Source: pentapostagma.gr
One night, Saint Niphon, having finished his customary nighttime prayer, lay down to sleep upon the stones, as he always did. It was midnight, and he was still awake, gazing at the moon and the stars in the sky.
Being alone, he reflected upon his sins and wept bitterly, for he brought to mind the terrible hour of Judgment.
Suddenly, he saw the firmament of heaven being drawn back like a curtain. And the Lord Jesus Christ appeared in colossal dimensions. He stood in the heavens, surrounded by all the heavenly hosts—angels, archangels, terrifying and wondrous orders—arrayed with profound reverence.
The Lord beckoned to the commander of one of the orders, and he approached, radiant and awe-inspiring, yet filled with reverence.
“Michael, Michael, prince of the covenant, take with your order the fiery throne of my glory and go to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. There you shall establish it as the first sign of my presence. For the hour is approaching when each person shall receive according to his works. Make haste; the moment has arrived.
“I shall judge those who worshipped idols and denied Me, their Creator. Those who worshipped the stones and the wood that I gave them for their needs. All of them shall be crushed ‘like a potter’s vessels.’
“And likewise my enemies, the heretics, who dared to separate Me from my Father. Who dared to reduce the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, to a created being. Woe to them! What hell awaits them!
“Now I shall also appear to the Jews who crucified Me and did not believe in My divinity. All authority, honor, and power have been given to Me. I am the righteous Judge.
“When I was upon the Cross they said: ‘Woe! You who destroy the temple… save Yourself.’ Now, ‘Vengeance is Mine; I will repay.’
“I shall judge, expose, and severely punish this evil and perverse generation, because it did not repent. I gave them opportunities to repent, but they despised them. Therefore, I shall now take vengeance.
“I shall do the same to the people of Sodom, who defiled the earth and the air with their corruption. I burned them then. And I shall burn them again, because they hated the pleasure of the Holy Spirit and loved the pleasure of the devil.
“I shall also punish the adulterers, the foolish and darkened ones, who resemble lustful animals. They were not satisfied with their lawful marriage, but foolishly turned toward immorality, and Satan cast them bound into the abyss of fire.
“Did they not hear that ‘it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God’? Do they not fear: ‘I will destroy them in My wrath’? I called them to repent, yet they did not repent.
“I shall also condemn the thieves who committed countless evils, even murders! And all those who committed a multitude of sins. I gave them opportunities to change, but they paid no attention.
“Where are their good works? I showed them the Prodigal Son as an example and pattern—and many others—so that they would not despair because of their sins. But they despised My commandments and denied Me. They turned away from Me and loved depravity. They became disgusted with Me and enslaved themselves to sin.
“Let them therefore go into the flame that they themselves kindled.
“And those who died bearing grudges, I shall deliver to a terrible tempest. For they did not desire My peace, but remained angry, bitter, and wrathful throughout their lives.
“The greedy, the usurers, and all those enslaved to the love of money—which is a second idolatry—I shall destroy, and I shall pour out all My wrath upon them, because they placed their hope in gold and ignored Me as though I did not care for them.
“And those false Christians who claimed that there is no resurrection of the dead, or that reincarnation takes place, I shall melt in Gehenna like wax. Then they shall believe in the resurrection of the dead.
“The sorcerers, poisoners, and all who generally practice divination shall be crushed.
“Woe also to those who become drunk, feast with guitars and drums, sing, dance, speak obscenely, and entertain evil thoughts. I called them and they did not listen to Me, but mocked Me. Now the worm shall consume their hearts.
“To all I granted mercy and repentance, but no one paid attention at that time.
“I shall plunge into darkness those who despised the Holy Scriptures, which My Spirit wrote through the saints.
“I shall also judge those who engage in superstitions and sorcery and place their hopes in knives, axes, sickles, and similar things. Then they shall learn that they ought to have placed their hope in God and not in His creations.
“They shall tremble and argue then, but they shall no longer have any power, because ‘Vengeance is Mine; I will repay.’
“I shall also punish the kings and rulers who continually grieved Me through their injustices. They judged unjustly and proudly, despising people. They themselves received payment, but My authority accepts no bribes.
