Father Rafail Berestov. Open letter to Elder Rafail (Berestov)

ANOTHER FORGERY, OR WHAT A LIAR
JEROSCHEMONH RAPHAEL (BERESTOV) AND HIS DISCIPLES PREACH

USING THE BRIGHT NAME OF THE HOLY ELDER FATHER NICHOLAS (GURYANOV)
AND DISTORTING HIS QUIET PROPHETIC WORDS, “THE KING IS COMING,”
PSEUDO-MONARCHISTS
THEY ARE IMPOSING ANOTHER LIAR ON RUSSIA...

BUT... “THE RUSSIAN THRONE IS NOT AVAILABLE FOR THE CURRENT LOUD MOB”

I saw Paths and Destinies without opening my eyelids...

“He is a thief, not a king”
(A.N. Ostrovsky. “Dmitry the impostor”)

LATELY, IN THE CHURCH ENVIRONMENT, A NEW LIAR PROJECT HAS BEEN ACTIVELY DEVELOPED, PROVIDING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A FALSE MONARCHY IN RUSSIA IN THE NEAR FUTURE. THE CREATORS OF THE IDEA CONSIDERED THE SECRET FEATURES INITICAL TO THE SOUL OF THE RUSSIAN PERSON. THEY KNOW OUR DEEP ATTACHMENT TO THE GOD ESTABLISHED ROYAL AUTHORITY, AND ALSO THE SINCERE LOVE OF THE ORTHODOX FOR THEIR SAINTS. THEREFORE THEY USE THE BRIGHT NAME OF ELDER NICHOLAS (GURYANOV) IN PROMOTION OF ALL KINDS OF IMPOSTORS... WHY IS THE NAME OF FRATE NIKOLAY, A HUMBLE PRAYER AND THE GREAT ASCEPT OF THE RUSSIAN CHURCH, WAS TAKEN BY THE PSEUDO-MONARCH ISTIMS AS A BANNER OF THE POLICY OF PUSHING LIARS ONTO THE THRONE? WHY WAS HIS HIGH SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY USED IN THIS GAME? – THE ANSWER IS OBVIOUS: THE NAME OF THE HOLY ELDER NICHOLAS WAS TAKEN BY IDEOLOGISTS BECAUSE OF ITS INBREAKABLE CONNECTION WITH THE SACRED NAME OF THE MARTYR TSAR NIKOLAI ALEXANDROVICH ROMANOV. THE FRATE'S PRAYERY BREATH WAS INSEPARABLE FROM THE AUGUST FAMILY. IN THE WORDS OF FATHER NICHOLAS HIMSELF, WE UNDOUBTEDLY KNOW: “THE ROYAL FAMILY IS KIND TO ME IN SPIRIT AND BLOOD”... ANOTHER HOLY RIGHTEOUS MAN OF OUR DAYS, FATHER KIRILL (PAVLOV) CONFIRMED THIS BY SAYING ABOUT FRATE: “NO ONE KNOWS WHO HE IS... TO HIM EVERYTHING WAS REVEALED ABOUT THE ROYAL FAMILY”... MUCH WAS REVEALED TO THE TALAB ASCEPT IN THE SPIRIT ABOUT THE COMING FATES OF RUSSIA, AND ABOUT THE TIMES AND DATES OF DELIVERING OUR LONG-SUFFERING LAND AND PEOPLE FROM THE POWER OF THE TEMPORARS, ABOUT THE RESTORATION OF THE HOLY RU SI "ACCORDING TO THE OLD MODEL AND CHANCE". THEREFORE, THE IDEOLOGISTS OF THE “THE COMING TSING” PROJECT CLEARLY CALCULATED THAT BEHIND THE REAL PROPHECY OF THE RIGHTEOUS OLD MAN ABOUT “RESTORATION OF AUTOCRACY IN RUSSIA FOR A SHORT TIME” – IN THE QUIET WORDS “THE TSING IS COMING” – IT IS POSSIBLE TO SHELTER ANY IMPOSTER AND RAUGHTER … THE FALSE “COMING VICTORIOUS KING” IS ALREADY ATTRIBUTED UNUSUAL STRENGTH AND CRUELTY: THE FUTURE CRUEL TYRANT RULER WILL DEFEAT EVERYONE, DESTROY AND KILL ALL ENEMIES. PSEUDO-MONARCHISTS, INCLUDING, UNFORTUNATELY, EVEN THE CLERGY, ACTIVELY USE THE IMAGE OF STALIN, “WINNER OF ALL TIMES AND PEOPLES,” blasphemously COMPARING HIM WITH THE GREAT RUSSIAN TSAR-GREAT MARTYR John the Terrible, FOR PREPARATION THE ACCESSION OF THE FALSE RUSSIAN, FALSE ORTHODOX LIAR... WE KNOW FROM THE PROPHECIES OF OUR ANCIENT RUSSIAN SAINTS That the Antichrist will be a false king ... But the Russian soul does not wait for him ... not his accession ... Rus' has accepted Christ with all my heart, and lives only by him, and only Christ is cups and will be continued ... Father Nikolai said: “Why do we need us DO WE TALK ABOUT THE ANTICHRIST ALL THE TIME, IF WE ARE CHRIST AND WE ARE WAITING FOR CHRIST AND GOING TO HIM? !”... THE LORD GREATENED Rus' BY GIVING A HUMBLE NAME - THE LAND OF THE HOLY MOTHER OF GOD... AND FROM THE MOUTH OF THE HUMBLY QUIET PRAYER OF GOD ELDER NICHOLAS WE HEARD THE QUIET AND HUMBLE “THE KING IS COMING”... HE DIDN’T POINT TO ANYONE, NOT FOR ANY SPECIFIC PERSON... NEVER ABOUT TO WHOM DID NOT SAY - “BE...THE KING”... GOD FORBID ATTRIBUTING SUCH MADNESS TO HIM! HE WAS THE CARRIER OF THE TRUE SPIRIT OF ORTHODOXY, UNAVAILABLE TO THOSE WHO NOW blasphemously ATTRIBUTE TO HIM THE “RECOGNITION” OF AN IMPOSTER. QUIET BATYUSHKINO “THE KING IS COMING” - THIS IS ABOUT OUR BRIGHT AND GRACEFUL COMING RUSSIAN KING... AND THE TIME OF FULFILLMENT OF THE PROPHECY WE ARE NOT GIVEN TO KNOW: “WE DO NOT KNOW THIS” - SAID THE ELDER... AND NO ONE DARE TO ATTRIBUTE TO WHAT IS SAID ANOTHER INTERPRETATION ... MAYBE IT WILL HAPPEN WHEN THE ANGELS WILL ROLL THE SCROLLS, WHEN THE WHOLE UNIVERSE IS PURIFIC IN AWAITING THE SECOND COMING OF OUR LORD JESUS ​​CHRIST... THE KING OF KINGS... AND HE IS COMING... “HEY, COME, LORD JESUS ​​CHRIST”

In the center of the mosaic is depicted the Throne Prepared for Jesus Christ, Who is Coming to Judge the Living and the Dead, on Which the Gospel reclines - a symbol of the Living Word, Logos, teaching. At the Throne are Adam and Eve, begging for mercy, and Angels.(Venice. Island of Torcello. Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta. 639)

Instead of an epigraph...

“Direct my steps according to Thy word, and let not all iniquity possess me, deliver me from human slander, and I will keep Thy commandments” - these words were constantly repeated by the unforgettable Father Nikolai to everyone who came for advice and help in holy life... He warned that “human slander “is a malicious leech that corrupts not only the person himself, but everything around him. “What separates us from God is lies, and only lies... False thoughts, false words, false feelings, false desires - this is the totality of lies that leads us to non-existence, illusions and renunciation of God” - this is how Saint Nicholas of Serbia defines falling away from the Truth... Help, Lord, for us all to hear and understand what is said... And most importantly, to apply it to our temporary life... After all, Eternal Life depends on this...

Instead of a preface...

If True Kings receive power from God, then false kings receive it from the devil (Waldenberg. 1922, p. 223). Even the church rite of the Holy Crowning to the Kingdom and Confirmation does not convey Grace to the false king, since these Actions only retain an appearance; in reality, he is crowned and anointed by demons at the command of the devil (see about this in Ivan Timofeev’s “Vremennik” - RIB. XIII. column 373). Accordingly, if the True King can be likened to Christ and perceived as the Image of God, a Living Icon, the impostor can be perceived as a false icon, i.e., an idol. (Tsar and impostor: impostor in Russia as a cultural and historical phenomenon. Uspensky B.A. Selected works. T.1. Semiotics of history. Semiotics of culture M. 1994. P. 75-109)

What kind of “king” are the “patriarchal monarchists” waiting for?

The monarchical idea in its modern presentation has long ceased to be worthy of serious attention. A bitter conclusion arises that she is either an instrument in the hands of some force directing the monarchical movement of Russia along the wrong path, or people who demand the immediate “election and recognition of the miraculously revealed Emperor” and, in fact, supply impostors, are in deep delusion. Complete Chaos is approaching, in which the annoying theme of promoting a certain “Orthodox Tsar”, who will become the “salvation of the Russian people,” emerges more and more clearly. Moreover, few people think that a distorted image of the future dictator-ruler, a soulless tyrant is being deliberately formed... In fact, as Father Nikolai said, the Fuhrer... All fake “prophecies”, designed for illiterate neophyte people, fragile patriots and young monarchists, boil down to one thing, rightly notes the Orthodox journalist, church writer, famous film director Alexander Tanenkov of the Church of True Orthodox Christians: the fabulous “future Russian tsar will be a cruel ruler”...

Truth and lies... Good and evil... Mercy and cruelty...
And everyone chooses their own fate in Eternity

The question naturally arises, continues the author of the article “The Kremlin for the Antichrist”: “Is it because today’s “dear Russians” are so thirsty for a cool ruler because they hope to feel like cool rulers of other nations? But what will they bring with their “new Russian” liar to other nations? What will they offer them with their tattered and deceitful ideology? Threats with weapons and missiles? But did Russian missionaries and monks enlighten non-Russian and non-Orthodox peoples by force of arms? No, they enlightened the nations with the Light of the Holy Gospel. What kind of light can today’s Moscow Patriarchate give? The light of outright lies, hypocrisy, skillful and cynical substitution of Christ’s teachings, indulgence in all the whims of their Kremlin masters? What kind of “king” will sit in the Kremlin, where there are still satanic pentagrams instead of Orthodox crosses? Will the “future Russian Tsar” remove this symbol? Or will He be crowned under it? And with whom will he begin his first fight? ? Isn’t it with the real Russian true Orthodox people?”

The “patriarchal masses” dream of giving them an Orthodox Tsar. It’s just that something familiar and ancient can be heard in the characteristics of the future ruler of Russia, whom the patriarchal flock and its hierarchs look forward to. This antiquity is from the period Old Testament. Once upon a time Jewish people He was waiting for the promised Messiah, who would lay all nations at his feet and make the Jewish people the ruler of the world. The Messiah came, but not the militant King for whom the Jews were waiting. They wanted a king who would give them earthly power and power, but the Savior came who promised them Eternal Life. They rejected Eternal Life, exchanging for the still ongoing expectation of a strong messiah who will conquer the whole world for them. Isn’t this also what today’s flock of the Moscow Patriarchate (and other jurisdictions) expects? auto)? Isn't this the same person: the messiah of the Jews and the liar of Russia? The characteristics are very similar. What are the characteristics: the aspirations of today’s “Orthodox” Russians are exactly the same as the aspirations of the Jews who did not accept Christ. Both want earthly dominion and earthly power.

But if everything is clear with the Jews, they rejected God and worshiped the devil, then what happens to the “Orthodox” flock of the Moscow Patriarchate? Rus' accepted Christ with all its heart. And the Lord exalted the Russian Land, calling it the land of the Most Holy Theotokos, and the Russian People the God-Bearing people. But there was talk about the Russian Land, the Russian People. Today the Russian people pray in patriarchal churches and ask God to give them a Tsar. But why is it forgotten that the Last Russian Tsar-Martyr, a humble man of prayer, was openly betrayed by his own people and ascended the Russian Golgotha ​​with the August Family and Faithful Servants, in the Russian Land, among millions of the Russian Orthodox people. How can one ask the Lord for a new Tsar if the people have not repented of complicity in the martyrdom of their Lawful Russian Tsar? You can ask only in one case, when you do not recognize yourself as a Russian Orthodox person, whose spiritual homeland is Holy Rus', but you feel like today’s Russian, under whose guise hides yesterday’s scoop, deceitful, hypocritical, who gave to the Jew-Caesar what can only be given God" ().

“You don’t know what kind of spirit you are”

And there is one more very important point. As we remember, in the 9th chapter of the Gospel of Luke, when the Samaritans did not accept the Lord, because He appeared to be traveling to Jerusalem, and then His disciples said: “Do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and destroy them, just as Elijah did?”- The Lord answered them with a very important phrase for everyone: “You don’t know what kind of spirit you are; for the Son of Man came not to destroy the souls of men, but to save.”(Luke 9.54).

