Russia before the Second Coming by Sergey Fomin [Original Translation]
Chapters I & II
Introduction by Conrad Franz & Dmitriy Kalyagin
This exceptional and rare book was compiled by one of the most distinguished and steadfast Russian Orthodox monarchists of our time, Sergey Vladimirovich Fomin. As a historian, his meticulous research, rigorous fact-checking, and devout approach to writing have borne remarkable fruits, with this book being the most outstanding among them.
The latest 2011 fourth edition of Russia Before the Second Coming can be purchased from various online Russian bookstores. We highly recommend acquiring it, not only to support the author but also to possess this rare work in its original language and print.
Foreword
What does the future hold for us? This question likely occupies the thoughts of every individual. What will become of our Fatherland? This question should resonate with every Russian citizen. This book is a compendium of prophecies concerning the future fate of our great homeland. It encompasses a broad array of materials -utterances from saints, ascetics of the Orthodox Church, reflections from philosophers, historians, and even writers. Naturally, not all predictions carry the same weight: what is unveiled to the enlightened spiritual vision of ascetics by God Himself cannot be equated with the conjectures of those deemed thinkers, who, despite possessing brilliant intuition, remain bound by the usual limitations of the human mind, inherently incapable of foreseeing the future.
However, the compiler has endeavored to arrange the material so that the reader gains a clear and comprehensive understanding of the perspectives and judgments of various authorities who have spoken or written about Russia’s future. It is in the interest of such impartiality that this book may present differing, and occasionally even contradictory, views on the same topic. The reader should not be surprised by this. Divergences on secondary matters have arisen even among saints, for each saint is granted only a partial measure of the revelation of the singular, complete Divine Truth. In such instances, the compiler, refraining from imposing his own opinion on which prophecy is more credible, leaves it to the reader to discern for themselves.
This book contains no original text from the author; it is simply a collection of selected quotations, systematically organized according to various themes, as deemed appropriate by the compiler. The author has done this to avoid imposing his personal views on Russian history and his interpretation of prophecies concerning Russia’s future. Yet, the book is not without structure; it is woven with the underlying idea that the essence of Russian history lies in fidelity to Orthodoxy. Let us elaborate on this idea further.
The Russian state, throughout its more than thousand-year existence, has never been conceived outside of the Orthodox faith. It is no exaggeration to say that the history of Russia is, above all, the history of Holy Rus, for just as in Old Testament Israel, the fate of our Homeland has always been directly dependent on the moral state of the people. This was noted as early as the Kievan period by our chroniclers, who anxiously wrote that princely feuds, the neglect of moral foundations, and a cooling of the faith would inevitably bring upon the Homeland the wrath of God. And when these predictions came true, and the heavy Tatar yoke was established over Rus, what was the cause of the military and political successes - from the Battle of Kulikovo (1380) to the famous standoff at the Ugra River (1480), which ended centuries of Mongol slavery - if not the spiritual revival that began with Saint Sergius and his disciples?
All the subsequent milestones of Russian history unmistakably illustrate the same biblical principle: for crimes against the Law of God, punishment inevitably follows; for repentance and prayers, mercy and a new flourishing ensue. The Time of Troubles at the beginning of the 17th century was recognized even by contemporaries as the result of a general moral degradation, and it was only through the intercession of the Mother of God, as revealed to Archbishop Arsenius of Elasson, that "the judgment upon our homeland was transformed into mercy."
The fascination of the upper layers of Russian society with French freethinking in the late 18th and early 19th centuries culminated in Napoleon's invasion of Russia and the burning of Moscow. The expulsion of these unwelcome guests from the homeland was completed on Christmas Day in 1812. Then came new turns in the historical spiral: the widespread pursuit of material abundance at the expense of the spiritual at the end of the 19th century led to a new Time of Troubles - the bloody horrors of 1905-1917, to a new foreign yoke, which, both in its duration and in its harsh, relentless cruelty, is justifiably compared to the Babylonian Captivity... There is not enough time to speak of the Great Patriotic War, which was preceded by the ‘godless’ five-year plan (by 1942, all churches in the USSR were supposed to be closed) and which concluded on May 6, 1945 (on the day of Saint George the Victory-bearer); the Khrushchev persecutions of the Church in the early 1960s, which were ‘accompanied’ by the Cuban Missile Crisis and economic troubles, and much more. A skeptic might dismiss this as mere coincidence, but one must ask - are there not too many such coincidences? Does not the entire history of Russia then become a continuous chain of 'coincidences,' each one, with remarkable consistency, pointing to a singular truth - that God is the creator of history, and that an unchanging moral law has been established by Him as the bedrock of the historical process?!