“According to their injustice I shall destroy them. Then they shall understand that I am the terrifying One who removes the authority of rulers. They shall understand that I am more fearful than all the kings of the earth.
“Woe to them! What hell awaits them! For they gnashed their teeth and shed innocent blood—the blood of their sons and daughters.
“But into what wrath shall I deliver the hirelings who were not true shepherds? Who devastated My vineyard and scattered My sheep? Who shepherded gold and silver—not souls—and sought the priesthood for their own interests?
“How great shall their punishment be? How great their lamentation?
“I shall pour out upon them all My anger and wrath, and I shall crush them.
“They cared to acquire perishable sheep and oxen, but they did not care for My rational sheep. I shall punish their iniquities with a rod and their injustices with a scourge.
“But what shall I do to the priests who laugh or quarrel inside My holy churches? I shall subject them to fire and Tartarus.
“I have come, and I am coming. Let whoever has the strength confront Me. But woe and alas to the sinner who shall fall into My hands!
“For everyone shall appear before Me ‘naked and laid bare.’ Where then will the boldness of sinners dare to reveal itself? How shall they look upon My face? Where shall they hide their shame? They shall be put to shame before My immaculate Powers.
“I shall also condemn those monks who neglected their duties and betrayed the promises they made before God, angels, and men. They promised one thing and did another.
“From the heights of the clouds I shall cast them down into the abyss. Their own destruction was not enough; they also caused a disastrous scandal to others.
“It would have been better for them not to have renounced the world than to renounce it and live shamefully, mixed with depravity.
“‘Vengeance is Mine; I will repay’ those who refused to repent. I shall judge them as the righteous Judge!”
These words, which the Lord thundered to the commander Michael, filled the countless Powers of the angels with awe.
Then He commanded that the Seven Ages of the creation of the world be brought before Him. Michael undertook to carry out this command as well. Therefore, he immediately went to the House of the Covenant and brought them. They were like great books, and he placed them before the Judge.
Then he stood aside, reverently observing how the Lord turned the pages of the history of the ages.
He took the first Age, opened it, and said:
“Here it is written first of all: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—one God in three Persons. From the Father was begotten the Son, the Creator of the ages. For through the Word of the Father, the Son, the Ages came into being; the bodiless Powers were created, the heavens, the earth, the underworld, the sea, the rivers, ‘and all that is in them’ were established.”
Then, having read a little further, He said:
“Here it says: The first man, Adam, together with his wife Eve, is the image of the invisible God. Adam was given one commandment by the Almighty God and Creator of all things visible and invisible. It is a law that must be kept with complete care and precision, so that he may remember his Creator and never forget that there is a God above him.”
Again He moved a little further:
“Transgression, into which the image of God fell, through deception—or rather through carelessness and negligence. Man fell and was expelled from Paradise by the righteous judgment and decision of God. The unworthy transgressor cannot remain amid so many blessings!”
Further down He read:
“Cain attacked Abel and killed him according to the counsel of the devil. He must burn in the fire of Gehenna because he remained unrepentant. Abel, however, shall live eternally.”
In the same manner He turned through the six books of the Ages.
Finally, He took the seventh and read:
“The beginning of the seventh Age signifies the end of the ages. Evil, wickedness, and mercilessness begin to spread everywhere. The people of the seventh Age are wicked, envious, liars, with hypocritical love, lovers of power, enslaved to the sins of Sodom.”
He went a little further, read something, and immediately turned His sorrowful gaze upward. He rested one hand upon His knee, covered His face and eyes with the other, and remained thoughtful in this position for a long time.
After a while He whispered:
“Truly, this seventh Age has surpassed all the previous ones in injustice and wickedness.”
He read further:
“The Greeks and their idols were overthrown by the wood, the spear, and the nails that they drove into My life-giving Body.”
He remained silent for a few moments and again bent over the book.
