discover God, while Prophets had an experience of God and God revealed Himself to them. Prophets, and this is very important, have encountered the living God, the pre-incarnate Word of the Old Testament, namely the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, Yahweh before the incarnation. They saw Him and they communicated with Him. They acquired a participation in the pre-incarnate Word and through Him with God the Holy Trinity. If we read the books of the Prophets, especially the first chapter of each to see how they begin, we will see this reality.

Elder Porphyrios: "I Don't Like To Prophesy"

By Hieromonk Fr. George Kavsokalyvites

(From the Holy Kalyva of Zoodochos Pege, of the Holy Skete of Kavsokalyvia on Mount Athos)

At a time when more and more people feel the need, because of the profound crisis affecting mankind, to deal with eschatological events as described in the Apocalypse of Saint John the Theologian, as well as those things revealed by the Grace of God to the Prophets, the Fathers of the Church and contemporary saintly elders like Elder Paisios, we must especially stand with the view of Elder Porphyrios, and decode why such a great Saint of our time, while knowing with precision and detail everything that we are living and where things come from, avoided talking about these things.

The Truth About the Prophecies of Saint Nilus the Myrrhgusher

By John Sanidopoulos

The Story

Saint Nilus (+ 1651) was a bright beacon of sanctity who struggled valiantly in asceticism on the Holy Mountain of Athos, and who upon his repose gushed an abundant amount of myrrh that testified to his holiness and purity.

Between the years 1813 and 1819, a certain monk named Theophanes, also known as the "Prisoner", was troubled by a demon due to his many sins, and he also suffered from a hernia. In despair over his condition he planned to leave the Holy Mountain until one day St. Nilus appeared to him. St. Nilus showed him an abandoned hut and instructed him to settle there, promising to provide for his needs. Theophanes obeyed, although at first he did not know it was St Nilus - only later did the Saint reveal himself.

The Erythraean Sybil and Her Prophetic Acrostic Concerning the Coming of Christ

The word Sybil comes (via Latin) from the ancient Greek word sibylla, meaning prophetess. The Erythraean Sybil was the prophetess of classical antiquity presiding over the Apollonian oracle at Erythrae, a town in Ionia opposite Chios, which was built by Neleus, the son of Codrus. Many Church Fathers believed that she prophesied the coming of Christ through the acrostic ΙΗΣΟΥΣ ΧΡΕΙΣΤΟΣ ΘΕΟΥ ΥΙΟΣ ΣΩΤΗΡ ΣΤΑΥΡΟΣ or JESUS CHRIST GOD SON SAVIOR CROSS. The translation below of the Oration of Constantine from the 4th century is poetically formed to fit the original, but the original Greek can be read here and a more literal translation here.

By Saint Constantine the Great

My desire, however, is to derive even from foreign sources a testimony to the Divine nature of Christ. For on such testimony it is evident that even those who blaspheme his name must acknowledge that he is God, and the Son of God if indeed they will accredit the words of those whose sentiments coincided with their own.

The Erythræan Sybil, then, who herself assures us that she lived in the sixth generation after the flood, was a priestess of Apollo, who wore the sacred fillet in imitation of the God she served, who guarded also the tripod encompassed with the serpent's folds, and returned prophetic answers to those who approached her shrine; having been devoted by the folly of her parents to this service, a service productive of nothing good or noble, but only of indecent fury, such as we find recorded in the case of Daphne. On one occasion, however, having rushed into the sanctuary of her vain superstition, she became really filled with inspiration from above, and declared in prophetic verses the future purposes of God; plainly indicating the advent of Jesus by the initial letters of these verses, forming an acrostic in these words: Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour, Cross.

What a Spiritual Father from Sinai Says About the "Prophecies" of St. Paisios

...But there is something we should highlight.

Lately, in the last few years and last few months, with advertising on television and elsewhere and certain newspapers, not a day passes where you don't hear about Saint Paisios or Elder Paisios or Father Paisios, etc. All that is heard is not according to God.

Profiteers have taken these things and placed them next to obscene magazines at newspaper stands. But we know why they do it and here we will respond.

They know that it is of interest to people.

St. George Karslides and the Apocalyptic Visionary

By Monk Moses the Athonite

There was a village woman who believed that she could see the Panagia and Christ and crying she would speak about future disasters. They asked Elder George (+ 1959) to visit her. The Elder went to her house and convinced her to come to the church of the village.

The Prophecy Engraved on the Cover of St. Constantine's Tomb

This fragment of royal purple colored stone is all that is left of the tomb of St. Constantine the Great, located in the archaeological museum of Istanbul.

By John Sanidopoulos

St. Constantine the Great died in 337 AD and was laid to rest in the Church of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople.

The Church of the Holy Apostles was also known as the Imperial Polyándreion (imperial cemetery). The first structure dates to the 4th century, though future emperors would add to and improve on the space. It was second in size and importance only to Hagia Sophia among the great churches of the capital. When Constantinople fell to the Ottomans in 1453, the Holy Apostles briefly became the seat of the Ecumenical Patriarch of the Orthodox Church. Three years later the edifice, which was in a dilapidated state, was abandoned by the Patriarch, and in 1461 it was demolished by the Ottomans to make way for the Fatih Mosque.

Elder Daniel Katounakiotis: Stories of Apocalyptic and Demonic Delusions

Endowed with uncommon intelligence and thirsting for learning, Elder Daniel (+1929) had devoured the patristic books and plundered the treasures of the Spirit. Many monks who had fallen into various delusions through ignorance or a spirit of pride were saved by the intervention of Elder Daniel. Like his namesake, the Prophet Daniel, he in truth possessed "an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting dreams ... and dissolving doubts" (Daniel 5:12).

Deluded Demos, For Whom Demons Danced

A good Christian of simple faith named Demos, a builder by profession, lived in Stika of Northern Epirus. One night he dreamt that in a certain place there was a church buried in the earth. Rousing his compatriots, therefore, they brought shovels and pickaxes and began the excavation. The church was brought to light. Full of satisfaction, Demos took pride in his success and pleasure in everyone's wonder; and when the cunning thought whispered to him, "Now, Demos, you are an important man, you have been chosen by God...," he accepted it without disputation.

Caution Regarding the "Prophecies" of Elder Paisios

By Theo

I met Fr. Paisios in 1975. Ever since I met him 30-40 times, almost every time by myself. I never heard him say "prophecies", such as when there will be wars, when we will take Constantinople, who will be commander-in-chief, etc. After his death I saw many "prophecies" distributed in magazines and books or disseminated by the media. I thought he might have actually said such things, but not to me. Until about a month ago when I heard from a friend of mine that the day before he visited the Holy Mountain and Fr. Isaiah, who was a novice of the Elder and now lives in his cell, told him that the Elder never uttered such "prophecies", and never referred to when there will be war, etc.