The same moral law, of course, extends to the future fate of Russia. If the Russian people repent, turn to God, and make the Orthodox faith the foundation of their lives, then Russia will be saved, will flourish once again, and will become a great power. If not, it will disappear from the stage of history, dissolving among other nations. This is, perhaps, the central idea of the prophecies collected in this book, and it is my hope that the reader will focus less on the specific details of the future and more on firmly grasping this fundamental concept. To all who aspire to see Russia as a great Orthodox power, I would like to remind you that the true revival of our Homeland does not depend on external circumstances - political alignments, party struggles, military or economic strength. It depends on each of us, on our prayers, and on our pious lives.
- Hegumen Isaiah
Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra, 3 January 1993
Chapter I: The Gift of the Holy Spirit
“And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” (2 Peter 1:19-21)
All prophets from the very beginning are inspired by the one Spirit of God. The charism (Charism means Spiritual gift – Д.К) of a prophet is the charism of revelation, enabling a person to understand what they could not achieve on their own. Its subject is singular - the plan of salvation, coming to unity in Jesus Christ (Hebrews 1:1).
Theologian and Church historian Ivan Kontsevich (1893-1956) wrote:
“Through the prophet, the will of God is directly revealed, and therefore his authority is limitless. The prophetic ministry is a special gracious gift, a gift of the Holy Spirit (charism). The prophet possesses a special spiritual vision - clairvoyance. For him, the boundaries of space and time seem to expand; with his spiritual sight, he sees not only current events but also future ones, understands their spiritual meaning, and sees the soul of a person, their past, and their future. Such a high calling cannot but be associated with a high moral level, purity of heart, and personal holiness.”1
Jeremiah, consecrated in his mother's womb (Jeremiah 1:5; Isaiah 49:1), speaks of “being persuaded” (Jeremiah 20:7). Ezekiel feels the hand of God “strongly” upon him (Ezekiel 3:14). For Jeremiah, the call awakens a consciousness of his own weakness (Jeremiah 1:6); for Isaiah, it is an awareness of sin (Isaiah 6:5). It always leads to a specific mission, the instrument of which is the prophet’s mouth: they will speak the Word of God (Jeremiah 1:9; 15:19; Isaiah 6:5; Ezekiel 3:1).
The charism of prophecy is also frequently encountered in the apostolic Church (Acts 11:27; 13:1; 21:10). In the new people of God, visions and prophecies became common possessions.
The purpose of a prophet is not only to predict the future: he “speaks to men for their edification, exhortation, and comfort” (1 Corinthians 14:3).
Controlled by other prophets (1 Corinthians 14:32) and by church authority (1 Corinthians 14:37), prophets did not claim a central place in the community or governance of the Church.
Apostle Paul warned that the gift of prophecy should be used orderly and for the benefit of the entire community (1 Corinthians 14:29-32).