“Twelve rulers of the Great King, white as light, stirred the sea, silenced beasts, drowned the spiritual dragons, enlightened the blind, fed the hungry, and impoverished the rich. They fished out many dead souls and gave them life again. Great is their reward!…”
And after a little while:
“I, the Beloved, chose martyrs who fought valiantly for My sake. Their friendship reached the heavens and their love reached My throne! Their longing reached My heart, and their worship kindles Me mightily. My glory and dominion are with them!…”
After turning many pages, He whispered with a smile of satisfaction:
“The man who piously held the helm of the Seven-Hilled City and became its king was a servant of My love. He deserved the kingdom of heaven because he stood as a zealot and imitator of his Lord.”
Then, skipping many things, He exclaimed:
“O most beautiful and precious Bride! How many shameful men tried to defile you! But you did not betray Me, your Bridegroom! Countless heresies threatened you, but the rock upon which you are founded was not shaken, because ‘the gates of Hades shall not prevail against her.’”
Further down were written all the sins of mankind that death had found without having been washed away through repentance.
And they were as numerous as the sand of the sea! The Lord read them with displeasure and shook His head, sighing.
The countless multitude of angels stood trembling with fear before the righteous wrath of the Judge.
When the Lord reached the middle of this Age, He observed:
“This final one is filled with the stench of sins, with human deeds that are all false and filthy: envy, murders, lies, hatred, grudges.
“Enough! I shall stop it in the middle. Let the dominion of sin cease!”
And as the Lord spoke these angry words, He gave the commander Michael the signal for the Judgment.
Immediately, he and his order took the exceedingly brilliant and indescribable throne and departed. The order was so numerous that the earth could not contain it.
As they departed, they thundered:
“Holy, holy, holy, fearful and great, exalted, wondrous and glorified is the Lord throughout the ages of ages.”
Then Gabriel departed with his order, singing:
“Holy, holy, holy, Lord of Sabaoth; the whole earth is full of His glory!”
And from that terrible cry, heaven and earth were shaken.
The third great commander, Raphael, followed with his order, offering the hymn:
“One is holy, one is Lord, Jesus Christ, to the glory of God the Father. Amen.”
Finally, the fourth host set out. Its ruler was white and radiant like snow, with a gentle countenance. As he departed, he too began to sing loudly:
“God of gods, the Lord has spoken and called the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting. Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, He has appeared. Our God shall come openly; our God shall come and shall not remain silent. Fire shall go before Him, and around Him shall be a mighty tempest.”
And he continued with the remainder of the Psalm.
While his officers responded:
“Arise, O God, judge the earth, for You shall inherit all the nations.”
The leader of this order was called Uriel.
Soon they brought before the Lord His glorious Cross, shining like a terrifying flash of lightning and spreading an indescribable fragrance. Two orders of Powers and Authorities accompanied it with extraordinary honors.
The sight was overwhelmingly magnificent. The countless Powers sang in perfect harmony.
Some said with great awe:
“I will exalt You, my God, my King, and I will bless Your name forever.”
Others said:
“Exalt the Lord our God and worship at His footstool, for He is holy.” Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Then a divine command was given for the mighty prince Michael to return and stand doubly before the throne of the Lord.
At that moment an angel appeared holding a thunderous trumpet. The Judge took it into His hands, sounded it three times, and spoke three words. Then He handed it to Michael:
“Go to Golgotha, where I stretched out My immaculate hands, and sound it there three times.”
As soon as Michael departed, the Lord called the order of the Principalities and said to its leader:
“I command you to take your divine order and scatter yourselves throughout the whole world, so that you may carry the saints upon the clouds, from east and west, north and south. Gather them all together to welcome My presence as soon as the trumpet sounds.”
After all these things, the righteous Judge cast His gaze upon the earth and saw…
Fog and darkness, mourning and woe, and great lamentation because of the terrible tyranny of Satan.
The dragon raged and foamed with fury. He destroyed everything, crushing it like grass. For he saw the angels of God preparing the eternal fire for him.
When the Lord saw all these things, He summoned a fiery angel with a stern and terrifying countenance, without pity—he was the commander of the angels who oversee the fire of hell—and said to him:
“Take with you My rod that binds and crushes. Take also countless angels from your order, the most terrifying ones, appointed as punishers of the damned.
