A
Sermon by St. Ephraem 374 AD
Intro: The reason this is
referred to a pseudo-Ephraem is that three historical references state it was
written by Ephraem the Syrian, but one historical reference states it was (NOT) written by Isadore of Sevelle in 600 AD.
This is
fairly remarkable in that it accounts for what exactly the church shall suffer
– all of which has been lost to our fly away never see pain rapturists. ***As
usual my comments are in blue
Section 1
Dearly beloved brothers, believe the Holy Spirit who speaks in us. (From this reference alone of the Holy Spirit speaking in us we know that this was not written in the 6th century at the time of St. Augustine for no one in that day could make that statement with confidence.) We have already told you that the end of the world is near, the consummation remains. Has not faith withered away among mankind? (The contention of the saints of that era was that the church had fallen into horrible unrecoverable apostasy) How many foolish things are seen among youths, how many crimes among prelates, how many lies among priests, (St. Chrysostom: 347 AD The floor of Hell is paved with the skulls of (Roman Catholic) bishops.) how many perjuries among deacons! (St. Basil 379 AD The ambition of the unprincipled seizes upon places of authority [the bishops of Rome]; and the chief seat [the seat of the Pope] is now openly proposed as a reward for impiety; so that he whose blasphemies are the more shocking, is more eligible for the oversight of the people.[The Pope]) There are evil deeds among the ministers,( St. Vincent 450 AD The whole world, almost all the bishops of the Latin Church fell into heresy, forced by violence or deceived by guile. It was like a fog fallen upon the spirits and hiding which road to take. In order to be safe from this contagious plague, the true disciples of Christ had to prefer the ancient beliefs rather than all the false novelties.) adulteries in the aged, wantonness in the youths--in mature women false faces, in virgins dangerous traces! In the midst of all this there are the wars with the Persians, and we see struggles with diverse nations threatening and "kingdom rising against kingdom." When the Roman empire begins to be consumed by the sword, the coming of the Evil One is at hand. It is necessary that the world come to an end at the completion of the Roman empire.
In those days two brothers (The antichrist and the False Prophet) will come to the Roman empire who will rule with one mind; but because one will surpass the other, there will be a schism between them. And so the Adversary will be loosed and will stir up hatred between the Persian (Muslim) and Roman empires. (The Great whore and her daughters) In those days many will rise up against Rome; the Jewish people will be her adversaries. (The Jews will be hinted likewise) There will be stirrings of nations and evil reports, pestilences, famines, and earth quakes in various places. All nations will receive captives; there will be wars and rumors of wars. From the rising to the setting of the sun the sword will devour much. The times will be so dangerous that in fear and trembling they will not permit thought of better things, because many will be the oppressions and desolations of regions that are to come.
Section 2
We ought to understand thoroughly therefore, my brothers, what is imminent or
overhanging. Already there have been hunger and plagues, violent movements of
nations and signs, which have been predicted by the Lord, they have already
been fulfilled (consummated), and there is not other
which remains, except the advent of the wicked one in the completion of the
Roman kingdom.(The antichrist revealing himself
in the temple of Rome –aka the Vatican) Why therefore are we
occupied with worldly business, and why is our mind held fixed on the lusts of
the world or on the anxieties of the ages? Why therefore do we not reject every
care of worldly business, and why is our mind held fixed on the lusts of the
world or on the anxieties of the ages? Why therefore
do we not reject every care of earthly actions and prepare ourselves for the
meeting of the Lord Christ, so that he
may draw us from the confusion, which overwhelms all the world? (This man is preaching the Lord drawing out righteous from
the tribulation that overwhelms the world – this is counter to Christ saying to
his disciples in the world YE shall have tribulation but be of good cheer for I
have overcome the world – the implication is YE shall overcome it even as I
overcame it.) Believe you me, dearest brother, because the coming
(advent) of the Lord is nigh, believe you me, because the end of the world is
at hand, believe me, because it is the very last time. Or do you not believe
unless you see with your eyes? See to it that this sentence be not fulfilled
among you of the prophet who declares: "Woe to
those who desire to see the day of the Lord!" (There are sinful ministries today that cheer at death and
destruction and actively call for it to fall upon the world. Scripture says
these are an abomination and God will destroy them.) For all the saints and elect of God are gathered, prior to
the tribulation that is to come, and are taken to the Lord lest they see the
confusion that is to overwhelm the world because of our sins. (It is not that the saints and righteous won’t see
confusion, for Christ and the apostles were righteous and all the prophets
before them it is that the confusion can not see them for there are hid with
Christ in God, the blood being applied to the doorposts of their hearts so the
angel of death passed over not seeing them)
And so, brothers most dear to me, it is the eleventh hour, and the end of the world comes to the harvest, and angels, armed and prepared, hold sickles in their hands, (They are gathering the tares and burning them with unquenchable fire. Revelation 20:6 blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection) awaiting the empire (kingdom and 1000 year reign) of the Lord. And we think that the earth exists with blind infidelity, arriving at its downfall early. Commotions are brought forth, wars of diverse peoples and battles and incursions of the barbarians threaten, and our regions shall be desolated, and we neither become very much afraid of the report nor of the appearance, in order that we may at least do penance; because they hurl fear at us, and we do not wish to be changed, although we at least stand in need of penance for our actions!