“There are few experienced people these days,- said Father Nikolai. – They do not have the strength to help everyone, therefore it is necessary to be extremely judicious in choosing a confessor... Immediately, at the slightest sin, train in your heart to always ask the Lord for forgiveness... After all, the Lord Himself is our Unchangeable and Faithful Shepherd and Spiritualist... He allows us sorrows, illness, grief, persecution, insults and infirmities. This is how He saves us.”…

Father Nikolai always reminded: “The Gospel is our Spiritualist and Mentor... The Lord never leaves a person if a person seeks Him with all his heart. Never despair, pray and ask - the Lord will hear and come to the rescue when you don’t expect it, when everyone turns away and leaves... He will never leave”...

Father Nikolai loved the Tsar unspeakably and spoke about Him warmly and prayerfully: “Just think about it, in Rus' the Tsar is called Father the Tsar, Father... And who else is called Father, Father? - The priest! This is how they address a clergyman, a priest. The Tsar is a Personality and a Spiritual Face!.. There is a special beauty in the Tsar, spiritual beauty is simplicity and humility”...

“Whoever loves the Tsar and Russia loves God... If a person does not love the Tsar and Russia, he will never sincerely love God. It will be a crafty lie."

“Tsar Nicholas did not part with the Jesus Prayer. She kept Him from troubles and misfortunes. It was she, this prayer, that gave him spiritual intelligence and divine wisdom, enlightened His heart and guided, admonished him what to do.”

“The Holy King did not renounce; He has no sin of renunciation. He acted like a true Christian, a humble Anointed One of God. We need to bow down at His feet for His mercy towards us sinners. It was not He who denied, but He who was rejected...
We must all ask the Holy Tsar-Martyr Nicholas so that there would be no war in the world... The sword of a terrible war constantly hangs over Russia... It is a sin for us to teach the Lord and say to Him: do not send war! And the King of the Lord will beg...
Poor Russia! How much she endures! They started with Serbia (said in 1999) in order to involve Pious Russia... Our sinful world, of course, deserved war... But churches are being restored, the Divine Liturgy is celebrated, the Gospel is preached... The Lord will have mercy!
The prayer of Holy Tsar Nicholas averts the wrath of God. We must ask the Tsar so that there is no war. He loves and pities Russia. If you only knew how He cries for us there! He begs the Lord for everyone and for the whole world. The Tsar cries for us, but the people don’t even think about Him!.. Such misunderstanding and unrepentance do not heal the wounds on the body of Russia. We must pray, fast and repent”...

There will be no Tsar, there will be no Russia! Russia must realize that without God there is no way, without a Tsar it is like without a father.”

A stateless time and the invasion of impostors

Our long-suffering and tormented Fatherland is sickened by the “monarchist factions” and the current “candidates for monarchs”, eager to become “kings” without a “king in their head.” The project of a certain “newly-minted Tsar”, and the Monarch in general, is promoted by all sorts of “protective” pseudo-monarchical organizations existing in the current Russian Federation, which are trying to strengthen the positions of “Orthodox oligarchs”, “imperial security forces” and “traditional” Russian Orthodox national patriots fighting for the “empty” Russian Throne. There is a big game going on: here are the Anglo-Saxon Freemason Michael of Kent, and the “friend of Athos”, Prince Charles, who converted to Orthodoxy, as well as his son, the British Prince Harry, who consider themselves “descendants of King David.” The “Kirillovichs,” now the “Mukhammedovichs,” are also rushing to the Orthodox Autocratic Throne, because at the end of October 2014 it suddenly became clear that the “Head of the Russian Imperial House” (RIH) Maria Vladimirovna is a relative of the Prophet Muhammad. As Kirill Nemirovich-Danchenko, adviser to the RID office, told Uzbek journalists at a briefing: “This is not the fairy tale “One Thousand and One Nights,” this fact is legally recognized by the entire Muslim world. There are several dozen proven descendants of the prophet living in the world, and circumstances have developed that the Russian reigning dynasty carries the blood of the prophet Muhammad.” The adviser to the RID chancellery added that “the princess is also a descendant of King David, since her mother was born a Georgian queen, a representative of the Bagration family - Mukhrani, who are officially descendants of this Tsar.” Nemirovich-Danchenko did not forget the Orthodox, saying that “The Grand Duchess is the only descendant in Russian history of Patriarch Filaret,” who, “before becoming a monk, had children, and his son Mikhail became the first representative of the Romanovs.” Thus, the RID representative noted, a unique situation has arisen when three religions united in one person. “I don’t know of any other precedents like this in the world,” the adviser emphasized. According to him, “Grand Duchess” Maria Vladimirovna is the head of the Russian Imperial House, “the legal successor of the All-Russian Emperors and the keeper of the historical ideals and spiritual values ​​of the Dynasty.” And according to the prophecies, we know well who will unite all religions and “kingdoms.”

But this is not the entire list of all kinds of “heirs” to the Throne. There is a separate line of self-proclaimed kings who already have both “loyal subjects” and “anointing” for the kingdom. Here and G.V. Khudyakov, who has already accepted “the anointing of the kingdom and calls himself “Emperor George-Mikhail”; and a certain “tsar” with “royal metas” Alexy Rudik, an ailing “warrior-ruler” Antony Manshin, inventing fables about Father Nicholas... They are taking “oaths of allegiance” unprecedented in the history of Russia: it came to the point that they swore allegiance to someone who regularly appeared in in the dream of a certain nun Nikolai (Safronova) from the village of Zakharovo, Belgorod region, to a certain spirit who called himself “Tsar Nicholas”, and who, among other things, once even appeared to her with the Coming Tsar at the age of about 30-35 years old, who supposedly already exists and walks in Rus', but is still hiding... And these visions of the seduced unfortunate man were replicated without embarrassment and pity in the film “The Tsar Is Coming” by director Galina Tsareva. To her extreme surprise, Hieroschemamonk Raphael (Berestov) blessed her for this film. At the same time, he was awarded the high title of “apostle” and even “generalissimo”. Moreover, calling this “sleepy” ruler a “loyal subject”. And on top of all these newly-minted “kings” - “Orthodox Stalinists” with a portrait of the bloody “leader of all times and peoples”, “honoring” at the same time the Tsar-Father”; various kinds of “sovereignists”, “legitimists” and “conciliarists”... All this together significantly distorted the idea of ​​​​the Monarchy as a whole. “In my opinion,” the historian Dimitry Savvin makes a sound conclusion, “this area is now of interest primarily for folklorists and ethnographers, as well as.”

Andersen’s fairy tale “The King’s New Dress”: “But the king is naked... He’s not real,” said the kid, and everyone saw that it was true, that’s how it is... And they were horrified at themselves that they were so blind and deceived, and called him “ king"

The spiritual reason for the appearance of impostors

Bishop Palladius of Elenopolis, in his divinely inspired work “Lavsaik,” gives the following, very salutary and again edifying, teaching, explaining the essence of the appearance of impostors: “The monk Abraham, an Egyptian by birth, led a very harsh and strict life in the desert, but his mind was struck by extreme conceit. One day, coming to church, he got into an argument with the elders and said: “I was ordained this night as an elder by Jesus Christ Himself, and you must accept me as an elder ready to officiate.” The Holy Fathers brought him out of the desert and, forcing him to lead a different, simpler life, healed him of pride. Having brought him to the consciousness of his own weakness, they proved that he was deceived by the demon of pride, and with their saints’ prayers they restored him to his former virtuous life.”

"The Temptation of Christ on the Mountain". (“Maesta”. Duccio.1308)

« Such is the time: sin is like a storm

overwhelms the boat, and asceticism is extremely rare.

The landmarks are lost.

Night haze envelops a blind and self-lost world"

On the information portal “Moscow - the Third Rome”, whose editor is Alexey Dobychin, a “monarchist faction” is clearly visible, now advocating for the promotion of a certain “coming tsar”, who will supposedly become the “salvation of the Russian People”. And in the very near future. For “he already exists among us”... Imposture, so well known to us from Russian history, tempts people of the most diverse spiritual core and willpower. This is evidenced by articles and video materials recording numerous interviews with the famous preacher of the apocalypse, Hieroschemamonk Raphael (Berestov), ​​who is at times in one of the monasteries of Holy Mount Athos, and at times on the island of Crete. The materials were prepared by his cell attendant, Hieromonk Abel (Velasquez-Steblev), who also publishes his unusual research and predictions on the royal theme under the pseudonym “Monk Michael.”

Lamentation for the World... Fresco. Cappadocia. Greece

A disciple of Elder Meletios Kapsaliotis, the first novice of Elder Tikhon the Russian, reflects: “There are skeptics on Athos who complain that nowadays people “make” elders for themselves, create them out of nothing. This is partly true, especially in a world where the need for holiness is great, and there is virtually no one to follow as an example. Of course, there are well-known characters on Mount Athos: Pope Janis, Father Gabriel and others. And it is wrong when a person simply experienced in life is made a spiritual standard or even an oracle. Such is the time: sin sweeps the boat like a storm, and asceticism is extremely rare. The landmarks are lost. The darkness of the night envelops a blind and lost world».

In June of this year, the editors of the mentioned website “Moscow - the Third Rome” staged a real PR for the next Samotsar, offering the Orthodox people a whole series of conversations recorded by Alexei Dobychin, “The Word of Elder Raphael (Berestov)” in eight parts: part 1: “You speak from God "; part 3: “About the Coming King”; part 4: “Conversation with pilgrims”; part 6: “About the coming tsar-patriarch and impostors” and similar materials. They clearly show elements of Greek folk eschatology, the poetic images of which greatly impressed the monks who found themselves far from the church ship of Russia, which forced them to transfer Greek aspirations to Russian soil and to be seduced by a certain impostor posing as a “disciple” of Father Nicholas (Guryanov), about which he said: “See... the king is coming”... This is natural, for the authors have long been breathing the air of the “Greek” land and are divorced from our Russian spiritual reality, Russian historical truth and patristic Russian eschatology. This, probably, made it possible to make them the conductors of a non-Russian series of dubious “prophecies”, clearly prepared within the framework of the “Great Game of “Tsar”, where the fate of the entire huge great Russian People fatally depends on one person. Contrary to the Teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ, the responsibility for the salvation of the entire Russian Land, and even more, the Universe, as evidenced by the flashy titles of the articles: “I will give Russia a Tsar, and everything in the Universe will change,” depends on one single person, some mysterious, “the coming one”, who, having come to power, will establish a dictatorship, and will rule not by God’s Grace, but by terrible tyranny and fierce anger...

It is forgotten that the Apostle Paul calls “ Church"(from Latin " circa» - « around", from Greek " Ecclesia») - « Community». - « Body» Christ, - living according to His Sermon on the Mount, namely Love and Self-Sacrifice. " For just as the body is one, but has many members, and all the members of one body, although many, form one body, so is Christ.”(1 Cor. 12.14).

So, the Athonite monks, who have been actively looking for an “heir” to the Russian Throne for many years now, have become adherents of the so-called “ chrismology" - folk prophecies, predictions that have an eschatological meaning. Byzantine legends were compiled in imitation of the visions of the prophet Daniel, but the appearance of the Last Victorious Tsar, who would restore the Byzantine Constantinople and protect the Christian Faith from desecration, was indispensable in them. This teaching is folk and cannot be equated with patristic eschatology and New Testament prophecies.

The Angel of Constantinople leaves the Church of Hagia Sophia...
For apostasy from Christ and wickedness...

Associate Professor of the Moscow Theological Academy, Byzantine hegumen Dionysius (Shlenov), who deeply studied this phenomenon in his work "Greek folk eschatology: the image of the Last King", notes: “One of the constant leitmotifs and the most characteristic feature of Greek folk eschatology was the doctrine of the accession of the Last King, who was called poor, in accordance with his origin, and peaceful, in the sense that during the days of his reign there would be a period of peace and prosperity. Initially, the idea of ​​the Last Tsar was quite organically integrated into the concept of an indestructible Orthodox absolute kingdom... It can be noted that Greek folk eschatology, on the one hand, cannot in any way be classified as empty and meaningless superstitions, but, on the other hand, it contains moment of an unrealizable utopia in history. Using the example of one of the most striking images inherent in it - the Last King - one can see how significant the aspirations of recreating their lost earthly kingdom became for the Greeks. In essence, this contains a deeply labored messianic idea, in which political and religious motives are closely intertwined ... Of course, overly literalistic interpretations that go to extremes can promote exalted, unhealthy religiosity, emanating from the arbitrary deification of man and the unacceptable confusion of heavenly and earthly things. From a more balanced, traditional point of view, the accession of the Last King of the Greeks will remain nothing more than an additional harmonious chord to the Sacred history of mankind, governed by Divine Providence”... “God rules the world” - This is what our unforgettable Father Nikolai always said.

“God rules the world... And we are waiting for the Coming of Christ” - Father Nikolai

The terribly bitter fruits of imposture...

In the discussions about the Coming Victorious Tsar, which are distributed on the website “Moscow - the Third Rome,” undoubtedly, “exalted, unhealthy religiosity, emanating from the arbitrary deification of man and the unacceptable confusion of heavenly and earthly things.” This will become obvious if you carefully read all the proposed materials. One could ignore this fact, as being exclusively the responsibility of experienced confessors and true Elders, as well as the persistent “popularization” of a certain “candidate for monarch” who “will soon become the “real anointed one” on the Kremlin throne, if Father Raphael and his followers did not irresponsibly and self-confidently assert that: “Elder Nikolai (Guryanov) himself personally saw the coming king and recognized him.” We assume that Father Raphael and the brethren believed, like the impostor himself, in his “royal” origin. But why impose this on the whole world?! Consciously or unconsciously make a substitution. Spiritual. It is amazing that they have the confidence that their words will be received positively. Without reasoning. Like from the bosses in Soviet time. The Church Canons and Dogmas about Royal Power are of no account. They attribute to this “coming conquering king” qualities that only the Lord can possess...