“You shall go to the spiritual sea and find the tracks of the gloomy ruler. Seize him with strength and might and strike him mercilessly with the rod until he surrenders the order of the evil spirits.
“And after you have bound them all tightly by the power of My rod, according to My command, you shall cast them into the most merciless and savage places of punishment!”
And then, when everything was ready, a signal was given to the archangel holding the trumpet to sound it loudly.
Immediately, a sudden deathly silence spread, as though the entire universe had become still.
At the first trumpet blast, all the bodies of the dead were reassembled.
At the second, the Spirit of the Lord returned the souls into the dead bodies.
Awe and terror seized the universe.
The heavenly and earthly realms trembled.
And then the third and most terrible trumpet sounded, shaking the entire world.
The dead rose from their graves “in the twinkling of an eye.”
A terrifying sight!
They exceeded the number of the sand of the sea.
At the same time, like dense rain, the angelic orders descended from heaven toward the throne of preparation, crying aloud:
“Holy, holy, holy, Lord of Sabaoth; the whole earth is full of fear and trembling.”
All the people and the countless army of angels stood waiting. They trembled and were terrified before the awesome divine authority descending upon the earth.
While everyone was looking upward, suddenly earthquakes, thunder, and lightning began to occur in the Valley of Judgment and in the heavens, so that everyone was terrified.
Then the firmament of heaven withdrew like a book, and the Precious Cross appeared, shining like the sun and scattering divine rays.
Angels carried it before our Lord Jesus Christ, the Judge of the universe, who was coming.
Soon a hymn was heard, a song never heard before:
“Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord; God is the Lord,” Judge, ruler, Prince of Peace.
When this thunderous doxology ended, the Judge appeared upon the clouds, seated upon a fiery throne.
With His immense and pure radiance, He set heaven and earth ablaze.
Suddenly, from among the multitude of the resurrected dead, some began to shine like the sun!
Immediately they were caught up upon the clouds in the air to meet their Lord.
Most, however, remained below.
No one took them to heaven!
They mourned bitterly because they had not been found worthy to be caught up upon the clouds as well, and sorrow and anguish were poison to their souls.
They all fell upon their knees before the Judge and then rose again.
The terrifying Judge had now taken His seat upon the “throne of preparation,” and all the Powers of heaven gathered around Him with fear and trembling.
Those who had been caught up in the clouds to meet Him were placed at His right hand.
The rest were led to the left of the Judge.
Most of them were Jews, rulers, high priests, priests, kings, and a great multitude of monks and laypeople.
They stood ashamed, lamenting themselves and mourning their loss.
Their faces were miserable, and they sighed deeply, utterly broken.
A deathly mourning had spread over them all.
And nowhere was any consolation to be seen.
But those standing at the right hand of the Judge were all joyful, radiant like suns, modest, glorified, white as light, as though set ablaze by a divine flash of lightning.
They seemed—as bold as it may be to say it—like their Lord and God.
Immediately the terrifying Judge cast His gaze upon both sides.
He looked to the right with satisfaction and smiled.
But when He turned to the left, He was greatly disturbed and angered and immediately turned His face away.
Then, with a loud and solemn voice, He said to those “on His right”:
“Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
“For I was hungry, and you gave Me food; I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and you welcomed Me; I was naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.”
They were astonished and asked:
“Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? And when did we see You a stranger and welcome You, or naked and clothe You? And when did we see You sick or in prison and come to You?”
“Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least of My brothers, you did for Me.”
Then He turned toward those “on His left” and said to them sternly:
“Depart from Me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
“For I was hungry, and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty, and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger, and you did not welcome Me; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick and in prison, and you did not visit Me.”
“Lord,” they also asked Him in bewilderment, “when did we see You sick or in prison and did not minister to You?”
“Amen, I say to you,” the Lord answered them, “inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, neither did you do it to Me.
“Disappear from My sight, you accursed ones of the earth! To Tartarus! To the gnashing of teeth! There shall be weeping and endless lamentation.”