True prophecy is recognized through the rules of discerning spirits. In the ancient monument of the 2nd century, “The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles” (Didache), dating to the time when Apostle John the Theologian was still alive, and possibly other apostles, it is said about the prophet:
“And every prophet that speaks in the Spirit you shall neither try nor judge; for every sin shall be forgiven, but this sin shall not be forgiven. But not every one that speaks in the Spirit is a prophet; but only if he hold the ways of the Lord. Therefore from their ways shall the false prophet and the prophet be known. And every prophet who orders a meal in the Spirit eats not from it, except indeed he be a false prophet; and every prophet who teaches the truth, if he do not what he teaches, is a false prophet. And every prophet, proved true, working unto the mystery of the Church in the world, yet not teaching others to do what he himself does, shall not be judged among you, for with God he has his judgment; for so did also the ancient prophets.”2
Hermas, an apostolic man (1st quarter of the 2nd century):
“And I said, how can one recognize who is a true prophet and who is a false prophet? - Listen, says (the shepherd - Hermas), about both prophets, and by what I tell you, you will discern the prophet of God and the false prophet. Recognize the man who has the Spirit of God by his life. Firstly, the one who has the Spirit from above is calm, humble, and modest, avoids all evil and vain desires of this age, considers himself lesser than all people and does not answer anyone’s questions, does not speak in private; the Spirit of God speaks not when a person wishes, but when God wills. Therefore, when a person who has the Spirit of God comes to the church of the righteous, who have the faith of the Spirit of God, and prayer is offered to the Lord, then the angel of the prophetic spirit, assigned to him, fills this person with the Holy Spirit, and he speaks to the congregation as God wills. Thus, the Divine Spirit is manifested and His power is recognized. Now listen about the earthly, vain, foolish spirit that has no power. Firstly, a person who seems to be filled with spirit elevates himself, wishes to preside, is impudent and verbose, lives in luxury and many pleasures, takes payment for his prophecy; if he does not receive it, he does not prophesy. Can the Spirit of God take payment and prophesy? This is not characteristic of a prophet of God, and those who act in such a way are driven by an earthly spirit. Then, he does not enter the assembly of righteous men but avoids them; on the contrary, he associates with double-minded and empty people, prophesies in hidden places, and deceives them, speaking according to their desires, and answering vain things to vain people: for an empty vessel, when it is joined with other empty ones, does not break, but they fit well together. But when he enters the assembly of righteous people, having the Divine Spirit, and prayer is offered by them, then that person is revealed as empty: the earthly spirit out of fear flees from him, and he is completely struck and cannot say anything.”3
Venerable Barsanuphius and John (6th century): "...It is not always necessary to speak clearly about such things because they bring harm to the speaker rather than benefit. <...> To the faithful (such responses) serve to help them understand and gain benefit from them; to the unfaithful, they serve to humiliate us, and we gain benefit from that".4
Venerable Theophylact the Confessor, Bishop of Nicomedia (842–845):
"Prophets receive prophecies from God, but not as they wish, but as the Spirit of God acts; they understood and comprehended the prophetic word sent to them, but did not give explanations. That the prophets, during the action of the Spirit of God upon them, were aware that the word of the Spirit of God was being sent to them is evident from the fact that they voluntarily submitted and spoke what they wished, and kept silent about what they did not wish to speak of. It is not so with false prophets. During the action, they did not retain consciousness but, brought to frenzy like the drunk, did not know what was happening to them... And that the prophets prophesied not in ecstasy is evident from the following. The prophets of the Old and New Testaments prophesied by one Spirit. And the Apostle Paul says: 'But if anything is revealed to another who sits by, let the first keep silent' (1 Cor. 14:30). Hence, it is clear that the prophets prophesied voluntarily, remaining in their natural state"5
Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov), Bishop of Stavropol (1807-1867): "It is a terrible thing to take on duties that can only be fulfilled by the command of the Holy Spirit, while the communion with Satan is not yet broken, and the vessel is still defiled by the actions of Satan (i.e., passionlessness has not yet been achieved). Such hypocrisy and acting are terrible. It is ruinous for oneself and one's neighbor, and it is sinful before God and blasphemous".6
"Although demons, appearing to people, most often take on the appearance of bright Angels for the sake of easier deception; although they sometimes try to convince that they are human souls, not demons; although they sometimes foretell the future; although they reveal secrets; one should not trust them in any way. Their truth is mixed with falsehood, and the truth is used occasionally only for easier deception. Satan transforms himself into an angel of light and his ministers into ministers of righteousness (2 Corinthians 11:14-15), said the Apostle Paul".7
Optina elder Fr. Barsanuphius (Plihanov, 1845-1913) wrote to one of his spiritual children about the ability to ‘see with the spirit’: "We have, in addition to physical eyes, also spiritual eyes, before which the human soul is revealed; before a person thinks, before a thought arises in him, we see it with spiritual eyes, we even see the cause of such a thought. And nothing is hidden from us. You live in St. Petersburg and think that I do not see you. When I want, I see everything you do and think. For us, there is no space and time...".8
These words find unexpected confirmation in the recollections of the wife of the famous Russian thinker Natalia Kireyevskaya - from 1833 a spiritual daughter of the second great Optina elder Saint Macarius (Ivanov, 1788 - 1860).