Heaven and Angels are crying for us...
The word of the Shepherd is needed... But the venerable one is in short supply...

Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov) about mentors in delusion, he wrote: “They do not care about the dignity of their advice! They do not think that they can inflict an incurable ulcer on their neighbor with absurd advice, which is accepted by an inexperienced beginner with an unconscious trust, with carnal and blood heat! They need success, whatever the quality of this success, whatever its beginning! They need to impress the newcomer and morally subjugate him to themselves! They need human praise! They need to be known as saints, wise, perspicacious elders, teachers! They need to feed their insatiable vanity, their pride!”

To our deep regret, the holy monks were unable to heal a man seduced by the demon of pride, who imagined himself to be the “coming king,” as the holy desert fathers did with the seduced monk Abraham. Moreover, they themselves were seduced by his spirit and speeches. And the impostor, seeing the possibility of realizing his plan through them, took advantage of their imprudence and lack of sobriety. It's sad, but it's true. (Here it is appropriate to recall a conversation with one schema-abbot M., who shares similar ideas of the Athonites. To my bewilderment: “Why are you, monks, interfering in the affairs of earthly power?!” I received a short and comprehensive answer: “Don’t you see? - Power is under lying on his feet!”) The enthusiastic exclamations of the fathers that “the king will restore agriculture, fill the monasteries with true monks, throw bombs at all enemies and adversaries,” and so on, force one to admit what has been said... Seduction by power...

And now this is more of a problem for a psychiatrist. For all impostors are broken people, in spiritual discord. Their distinctive feature is that they are capable of action. For their soul throws off all prohibitions. And the propaganda of such personalities by spiritual people, their sacralization and, most importantly, the imposition of their delusion and seduction on others, using the bright name of Elder Nicholas, is not at all harmless... This is undoubtedly a sin that can lead to such terrible consequences, God forbid. recent incident at the Royal Church on the Blood. Here are the messages that appeared in the press:

“The suicide at the Church on the Blood occurred on Tuesday, July 7, in Yekaterinburg. One of the local media outlets was the first to write about the emergency in the temple, citing an eyewitness. According to their information, a note was found in the hand of the young suicide that his last name was Romanov, and he was a member Royal Family. Later it became known that the young man appeared in the Temple on the evening of July 7 after the service. He approached the Crucifix, suddenly pulled out a knife and plunged it into his heart. The young man died on the spot from his wound.

The Ekaterinburg diocese issued a special statement on the fact of suicide in the Church on the Blood. The press service of the metropolis explained the incident as a mental illness and called for prayer for the soul of the deceased: “On July 7, 2015, late in the evening in the Church on the Blood, one young man committed the sin of suicide by piercing his heart. From the note he was holding in his hands, it was clear that the suicide had been planned in advance. He acted swiftly, and death was instantaneous, so there was no way to guess his intentions or prevent him from carrying out his plans. The cause of suicide was mental illness, so we ask for prayers for the unfortunate man deprived of his earthly life by the devil’s slander, so that his immortal soul would not be violated. Immediately after the body was removed from the temple, the rite of consecration required in such cases was performed “for the opening of the Temple, in which a person will need to die,” says a statement from the Ekaterenburg diocese.

Who will beg for the departed soul?.. Blessed Elder Nicholas, according to the Grace given to him by God, begged the unfortunate, shedding tears for our entire sinful world... Altar server Anastasia, once seeing his burnt hands, asked: “Father, did you heat the stove and got burned?” - “Do you think it’s easy to pull souls out of hell?” - said the Elder and lowered his gray-haired head

Good Shepherd... Only He can help a perishing soul

About the spiritual father in Orthodoxy

Let us only add how the Fathers of the Church define such states. Spiritual beauty– state of false spiritual self-awareness, in which the subtle action of one’s own passions (dreams, visions, signs), to enthusiasm and imagery (presentation of images) in prayer. To excessive feats due to unconscious prideful fervor and reliance on one’s own strengths, and not on the grace of God, which acts only in humility.

The Holy Fathers distinguish two types of delusion, one of them comes “from the wrong action of the mind” - daydreaming(dreams, abnormal sensations or visions during prayer). Another - “from the wrong action of the heart” - opinion(a creation of fake, grace-filled sensations and states; the one obsessed with this delusion thinks of himself, has created an “opinion” about himself that he has many virtues and gifts of the Holy Spirit).

Essentially, Fr. Raphael (Berestov) and his disciples are spreading blatant nonsense about this impostor, covered with precious church vocabulary and the holy words of Father Nicholas “The Tsar is Coming,” spoken not in their ears and not for the purpose of machinations with false kings. Which can no longer be counted... This monastic community turned into suppliers of impostors of the “Imperial Court”. The facts, unfortunately, indicate this. I remember that the “Athos elders” had already called on everyone, more than once, to take an active part in all sorts of irresponsible pseudo-monarchical events. Either to elect the Tsar by unknown “twelve elders”, or to elect Him at the Zemsky Sobor, which does not exist, or they advocated the creation of “monarchical parties”, or they persistently recommended swearing allegiance, as already mentioned, to a certain “emperor” seen in a dream, who appeared in the form of “ future tsar” to a certain nun Nikolai (Safronova) from the village of Zakharovo, together with the Sovereign-Martyr and the Mother of God!.. Now they themselves bowed to the next, “the real tsar” N... (they know his name) and are pushing gullible people to do so . But it’s time to understand that it is impossible to “fake” the Tsar! How impossible it is to pass off a false messiah as Christ, unless, of course, the person himself wants to be deceived.

In one of the episodes of the film, which appeared in June of this year, “The Word of Elder Raphael (Berestov),” I heard bitter words from his lips - about how they all bowed, falling to the ground, before this “noble king”... So he them conquered!

So, the first thing to do is to fall on your knees before him,
without considering whether this is a real “king”;
the stranger, the more wonderful the story,
the more they believed

The outstanding Russian historian Sergei Solovyov, studying the phenomenon of imposture in Rus', reflects: “Another question: how were impostors possible? It is decided when we pay attention to the state of society, to the degree of education. Education gives you the habit of thinking critically about every phenomenon and discussing it. Whereas an uneducated person, encountering an extraordinary, important phenomenon, bows before it, completely obeying his first impression; They will say to him: “Here is the king!” And his first thing is to fall on his knees before him, without questioning whether this is a real king; The stranger, the more wonderful the story, the more he was believed. That is why it is impossible to explain the reason for the phenomenon by mere displeasure, the burden of the situation of a certain class of the population: they followed the impostor not only because they hoped for the best, but, above all, because they considered it their duty to go; no one will deny that many, and in some cases the majority, were deceived into believing that they were defending the rights of the rightful king.
As for impostors, some of them consciously took on the role of deceivers, whether the idea of ​​impostor came to them first, or was inspired by others. But some were framed in such a way that they themselves were convinced of their high origin: this was the first False Dmitry (Otrepyev) (Sergei Solovyov. Notes on impostors in Russia // Russian Archive. Historical and literary collection. M. 1868. Issue 2. P. 265). Noting the connection between the psychology of impostor and the sacred attitude towards the Tsarist Power, B.A. Uspensky emphasized that “ arbitrarily declaring oneself a king can be compared with declaring oneself a saint.”

A seven-headed apocalyptic beast emerging from the abyss. Before him are people of all ranks and classes, they serve him. Everyone faces the beast and does not see that behind them at the top of the mountain is a “lamb” - a wolf in sheep’s clothing with a snake’s sting flying out of its mouth. “This is something that is ripening in the depths of the Church, but few people see it,” said Elder Luke of Philotheus. The Apostle Paul, predicting the end of times, says that the Antichrist “will sit in the temple of God as God, showing himself to be God.” But “that day will not come, until the falling away comes first, and the man of sin, the son of perdition, is revealed.” “The mystery of iniquity is already at work, but it will not be completed until He who now restrains is taken out of the way.” The Holder is the Name of God and the Grace of the Holy Spirit. According to the interpretation of the Fathers, also the Orthodox Tsar, carries in symphony with the Church a very special Service of the Cross - protecting the Christian ideal on earth - to be the Holder of world evil and the coming of the Antichrist.

The beast that came out of the sea had seven heads and ten horns, and the beast that came out of the earth had the horns of a lamb. Matthias Grung. 1570

Fake "kings for one hour"
then they will transfer power and kingdom to the Antichrist (Rev. 17.13)

Never has the world known such an influx of impostors as the one that arose and lasted for at least a century after the Martyrdom of the August Family of the Russian Tsar Nicholas II in July 1918. True, none of them encroached on the Sacred Name of the Emperor Himself, but for each of the Martyred Royal Children - the Princesses and the Heir - there were many contenders. In total, 229 of these were known (sic!). Here is how the “roles” were distributed: 28 impostors pretended to be Grand Duchess Olga, 33 pretended to be Tatiana, 34 pretended to be Anastasia, and as many as 53 pretended to be Maria. But Tsarevich Alexei was “ahead” of everyone - 81 impostors acted under His name.

Looking carefully at how actively and shamelessly the words of Father Nicholas “The Tsar is Coming” are used, you begin to take more seriously the following assumptions of church historian Andrei Shchedrin: “They talk about the possibility of enemy disinformation carried out with the help of false prophecies manufactured in special departments of the General Staff or some - some other secret units. Well, the danger of being deceived by false eschatological predictions cannot be denied. But lies, for their part, testify to the Truth. Often the very intention to hide the truth reveals what is being hidden. Experienced investigators know this. “The larynx discriminates”... And our unforgettable Father said: “Untruth will help to reveal the truth”...

Everything will change when the time comes...
The resurrection of Russia will take place gradually.
Not right away. Such a huge body cannot recover immediately...

Reading the suffocating lies coming from people whom I once knew, and knowing that they never talked with the Elder about the most important thing for Russia - the Tsar's Sovereign Service, the Tsar's Path, I realized that today people, even the clergy, have stopped carrying any responsibility for their words... And she realized what was more terrible, that in their words there was no the most important thing - real Love for the King-Angel, who sacrificed Himself and everyone who was unspeakably and endlessly dear to Him, as a Sacrifice for Rus' in the hope that we will change and see clearly... And I was finally convinced that we will not live to see the real Monarchy, Graceful, Inevitable, Resurrection. As the outstanding Russian person, philologist, poet, prominent jurist, expert on Roman antiquities, true monarchist Professor B.N. wrote. Nikolsky, shot by the Bolsheviks in the fall of 1919: “It’s far away, and our path is thorny, terrible and painful, and our night is dark that I can’t even dream of the morning.”

We asked Father more than once: “Will our Church expect flourishing and revival?” - He paused, and then - into the very depths, with the edge of a prophetic thought: “Don’t expect any flourishing. The churches are open, there is a place to confess and receive communion... That’s all the heyday. Keep what you have. The Word of God says that everyone Faithful Christians expect persecution in life, and then the Truth will be revealed, but not for long, “for a little while” - and the Lord will come to judge the world, but “ will he find Vera on earth?». Therefore, the main thing is to keep the Faith.”

As an addition, a fragment from the memoirs of Nikolai Nikolaevich Krasnov “Unforgettable” - the words with which his grandfather, a Russian officer of duty and honor, martyr, Pyotr Nikolaevich Krasnov, admonished him during his last meeting in a KGB prison: “ Whatever happens, don’t you dare hate Russia. It is not she, not the Russian people, who are the culprits of universal suffering... Russia has been and will be. Maybe not the same one, not in a boyar’s outfit, but in a homespun and bast shoes, but She will not die. You can destroy millions of people, but new ones will be born to replace them. The people will not die out. Everything will change when the time comes... The resurrection of Russia will take place gradually. Not right away. Such a huge body cannot recover right away...” Whatever happens, don’t you dare hate Russia! Outside of this there is no Russian nationalism. None. Neither monarchical, nor democratic, nor anything else.”

M.V. Nesterov . Holy Rus'. 1901. “Holy Rus'... She did not die... She just quietly hid for a time in the power of Orthodoxy and Love"- said Father Nikolai

I would like to especially note: Elder Nikolai did not issue the “Tsar’s Charter” to anyone. He did not welcome any impostors to the Russian Kingdom. I didn’t “recognize” any “coming king”... It’s a sin to even think about it. He said: "God rules the world"… « In the Hand of the Lord is the power over the earth, and He will raise up the necessary man on it in due time.”(Sir.10.4). One must not know or understand Father at all in order to take such publications and films about him seriously. Father was a Russian man. Russian not only by origin, but most of all by their humble and meek spirit. Humblely wise. Reasonable. Saints. He was burdened by earthly glory, was very simple and meek, and his soul strived for Heaven. I never lectured anyone. I just quietly advised. I didn’t force my opinion on anyone. He was a Heavenly Angel... Understanding, Patience, Love... He lived completely according to the Sermon on the Mount of Christ. Love and Faith determined his life. And his desire was for them to determine the life of every person. He did not participate in any political games and did not allow himself to be drawn into them. It is unfortunate that after his dormition there are people, especially those of the clergy, who turned to him more than once for prayerful help, who are now trying to use his name and spiritual authority in their political games.