As soon as the Judge pronounced this sentence, an enormous river of fire immediately burst forth from the east and flowed violently toward the west.
It was as wide as a great sea.
The sinners on the left saw it and were terrified, beginning to tremble horribly in their despair.
But the impartial Judge commanded that everyone—the righteous and the unrighteous—pass through the fiery river, so that the fire might test them.
First the ones “on the right” began.
They all passed through and emerged shining like pure gold.
Their works were not burned, but were shown to be even brighter and clearer through the trial.
Therefore, they were filled with great rejoicing.
After them came those “on the left” to pass through the fire, so that their works might be tested.
But because they were sinners, the flame began to burn them and held them in the middle of the river.
Their works were burned completely like straw, while their bodies remained intact, burning for years and endless ages together with the devil and the demons.
No one succeeded in escaping from that fiery river.
The fire captured them all because they were worthy of condemnation and punishment.
After the sinners had been delivered to hell, the terrifying Judge rose from His throne and departed for the divine palace with all His saints.
All the heavenly Powers surrounded Him, always with great fear and trembling, singing:
“Lift up your gates, O rulers, and be lifted up, you everlasting doors, and the King of Glory shall enter,” the Lord and God of gods together with all His saints, who shall enjoy an eternal inheritance.
Another order answered and said:
“Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord,” together with those whom His grace deemed worthy to be called sons of God, “God is the Lord” together with the sons of the New Zion, “and He has appeared to us.”
And the archangels who went before the Lord glorified Him, singing a heavenly melody antiphonally:
“Come, let us rejoice in the Lord; let us shout aloud to God our Savior. Let us come before His face with thanksgiving, and let us shout aloud to Him with psalms.”
While another order answered melodically:
“For the Lord is a great God and a great King over all the earth. For in His hand are the ends of the earth, and the heights of the mountains are His!”
These and many other perfectly harmonious hymns were sung by the holy angels, so that those who heard them rejoiced beyond description.
Thus, singing, the saints entered with the Lord Jesus Christ into the heavenly chamber of the divine palace, their hearts leaping with joy.
And immediately the gates of the bridal chamber were closed.
Then the heavenly King summoned the chief angels.
First appeared Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, and the rulers of the orders.
Then came the twelve lights of the world, the Apostles.
The Lord gave them radiant glory and twelve fiery thrones, so that they might sit near their Teacher, Christ, with majestic honors.
Their faces radiated indescribable eternal light, and their garments were brilliant and transparent like amber.
Even the rulers of the angels marveled at them.
Finally, He also gave them twelve magnificent crystal crowns decorated with precious stones, shining dazzlingly as glorious angels held them above their heads.
Then the seventy apostles were brought before the Lord.
They too received similar honors and glory, except that the crowns of the Twelve were more magnificent.
And now it was the turn of the martyrs.
They received the place and glory of the great angelic army that had fallen from heaven together with Lucifer.
Thus the martyrs became angels and rulers of the heavenly orders.
Immediately, a multitude of crowns was brought to them and placed upon their sanctified heads.
As brightly as the sun shines, so brightly did these crowns shine.
Thus the holy martyrs, beholding them, rejoiced and exulted beyond expression.
Then entered the divine choir of hierarchs, priests, deacons, and the rest of the clergy.
They too were crowned with eternal and unfading crowns, according to their zeal, patience, and pastoral ministry.
One crown differed from another in glory, as one star differs from another.
Thus many priests and deacons were more glorious and radiant than many bishops.
They were also each given a church, so that they might offer upon the spiritual altar a holy, perfect sacrifice pleasing to God.
Then entered the venerable choir of monks.
Their appearance poured forth a mystical fragrance, and like suns they scattered divine rays.
The Lord adorned them with six wings, and by the power of the Holy Spirit they became like the awesome Cherubim and Seraphim.
Then they began to cry aloud:
“Holy, holy, holy, Lord of Sabaoth; the whole earth is full of His glory.”
Their glory was great and unimaginable, and their crowns were richly adorned and radiant.
According to their struggles and labors, so were the honors they enjoyed.
Then came the choir of the prophets.