Section 3
When therefore the end of the world comes, there arise diverse wars, commotions
on all sides, horrible earthquakes, perturbations of nations, tempests
throughout the lands, plagues, famine, drought throughout the thoroughfares,
great danger throughout the sea and dry land,
constant persecutions, slaughters and massacres everywhere, fear in the homes,
panic in the cities, quaking in the thoroughfares, suspicions in the male,
anxiety in the streets. In the desert people become senseless, spirits melt in
the cities. (the forth beast of Daniel stamping
out the residue) A friend will not be
grieved over a friend, neither a brother for a brother, nor parents for their
children, nor a faithful servant for his master, but one inevitability shall
overwhelm them all; neither is anyone able to be recovered in that time, who
has not been made completely aware of the coming danger, but all people, who
have been constricted by fear, are consumed because of the overhanging evils.
Section 4
Whenever therefore the earth is agitated by the nations, people will hide
themselves from the wars in the mountains and rocks, by caves and caverns of
the earth, by graves and memorials of the dead, and there, as they waste away
gradually by fear, they draw breath, because there is not any place at all to
flee, but there will be concession and intolerable pressure. And those who are
in the east will flee to the west, and moreover, those who are in the west
shall flee to the east, and there is not a safer place anywhere, because the
world shall be overwhelmed by worthless nations, whose aspect appears to be of
wild animals more than that of men. Because those very much horrible nations,
most profane and most defiled, who do not spare lives, and shall destroy the
living from the dead, shall consume the dead, they eat dead flesh, they drink
the blood of beasts, they pollute the world, contaminate all things, and the
one who is able to resist them is not there. In those days people shall not be
buried, neither Christian, nor heretic, neither Jew, nor pagan, because of fear
and dread there is not one who buries them; because all people, while they are
fleeing, ignore them.
Section 5
Whenever the days of the times of those nations have been fulfilled, after they
have destroyed the earth, it shall rest; and now the kingdom of the Romans is
removed from everyday life, and the empire of the Christians is handed down by
God and Peter; (Church of Rome remark – Jesus not
Peter) and then the consummation comes, when the kingdom of the
Romans begins to be fulfilled, and all dominions and powers have been
fulfilled. Then that worthless and abominable dragon
shall appear, he, whom Moses named in Deuteronomy, saying:-Dan is a young lion,
reclining and leaping from Basan. Because he reclines in order that he may
seize and destroy and slay. Indeed
(he is) a young whelp of a lion not as the lion of the tribe of Judah, but
roaring because of his wrath, that he may devour. "And
he leaps out from Basan." "Basan" certainly is interpreted
"confusion." He shall rise up from the confusion of his iniquity.
The one who gathers together to himself a partridge the children of confusion,
also shall call them, whom he has not brought forth, just as Jeremiah the
prophet says. Also in the last day they shall relinquish him just as
confused. (The
antichrist is from the tribe of Dan in the sense that the false levite with the
false ephod in Judges brought what was later called the sin of Jeroboam to the
tribe of Dan and Dan brought it to Jeroboam which spread it then to the ten
tribes – which later became the Samaritans – the muslims are of the spirit of
this false Levite and they are the breach of Dan.)
Section 6
When therefore the end of the world comes, that abominable, lying and murderous
one is born from the tribe of Dan. He is conceived from the seed of a man and
from an unclean or most vile virgin, mixed with an evil or worthless spirit.
But that abominable corrupter, more of spirits than of bodies, while a youth,
the crafty dragon appears under the appearance of righteousness, before he
takes the kingdom. Because he will be craftily gentle to all people, not
receiving gifts, not placed before another person, loving to all people, quiet
to everyone, not desiring gifts, appearing friendly among close friends, so
that men may bless him, saying;-he is a just man, not knowing that a wolf lies concealed
under the appearance of a lamb, and that a greedy man is inside under the skin
of a sheep.