“If the Lord now grants a King,
They will crucify him again, burn him, and drink his ashes with tea.”

When Father Nicholas was asked about the possible restoration of the Monarchy in Russia, he replied that “There’s nothing to think about it now. If the Lord now grants a Tsar, He will be crucified again, burned, and the ashes will be drunk with tea... They still don’t want a Tsar, the thieves!” He once said this: “They can make their Fuhrer “king”... Save us, God, from this.” Here it is appropriate to recall the prediction of St. Lawrence of Chernigov that “under the guise of the Orthodox Tsar” the Antichrist may reign. Father Nicholas warned against being carried away by the idea of ​​“the Tsar rather!”... He said: “ The Tsar must be tearfully begged and deserved... But we, you see for yourself, how we live... The Tsar cries for us, but the people don’t even think about Him.”

Historian and publicist, author of the wonderful study “Who is the Heir to the Russian Throne” M.V. Nazarov also noted: “We cannot have a real Tsar without a real Church and without an Orthodox core of people with a monarchical sense of justice, capable of supporting the Tsar. Otherwise, he will be “crucified” by the current elders and high priests. - This is the conclusion that also follows from my book.
If the “king” is ready to rely on the unreal Church, serving any power and common worldly lusts with it, this is not real Tsar. And the fig leaf."

From the words of Hieroschemamonk Raphael, we learn that this hitherto hidden “secret” person is also “Tsar and Patriarch in one person”... But according to the Eastern Fathers of the Church, the Antichrist will combine spiritual power with political power. We especially note that in this case, “naive monarchism of the masses” is actively used. In order for the people to undoubtedly believe in his “God-givenness,” it was necessary to secure a spiritual bond. This is where the prophetic word of our Father Nicholas “The Tsar is Coming” came in handy... It became possible to connect “ conscious" With " unconscious" “The national consciousness endows the Person of the Sovereign with supernatural properties, even connections with the other world,” explains historian I. Andreev in his study “The Anatomy of Imposture.” “In the understanding of the masses, an impostor applicant, in order to return the “stolen” Throne, must overcome so much evil and create so much good that it is impossible to do without possession of supernatural power.” So a behavior model has been formed. It turns out that this impostor is the very closest “disciple of Father Nicholas, about whom the Elder, it turns out, predicted to our sinful world... And the hieroschemamonk Raphael undertook to “confirm” this, contrary to the truth...

True, it is impossible to confirm this writing, since it is a pure lie and an obvious deception, indicating a serious illness that has affected all participants in the tragicomedy - imposture.

To the question of Father Raphael: “ Sovereign! (sic!) How can I popularize you?”- the impostor remarked: “And speak as Father Nicholas said about me: “Behold... the Tsar is coming”... We quote first

I am a sinful man, I love you all, I hug and kiss you. I'm glad to welcome you. Christ is Risen!

From a young age I went to the monastery of the Trotse-Sergius Lavra, spent my youth there and there I began to receive spiritual insight, and I read about the church situation from the holy fathers. They advise not to communicate with heretics. And our hierarchy accepts heretics, brings them into the temple, opens the throne for the cardinals - they enter straight into the altar. They are brought to the relics, they come to the brethren in the Lavra, and even at the meal it was wild for me to listen to their terrible speeches.

I know that the Lord created the Church, saying: “I will create the Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.” And then one Protestant, professor, German tells us: “Brothers, the Church must be created by unifying with various confessions.” I wondered why no one reacts to this obvious heresy? I was surprised, but since I am an uneducated, backward person, and seeing this silence in the brothers, and the fact that they did not react to such obvious heresy, I could not understand why.

I started asking those who understand this. Some say: “Raphael, what do you care? There are bishops, they will sort this out. Your business is to remain silent!” And the bishops lead these heretics to the altar.

Then I asked one archimandrite. He said: “Raphael, read the council of 1948.” It was not a cathedral, but a meeting of Orthodox Christians with the blessing of Stalin. His Holiness Patriarch Alexy and many high representatives participated in this meeting. And there they understood what ecumenism is. And it was condemned as heresy. The heresy of ecumenism was also condemned by the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad.

I was surprised why there was no reaction from even the monks. They are all educated, graduated from seminary and academy. I contacted many people, but I saw their somewhat indifferent attitude towards this. I was indignant and surprised.

Then I decided that I needed to fight this, as it is said in the Gospel: “When the apostles are silent, the stones will cry out.” I decided that I was a stone that should cry out, testifying to the truth. And he wrote a poster that ecumenism is a heresy of heresies, that is, a collection of many different heresies, not only Christian believers in Christ, but also Muslim, Jewish, and all sorts of satanic ones. And the Masons created it. All sorts of sorcerers and other Satanists, even to the point of blasphemy, participate in this gathering.

And I asked some students who were in solidarity with me and understood me, to write a book against ecumenism. Yes, the students began to write and created a triptych: against Catholicism, against the ecumen and against Freemasonry. I didn’t keep the book, because I had to be in the South, then in the North, now in the Caucasus, now on Mount Athos - fate abandoned me all the time. Some elders reproached me: “Why doesn’t Raphael sit in one place?” Every six months I am expelled, so I don’t know what will happen to me in six months. Therefore, I ask for your holy prayers.

So, we wrote this triptych book. All my life I have been zealous for God as best I could and fought for the purity of Orthodoxy as best I could. I even wanted to act like a fool while living in the Lavra. I'm talking about. Kirill, I was a deacon then: “Avochka, bless me, when the heretics come, I will open the royal doors and ask: “Ivan, Nikolai, Vasily, come, kiss the throne!” If they bring heretics there, why shouldn’t they, the Orthodox laity, not kiss the throne of God?

Yes, this, of course, was my foolishness, but I wanted to show the bishops that they were committing lawlessness. But oh. Kirill did not bless me for such foolishness. But I have always, to the best of my ability, professed the purity of Orthodoxy.

Now we live on Athos. We were already expelled there once, and appeared there again. We live for one hour. And so we heard that there was a confession of the purity of Orthodoxy by Greek theologians, elders and some monks and abbots of monasteries. We immediately supported them.

And when we arrived in the Caucasus to visit our brethren who remained in the Caucasus, the hermits, we were asked to stay in Crimea, since my brother Fr. Anatoly. But he did not come for health reasons. There we learned about the confession of faith of our Moldavian fathers. And we immediately supported them. We were in solidarity with them. Standing for the truth is sacred. Dying for the truth of the Church is a holy thing...

God forbid you get scared. The worst thing is cowardice. In our time, cowardice is a great evil. It is said in the Apocalypse that the cowardly will not inherit the Kingdom of Heaven. Confession of Christ and apologetics for the purity of Orthodoxy is a holy cause. It is necessary. Therefore, fathers, not only monks, hieromonks, priests, all Orthodox Christians must defend Orthodoxy.

At present, Orthodoxy is in great danger. I just recently learned about this - about the VIII Council, which is being prepared not by Christians, but by Masons. And in general, our bishops, the vast majority of them, are Masonic novices.

What can I tell you? His Holiness Alexy II is a good person. But when the Masons told him, he went against his conscience. And his beloved friends, people who loved him, will condemn him - he went against his conscience. Everyone knows that His Holiness the Patriarch hindered the destruction of the Church. And for this they killed him. One bishop told us this, but we cannot say who. And they killed him so that he would not interfere. And they installed Kirill as Patriarch.

I also want to say: many people think that there were elections of the Patriarch. Oh, how holy everything is, fathers! Modern elections of presidents and patriarchs are all a game! Performance of choice!

Once, a long time ago, I lived in the Lavra and, when His Holiness Patriarch Alexy I of Simansky died, the Council and the election of the Patriarch were coming up. I was sitting in the workshop, working with icons, and I heard the brethren outside the door discussing who they would choose. And I write a large poster in gold paints: “Congratulations on the patriarchal election of Metropolitan Pimen.” Then he was still a metropolitan. I have nothing against Pimen, I sympathize with him and I sympathized with Alexy. Just not Cyril and not Bartholomew. We know what they are doing.

I went out to the brethren: “Fathers, what are you talking about here, who will be chosen. They won’t be chosen, but they have already been appointed a long time ago. Nowadays this is what they do - they appoint.” - “Raphael, go to your workshop, paint your icons, what do you understand!?” I left, but then I solemnly bring out this poster, where I congratulate Metropolitan Pimen on his patriarchate. It was a silent scene. The brothers understood everything, and I solemnly brought it into the workshop.

So, the mystery of lawlessness is at work! They signed documents, Balamand and others, hiding it from the people, from the servants of God, hiding it from the Church of Christ. Many heretical documents were signed. But I think this will be talked about. Igor and Fr. Anatoly.

I want to tell you, I have always talked about this and I say it now: dear fathers, dear brothers and sisters! Don’t leave the Church of Christ anywhere! The Church of Christ is you, you are the people of God, the Holy Spirit lives in you! And we - your faithful priests - we are with you! There are also Orthodox bishops with you. Don’t leave the Church of Christ anywhere! Stay in the Church of Christ in any adversity...

Therefore, let us not be discouraged. We will fight for the purity of Orthodoxy, remaining within the bosom of the Church.

The Church is not the Patriarch, not the Metropolitan and not the Bishop. They listen to the Masons. Many of them were recruited from the Mossad or the CIA and other Jewish organizations. These are all the forces of evil, they are trying to destroy our Church.

We are not shaking - as Bishop Theognostos reproached us yesterday, that we are shaking our Church - but strengthening, so that we remain faithful to Jesus Christ, faithful to the Church. And we will not go anywhere, not to any schism, not to the catacombs, not to Lord Diomede, not to any zealots.

You are the Church of Christ. And your faithful priests.

For now I want to end this. Forgive me, dear ones.

http://portal-credo.ru/site/?act=news&id=79752&topic=719
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COMMENT BY V. VOROBYOV:

There is a hierarchy and subordination in the Church. There is a procedure and rules in the Church for appealing to higher authorities and their representatives, there is a procedure for complaints, accusations and condemnations... If a person goes against all the rules and procedures without exception, this is nonsense for the Church! Why? Because the Church must be unshakable in any political and social processes, in any excesses and misunderstandings, including with our hierarchs, because the Church is HIGHER and MORE VALUABLE than any individuals included in it, it cannot be disgraced, blamed and reduced to some kind of an earthly office in which people play dogs, intrigue, make opportunists, fight to the death...

Revolutionaries in the Church are destroyers, just like revolutionaries in politics, economics and finance, and the Church, which is a voluntary union of believers in Christ under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and not individual “prophets”, “righteous men” or “fools”, must be protected from them. who do not have the blessing, permission, or calling of God to do this. Imposture in the Church is simply unacceptable if it is our home, our mother and not our stepmother...

No one appointed Rafail Berestov as an elder, just as no one blessed him to be an accuser of the Patriarch, hierarchs and the entire Church, and no one blessed him to be a holy fool, so there is no need to pray for him, but to call him to reason - under the threat of excommunication.

OPINION OF BERESTOV-DIOMID PEOPLE:

Dear Vladimir, don’t you think that those who crucified Christ carried out the will of the hierarchs, which, following your words, is “higher and more valuable than any individuals”? In addition, the Church knows many examples when one was against everyone, and was right - for he was with God. This and Rev. Mark of Ephesus, and St. Nicholas of Myra, and St. Luka Krymsky... We can continue the list.

The main thing is to stop labeling everyone who disagrees with the “rock preachers” as schismatics and impostors. If you want to object to Elder Raphael, please object to the substance of the theses he put forward.

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Open letter to Elder Rafail (Berestov)

Alarm bell or ringing brass?

UNITY OF THE Apostate SPIRIT:
"The Elder" Rafail Berestov in an embrace
with photo of “Metropolitan” Lavr Shkurla

“You who love the Lord, hate evil!” (Ps.96, 10)

In 2005, the publishing house “Father's House” published a brochure “Nabat” by the famous patriarchal elder Hieroschemamonk Rafail (Berestov). In this review, we intend to draw the attention of compatriots to evidence of the obvious delusion of the author of the brochure, and also, if possible, to urge them to a sober understanding of the events that have already occurred and are still occurring in Russia. I really want to believe that Father Raphael himself will think about it, since it is clear that, although he is mistaken in many ways, he seems to be motivated by good intentions and, unlike other “universally respected” “kind” and “humble” gray-haired liars, at least trying to change something in the reality around him.

In his work, Father Raphael quite colorfully describes the ambiguous situation that initially arose in the official Soviet church, and which over time not only did not change for the better, but degenerated into even more severe forms of apostasy. (Pages 2–4: “Official representatives of the Church have long fallen under the Masonic yoke; Many bishops and monastics had, and perhaps still have, officer ranks; “Bacteria” appeared in the Church; Warlock worms crawled into the bosom of the Church, psychic clerics appeared ; On a Komsomol ticket, “Cossack women” were sent into the fold of the Church. From them, many “wolves in sheep’s clothing” appeared in the Church; They were blessed to take an INN, a “Russian” passport with three sixes and Masonic symbols; Official representatives of the Church with their “academic council” flock Christ was led from Christ to Satan"). From what the elder cites as illustrations of his reasoning, an unbiased reader can draw an unambiguous conclusion (although direct recognition this fact not in the brochure): the official church, the so-called “Moscow Patriarchate”, during the Bolshevik era was created exclusively to fight the Church of Christ; this is a purely state institution and there can be no talk of the presence of grace either then, much less now, in this truly “church of the wicked.” (Page 2: “From then until perestroika, without a KGB filter and without a subscription, I think almost not a single bishop was consecrated; Bishops, priests and even monks signed up to cooperate with the Cheka, the KGB and betrayed their brothers, and had officer ranks and a career in the clergy").