The King bestowed upon them the Song of Songs, the Psalter of David, drums and dances, brilliant immaterial light, indescribable rejoicing, and the glorification of the Holy Spirit.
Then the Master of the divine bridal chamber asked them to sing something.
And they sang such a melodious hymn that everyone leaped for joy.
After the saints had received these gifts from the immaculate hands of the Savior, they awaited those things “which eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man.”
Then the entire choir of those who had been saved in the world entered:
Poor and rulers, kings and ordinary people, slaves and free.
They all stood before the Lord, and He separated from among them the merciful and the pure.
He gave them the delight of the Paradise of Eden, heavenly and radiant palaces, splendid crowns, sanctification and rejoicing, thrones and scepters, and angels to serve them.
Then came those who, for the love of Christ, had become “poor in spirit.”
Now they were greatly exalted.
The Lord gave them a radiant crown from His hand, and they inherited the kingdom of heaven.
Then “those who mourned” their sins received the great consolation of the Holy Trinity.
Then came “the meek” and the harmless, who inherited the heavenly earth, where the Spirit of God pours forth sweetness and fragrance.
They too experienced indescribable delight and pleasure as they saw the blessed land being granted to them.
Their rose-shaped crowns scattered radiant flashes.
Then followed those who “hungered and thirsted for righteousness.”
They were given the reward of righteousness, so that they might be satisfied.
And their good intention rejoiced as they saw King Christ being exalted and glorified beyond measure by the holy angels.
Then came “those persecuted for righteousness’ sake.”
They were granted divine glorification and a wondrous life.
An indescribable throne was even established for them, so that they might sit in the kingdom of heaven.
Their crowns were made of divine and immaterial gold, shining so brightly that the choirs of angels rejoiced in their glory.
Then came the choir of “those who were reproached” for Christ, the great God and Savior of our souls.
They were raised upon golden, richly adorned thrones and enjoyed the praise of God.
After them came a great multitude of pagans who had not known the law of Christ, but who had kept it naturally by obeying their consciences.
Many shone like suns because of their purity and cleanliness.
And the Lord granted them Paradise and joyful crowns woven with roses and lilies.
However, because they had been deprived of holy Baptism, they were blind.
They could not see the glory of God at all.
For holy Baptism is the light and eye of the soul.
Therefore, whoever does not receive it, even if he performs countless good deeds, indeed inherits the comfort of Paradise and experiences something of its fragrance and sweetness, but sees nothing.
After them, righteous Niphon saw another order of saints who were the children of Christians.
They all appeared to be approximately thirty years old.
The Bridegroom looked upon them with a gentle gaze and said:
“The garment of your baptism is spotless, but there are no works anywhere! What shall I do with you, then?”
Then they answered Him boldly:
“Lord, You deprived us of Your earthly goods; at least do not deprive us of the heavenly ones.”
The Bridegroom smiled and granted them the heavenly goods.
They also received the crowns of purity and innocence, and all the immaterial hosts marveled at them.
It was a wonder to hear the holy angels, who were exceedingly pleased as they beheld the orders of all the saints, singing sweet songs.
After all this, Niphon saw a Bride radiant with divine light coming before the Bridegroom.
Heavenly fragrances and divine perfumes spread around her.
Upon her beautiful head she wore an incomparable royal crown that radiated light.
The angels gazed at her in astonishment, and the saints were dazzled.
The grace of the Holy Spirit held that heavenly diadem upon her immaculate head.
As she entered the divine bridal chamber, she was followed by an innumerable multitude of virgins who praised the greatness of God with doxologies and hymns.
When the great Queen approached the Bridegroom, she bowed three times together with all the holy virgins.
Then He who is “beautiful in beauty” saw her and rejoiced.
He bowed His head and honored her as His immaculate Mother.
She approached with great reverence and grace and kissed His immortal and ever-watchful eyes, as well as His compassionate hands.
After the divine kiss, the Lord gave the virgins radiant garments and crowns full of light.
Then all the spiritual Powers came, praising, blessing, and glorifying her.
