VISION OF SECOND COMING

The vision of Saint Niphon regarding the Second Coming has something to tell all of us, to every class of people, from bishops down to the last layperson.*

One night, after the Saint finished his customary nightly prayer, he lay down to sleep on the stones. As always, it was midnight, and he was still keeping vigil, gazing at the moon and the stars in the sky. Alone as he was, he reflected on his sins. What sins? And yet he wept bitterly because he brought to mind the fearful hour of judgment. Suddenly, he sees the firmament of heaven being drawn back like a sheet, and the Lord Jesus Christ appears in enormous proportions. He stood in the air, surrounded by all the heavenly hosts—angels, archangels, and fearsome and exalted ranks arranged in perfect order. The Lord signaled to the commander of one rank, and he approached—radiant, awe-inspiring, yet reverent. “Michael, Michael, prince of the Covenant, take with your rank the fiery throne of My glory and go to the valley of Jehoshaphat. There you shall set it as the first sign of My presence. For the hour is near when each one will receive according to his works. And the moment has quickly come when I will judge those who worshiped idols, the devil, and denied Me, their Creator. All of them will be shattered like vessels, as will My enemies—the heretics who dared to separate Me from My Father, who dared to reduce the Comforter Spirit to a creature. What hell awaits them? Now I will appear to the Jews who crucified Me and did not believe in My divinity. All authority, honor, and power have been given to Me. I am the righteous Judge. When I was on the Cross, they said: ‘He saved others; let Him save Himself.’ Now vengeance is Mine; I will repay. I will judge, I will expose, and I will punish the wicked and perverse generation severely, because it did not repent. I gave them opportunities to repent, but they despised them. Therefore, now I will take vengeance. I will do the same to the Sodomites, to those who commit perversions and who pollute the earth and the air with their stench. I burned them then in Sodom and Gomorrah, and again I will burn them because they defiled the pleasure of the Holy Spirit and loved the pleasure of the devil. I will also punish the adulterers, the foolish and darkened ones who resemble irrational beasts. They were not content with their lawful marriage but foolishly turned to adultery, and Satan cast them bound into the abyss of fire. They did not hear that ‘it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.’ I called them to repentance, yet they did not repent. I will also condemn the thieves who committed many evils, even murders, and all those who committed a multitude of sins. I granted everyone opportunities to change, but they paid me no attention. Where are their good works? I showed them the prodigal son as an example and many others so that they would not despair in their sins, but they despised My commandments and denied Me. They turned away from Me and loved debauchery. They loathed Me and became enslaved to sin. Let them therefore go into the flame which they themselves kindled. But also those who died holding grudges, I will hand over to terrible torment. A resentful person remembers the evil done to him and never forgets it. They did not desire it. My peace was lost, and I lived in anger, bitterness, and wrath. The greedy, the usurers, and the lovers of money—I will destroy and pour out all My wrath upon them, because they placed their hope in gold and ignored Me, as if I did not know how to care for them. And those false Christians who claimed that there is no resurrection of the dead or that there is reincarnation—I will melt them down to Gehenna like wax. Then they will be convinced of the resurrection of the dead. The poisoners, the sorcerers, and all like them will be tortured mercilessly. Woe also to those who get drunk, revel, sing, dance, mock, and imagine evil things. I called them, and they did not listen; they mocked me. Now the worm will gnaw at their heart. I granted mercy and repentance to all, but no one paid attention. I will also cast into darkness those who despised the Holy Scriptures, which My Spirit wrote through the Saints. I will also judge those who deal in superstitions and place their hope in knives, axes, sickles, and similar things. Then they will learn that they should have hoped in God rather than in God's creations. They will be troubled and protest, but they will have no power, for vengeance is Mine; I will repay. I will also punish the kings and rulers who continually grieved Me with their injustices. They judged unjustly and arrogantly, despising people. They accepted bribes, but my authority does not accept bribes. For their injustice, I will destroy them. Then they will understand that I am the One who removes the authority of rulers, that I am more fearsome than all the kings of the earth. Woe to them—what punishment awaits them, because their teeth were set on edge and they shed innocent blood, the blood of their children and daughters. And what wrath shall I bring upon the hirelings who were not true shepherds, who devastated My vineyard and scattered My sheep? They cared for gold and silver, not for souls, and sought the priesthood for profit. How great will be their punishment, how great their lamentation! I will pour out all My anger upon them and crush them. I will punish their lawlessness with a rod and their injustices with scourges. Also, the priests who laugh or quarrel within My holy churches—what shall I do to them? I will condemn them to fire and Tartarus. I came, and I am coming. Whoever has strength, let him confront Me. But woe to him who, being sinful, falls into My hands. For each one will appear before Me naked and exposed. Where will the shamelessness of sinners appear then? How will they face My countenance? Where will they place their shame? They will be disgraced before My pure powers. Now I will also judge those monks who neglected their duties and betrayed the promises they made before God, angels, and men. They promised one thing and did another. From the height to which they ascended, I will cast them down into the abyss. It was not enough for them to destroy themselves, but they also caused a deadly scandal for others. It would have been better for them not to renounce the world than to renounce it and live burdened with sins. Vengeance is Mine; I will repay those who did not wish to repent. I will judge them as a just judge." These words, which the Lord proclaimed to the Archangel Michael, filled the countless angelic hosts with fear. Then He commanded that the seven ages of the world be brought before Him. Michael carried out the command, went immediately to the house of the Covenant, and brought them. They were great books, which he placed before the judge. Then he stood aside reverently, watching as the Lord opened and examined the history of all ages. He took the first page, opened it, and read: “The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—God in three persons. From the Father, the Son was begotten. By the Word of the Father, the ages were made. The bodiless powers were created, the sea, the rivers, and all things within them.”