From the very first page, Father Raphael admits that the Chekists, having failed with the renovationist schism, decided to approach the matter of destroying the Church more seriously. After searching through a large number of bishops, their choice fell on Metropolitan Sergius (Stragorodsky), who gained a reputation as an extremely liberal hierarch in all respects. (Page 1: “In the person of Metropolitan Sergius, they found a man who decided to compromise with his conscience, supposedly to save the Church”). The fruit of his collaboration with the NKVD was the “Declaration” of 1927, which actually proclaimed the God-established power of the God-fighting government and nullified the martyrdom and confessional feat of all those who initially fought against this power cursed by God.

Further, the author points out that such close cooperation with the worldly godless authorities, which led to the violation of the canons of the Church, is called the “Sergian heresy” and that Patriarchs Sergius (Stragorodsky), Alexy I (Simansky), Pimen led the Holy Church along the rails of the Sergian heresy (!?) (Izvekov) and the current “Holy” Alexy II (Ridiger) (page 2).

Strange and incomprehensible words. It is not clear how the Holy Church can be led by heretics and follow the path of heresy? (Nevertheless, the author writes, page 6: “Official representatives of the Church began to persecute and persecute the Holy Church of Christ”(!?) and page 20: “We cannot allow Orthodoxy to be used as an instrument of apostasy”(!!!?)). Church and heresy are absolutely incompatible concepts. The Church is holy, pure, immaculate, and the essence of any heresy is blasphemy. So what kind of union can there be between these two concepts?

Father Raphael admits that cooperation with the godless government led to a violation of the canons, and admits the fact of the emergence of heresy. (Page 4: “The path of Sergianism led from Christ God to the Antichrist Satan”). God save him at least for this; at least he is the only one of all the “universally revered” who openly admitted this. It’s just a pity that there are no corresponding conclusions. In theory, Father Raphael should continue his discussions on this topic, tell those who consider themselves Orthodox what heresy is, how one must live under the rule of heresy, tell how holy men lived in ancient and recent times and how they dealt with heretics. Alas, the author of the brochure replaced a comprehensive consideration of the Sergian heresy with only the fact of its recognition. It is bitter to see such “confession”. Most likely, Father Raphael understands that if he begins to analyze this matter as it should be, the mud will cover from head to toe not only the Sergian hierarchy of the MP, but himself as a cleric of the mentioned Patriarchate. And the conclusions that, whatever one may say, he will have to make, will be so bitter for himself that, as they say, there is nowhere more bitter.

However, it is possible that other reasons also played a role. For example, the “deep humility” of Father Raphael, a quality that in the MP is developed to unprecedented unprecedented levels and is inherent in all of its children without exception. Whatever you say, no matter how you convince, no matter what arguments and evidence you bring, it’s all useless, the reinforced concrete wall of Sergian “humility” will withstand any blows. We must pay tribute to the successful propaganda carried out in the MP, in particular, to that great (in terms of their number) host of Sergian “saints” who so skillfully and irrevocably for the majority of their flock, hammered into them the nonsense of “humility before heresy.” Father Raphael, who was initially brought up in this very spirit, gradually turned into one of the main apologists for this type of “humility.”

This “humility” has two main principles. First: “you cannot condemn the clergy”; second: “the sacraments are performed under any conditions, that is, automatically.” The first principle of “good priests” (somehow without particularly touching on the issue of condemnation-reasoning) was raised to such heights that the poor flock are afraid to even stutter, seeing any violation of the canons. Father Raphael himself shows examples of humility in the face of sin bordering on heresy in his brochure: “One academic student, hieromonk, future bishop, spoke to the brethren: “I hope that in the future in the Russian Orthodox Church there will be such a practice - to consecrate women.” As I was passing, I heard this and prayed - God forbid our Church from such apostasy. May God grant him to repent and correct himself; I remember a wonderful monk from the Lavra, an archimandrite, but when he became an archbishop, he became a fierce popularizer of globalism. What happened to the good monk? (page 6).

The second principle is even cooler. Its meaning is that it is absolutely unimportant which priest performs the sacrament: even if a fornicator, a heretic, a state security officer, an atheist, a globalist, a communist or a pederast stands before the altar - it makes no difference, for the faith of people the Lord sanctifies everything... God loves everyone and sees that ordinary people have nowhere to go, so, they say, he sends an angel to work for an unworthy clergyman. Don’t forget, children, the elders repeat, God is, first of all, Love. “Children” like it, the principle is very sweet. It’s just a pity that the “children” don’t understand that the lives of the saints are not given to us for touching tears and sighs. They forget St. Nicholas the Wonderworker with his famous slap in the face of Arius, St. Maximus the Confessor with his “even if the whole world communes with the patriarch, I will not,” they also forget St. Joseph of Volotsky, who has only epithets (like “wolves”) addressed to Metropolitan Zosima, heretics from the clergy and royal relatives, no less than half a page, at whose personal request those who deviated into the Jewish heresy were executed. What a great many other examples of such jealousy for Bose, regardless of rank, could be given! But no one needs this, everything is useless, nothing can convince the children of the MP. They have a different system of priorities. Why the Lord, why the saints, why the canons, dogmas, rules, traditions? All this is not necessary if there are “elders”. It’s good with the “elders”, they are “kind”, very “affectionate”, “humble”, “gracious”, “insightful”. Why anything else if there is such “holiness” nearby? There is no need to think, humble yourself - you will be saved. Father is always right, but if something is wrong, read from the beginning.

Here is Father Raphael, looking up to such outstanding co-workers of the Sergian hierarchy as Hieroschemamonk Jerome of Sanaksarsky, the “great elder” Nikolai Zalitsky, the now living “humble” Kirill (Pavlov), absorbing “ best qualities” of these celebrities, he himself gradually turned into a “daddy”. This can be confirmed by everyone personally by talking with any of the “faithful children of the MP.” The principle of infallibility of “Father Kirill”, “Father Raphael”, and maybe some other “Elder Father” (of which there are now countless numbers throughout Rus'), will overcome the authority of any canons, dogmas, rules and lives. On top of that, you will almost certainly receive the mark of a demoniac (if you come across a “zealous child”), and if you come across a “humble child,” you will definitely catch a sympathetic glance: “Poor schismatic... Help him, Lord.”

Whether Father Raphael intentionally does not want to consider the issue of the heresy of Sergianism and ecumenism in the MP, or whether he resigns himself, is unknown. Perhaps his soul truly cares for Russia and for the Orthodox Russian people, but false humility before heresy and the preaching of this false humility darkens the mind and does not make it possible to correctly (in the light of Christ’s truth) evaluate the events taking place around us. Without this, it is impossible to come to a purity of confession of faith, and without purity of faith there is no point in even thinking that the people will ever rise up to fight against the atheists. Without Christ in the soul, the struggle is impossible; Satan does not cast out Satan.

It is a pity that the so-called “patriots” who seriously consider themselves “Orthodox” and “fighters against the Jewish yoke” still cannot understand this, but, nevertheless, the “brother” of Rabbi Berl Lazar is their “Great Master and Father” magnifying. Do they really not know the words of St. Apostle Paul about the unrighteous deception of those who are perishing because they did not accept the love of the truth for their salvation. “And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, so that they will believe a lie, so that all who have not believed the truth but have loved unrighteousness will be condemned” (II Thess. 2:8-13). However, there is no time to think. Endless “councils”, “prayer stations”, “processions of the cross”, letters of protest to “His Holiness”, “their Eminences”, appeals to various “Vladimir Vladimirovichs” and other methods of “merciless struggle” against the Jewish yoke, leave no time for thoughts. And there’s no need to think too much, the “visionary elders” think for everyone.

Father Raphael would have swept away all the accumulated Sergian rubbish from his soul and taught and advised others, but, alas... - the “action of delusion” acts misleadingly, and the elder sinks deeper and deeper into the quagmire of false humility and compromise.

So, in fact, calling Ridiger a heretic (one who professes a heresy is a heretic, there is no debate here), the elder immediately, without any hesitation at the liturgy, already calls him “most holy,” and as if he does not know that this type, mired in lies and wickedness, this The title doesn't suit me at all. “The darkest”, “the dirtiest”, “the meanest” - that would be just right, but certainly not “the holiest”. At the liturgy, the elder lies right to the face of the Lord Himself: “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who consider darkness to be light and light to be darkness, who consider bitter to be sweet and sweet to be bitter!” (Isa. 5:20).

In the brochure under review, Father Raphael, as if to justify Ridiger, cites his assessment of the “Declaration” of Metropolitan Sergius (Stragorodsky), made in 1991, in which he admitted that it (that is, the Declaration) was built on lies and stated that “we” (that is, they, the Moscow Patriarchate), they say, are not guided by it now. Riediger does not spoil the furrow of lies laid before him. Who today does not know from the published archival materials of the KGB of the Estonian SSR about the circumstances of his recruitment for nomination to the “bishop”? Who doesn’t know his agent nickname “Drozdov” from the “Private Determination” of the RSFSR Supreme Soviet Commission for the Investigation of the Causes and Circumstances of the State Emergency Committee? Undoubtedly, Father Raphael also knows about this, but for some reason there is not a word about it in his brochure.

And the people’s kisses with E.B.N. and V.V.P., participation in political performances with the aim of legitimizing the Jewish gang that has seized power in Russia - is this not loyalty to the spirit of that very “Declaration”?

If we also take into account that all this is strongly flavored with papism, ecumenism, witchcraft, extrasensory perception, globalism, complete moral decay, then what is the outcome? Sergianism, but only “improved”, modernized, a kind of neo-Sergianism. A religion of absolute unprincipledness and continuous compromises; a religion of perfected readiness to meet the “great king.” The Jews will give them a “king”, the “elders” will accordingly “bless” them, and this “king” will still be the same. (By the way, rumors about the “coronation of the Tsar” by the entourage of the “Great Elder” Peter (Kucher) are already spreading with might and main).

On page 16 we read: “... let neither heretics, nor globalist schismatic-Satanists think that they are in the Church of Christ.” Wonderful and true words. But for some reason, without names and surnames (a characteristic feature of the author of the brochure: on page 3 he calls Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk, for example, "one Russian metropolitan"), although Ridiger and Co fit perfectly into these definitions. And again, not a word in the brochure about that true patristic tradition, which forbids us not only canonical, but even everyday communication with heretics. Doesn't the author know about this?

In his brochure, Father Raphael focuses on issues of globalization and politics; the issue of purity of confession of faith is relegated to the background, or, better said, is not considered at all. In fact, it’s more correct the other way around: even a heretic with a number will go to hell, even without a number, he will go to hell, even an anti-Semite will not be saved, even a Judeophile will be guaranteed Gehenna. But, unfortunately, the author does not go beyond beautiful words about the “purity of faith” and the “Church of Christ”.

What also attracts attention is how bizarrely between the lines the recognition of Sergianism as a heresy and the fight against globalism are correlated in Father Raphael’s brochure. The patriarch is subservient to the godless authorities, what to do, elder? Don't take passports! The hierarchy of the MP is fraternizing with heretics, what to do, elders? Do not accept TIN! Among the clergy there are a lot of Jews, homosexuals and non-believers, what should you do, elders? Refuse smart cards, tokens(?) and chips!

That is, “we must remain in the bosom (where, in the words of Father Raphael himself, worms, Cossacks and bacteria have crawled!) of the Holy Church and fight for Her purity, for the Christian soul of man, for the Motherland (p. 11); We will not leave the Church of Christ anywhere - it is the ship of salvation, the pillar and affirmation of the truth (p. 30); Be faithful to Christ and His Holy Church, and all the chaff that stuck to it will fly away (p. 29)". And so that your conscience doesn’t torment you too much for inaction: “Do not take electronic documents, do not take the mark of the beast” (p. 30).

It is absolutely incomprehensible why we should be told for the millionth time about the fact that Putin is a Freemason (p. 7), that you can’t take license plates and passports, about globalization, Freemasonry, the explosion of a shopping center in New York, chips, barcodes, cards and about everything else that we learned a long time ago, but additional “fresh” information about which they continue to impose on us? Why are they sucking up this dregs for the millionth time, without touching the purity of faith? Okay, one; okay, two, three, four, five; but this unbridled chatter has not stopped for many years now. Only the covers and article headings are changed, footnotes are added, and let’s start again: “there are Jews all around,” “don’t take numbers,” and so on and so forth. Even in Father Raphael’s brochure itself, a good quarter of the volume is occupied by extensive quotes from “The First and the Last” and similar sources. It's just a madhouse! But just try somewhere to say something to the “His Holiness” and the Moscow Patriarchate, to recall the patristic tradition, to remember the word “anathema” long forgotten by the “patriots,” when the flow of words from their lips immediately stops. The gift of “jealous” eloquence suddenly disappears and instead of answers there is an incomprehensible moo and an index finger directed towards the “elders”: they say, “all the questions go there, they are perspicacious, which means they are closer to God, they know better.”