Then the Bridegroom rose from His throne, with His Mother at His right and His greatest and most wondrous prophet and Forerunner at His left.
He left the bridal chamber and went to the divine chamber where the blessings are found “which eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man,” prepared for those who have loved God.
All the saints followed Him.
As soon as they saw these blessings, they were filled with unspeakable joy and began moving throughout the wondrous chamber in celebration.
But these things the servant of God Niphon could not describe to me.
Although I pressed him many times, he told me nothing at all.
“I cannot, my child,” he would say with a sigh, “depict with my tongue or compare with anything earthly what is there.
“It was beyond every thought and imagination, beyond everything seen and unseen.”
When the Lord had distributed among His saints all the indescribable and unheard-of blessings, He commanded the Cherubim to surround the eternal chamber, just as a wall surrounds a city.
Then He commanded the Seraphim to surround the Cherubim, the Thrones to surround the Seraphim, the Dominions the Thrones, the Principalities the Dominions, the Authorities the Principalities, and finally the Powers of heaven the Authorities.
Just as a wall surrounds a city, so the orders surrounded one another.
To the right of the chamber of the ages stood Michael in all his majesty with his order.
To the left stood Gabriel with his.
Uriel was stationed in the west, and Raphael in the east.
All these things happened at the command of the Lord Jesus Christ, the great God and Savior of all the saints.
These four hosts were exceedingly great.
And together with the orders of the immaculate Powers, they surrounded the chamber of God with immense splendor.
When all these things had been accomplished, then Jesus Himself, the God-Man, submitted Himself “to Him who subjected all things to Him” and handed over to Him all the authority, dominion, and power that He had received from Him.
And He entered the divine and inaccessible chamber as heir of the Father, King and High Priest, together with all His fellow-heirs, the saints.
At the end of all the mysteries that Saint Niphon saw, he witnessed the most terrifying revelation:
The Father Himself of the Only-Begotten Son, the Begetter, the inaccessible and incomprehensible Light, suddenly rose shining above that immeasurable chamber, above the immaculate Powers, above all their circles and orders.
He illuminated the purest chamber as the sun illuminates the world.
Thus shone the Father of mercies.
And just as a sponge absorbs and holds wine, so the saints were filled with the ineffable divinity of the Father and reigned continually with Him throughout the ages.
From that moment there was no longer night or day for them.
There was only God and Father, Son and Spirit; light and delight, life and radiance, pleasure and joy.
Then a deep silence came.
Before the eyes of the righteous was given pure and unmingled light to behold.
In the first chamber surrounding the chamber, a hymn was transmitted like a continuous and endless inheritance.
Its delight was incomparable and exceedingly beautiful.
Immediately the divine and awesome order began an inexpressible doxology.
The hearts of the saints leaped with joy and delight.
From the first order the magnificent hymn of praise was transmitted to the second order, the Seraphim.
Then they too began to sing a wondrous and incomprehensible hymn.
Their doxology sounded in the ears of the saints like honey seven times sweet, and they rejoiced infinitely with all their senses:
Their eyes saw the inaccessible light.
Their sense of smell perceived the fragrance of divinity.
Their ears heard the divine hymn of the immaculate Powers.
Their mouths tasted the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, renewed in the kingdom of heaven.
Their hands touched the eternal blessings, and their feet danced within the chamber.
Thus, with all their senses, they were filled with indescribable joy.
Soon that divine hymn was transmitted from the second order to the third, and from the third to the fourth, all the way to the last, bringing delight and pleasure to the hearts of the saints through melodies sweeter than honey.
And it was wonderful that the orders did not sing one hymn continuously; rather, there was indescribable variety and originality in the songs they sang.
When the seven circles of the orders had completed their pure doxology, the orders of the archangels also began the Trisagion hymn.
Michael sang and Gabriel responded.
Then Raphael praised, and Uriel completed the response.
One could hear unheard-of harmonies.
The four fiery pillars—the archangels—stood out, and their hymn was fiery and thunderous.
Moved by that infinite delight, all the saints then began, from within the heavenly chamber, to sing the greatness of God.
