After evening prayers I laid down to
rest a little in my dimly lit cell since I was fatigued. Hanging before the icon
of the Mother of God was my lit lampada. Not more than a half-hour had passed
when I heard a soft rustle. Someone touched my left shoulder, and in a tender
voice said to me, “Arise servant of God John, and follow the will of God!” I
arose and saw near the window a glorious Staretz (elder) with frosty gray hair,
wearing a black mantia, and holding a staff in his hand. He looked at me
tenderly, and I could scarcely keep from falling because of my great fear. My
hands and feet trembled, and I wanted to speak, but my tongue would not obey me.
The Staretz made the sign of the cross over me, and calm and joy soon came over
me. Then I made the sign of the cross myself. He then pointed to the western
wall of my cell with his staff in order that I should notice a certain spot. The
Staretz had inscribed on the wall the following numbers: 1913, 1914, 1917, 1922,
1924, and 1934. Suddenly the wall vanished, and I walked with the Staretz toward
a green field and saw a mass of crosses-thousands standing as gravemarkers. They
were wooden, clay, or gold. I asked the Staretz, “What are these crosses for?”
He softly answered, “They are for those who suffered and were murdered for their
faith in Christ and for the Word of God and have become martyrs!” And so we
continued to walk.
Suddenly I saw an entire river of blood
and asked the Staretz, “What is the meaning of this blood? How much has been
spilled?” The Staretz looked around and replied, “This is the blood of true
Christians!” The Staretz then pointed to some clouds, and I saw a mass of
burning white lamps. They began to fall to the ground one after another by the
tens and by the hundreds. During their descent they grew dim and turned to
ashes. The Staretz then said to me, “Look!” I saw on a cloud seven burning
lamps. I asked, “What is the meaning of the burning lamps which fell to the
ground” He said, “Those are the churches of God which have fallen into heresy,
but these seven lamps on the clouds are the seven Catholic and Apostolic
Churches which will remain until the end of the world!”
The Staretz then pointed high into the
air and I saw and heard angels singing, “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord of Sabbaoth!”
Then a large crowd of people with candles in their hands rushed by with joy on
their shining faces. They were archbishops, monks, nuns, groups of laymen, young
adults, and even children and babies. I asked the wonderworking Staretz, “What
is the meaning of these people?” He responded, “These are all the people who
suffered for the Holy, Catholic, Apostolic Church, for the holy icons at the
hands of the wicked destroyers.” I then asked the great Staretz if I could sit
down next to them. The Staretz said, “It is too early for you to suffer, so
joining them would not be blessed by God!” Again I saw a large group of infants
who had suffered for Christ under Herod and had received crowns from the
Heavenly King.
We walked further and went into a large
church. I wanted to make the sign of the cross, but the Staretz said, “It is not
necessary to cross yourself because this is a place of abomination and
desolation!” The church was very gloomy. On the altar was a star and a Gospel
book with stars. Candles made of tar were burning and crackling like firewood.
The chalice was standing there covered by a strong stench. There was prosphora
with stars. A priest stood before the altar with a face like pitch and a woman
was under the altar covered in red with a star on her lips and she screamed and
laughed throughout the church saying, “I am free!” I thought “Oh, Lord, how
awful!” The people, like madmen, began to run around the altar, scream, whistle,
and clap their hands. Then they began to sing lecherous songs. Suddenly
lightning flashed, a frightening thunderbolt resounded, the earth trembled, and
the church collapsed, sending the woman, the people, the priest, and the rest
into the abyss. I thought “Oh Lord, how awful, save us!”
The Staretz saw what had happened as
did I. I asked, “Father, tell me, what is the meaning of this frightening
church?” He responded, “These are the earthly people, heretics who have
abandoned the Holy, Catholic, Apostolic Church and recognized the newly
innovated church which God has not blessed. In this church they do not fast, do
not attend services, and do not receive Holy Communion!” I was frightened and
said, “The Lord has pity on us, but curses those with death!” The Staretz
interrupted me and said, “Do not mourn, but just pray!” Then I saw a throng of
people, each of whom had a star on his lips and was terribly exhausted from
thirst, walking here and there. They saw us and yelled loudly, “Holy Fathers,
pray for us. It is very hard for us because we ourselves cannot. Our Fathers and
Mothers did not teach us the Law of God. We do not even have the name of Christ,
and we have received no peace. We rejected the Holy Spirit and the sign of the
cross!” They began to cry.
