The Second Coming

How shall we be able to tell Christ’s Second Coming from the Antichrist’s appearing?  The Holy Fathers tell us, but Protestants like Mr Bryan Fischer would rather rely on their own opinions, and here they fall into great danger.  Mr Fischer in today’s Focal Point (16 Sept. 2019) speculates that everyone in the world will be able to see Christ’s Second Coming because of their TVs, smartphones, etc.  That is precisely the opposite of what the Fathers teach.  It is the Antichrist who will use, who will need, modern technology to deceive the peoples of the world into believing that he is God. 

“ . . . And after them, the Antichrist will appear. And the whole world will see him at the same time."

Then the fathers asked the Elder, "Where in the holy place? In the church?" The Venerable one answered, "Not in the church, but in every house. In the corner, where the holy icons now stand and hang, there will stand captivating devices which will delude the people. Many will say, 'We need to watch and listen to the news.' And behold, in the news the Antichrist will appear. He will mark his people with the seal, and he will hate Christians. The last persecutions of the Christian soul who will refuse to receive the mark of Satan will begin. A Christian will not be able to neither buy nor sell anything. But despair not, the Lord will not abandon His children. There is no need to fear.

-- St Lawrence of Chernigov (+1950), https://confiterijournal.blogspot.com/2018/02/the-everywhere-present-screen.html

The Lord Himself and the Holy Fathers tell us that His Second Coming will be seen by the whole world all at once without the need of man or machine to spread the word:

Then, He says therefore, if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there, believe it not.  [St Matt. 24:26]

 . . .

And see how He secures them; Go not forth into the deserts, enter not into the secret chambers. He did not say, Go, and do not believe; but, Go not forth, neither depart there. For great then will be the deceiving, because that even deceiving miracles are wrought.

3. Having told them how Antichrist comes, as, for instance, that it will be in a place; He says how Himself also comes. How then does He Himself come? As the lightning comes out of the east, and shines even unto the west, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be. For wheresoever the carcass is, there also will the eagles be gathered together. Matthew 24:27-28

How then shines the lightning? It needs not one to talk of it, it needs not a herald, but even to them that sit in houses, and to them in chambers it shows itself in an instant of time throughout the whole world. So shall that coming be, showing itself at once everywhere by reason of the shining forth of His glory. But He mentions also another sign, where the carcass is, there also shall the eagles be; meaning the multitude of the angels, of the martyrs, of all the saints.

--St John Chrysostom (+407), Homily 76 on the Gospel according to St Matthew, http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/200176.htm

The Lord and the Fathers are clear:  If anyone says that they see the Son of God approaching or that they know where He is in the world, they are deceived.  It is a shame that Mr Fischer has left the safety of the Orthodox Church’s teaching for his own dogma.

--

Holy Ælfred the Great, King of England, South Patron, pray for us sinners at the Souð, unworthy though we are!

Anathema to the Union!