Ivan Kireyevsky’s wife Natalia recalls the interactions she and her husband had with the Saint (her husband only confessed to the Elder Macarius in October 1846):
"When I first confessed to him: I wrote to the father for the first time from Moscow at the end of October 1846. I wrote to the father, asking him many questions, especially important to me, deliberately not telling you beforehand, fearing that out of your love for him, you might write something to him. I am curious to receive his answer. I admit that it will be difficult for him to answer me."
I thanked Ivan Vasilyevich for telling me that he decided to write to the elder and was sure that the elder's action would be striking for Ivan Vasilyevich. An hour had not passed when letters from the post were brought, and two, written by the elder's hand - one in my name, the other in the name of Ivan Vasilyevich. Without opening, he asked:
"What does this mean? Father Macarius has never written to me before! He reads the letter, changing in the face and saying: "Wonderful! Striking! How is this? In this letter, there are answers to all my questions, which I have only recently posted.”9
The third great Optina elder, Saint Ambrose (Grenkov, 1812-1891), according to one of his spiritual daughters:
"Always immediately grasped the essence of the matter, incomprehensibly wisely explaining it and giving an answer. Within the course of 10-15 minutes of conversation, not one question was left unresolved; during this time, Fr. Ambrose embraced the whole person in his heart - with all his attachments, desires - with the whole inner and outer world. From his words and his instructions, it was evident that he loved not only the one with whom he spoke but also all those loved by this person, his life, everything dear to him. When offering his solution, Fr. Ambrose considered not just the matter itself, regardless of possible consequences for the person and others, but considering all aspects of life that this matter might touch upon. What kind of mental strain must it be to solve such tasks? And such questions were posed to him by dozens of laypeople, not counting monks and half a hundred letters received and sent daily. The elder's word had authority, based on closeness to God, which gave him omniscience. This was a prophetic ministry”.10
Nevertheless, prophecies about the future destinies of Russia had to be gathered and collated, bit by bit. This reflected the extremely careful, responsible attitude to the written and oral testimony in Russia.
"Before you start writing, dip your pen seven times in the inkwell"11 - advised Saint Neсatrius of Optina (Tikhonov, 1857-1928).
"One brother, imagining that the end of the world and the great day of the Second Coming of the Lord were near, came to ask Father Seraphim about this. The elder, penetrating the brother's thought and understanding that it was guided by idle curiosity, not the desire for edification, answered him before the question: "My joy! You think too much about poor Seraphim; how can I know when the end of this world will be and the great day on which the Lord will judge the living and the dead and reward everyone according to his deeds? No, I cannot know this." Then the brother, in fear, fell at the feet of the clairvoyant elder; and the elder, raising him, continued to speak to him:
"The Lord said with His most pure lips: But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, but My Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be" (Matthew 24:36-39).
