The second coming of Jesus Christ

 

The Holy Fire: Where Faith Meets Scientific Curiosity

 This is the column that split when the Armenians did not allow the Orthodox 

🇬🇷 Ελληνικό Κείμενο

Η ραγισμένη κολόνα του Ναού της Αναστάσεως στα Ιεροσόλυμα δεν είναι απλώς μια πέτρα. Είναι μαρτυρία. Είναι σημείο. Είναι απάντηση.

Σύμφωνα με την ιερά Παράδοση, όταν οι Αρμένιοι δεν επέτρεψαν στον Ορθόδοξο Πατριάρχη να εισέλθει στον Πανάγιο Τάφο για την τελετή του Αγίου Φωτός, το θαύμα δεν περιορίστηκε από ανθρώπινες αποφάσεις. Το Άγιο Φως εξήλθε από την κολόνα, σχίζοντάς την μπροστά στα μάτια των παρισταμένων. Ο Πατριάρχης έλαβε το Φως από εκεί, και ο λαός δοξολόγησε τον Αναστάντα Χριστό.

Η σχισμένη κολόνα στέκει μέχρι σήμερα ως σιωπηλή ομολογία ότι το Άγιο Φως δεν είναι ανθρώπινο κατασκεύασμα, αλλά θεϊκή δωρεά. Δεν υπόκειται σε πολιτικές ισορροπίες ούτε σε θρησκευτικούς ανταγωνισμούς. Εκδηλώνεται εκεί όπου υπάρχει η ζωντανή πίστη της Εκκλησίας.

Η Ορθοδοξία δεν είναι ιδεολογία· είναι εμπειρία Αναστάσεως. Είναι η συνέχεια της Αποστολικής Εκκλησίας, η πίστη των Πατέρων, η Θεία Λειτουργία που ενώνει ουρανό και γη. Είναι το Φως που δεν σβήνει.

Η παράδοση μιλά και για έναν Οθωμανό φρουρό που, βλέποντας το θαύμα της κολόνας, συγκλονίστηκε. Ομολόγησε τον Χριστό και βαπτίστηκε Ορθόδοξος. Για την ομολογία του αυτή μαρτύρησε. Το αίμα του έγινε σφραγίδα πίστεως.

Η ιστορία αυτή δεν είναι κάλεσμα σε σύγκρουση, αλλά σε μετάνοια. Δεν είναι θρίαμβος εναντίον ανθρώπων, αλλά θρίαμβος του Φωτός επί του σκότους. Η Ορθοδοξία δεν επιβάλλεται· μαρτυρείται. Δεν εκδικείται· συγχωρεί. Δεν φοβάται· ανασταίνεται.

Η ραγισμένη κολόνα φωνάζει ακόμη: Το Φως του Χριστού δεν φυλακίζεται. Το Φως του Χριστού λάμπει εν τω σκότει, και το σκότος αυτό ου κατέλαβεν.

🇬🇧 English Version 

The cracked column of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem is not merely a stone. It is a witness. It is a sign. It is an answer.

According to sacred tradition, when the Armenians did not allow the Orthodox Patriarch to enter the Holy Tomb for the ceremony of the Holy Fire, the miracle was not confined by human decisions. The Holy Fire burst forth from the column, splitting it before the eyes of those present. The Patriarch received the Light from that very place, and the faithful glorified the Risen Christ.

The split column still stands today as a silent testimony that the Holy Fire is not a human fabrication but a divine gift. It is not subject to political balances or religious rivalries. It manifests where living faith endures within the Church.

Orthodoxy is not an ideology; it is the experience of the Resurrection. It is the continuation of the Apostolic Church, the faith of the Fathers, the Divine Liturgy that unites heaven and earth. It is the Light that does not fade.

Tradition also speaks of an Ottoman guard who, witnessing the miracle of the column, was shaken to the depths of his soul. He confessed Christ and embraced Orthodoxy. For this confession, he suffered martyrdom. His blood became a seal of faith.

This story is not a call to conflict, but a call to repentance. It is not a triumph over people, but the triumph of Light over darkness. Orthodoxy is not imposed; it is witnessed. It does not seek revenge; it forgives. It does not fear; it rises.