Section 7
But when the time of the abomination of his desolation begins to approach,
having been made legal, he takes the empire, and, just as it is said in the
Psalm:-They have been made for the undertaking for the sons of Lot, the
Moabites and the Ammanites shall meet him first as their king. Therefore, when he receives the kingdom, he orders the temple
of God to be rebuilt for himself, which is in Jerusalem; who, after coming into
it, he shall sit as God and order that he be adored by all nations,(The writer and the apostolic fathers believed that the jews
would rebuild the temple and the antichrist would show himself there—But in
fact the fallen apostolic fathers established a Levitical priesthood and altar
around 200 AD and following their footsteps the fallen church of rome built the
temple the antichrist shall appear in – that we call the Vatican – they
earnestly ssught to see into these things but God kept it hid until now.) since he is carnal and filthy and mixed with
worthless spirit and flesh. Then that eloquence shall be fulfilled of Daniel
the prophet:-And he shall not know the God of their fathers, and he shall not
know the desires of women. Because the very wicked serpent shall direct every
worship to himself. Because he shall put forth an edict so that people may be
circumcised according to the rite of the old law. Then the Jews shall
congratulate him, (This man is very confused here)
because he gave them again the practice of the first covenant; then all people
from everywhere shall flock together to him at the city of Jerusalem, (This is Rome’s hate and contempt for the jews which was
taught to Mohammed their disciple)
and the holy city shall be trampled on by the nations for forty-two
months, just as the holy apostle says in the Apocalypse, which become three and
a half years, 1,260 days.
Section 8
In these three years and a half the heaven shall
suspend its dew; because there will be no rain upon the earth, and the clouds
shall cease to pass through the air, and the stars shall be seen with
difficulty in the sky because of the excessive dryness, which happens in the
time of the very fierce dragon. Because all great rivers and very powerful
fountains that overflow with themselves shall be dried up, torrents shall dry
up their water-courses because of the intolerable age, and there will be a
great tribulation, as there has not been, since people began to be upon the
earth, and there will be famine and an insufferable thirst. And children shall
waste away in the bosom of their mothers, and wives upon the knees of their
husbands, by not having victuals to eat. Because there will be in those days
lack of bread and water, and no one is able to sell or to buy of the grain of
the fall harvest, unless he is one who has the serpentine sign on the forehead
or on the hand. ( I have seen this in
the feast of the unleaven bread the muslims coming with candles in the night to
search for jew and Christians that cause are leavened and to the last crumb
they shall be removed so that the house is holy and for seven days ye shall eat
(fast with only unleavened bread – and this leads into the feast of Passover
and Moses and Israel being set free in the midnight hour and their final
deliverance at the red sea from all of
pharaoh’s (The antichrist’s) armies)
Then gold and silver and precious
clothing or precious stones shall lie along the streets, and also even every
type of pearls along the thoroughfares and streets of the cities, but there is
not one who may extend the hand and take or desire them, but they consider all
things as good as nothing because of the extreme
lack and famine of bread, because the earth is not protected by the rains of
heaven, and there will be neither dew nor moisture of the air upon the earth.
But those who wander through the deserts, fleeing from the face of the serpent,
bend their knees to God, just as lambs to the adders of their mothers, being
sustained by the salvation of the Lord, and while wandering in states of
desertion, they eat herbs. (as Isaiah and the
fleeing prophets did in the Martyrdom of Isaiah)
Section 9
Then, when this inevitability has overwhelmed all people, just and unjust, the
just, so that they may be found good by their Lord; and indeed the unjust, so
that they may be damned forever with their author the Devil, and, as God
beholds the human race in danger and being tossed about by the breath of the
horrible dragon, he sends to them consolatory proclamation by his attendants,
the prophets Enoch and Elijah, (This man fails to
see the hidden apostle called Zerubabbel in Zechariah who the two olive tree
support – he fails to see that he has come to restore the corrupt church with
his plumbline) who, while not yet tasting death, are the servants
for the heralding of the second coming of Christ, and in order to accuse the
enemy. And when those just ones have appeared, they confuse indeed the
antagonistic serpent with his cleverness and they call back the faithful witnesses
to God, in order to (free them) from his seduction ..
.
Section 10
And when the three and a half years have been completed, the time of the
Antichrist, through which he will have seduced the world, after the
resurrection of the two prophets, in the hour which the world does not know,
and on the day which the enemy of son of perdition does not know, will come the
sign of the Son of Man, and coming forward the Lord shall appear with great
power and much majesty, with the sign of the wood of salvation going before
him, and also even with all the powers of the heavens with the whole chorus of
the saints, with those who bear the sign of the holy
cross upon their shoulders, (More church
of Rome speak) as the angelic trumpet precedes him, which shall
sound and declare: Arise, O sleeping ones, arise, meet Christ, because his hour
of judgment has come! Then Christ shall come and the enemy shall be thrown into
confusion, and the Lord shall destroy him by the spirit of his mouth. And he
shall be bound and shall be plunged into the abyss of everlasting fire alive
with his father Satan; and all people, who do his wishes, shall perish with him
forever; but the righteous ones shall inherit everlasting life with the Lord
forever and ever.