Much, of course, could be speculated on from what Father Raphael mentions and does not mention in his brochure. It would be very interesting to talk about “believer Stalin” (p. 3), O "sun of Truth" And "flutes of the Holy Spirit" Metropolitan John (Snychev) (page 4), about the elders who are opponents of globalization: "Father Kirill and others." (page 5), O "the true pillar of Orthodoxy" Metropolitan Agafangel (page 16), through which “The Holy Spirit spoke at the Council of Bishops” (p. 20) And “whose words were tantamount to thunder, lightning and the enlightenment of the blue sky” (p. 21), about the no less zealous Vladyka Hippolyte (page 17), about other “fighting from within” patriots, and also about why Father Raphael so easily ignored the Catacomb Church and the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, in whose bosom, and by no means in the MP, were such great saints as the Venerable Nektarios of Optina, respectively and Theodosius of the Caucasus, who never crossed the threshold of the “red” churches, Archbishops of Syracuse Averky (Taushev) and Feofan (Bistrov) of Poltava. There’s a lot more that could be remembered, but that’s probably enough already. Those who are still predisposed to understand the essence of the issue will understand by studying Orthodoxy in books without the “blessing” and “filter” of the MP; Well, for those whose “elders” and “old women” are higher than the Lord, even the dead, if resurrected, will not help (Luke 16:31).

# # #

Father Raphael, to be honest, for some reason there is still a glimmer of hope for your admonition and, consequently, the admonition of a certain part of our poor dying people who respects your authority. Father, your opinion is waved like a flag, both you and many look up to you. Come to your senses, stop ruining the people. Throw away false humility, curse the false elders and all other scum in robes and mitres. After all, there are many, really many, still living hearts even in the MP; Sergianism has not yet been able to completely break all Russians. Many, thank God, still strive for the Truth, but, unfortunately, a barrier is being built between them and the Truth. This barrier is you, Father Raphael, the “elders” and other “shepherds”. Please understand this, father.

It is clear that the conclusions to which awareness of the heresy of Sergianism leads will be very unpleasant. It will be difficult, of course, to admit that one is not only not a hieroschemamonk, but perhaps even unbaptized, since there cannot be sacraments in a heretical church. You can also imagine the faces of all these brainless MP supporters, laughing at you and twirling their fingers at your temple. It will be hard, no doubt about it. But for the sake of the Truth, for the sake of saving your soul and the souls of thousands who look up to you, this is worth enduring. Let false brothers spew out blasphemies and ridicule, but those who are truly Christ's will treat you with no less respect than any other legitimate priest. Because if the Lord Himself said: “He who comes to Me I will not cast out,” then all the more so we should not shy away from those who turn, but help them and have pity on their feelings. The hardest thing is to conquer yourself and, perhaps, only for this the Lord will give you the glory of a hieroschemamonk in His Kingdom.

It is clear that, at first glance, there is nowhere to go now; the situation in the Russian Church is extremely difficult. It is very difficult today to understand the state of affairs both in the ROCOR and in the catacombs. But the fact that in some places we temporarily do not have proper canonical leadership does not mean that we can go to heretical churches and lull ourselves into thinking that “The Lord is, first of all, Love.”

As for your work, forgive me, Father Raphael, but I can’t call it “Alarm”. This is not the alarm sounded by St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, St. Maxim the Confessor and Joseph of Volotsky, other confessors and martyrs of our Church of Christ. Your “alarm” now looks more like a trezvon, and a pseudo-Orthodox one at that. Once again, please forgive me for the possible harshness of my judgments.

# # #

In conclusion, I would like to turn to the like-minded lay authors of Father Raphael: the numerous Filimonovs, Gordeevs, Manyagins, Simonovichs, Dushenovs and others, others, other leaders of the “Orthodox community of the Russian Orthodox Church MP”, always learning and never able to reach the knowledge of the truth (Tim. 3, 7).

Gentlemen! Answer to all those who do not participate in your “cathedrals”, how many more times does Riediger need to spit in your face in response to your petitions, how many rabbis does he still need to fraternize with and what other heretics should he kiss so that you finally stop calling him "holiness"? How many more petitions to “dear Vladimir Vladimirovich” do you need to send and how many more circles around the Duma will your “religious processions” need to make before you finally understand that it is useless to demand anything from Satanists? How many more years do you need to “fight” the Jewish yoke in order to realize that it was the Jews who created the so-called “opposition” in which you are “fighting from within” the MP, and that your “pillars” - Agafangels and Hippolytes - are just pawns in one big Jewish game? How many more times do your “elders” need to “humble yourself” or “blissfully act like fools”, answering your difficult and perplexed (I say without irony) questions, so that you finally understand that in front of you are false elders who themselves do not enter and hinder others (Matt. 23:13)? How many more violations of dogmas, canons and rules must be found in the “lives” of your “saints” for you to understand that by definition there cannot be saints in a heretical community. Falling into delight at stories about the imaginary miracles of your “elders,” you, it seems, have not read the very instructive words of St. Paisius Velichkovsky that “the holiness of true holy men is known not simply from miracles (for both pagans and heretics can work miracles with with the help of the devil), but from the True Orthodox Faith, from the careful preservation of Divine dogmas and from observance of all the apostolic and conciliar rules and traditions of the Orthodox Church, and from immaculate living in accordance with all the Gospel and Fatherly commandments.” Where and when, gentlemen, in the “lives” of your “saints”, and in all epic books, magazines and newspapers in general, can one find at least a small discussion on this topic? Alas, “miracles” and “insight” are the main argument in favor of the “grace” of Judaism.

Will you ever understand all this? It seems that no longer, since more than once you have been called upon to come to your senses. Well, complete the measure of your “saints.” You yourself have chosen your path, but I feel sorry for the people whom you fool with pseudo-Orthodox articles, who sincerely participate in your useless and endless parties, the people who absolutely do not notice the emptiness of your “struggle.”

The Day of Judgment will come and many of your “elders” and you will then say: “Lord, was it not in Your name that we prophesied, was it not in Your name that we cast out demons, was it not in Your name that we performed many other miracles, was it not in Your name, O Lord, to “ His Holiness" and "Vladimir Vladimirovich" with letters, books, magazines and newspapers with publications, prayer meetings with gatherings, processions of the cross around the Duma with walks, prayer standing, darkness with signatures with gatherings and people rising up to fight? And then the Lord will answer all of you: “I never knew you; Depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness” (Matthew 7:23).

It seems that you will never wake up and understand what should lie at the basis of any struggle. “If My people had obeyed Me, if Israel had kept My ways, I would have immediately humbled their enemies and laid My hand on those who insulted them!” (Ps. 80, 14–15).

Have you, gentlemen, decided to push Christ into the background and fight the Jews? Well, try it! Patriarch Alexy (Ridiger) publicly addresses the chief rabbi of Russia (according to the FEOR), calling him “brother.” In this sense, the completely fair words of a staunch supporter of the Moscow Patriarchate A.A. Zaitsev addressed to another Raphael, Karelin, an archimandrite and famous anti-globalist, from the brochure “Ask your neighbor before threatening him” are worthy of attention.
“For Archimandrite Raphael, from the point of view of Orthodox ecclesiology, there are only two legal ways out of the impasse into which he put himself. Either Archimandrite Raphael publicly repents of perjury, renounces his accusations... or he must be consistent and principled and go to the end. Namely, by openly declaring, appealing to the legitimate church authority, the impossibility of one’s Eucharistic and canonical communion with a “heretic”, and raising the question of the necessary punishment in such cases: either he will correct himself, or “let him be anathema.” And if the church authorities do not react to this statement in any way and do not take decisive measures, Archimandrite Raphael will have to suspend his communication with the “patrons of the heretic” and raise the question of the “hereticism” of the church authorities themselves. Otherwise, Archimandrite Raphael himself becomes a victim of his own accusations, for he who communes with heretics inevitably participates in their heresy (we all partake from the same Chalice). Archimandrite Raphael has already acted as an “expert” on issues of Orthodox ecclesiology, but being a “fighter for the truth” in words, for some reason he does not follow his convictions and continues to commune with those whom he considers heretics.” Father Raphael in his brochure also mentions several times about some previously unheard-of “tokens” (for example, on pp. 11, 29), apparently especially dangerous for believers.

What prompted me to write this article was one message that I came across by chance. Namely, that one pilgrim incidentally mentions a meeting with Hieromonk Rafail Berestov in Jerusalem.

Rostislav Rumyantsev writes: “ It is a great happiness for me to be here in the Holy Land and the Holy City! By the grace of God, this is not my first time here, and I hope to visit this great Earth at least once again. Everything here smells fragrant and speaks of Christ!

Last fall, 2012, the Lord vouchsafed me to visit here. The land is truly holy, here you can see a lot of interesting things, meet a lot of wonderful people, and sometimes even those you dream about all your life.

So, in the winter of 2010, while in Jerusalem on a pilgrimage trip, I accidentally met Christ on Via Dolorosa Street near the prison Athonite brothers Fr. David and Fr. Abel with Elder Rafail (Berestov). For many years I have been friends with his brother, abbot-doctor Anatoly (Berestov) from Moscow. And I hoped to meet Father Raphael only on Mount Athos. And this is what a meeting is like, and where - in Jerusalem! It was an unforgettable meeting for me…»

Honestly speaking, I would not have paid attention to these words before. I have been to Jerusalem myself. And it’s not surprising that someone met someone. However, before that, I came across Father Raphael’s sermons, in which he calls for giving up any documents: passport, SNILS, INN, UEC, medical policy, etc.

Interview:

« Elder Rafail Berestov: It is spiritually disastrous, dangerous and disastrous to accept these new documents: passports with three sixes, TIN, UEC, medical policies and others. All this leads to retreat. And especially modern passports with chips. There is a gradual apostasy retreat. This snake swallows, swallows, swallows... (the man) retreated further, retreated further... until (the snake) swallows. When everyone has chips on their foreheads and on their hands, that's all - these are people who have been swallowed.

Hieromonk Abel: Father, people say: “You yourself use phones, have electronics, DVDs. What is the difference between a chip that is in a person’s documents and a chip that is in an ordinary electrical appliance?”

Elder Raphael: The same phone has a chip, digital names, etc. This is all apostasy. This is all dangerous, but it has no connection with the individual. And the documents contain the person’s personal code. Previously called TIN, but now SNILS. This number refers to the person's identity. Then the enemies will insert a chip into the forehead or hand and will influence the person’s consciousness through the computer.

The head will be like a microcomputer and through it they will be able to introduce various programs into a person’s consciousness, incl. and an atheistic and godless program. The person will be like a demon in the flesh. This is a great danger. The person will be like a possessed controlled robot.

Hieromonk Abel: Father, now the servants of the Antichrist want to enslave Rus' and generally not provide any alternative to the universal electronic card, which they want to forcibly assign to everyone. How to resist the forced implementation of UEC?

Elder Raphael: The best thing is to ignore and not accept any electronic cards or passports with chips. We will no longer be able to live in peace, because... he must (and wants) to swallow us. Not everyone can comprehend this word. It's cruel. But we must ignore all their documents. We Orthodox Christians must be faithful to Jesus Christ.

Father Anthony gives us a way out of the situation: get out of big cities, go into villages, even go out into forests, hide... Now there are many people, incl. and monks expelled from monasteries go into the desert, where they begin to live secretly. Secret paths along the water, along a stream... they make dugouts in high places, camouflage themselves, make secret vegetable gardens, feed on herbs, berries, mushrooms. And also in the village they have their own people who are helped in their gardens and from there they (the desert dwellers) will also receive help.

Some reproached me that " You throw people into panic, you tell them to go away and abandon everything. And who will fight?"Of course, fight! This is who will contain what. You contained - fight. We must die in the struggle against all sin and apostasy. And whoever can’t, whoever despairs, then let him leave...

Let’s say someone’s business is taken away. Start a business in the village. Settle down in the village. Businessmen are smart and clever people. They can find somewhere to set up a business anywhere. Those who are weak, go into the forests. Hide. Children are very interested in the forest: playing, hiding in the woods. Great. I would love to live in the forest when I was a boy...».

Here, under the article with the interview, is Raphael’s biography. I will give it briefly:

1932 - birth.

1961 - admitted to the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra as a worker (artist’s assistant)

1966 - tonsured a monk with the name Raphael

1973 - hierodeacon

1984 - went to Abkhazia to live in the desert

1993 - leaves for Valaam and ordained hieromonk

1994 - ordained into the great schema with the name retained

1997 - in the Caucasus, a monastery from the Valaam Monastery is organized with the brethren

1998 - leaves for Athos

2002 - leaves Athos for the Caucasus

2007 - returns to Athos

2007 to 2014 O. Raphael labors on Mount Athos. “Only in winter due to high humidity, due to serious condition health of the lungs, Father is forced to leave the Holy Mountain to places with a hot, dry climate"

He himself said that Rafail Berestov was traveling. For example, here he says that having received some information from Joseph of Vatopedi, he went to Moscow.

And here he says that he is leaving for Crete in the winter. As we saw earlier, he was met in Jerusalem.

And after reading everything, you may also have a question: How can you cross the borders of Greece, Israel, Russia - possibly other countries - without a passport?