Thus within there was hymn, outside there was hymn, and everywhere there was hymn.
Most holy songs that set the hearts ablaze with blessed delight throughout the endless ages.
When thrice-blessed Niphon had seen all these things and was in a state of great ecstasy and contemplation, he heard the voice of God say to him:
“Niphon, Niphon, beautiful was your prophetic vision.
“But write down everything you have seen and heard in every detail, for this is how it shall come to pass.
“I revealed these things to you because you are a faithful friend, My beloved child, and heir of My kingdom.
“Be assured, therefore, now that I have deemed you worthy to become an eyewitness of these awesome mysteries because of My great love for humanity toward all those who humbly worship My kingdom and authority.
“For I delight to ‘look upon the meek and quiet one and the one who trembles at My words.’”
After the Lord said these things, He released him from the terrifying and wondrous vision, which had absorbed him for two weeks.
When he finally came to himself, he sat terrified, mourning and lamenting.
His tears flowed like a river, and he said:
“Woe is me, the prodigal! What awaits my miserable soul!
“Woe to me, the wretched one!
“In what condition shall I, the sinner, find myself there?
“What shall I say before the Judge?
“What account shall I give for my sins?
“Ah, the profane and wretched one!…
“I have neither sighs nor tears.
“I have no repentance.
“No almsgiving at all!
“No prayer!
“Love—zero!
“Purity and meekness stand far away from me!
“Woe is me! What shall I do, miserable and defiled as I am?
“Where shall I grasp hold so that my soul may be saved?
“I stained my garment; I defiled my baptism; I plunged my soul into the mire.
“I darkened my mind; I burdened my life ‘with revelry and drunkenness.’
“Ah! I, the sinner, do not know what to do!
“My eyes look upon shameful things.
“My face is covered with shame.
“My ears delight in demonic songs.
“My sense of smell seeks fragrances.
“My mouth inclines toward overeating.
“Woe to me, the miserable one!
“My hands take pleasure in sin.
“My body longs to roll in the filth of immorality and seeks soft beds and rich food…
“Oh, lawless, darkened, and defiled one!
“I do not know where to go.
“Who will bring me out of that bitter fire?
“Who will deliver me from the outer darkness of dreadful Tartarus?
“Who will free me from the gnashing of teeth?
“Woe, woe to me, the loathsome and lawless one!
“It would have been better if I had never been born!…
“Ah! What glory am I, wretched one, about to lose!
“What honor, what crowns, how much joy, how much brightness shall I lose because I enslaved myself to sin!
“Miserable soul!
“Where, then, is your compunction?
“Woe to you, profane and sorrowful one!
“Where will your place be on that day?
“Have you done any good that pleases God?
“You will enter the furnace.
“But how will you endure the woe and the lamentation?
“O defiled soul, you who always desired to roll in corruption, who continually served the stomach!
“Lawless and corrupt, what shame will you experience when you look upon Jesus?
“With what eyes will you gaze upon His sweetest face?
“Tell me, tell me!
“You saw those wondrous things that the Lord will one day bring to pass.
“Tell me, then, O soul, do you have works worthy of that glory?
“How will you enter there, since you defiled holy Baptism?
“Woe to you then, my defiled soul!
“You are destined to inherit the eternal fire.
“And where then will sin and its father be to save you?
“But, my Lord, Lord,
“Save me from the fire,
“From the gnashing of teeth,
“From Tartarus…”
With these words the blessed man rebuked himself as he prayed.
In the days that followed, you would see him walking, dragging his steps, with bitter sighs, mourning, and tears.
He reflected upon the wondrous things he had seen and did everything he could to attain them.
Often—when he contemplated his vision more deeply and clearly—he became beside himself.
He burned with the presence of the Holy Spirit and exclaimed:
“Oh, what joy, what glory, what splendor awaits the saints in heaven!
“How greatly I fear that I may be deprived of them!”
He sighed deeply and added:
“Lord, help and save my darkened soul.”
(Saint Niphon, Bishop of Constantia
From the book A Bishop Who Was an Ascetic
Published by the Holy Monastery of Parakletos — Oropos)
