An excellent Letter from Archbishop George and the Pastoral Conference of the Chisinau and Bolgrad Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, under the presidency of Metropolitan Agafangel, taken from the Remnant ROCOR blog.

AN APPEAL TO THE FLOCK
by the Pastoral Conference of the Chisinau and Bolgrad dioceses
March 28th / April 10th, 2013

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ!

Currently a considerable number of Orthodox Christians are concerned about issues related to the use of the newest technical means of monitoring and control in the fields of passport, taxation and other government supervision; and to the formation of electronic databases on citizens; and to the assigning of individual ID numbers.

Some brothers and sisters in Christ see in those actions, on the part of the state, a fulfillment of the prophecies of the Apocalypse associated with the “mark of the beast” or the “seal of the Antichrist”. In this regard, it is now time to remind all who get horrified, restless and who waver – of the words of Apostle Paul:

“Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” [Rom. 8:37-39].

Dear brothers and sisters! According to the teaching of the Holy Church, without our direct involvement, neither our salvation nor our spiritual death can be caused, neither on its own nor by some “outward” forces. Only Christ and one’s personal assisting [co-working with] Him may yield us our salvation. And in contrast, only our voluntary, conscious and deliberate denial of God, may lead us to spiritual perdition. Therefore, there is no power either with the Antichrist, or with his servants, or with anyone else, to be able to separate us from Christ in any way whatsoever.

Of course, the rulers of the world are trying to take advantage of technological development with the aim of establishing total control over the individual. It is by no coincidence that there is imposed today, the anti-Christian ideology of globalization, which sets tasks of erecting a “new world order” with a single governing supranational center. According to plan – that world super-state is to have a single religion, a single economic and political basis. But for believers, the surrounding reality – at a time when the modern global community development follows an ungodly course – should not stir up in us, tumultuous [vexed] feelings – fears and concerns. Our Lord Jesus Christ told His disciples:

“… In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” [John 16. 33];

“… Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” [John 14. 27].

We can see the concerns of some believers vis-à-vis the introduction of new technologies, but at the same time we want to warn against willful [unwarranted] interpretations and explanations of the places in the book of “Revelation” by St. John the Theologian, which point to the kingdom of the Antichrist and to events associated with his coming. In connection with the above, we wish to recall the teaching of the Holy Church Fathers, that the laying of the stamp of the antichrist by his false prophet shall take place during the three and a half years of the reign of the Antichrist (who will be a real person, and not a “spirit of Antichrist”), which [time-span] shall immediately precede the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Thus, Hieromartyr Hippolytus of Rome teaches,

“For his name [of the Antichrist] we know nothing more than what has been said by blessed John, who has just hinted at it, hiding it under the guise of a number. But when the antichrist himself comes, the time shall reveal his name. The more we shall speculate about it, the more we shall have doubts and err, since many names correspond to this number” (“On Christ and Antichrist”),

and St. Ephraim the Syrian in his homily on the coming of the Lord, wrote:

“If, [he] says, someone shall bow [in worship ] to the beast-like Antichrist and shall cling to one’s wicked life, in words or deeds proclaiming him a god, which is indicated by the acceptance of the mark on the forehead and onto the arm, that one shall [have to] drink together with him the cup of sufferings.” (St. Ephraim of Syria. Homily 92 on the coming of the Lord.)

Archbishop Arethas of Caesarea, wrote:

“To bow [in worship] to the Antichrist and to receive [accept] his seal means to recognize him as God, that is, in actions, in words, and in thoughts to confess him. Placing the stamp on the forehead and on the hand marks a change in thoughts and deeds” (“Interpretation of the Apocalypse”).

St. Theophan the Recluse taught:

“… No matter how big and how varied the effort and techniques of the Antichrist will be in order to seduce and enthrall in his lies, he will have success, however, only within the circle of those who are of one spirit with him – that is, those who have fallen away from the Lord God, who with their hearts despise His commandments, and {sacramentally} knowing that their path leads to perdition, still they do not step off it, surrendering to their fate in NECHAYANIE [despair/bewilderment]. As he himself is the son of perdition, so he shall manage to attract only those who are perishing. And these dying people shall die not by the ruling of God, but because they have come to love a disastrous manner of living and ways…” (Interpretation of 2 Thess. 2:9-13).

So, the receiving of the “seal of Antichrist” is associated with a conscious free denial of Christ, and with such a sinful life, which in itself leads to spiritual perdition.

Showing genuine concern for the salvation of the flock, we do call all the faithful children of the ROCOR dioceses of Chisinau and Bolgrad to show sober thinking and to not put the opinion of individual people higher than the views of the Church. Our church has always been on the middle “royal” path, avoiding any extremes, therefore the existence within the Church of different views, has not violated the canonical arrangement and order in the Church, and has not become the reason for some Orthodox Christians to condemn others. In connection with the above, we the clergy of the Chisinau and Bolgrad dioceses assure our flock that we are carefully observing what is happening around us, so as to be able to warn the flock in time of the dangers.

To end of our epistle we’ll recall the words of Apostle Paul and the words of the Gospel, which are a guide to a sober and correct understanding of the issues raised in this epistle:

“Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except [until] there come a falling away first, and that the Man of Sin be revealed, the son of Perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called Godly, or that is worshipped; so that he as ‘God’ sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.” [2 Thess. 2:1-4].

And so,

“Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: …” [Matt. 26:41], (because) “for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.” [Matt. 25:13].