I followed after the Staretz. “Look!”
he said, pointing with his hand. I saw a mountain of human corpses stained in
blood. I was very frightened, and I asked the Staretz, “What is the meaning of
these dead bodies?” He replied, “These are people who lived the monastic life,
were rejected by the Antichrist, and did not receive his seal. They suffered for
their faith in Christ and the Apostolic Church and received martyrs crowns dying
for Christ. Pray for these servants of God!”
Without warning the Staretz turned to
the north and pointed with his hand. I saw an imperial palace, around which dogs
were running. Wild beasts and scorpions were roaring and charging and baring
their teeth. And I saw the Tsar sitting on a throne. His face was pale and
masculine. He was reciting the Jesus Prayer. Suddenly he fell like a dead man.
His crown fell. The wild beasts, dogs, and scorpions trampled on the anointed
Sovereign. I was frightened and cried bitterly. The Staretz took me by my right
shoulder. I saw a figure shrouded in white -- it was Nicholas II. On his head
was a wreath of green leaves, and his face was white and somewhat bloodied. He
wore a gold cross around his neck and was quietly whispering a prayer. And then
he said to me with tears, “Pray for me, Fr. John. Tell all Orthodox Christians
that I, the Tsar-martyr, died manfully for my faith in Christ and the Orthodox
Church. Tell the Holy Fathers that they should serve a Panahida for me, a
sinner, but there will be no grave for me!”
Soon everything became hidden in the
fog. I cried bitterly praying for the Tsar-martyr. My hands and feet trembled
from fear. The Staretz said, “Look!” Then I saw a throng of people scattered
about the land who had died from starvation while others were eating grass and
vegetation. Dogs were devouring the bodies of the dead, and the stench was
terrible. I thought, “Oh Lord, these people had no faith. From their lips they
expelled blasphemy, and for this they received God’s anger.”
I also saw an entire mountain of books
and among the books worms were crawling, emitting a terrible stench. I asked the
Staretz, “What is the meaning of these books?” He said, “These books are the
Godlessness and blasphemy which will infect all Christians with heretical
teachings!” Then the Staretz touched his staff to some of the books, and they
ignited into flames. The wind scattered the ashes.
Further on, I saw a church around which
was a large pile of prayer intentions for the departed. I bent over and wanted
to read them, but the Staretz said, “These prayer requests for the dead have
been lying here for many years, and the priests have forgotten about them. They
are never going to read them, but the dead will ask someone to pray for them!” I
asked, “Who will they get to pray for them?” The Staretz answered: “The angels
will pray for them!”
We proceeded further, and the Staretz
quickened the pace so that I could hardly keep up with him. “Look!” he said. I
saw a large crowd of people being persecuted by demons, who were beating them
with stakes, pitchforks, and hooks. I asked the Staretz, “What is the meaning of
these people?” He answered, “These are the ones who renounced their faith and
left the Holy, Catholic, Apostolic Church and accepted the new innovative
church. This group represents priests, monks, nuns, and laymen who renounced
their vows or marriage, and engaged in drinking and all sorts of blasphemy and
slander. All of these have terrible faces and a terrible stench comes from their
mouths. The demons beat them, driving them into the terrible abyss, from where
hellfire comes forth.” I was terribly frightened. I made the sign of the cross
while praying, “Lord deliver us from such a fate!”
I then saw a group of people, both old
and young, all of whom were terribly dressed, and who were raising a large, five
pointed star. On each corner were twelve demons and in the middle was satan
himself with terrifying horns and a straw head. He emitted a noxious foam onto
the people while pronouncing these words, “Arise you accursed ones with the seal
of ...” Suddenly many demons appeared with branding irons and on all the people
they placed the seal on their lips, above the elbow and on their right hands. I
asked the Staretz, “What is the meaning of this?” He responded, “This is the
mark of the Antichrist!” I made the sign of the cross and followed after the
Staretz.