Following these words, the elder sighed heavily and said:
"We, living in sin, have strayed far from the paths of salvation; we are intemperate, do not keep holy fasts; we do not observe Wednesday and Friday, eat meat even during Holy Lent, not thinking that by doing so, we violate church and apostolic rules, anger the Lord, widely opening the doors of our hearts to passions and vices, and then to God's punishments. Let us correct ourselves, that the Lord may have mercy on us! Let us love the Holy and Orthodox Church, let us love faith as our firm and gracious defense; let righteousness be our armor and piety our shield of salvation. Through this, Russia will be glorious, strong, and invincible, and the gates of hell will not prevail against us!".12
This is the answer which Optina Elder Nectarius provided to the nun Nektaria, who asked him in 1924 about the ‘end of the world’:
"He (Elder Necatrius) showed me letters sent to him: about the vision of the Savior, Who said that the end of the world was near, about an excerpt from newspapers that the Messiah appeared in India, and Elijah in America, and so on. He spoke a lot, but also smiled, and before that, immediately upon meeting us, he said:
"Why do you all turn for guidance to my poor mind - turn to the Optina monks." I smiled, and he said: "I'm serious, they will tell you everything that will be beneficial." When I met with them, they said: "If people are engaged in searching for signs of the end of the world, but do not care for their souls, they do it all for others" (obviously, to report sensational news). So, the monks told me that it is not useful for people to know the time of the Second Coming: "Watch therefore, and pray always," said the Savior, meaning we should not predict events, but in due time, everything will be revealed to the faithful. The elder (Father Necarius) was satisfied with the monks' answer, as he too was not a supporter of trusting all sorts of fantasies in this area. I asked: "Elder, but they say that John the Theologian will come too?" He replied: "All this will be, but it is a great mystery." And he also added: "In the days of Noah, the Lord spoke for a hundred years that there would be a flood, but they did not believe Him, did not repent, and among the multitude of people, only one righteous man with his family was found." So it will be at the coming of the Son of Man" (Matthew 24:37)".13
And there is another reason for the elders' sparing prophecies. To the same nun Nektaria, Fr. Nectarius revealed that her son has a talent14, but did not reveal what it was, adding:
"It is good not to announce talents, as they can be stolen".15
These words give food for thought... In an Orthodox country, the prophecies of elders enjoying absolute authority, if widely publicized16, could be used by the destroyers of the state in their political manipulations. How? Take at least the statement on TV on June 20, 1991, by a supporter of Boris Yeltsin that the day of the election of the President of the RSFSR - the 12th of June - was determined based on the prophecies of the then-popular Nostradamus.17 There is a word that resurrects, and there is a word that kills...18
Prayers to Venerable Sergius, the Hegumen of Radonezh, Miracle Worker of All Russia (1894):
“By great feats, much faith, and prayer, Russia was established. A difficult path befell her. She endured many sorrows and troubles before becoming the great state she is known as today. Her troubles came from outside, from fierce enemies who wanted her destruction, and from within, from internal disarray and discord. Often, it became so difficult for the Russian people that everything seemed to be perishing – as if the state was coming to an end. But the Lord had mercy on Russia and saved her by His power. Russia's strength lay in her unwavering faith in God, and if she sinned before Him, she also repented before Him. And the Lord sought her out. He blessed the Russian land with a multitude of righteous people, all of whom are her intercessors and mediators before God. These righteous people taught the people labor, patience, and submission to God's will. And Russia endured her troubles and worked, and where she weakened, she called upon God for help. Thus, she was built. Besides constant mercy to the Russian land, the Lord granted her special great signs. In her most difficult days, in response to her fervent prayers, the Lord sent marvelous miracles for the salvation of Russia.”19
Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov): "Many labor, many suffer, many strive, but only those who strive lawfully will be saved. The true lawful striving is in Christ Jesus and the Holy Spirit, within the confines of the Eastern Church."20
Eugene Poselyanin (Pogozhev, 1870-1913), Russian spiritual writer (1900): "God's chosen ones on earth usually endure severe trials, and on this path, their bad sides are cleansed, boundless devotion to God's will is developed; all petty and vain things leave the soul, and it develops towards goodness in this severe but great school."21
Saint John of Kronstadt (1829-1908): "Learn, Russia, to believe in the God-Almighty Who governs the destinies of the world, and learn faith, wisdom, and courage from your holy ancestors... The Lord has entrusted us, Russians, with the great saving talent of the Orthodox faith... Rise up, Russian man!... Who taught you disobedience and senseless rebellions? Stop your madness! It is enough to drink the bitter, poison-filled cup – for you and for Russia!"22
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