I will answer. No way. That is, you need a foreign passport with marks indicating that you have crossed the border, and a Schengen visa for everyone entering Greece. That is, Rafail (Berestov) lives well for himself, at least with a foreign passport! Otherwise, he could not get to Israel, and Russia, too. I would live on Mount Athos. But even on Mount Athos, as a foreigner, he must have a visa from the inviting monastery, which is given if he has a passport. That is, without documents at all, he, perhaps, could live on Mount Athos illegally, hiding in the forest, or in Russia, but for sure, he could not cross borders and travel around the world.

The validity period of a foreign passport is limited. This is 5 years for a regular passport, and 10 years for a biometric passport. One must think that Father Raphael and the brothers who travel with him (Fr. Abel, Fr. David, met in Yersulim by Rostislav Rumyantsev) have ordinary foreign passports. And, therefore, they change them every 5 years.

What do you need to get a passport?

Photograph;

Russian passport, its copy;

2 copies of the application;

Receipt for payment of the duty (2500 rubles);

Military ID, its copy (or a certificate from the military commissariat) for men 18-27 years old;

A copy of the work book.

That's bad luck. It turns out that to get a foreign passport you need a regular passport too! How about Fr. Does Rafail receive a new passport every five years? This is a mystery to me. It can be assumed that he does not have a new Russian passport (issued since 2004), but has an old - hammer-and-sickle USSR passport. This is truly a blessed document! With star and communist symbols. (I’m bitterly ironic) However, on all forums they write that you cannot get a foreign passport with a USSR passport. It seems that you can get it through the consulate if you live abroad and your passport has expired. Perhaps our monks know some such schemes and use them. At least in this video, from the 20th to the 23rd minute, you can see how the monks are discussing getting a foreign passport for someone, although the sound is bad and they speak in a half-whisper, but it is clear that they are talking about getting a foreign passport.

In any case, they have passports that give them the opportunity to travel.

I’m interested in knowing whether the residents of Russia, who followed the advice of the Athonite “elders” and burned their identity documents, made foreign passports? Hardly. And why? They are also advised to hide in the forests. And in the forests you don’t need a passport.

O. Rafail (Berestov): “ Those who are weak, go into the forests. Hide. Children are very interested in the forest: playing, hiding in the woods. Great. I would love to live in the forest when I was a boy" Here it was necessary to add, “and in winter I go to Crete, or to Jerusalem.”

Alexander Smirnov

Hieroschemamonk Raphael (Berestov): elder or seer?
[article from a series on the history of prophecies].

Who remembers, in October 2011, the weekly magazine “Zavtra” published an article “Hieroschemamonk Raphael (Berestov) about the Eighth Ecumenical Council.”
Here are excerpts from the article:
“Question: – Father Raphael, last fall in Cyprus there was a meeting of the Mixed Commission on Theological Dialogue between Orthodox and Roman Catholics, dedicated to discussing the issue “On the role of the Bishop of Rome in the unity of the Church in the first millennium.” In fact, preparations are underway for the “renounced” Eighth Ecumenical Council, at which the dogma of the primacy of the Pope over the Orthodox churches will be adopted. What will happen to the Orthodox Church in Russia if such a Council takes place?
O. Raphael: – The Masons, the enemies of Russia, the enemies of Orthodoxy, have been preparing such a council for a long time. The island of Rhodes was chosen as the venue. These same forces are trying to impose ecumenism on Russia, this heresy of heresies. After all, every foolish child can understand that this is heresy. And many of our high-ranking bishops, such educated, such talented people - they all know very well that ecumenism is a heresy, but they walk with a cheerful step straight into its mouth, as if they are blind and deaf. I ask the Greek monks: “Why do you pray for a Freemason who served with the Pope, Patriarch Bartholomew?” And they answer me: “They say, we understand who Bartholomew is, we pray that, God forbid, he will repent...”
And if they succeed with the Council, then the dogmatic legality of ecumenism will be accepted, and our Patriarchs will begin to commemorate the Pope. Then Orthodox people will find themselves in a very difficult situation. Then the devoted children of Christ will need to assemble their own Council, and publicly condemn the Council of Rhodes, if one happens. And denounce all his legalized heresies. And it will be necessary to canonically anathematize all participants in the Council, thus purifying the Church. I think it will be so! And our Church, by the grace of God, will maintain itself in immaculate purity, even with two or three faithful bishops. If there are no such people, then we will have to look for one faithful bishop, and cleave to him, and be saved near him. As you know, before the Second Coming of Christ the church will be like a harlot sitting on a beast - it will already be the Antichrist church, and the Church of Christ will go into the catacombs.
The situation in the Russian Church is now very tense, very difficult. On the one hand, a split cannot be allowed. On the other hand, ecumenism is spreading, and through this there will be a great temptation for everyone. We cannot be with the ecumenists. If the head of the Orthodox Church begins to prayerfully commemorate the Pope of Rome, then that means he is a Catholic, not an Orthodox. This means that we cannot remember him either, we must not remember him. It is important, of course, not to take action ahead of time. React to something that doesn't exist yet.

Question: – Father Raphael, you are known and revered by many Orthodox people in Russia. Maybe you, father, will tell us something comforting?
O. Raphael: - The blessed elder Father Joseph of Vatopedi told me that terrible times were coming, but after certain terrible events many Slavic peoples will join Russia, and Greece will also enter into an alliance with Russia. Thus, a new Byzantium will be created. To which I objected to the elder: “Russia is disarmed, our military arsenal, our factories have been destroyed.” But he told me this: “Russia will win! The Heavenly Host will enter the battle on the side of Russia, and will shoot down enemy aircraft and cruise missiles. After such a miracle, the whole world will know that God has won and that He is with Russia!”
After this, the whole world will reach out to us. And in Russia... by the grace of God an Orthodox Tsar will be elected. And then church cleansing will take place in Russia. Now our Church is sick, very sick. There are many spies in it who work for the enemies of Christ. And we don’t have a national government yet. And our king will be a very bright, strong, talented person, ruling with love and wisdom. The holy fathers of the Church, including Father Nikolai Guryanov, testify to this. This is our hope, our consolation […].”
* * *
Subsequently, in March 2012, Hieromonk Abel’s article “An Instructive Conversation with Elder Rafail (Berestov)” was published. Holy Mountain. Athos (text is abbreviated):
“Abel: – Why is this necessary?
Rafail: – Necessary, because they simply want to destroy Russia. And this is already upon us. Therefore, we must not sleep now, but must all prepare for war, for the defense of our Motherland, for the defense of our Church. Or, conversely, to the defense of the Church and the defense of the Fatherland. Therefore, we all must not only swallow pills, but also strengthen our spirit, and train, be able to fight, be able to throw grenades, fight with a bayonet, even be able to shoot correctly. Anyone who has a spiritual weapon can learn to shoot very accurately. Therefore, people who know should train, especially young people. We need to prepare for war. Russia must defend itself, because the government is no longer ours, it is already serving to enslave Russia.

Abel: - How can we prepare ourselves for war when we live in a time of new technologies, when there are nuclear weapons, bacteriological weapons, climate weapons, HAARP and others, for which we also need to have physical training, with whom will we have to fight?
Rafail: - We will have to fight. Let’s say NATO-Americans come here and come with their equipment, and we can cross with faith, and their missiles will fall, their planes will fall, and go boldly into battle, and turn these special forces into the opposite direction. We, Orthodox Christians, must defend our Orthodox Motherland and our Orthodoxy. Therefore, we need to train all youth and men now.

Abel: – What is the reason that many Muscovites, many residents of St. Petersburg and other big cities are looking for houses in the outback and even buying houses in abandoned villages?
Rafail: – There is a twofold need for this. And from the globalization that corrupts youth, allows drugs, all sorts of unclean videos, movies... soldering. Therefore, they take their family to the outback. This is one goal. Another goal is that in the event of war, they, Masonic Satanists, misanthropes, want to destroy most of humanity, in large cities. If they strike all cities, they will immediately destroy many millions of people, because... most millions live in cities. Therefore, we need to disperse in order to have military strength for the defense of life and for the defense of the country. And so that we can live together, fight against globalization, which is preparation for the seal of the Antichrist. And, in general, the whole world is uniting in the name of the Antichrist, and we must unite in the name of Jesus Christ. This will already be a war with the Antichrist, with the Antichrist spirit, in fact. Because now all politics becomes theology: either with the Antichrist or with Christ. We are with Christ, and must die for Jesus Christ, as He died for us. Amen.

Abel: - Amen. It turns out that globalization is not just a worldwide process of unifying economics, politics, creating a single territorial space, unions such as the European Union, North American, African and others, but it is also a process with a spiritual component concerning our salvation in Christ. And can it really be that our fidelity to our Lord Jesus Christ may depend on our attitude towards globalization?
Rafail: - Exactly, if we don’t understand what it is, globalism, and if we are so relaxed, and we are so blind, as even our hierarchs tell us: “take it, it’s nothing, it has no power, whether you take these figures or not, all this is a deception.” It is the numbers that are the symbolism of either Satan or Christ. It is this digital symbolism that carries the spirit of the Antichrist.
If we take it, then we will be united with the Antichrist, with his name 666. Therefore, out of our faith for Jesus Christ, we will fight both for Orthodoxy and for Russia. Like this. And we will unite in monasteries, monasteries and communities in order to leave this depraved world. Go away and do not touch his uncleanness. We unite in the name of Jesus Christ. In the name of Jesus Christ, we want to gather in these united monasteries, monasteries, and communities.

Abel: – What is the Christian community in our time?
Raphael: – This is a unification in the name of Jesus Christ. The priest and his flock leave the world, which is full of temptations, to the village, and then maybe even to the forest, and there he educates his flock in spiritual teaching in silence, in solitude. They unite in the name of Jesus Christ. There they pray, there they teach children, there are doctors there, they treat sick people, there they have their own farm, and they save themselves and pray. So maybe even the monastic hermitages are close to them.

Abel: – Doesn’t the creation of such communities resemble how the conquerors once came and the Indians had to go to reservations? Doesn't this remind you that reservations are now being created for Russian people in our own state, in our own country?
Raphael: – It may even be beneficial for us to go to reservations from these conquerors. We left the conquerors and gather in the name of Jesus Christ into our spiritual societies, with our spiritual children, we pray, we are saved, we fulfill our charter, our worship, so we study, and work, and pray, and perform worship, and rejoice, and We arrange holidays.

Abel: - Well, if this happened with the Indians, it happened because it was a conquered continent. Does this mean that Russia has now been conquered?
Rafail: – That’s right, Russia has been conquered. And not only Russia, and Europe, but almost the entire world, is either conquered or is at war, just as the Americans are at war with the Arabs, uniting them together with Israel. Submitting to Israel.

Abel: - Father, the creation of such a community, leaving and living, isolated outside the occupied state - isn’t this, perhaps, cowardice and betrayal of Russia to its enemies?
Raphael: – This is courage, this is unification in the name of Christ. They may be persecuted, and very persecuted, but they left the world so that their children would not be harmed and would not become drug addicts, drunkards, homosexuals, bestialists, and so on. They created for themselves a society like in the first centuries - the society of Jesus Christ. Everyone sold, united, everything is common. These are our associations, they are close to the first century of Christianity. Poverty and humility, in common love, in common illness, in common suffering, in common joys, in common celebrations. Like this. So these are very necessary communities in Russia, so that there are more of them. This will just help in guerrilla warfare for the liberation of Russia from conquerors.

Abel: - Father, we are discussing all these problems, hoping that this is a good concern, according to Elder Paisius. There is an opinion that this is not necessary, that these are thoughts that darken life, that all this will not happen now, not today, but in many decades, many years. And that, as everyone is discussing, we are all escalating the situation. How to recognize the signs of the times about which the Lord Jesus Christ Himself warns us in the Holy Gospel?
Raphael: – Obey the holy people. Father Paisius, who warns us about this, is a holy man, reverend. He talked with Christ. In general, he is a holy man. And this is what liberals say. They tempt you in every possible way. Provocateurs. Liberals who tempt people in every possible way, seduce them, and lead them away from the truth. What is needed here is the spiritual reasoning of the correctly spiritually reasoning fathers. The person himself (needs) to constantly go to church, study everything, ask questions, listen to his conscience, especially the conscience of his confessor.

Abel: - And if confessors, spiritual shepherds, archpastors tell us that it’s okay, stop, they get annoyed when we approach them with such words?
Rafail: – It’s written well here. Read it, the answer will be here.

Abel (reading): “Perhaps someone will say irritably: “Well, why all this talk about the Antichrist?” Some even call them “the sermon of the Antichrist.” I will answer with the words of Archbishop Averky: “Brotherhood, if you hear that someone with mockery, with an ironic smile on his face, or with anger and irritation treats the sermon about the approach of the Antichrist, the second coming of Christ, the end of the age and the Last Judgment, know that you are dealing with a person who is already, in one way or another, involved by the servants of the Antichrist in preparing for his early arrival and reign on earth. Fear such people as destroyers of our holy faith and the Church.”
Raphael: – There are shepherds who are recruited, they work for some kind of special services. And they work to the detriment of the Church. This is how it was in Soviet times, they recruited on the Komsomol ticket. This is how Father Andrei Kuraev remained. This is what Father Georgy Tartishnikov told me, who himself was recruited but became a professional theologian.