He suddenly stopped and pointed to the
east with his hand. I saw a large gathering of people with joyous faces carrying
crosses and candles in their hands. In their midst stood a large altar as white
as snow. On the altar was the cross and the Holy Gospel and over the altar was
the aer with a golden imperial crown on which was written in golden letters,
“For the short term.” Patriarchs, bishops, priests, monks, nuns, and laymen
stood around the altar. They were all singing, “Glory to God in the highest and
peace on earth.” Out of great joy I made the sign of the cross and praised God.
Suddenly the Staretz waved his cross
upwards three times, and I saw mountain of corpses covered in human blood and
above them angels were flying. They were taking the souls of those murdered for
the Word of God to heaven while they sang “Alleluia!”
I observed all this and cried loudly.
The Staretz took me by the hand and forbade me to cry. “What is pleasing to God
is that Our Lord Jesus Christ suffered and shed His precious blood for us. Such
ones will become martyrs who do not accept the seal of the Antichrist, and all
who shed their blood will receive heavenly crowns.” The Staretz then prayed for
these servants of God and pointed to the east as the words of the Prophet Daniel
came true, “Abomination of desolation.”
Finally, I saw the cupola of Jerusalem.
Above it was a star. Within the church millions of people thronged and still
many more were trying to enter. I wanted to make the sign of the cross, but the
Staretz grabbed my hand and said, “Here is the abomination of desolation!” So we
entered into the church, and it was full of people.
I saw an altar on which tallow candles
were burning. On the altar was a king in red, blazing, porphyry. On his head was
a golden crown with a star. I asked the Staretz, “Who is this?” He replied, “The
Antichrist!” He was very tall with eyes like fire, black eyebrows, a
wedge-shaped beard, a ferocious, cunning, evil, and terrible face. He alone was
on the altar and he reached his hands out to the people. He had claws as those
of a tiger for hands and he shouted, “I am King. I am God. I am the Leader. He
who does not have my seal will be put to death.”
All the people fell down and worshipped
him, and he began to place his seal on their lips and on their hands in order
that they should receive some bread and not die from hunger and thirst. Around
the Antichrist his servants were leading several people whose hands were bound
as they had not bowed down to worship him. They said, “We are Christians, and we
all believe in our Lord Jesus Christ!” The Antichrist ripped off their heads in
a flash and Christian blood began to flow. A child was then led to the altar of
the Antichrist to worship him, but he boldly proclaimed, “I am a Christian and
believe in our Lord Jesus Christ, but you are a minister, a servant of satan!”
“Death to him!” exclaimed the Antichrist. Others who accepted the seal of the
Antichrist fell down and worshipped him.
Suddenly, a roar of thunder resounded
and a thousand lightning flashes began to sparkle. Arrows began to strike the
servants of the Antichrist. Then a large flaming arrow flashed by and hit the
Antichrist himself on the head. As he waved his hand, his crown fell and was
crushed into the ground. Then millions of birds flew in and perched on the
servants of the Antichrist. I felt the Staretz take me by the hand.
We walked further on, and I again saw
much Christian blood. It was here that I remembered the words of Saint John the
Theologian in the book of Revelation that blood would “be up to the horse’s
bridle.” I thought, “Oh my God, save us!” At that time I saw angels flying and
singing, “Holy, Holy, Holy. Lord of Sabbaoth!” The Staretz looked back and went
on to say, “Do not grieve, for soon, very soon, will come the end of the world!
Pray to the Lord. God be merciful to His servants!”
Time was drawing near to a close. He
pointed to the east, fell to his knees and began to pray so I prayed with him.
Then the Staretz began to quickly depart from the earth to the heights of
heaven. As he did so, I remembered that I did not know his name, so I cried out
loudly, “Father, what is your name?” He tenderly replied, “Seraphim of Sarov!”
That is what I saw, and this is what I have recorded for Orthodox Christians.
A large bell rang above my head, and I
heard the sound and arose from bed. “Lord, bless and help me through the prayers
of the great Staretz! You have enlightened me, the sinful servant, the priest
John of Kronstadt.”
Translated by Priestmonk Orestes, Christ the Saviour Orthodox Seminary