Abel: - And so, how can an Orthodox Christian decide who to trust? After all, if on such fundamentally important issues as globalization, the numbering of people, the introduction of the seal of the Antichrist, the bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church do not have a clear position: their position is not expressed in an ecclesiastical way, it is not clear, politically streamlined, and at the same time, when such a position presented at the Council of Bishops, at this time confessors, priests, monks, even ordinary laymen sound the alarm and say: “it is better to die than to accept these marks of the Antichrist.” How to figure out who to trust? This is the kind of confrontation going on.
Raphael: – Some are afraid of fear for the sake of the Jews. Others work for this to the detriment of the Church. They are difficult to recognize. Whoever, out of fear for the sake of the Jews, remains silent, is against his conscience, of course. Anyone who is an employee at all works for the Antichrist. We need to look at how the children of God, how God’s people, how jealous they are, how they sense danger. As the monks and confessors say, what, what are they talking about. Their concern expresses the concern of the children of God, the Church of Christ.

Abel: - Father, what is the most obvious sign of the proximity of the last times, namely the proximity of the introduction of printing? And the fact that people now accept marks, chips, take biometric passports, is all this somehow connected with printing?
Rafail: – This is directly related to the seal. At the very beginning, the Freemasons began to issue the so-called Russian passport, which is not Russian at all, but Masonic, and there is no Russian column there. Three sixes are placed there - 666. This is the digital name of the Antichrist, as the Apostle John the Theologian said about it. Therefore, this directly relates to the Antichrist seal. And a further digital name, like a name from the Antichrist, i.e. They take their names from the Antichrist’s servants, they are from demons, according to the type of baptism among the Orthodox, “they are baptized in the name of the Father. Amen. And the Son. Amen. And the Holy Spirit. Amen". And they plunge into the water. And here they mystically join us to the Antichrist through three sixes - 666 and give the digital name of one of the demons to a person in addition to his desire, whether he wants it or not. People who don’t understand are like blind people, they go to the slaughter and don’t know that they want to slaughter them. And those who are reasonable people, who understand what this is all about, and thank God, the majority of people have now begun to understand, who used to argue and say what you are doing, that this is generally madness, but how can you do this without a passport? live, now they say: “Yes, this is indeed preparing for the seal of the Antichrist.” Because this is the strongest sign of this approach of the Antichrist. This is globalization, the unification of all nations and war with all rebellious people who do not want to submit to the Antichrist and the world order. They fight with everyone, try to subdue them, exhaust them with war. What is the politician, such is the law of the Antichrist. This is all clear evidence of the end of the world, of the approach of the kingdom of Antichrist and its seal.

Abel: – And father, maybe the last question, many people are now confused, because... bishops do not always express the position that Orthodox Christians would like to hear. And because of this, many go to the extreme that they leave the church, begin to pray only at home, and stop participating in church sacraments. Do you agree with this position or is your position different? Is it possible and necessary to go to the churches of God now, even where there are shepherds who say the opposite?
Raphael: – The Church of Christ is a pillar and affirmation of the Truth. To whom the Church is not a mother, God is not a father. Through the Church we must enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Therefore, let no one leave the Church. If there are many provocateurs here, why are you listening to these provocateurs? You listen to the Church of Christ. Listen to spiritual people who will speak to you for your salvation and good. Why should you be tempted by provocateurs? There must always be provocateurs and temptations, but they are meant to always be overcome. This is how it was in the Church, and this is how it was before. And now it is, and it will be.

Abel: – Father, here is another contradiction that confuses the souls of believers. There is a prophecy about the coming Orthodox Tsar, there are those praying for the coming of the Orthodox Tsar, for the granting of repentance to our people. And there are shepherds who claim: “Don’t even pray, everything is so hopeless that there is no point in praying for the King. Only the coming of the Antichrist will happen. Russia will not rise again. Nothing will happen". What could you say on this issue? How should we live: with faith and hope or...?
Raphael: “I heard that some very spiritual fathers said that “I,” he says, “do not see repentance in our people, therefore I do not see the possibility of resurrection, so that there would be an Orthodox Tsar.” So one very good old man was embarrassed, he reasoned. But a very perspicacious old man, Father Nikolai (Guryanov), he correctly said: “The Tsar is coming! The king is coming! So I accepted his opinion. He said so clearly and definitely that the Tsar would come, so I believed it, because Fr. Kirill also said that the Tsar would come, although he had doubts lately.
Perhaps the Tsar will come to Russia if he (the people) fully accepts the cup of reproach, the cup of humiliation, insult, reproach... (accepts). There will still be many sorrows in Rus'. And they will want to tear it apart, and tear it up and destroy it. And generally destroy the Russian people. Here. And because the Russian people will still have to experience a lot. And people will repent, And then, when there is a war, and everyone will see that Heaven will be for the Orthodox. What is God with us? And God will stand for Orthodoxy. And the strength of the Orthodox people will defeat the wicked. When the wicked themselves arrive, many will repent and accept Orthodoxy.
And then the Lord will allow the Russian people to elect an Orthodox Tsar. People will accept him, crown him with the Kingdom, and he, firstly, will restore order in the Church, where all sorts of wolves and tigers, and all sorts of spies of all denominations have entered. And he will bring order and peace to the Russian people, to Russia. Russia will blossom like a Phoenix. Then Orthodoxy will flourish. From Russia in Europe, in America, in Australia, in Africa, in all countries they will be baptized and receive the priesthood. From Russia, from Greece, from Orthodox countries. It will be so. The head of the serpent will be mortally wounded. Antichrist. Freemasonry. Then, when the head of the serpent heals again, Freemasonry comes into force, then the Church will again fall away from Orthodoxy. But Orthodoxy, Russia will be strengthened with the Tsar. Then it will be strong Russian state, and Orthodoxy will be preached throughout the world. This is my vision. Sorry".
* * *
Then, on April 29, 2013, an article was posted on Russian-language Orthodox websites: “Towards a monarchy through war. Elder Raphael (Berestov)", Athos.
The preface said:
“The famous elder Hieroschemamonk Rafail (Berestov) talks about what awaits Rus' and the whole world in the very near future. The Russian people will have to endure the most difficult tests of loyalty to our Lord Jesus Christ. The prayer book for the whole world speaks about the revival of the monarchy in Rus' and the coming tsar, who will have to save our people and the Fatherland, as well as about the Russian Old Believers. The elder wants everyone to take note and understand that days are coming in which either we are with God or without Him. And that without the Lord no one will be able to withstand the Wrath of God.”
I talked with Hieroschemamonk Rafail (Berestov) Chief Editor"ArtPolitInfo" Yuri Gorsky.
Here's an excerpt from the conversation:
“[...] Yu.G.: They say the war will start before the end of the year?
O. Raphael: The period from next month until the war depends on our prayer. It may be shortened, and the beginning of the war for most of us will be as painless as possible, or it may be extended over time, that is, it will drag on. The war will be cleansing. All sinners will perish. Therefore, no sin is allowed, neither wine drinking, nor drug addiction, nor cheating on one’s wife, etc., should under any circumstances be allowed, otherwise the Lord will simply cleanse such people. Therefore, we will take care of ourselves in everything. Let's go to church.

Yu.G.: Will there be a war under the leadership of the king?
O. Rafail: No, the war will happen now, they are preparing... The war in Syria, however, is unsuccessful. They got it there. The Syrians dealt with American special forces. But they still have enormous forces, they are preparing... to destroy Syria, then Iran. Huge Turkish forces have approached our border, Iran, and now they want to provoke a war between Armenia and Azerbaijan. And then Turkey will attack Armenia, Russia will intercede... well, in general, the scenario future war gradually began to emerge and acquire clear outlines.

[Historical reference.
Hieroschemamonk Raphael (in the world - Mikhail Ivanovich Berestov, born 1932) began his ministry in 1954 at the Holy Trinity Lavra. His autobiography was written and published on the Internet by monk Vsevolod (Filipyev) from Jordanville in the USA in 2006:
“Hieroschemamonk Raphael (Berestov) is 73 years old; he entered monasticism at the age of 22 and labored in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra for about 20 years. From the beginning of his monastic path to this day, he has been the spiritual son of Elder Kirill (Pavlov). IN Soviet years Father Raphael and like-minded people, with the secret blessing of Elder Kirill, opposed ecumenism, Latinophilism, Freemasonry, modernism, cooperation between the leadership of the Moscow Patriarchate and the KGB, etc. For this struggle, some were arrested, and Father Rafail was punished several times by the Lavra administration, but then received the blessing to move to the Abkhaz desert in 1974 […]
In those years, the hermits were cared for by Elder Vitaly of Tbilisi. While still at the Lavra, Father Raphael contributed to the dissemination of the first translations of the works of Father Seraphim (Rose) […]
With the beginning of the Georgian-Abkhazian war in 1992, Father Raphael moved to Valaam, where he revived the tradition of clergy, instilling in the brethren a love of unceasing prayer, teaching loyalty to Orthodoxy in all its purity. For some time he was the confessor of the brethren of the monastery of All Saints, and later of the Solokhaul metochion of the Valaam monastery […]
On December 31, 2000, I went to Holy Mount Athos, where for three years He labored first in the abandoned monastery of New Thebaid, which belonged to the Panteleimon Monastery, and later in the cell of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian.
In 2003, he returned from Athos to Russia, where he settled in the courtyard of the Valaam Monastery in the village of Ermolovka, in the mountains, on the border of Russia and Abkhazia. Currently lives in the village of Tsabal (Tsebelda) in Abkhazia.”
In 2010, there was information that Elder Raphael had again moved to Athos].

Until 2004, Hieroschemamonk Rafail (Berestov) was known only to a narrow circle of people; the fame of the “elder” came to him when his essay entitled “Alarm” was published. After reading the book leaves a double impression, since nowadays in Russian Federation life itself is very similar to the pre-war years. However, in the book itself, apart from the search for “historical realities” against the background of which future events will “unfold” in Russia and in the Orthodox Church, there are no prophecies about the Orthodox Tsar or about victorious wars, but there is an attempt to understand our historical past by linking it with the present.

So who is Hieroschemamonk Raphael (Berestov): an elder or a seer?

Priest Anthony (Skrynnikov) believes:
“I am often asked the question: How to relate to the “prophetic” activity of Elder Raphael (Berestov)?
To this I always answer: Treat with regret, as if you were treating a person seriously ill with his mind. Eldership is a special gift that manifests itself in selected elders, and who receive the blessing of the hierarchy for the spiritual care of people. Not every elderly clergyman is an elder. Father Rafail Berestov has been engaged in schismatic activities for many years, leading people away from the Church.”

Protodeacon Andrey Kuraev, commenting on the book “Alarm,” wrote:
“I can say one thing about Father Raphael: unfortunately, he has been a mentally ill person since his youth. The trouble is that he simply became a tool in the wrong hands. During the Soviet years, he was simply a hierodeacon in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, then he was quiet, neither seen nor heard by anyone. Just a quiet nun who led a humble life and followed the path of salvation despite all his mental illnesses […]
Later, after he left the Valaam monastery, there were people who began to support him in every possible way and elevate him to the throne of an all-Russian and even international preacher and elder […]
How can one imagine a schema monk, a schema monk, who rushes around the world, jumping from conference to conference with video and audio recordings?
This is a rather unique escape from the bustle of the world. And at these conferences he sows hatred and discord. Moreover, he lacks, excuse me, the intelligence to understand that this is exactly what he is doing. It seems to him that if someone’s voice whispers to him, to kill someone, and if he calls for this, then this is good, this is good […]
This is a person who is absolutely not responsible for his words. Whoever whispers something to him, he will tell him the next day. At first they will shout that everyone around in the government is traitors to Orthodoxy, Judas and enemies. In a month he can say: “Let us rally around our double-headed eagle together with Putin and our Patriarch.”
I'm convinced that someone like him certain people Those who benefit from inciting hatred were specifically looked for. And he was perfect for the role chosen for him, they deliberately pulled him out […].”
* * *
Perhaps the opinions of the above-mentioned priests are very, very biased; let us remember the many years of stubborn and cruel struggle that the Kaluga bishops waged with the Optina elders, however, in his “prophetic” activities, Elder Raphael (Berestov) began to assert: “Pray. Pray, your prayer can change a lot. If we remain in collective prayer, events will go a little differently. Already today, the history of mankind is following a new version, which was not foreseen by the prophecies of past seers,” etc., and this is not acceptable.
Making his modern statements of “prophetic” content, Elder Raphael (Berestov) loses sight of the fact that “Divine Providence” cannot be changed by prayers. Deeds are possible, but prayers are not, for prayers without deeds are dead.
He forgot that:
“For the mystery of iniquity is already at work, but it will not be completed until He who now restrains is taken out of the way” (2nd Epistle of Paul (Saul) to the Thessalonians (Thessalonians), 2.7).
“And the Angel said to me:
Why were you surprised? I will tell you the secret of the woman and the Scarlet Beast who carries her, having seven heads and ten horns.
The Beast that you saw was, and is not, and he must rise from the Abyss and go to destruction” (“Revelation” John the Theologian 17, 7-8).
This means that Elder Raphael (Berestov) is not a seer, and his “patriotic” statements have nothing to do with the Russian history of prophecies, since they deny the existence of a sequence of prophecies.
* * *