The cracked column still proclaims: The Light of Christ cannot be imprisoned. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

Patriarch to enter the Tomb, and This is the column that split when the Armenians did not allow the Orthodox Patriarch to enter the Tomb, and he received the Holy Fire from this column when it split. And since then, everyone must understand that the true faith is Orthodoxy and that all should come to Orthodoxy.

he received the Holy Fire from this column when it split. And since then, everyone must understand that the true faith is Orthodoxy and that all should come to Orthodoxy.

Every year, on Holy Saturday in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, thousands gather to witness one of Christianity’s most mysterious and revered events: the descent of the Holy Fire. For centuries, this phenomenon has inspired awe, devotion, and—more recently—scientific curiosity. Among those who have sought to explore it through both faith and empirical observation is Archbishop Gennady Zaridze.

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A Researcher Bridging Faith and Science

Archbishop Gennady Zaridze is not only a clergyman but also a thinker deeply interested in the dialogue between theology and science. With a background that embraces both spiritual tradition and analytical inquiry, he represents a rare effort to approach religious phenomena with scientific tools—without diminishing their sacred meaning.

In 2016, he traveled to the Holy Land with a specific purpose: to observe and measure the physical properties of the Holy Fire during the annual ceremony. His goal was not to “debunk” the miracle, but to better understand its observable characteristics and, perhaps, illuminate how such an event might strengthen faith in a modern, scientifically minded world.

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Measuring the Unusual: Temperature Observations

One of the most striking aspects of the Holy Fire is a widely reported phenomenon: in the first moments after its appearance, the flame does not burn the faithful. Pilgrims often pass the flame over their faces or hands without injury—an act that would be impossible with ordinary fire.

To investigate this, Archbishop Zaridze employed a pyrometer, a device used to measure temperature from a distance, along with silver plates that can help gauge heat intensity through thermal conduction and discoloration.

His findings were remarkable:

• Immediately after the descent, the flame’s temperature was measured at approximately 40°C (104°F)—warm, but not enough to cause burns.
• After about 15 minutes, the temperature rose dramatically to over 300°C (572°F), consistent with the behavior of ordinary fire.

This rapid transformation suggests that the Holy Fire exhibits an unusual thermal profile—initially mild and later intensifying into a typical high-temperature flame.

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Methods and Observational Approach

Archbishop Zaridze’s methodology was simple but deliberate:

• Pyrometric readings were taken at different intervals to track changes in heat.
• Silver plates were exposed to the flame to observe how quickly they reacted to rising temperatures.
• Observations were conducted in real-time, within the natural conditions of the ceremony, without interfering with the religious proceedings.

While these methods do not constitute a controlled laboratory experiment, they provide valuable field observations that raise intriguing questions about the nature of the phenomenon.

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Supporting Observations: Electromagnetic Activity

The Holy Fire has also attracted attention from scientists outside the clergy. Notably, Andrei Volkov of the Kurchatov Institute conducted measurements during previous celebrations.

Volkov reported detecting unusual electromagnetic activity in the area surrounding the event at the moment the Holy Fire appeared. While the exact cause and significance of these readings remain unclear, they add another layer of scientific intrigue to the phenomenon.

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Interpreting the Phenomenon

From a strictly scientific perspective, the Holy Fire raises more questions than it answers:

• Why does the flame initially behave as if it has a significantly lower temperature?
• What accounts for the sudden increase in heat after several minutes?
• Could environmental, chemical, or physical factors play a role—or is something else at work?

For Archbishop Zaridze, however, the purpose of such an investigation is not to reduce the Holy Fire to a purely physical explanation. Instead, he يرى the phenomenon as a sign that invites deeper reflection, where science can observe but not fully explain it.

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Faith, Mystery, and Meaning

For millions of believers, the Holy Fire is not merely an anomaly—it is a miracle, a sacred sign of divine presence and continuity within the Orthodox Christian tradition. Scientific observations, like those of Archbishop Zaridze and Andrei Volkov, do not diminish this belief. Rather, they can enrich it by showing that even in an age of technology and measurement, certain experiences retain an element of mystery.

In this way, the Holy Fire stands at a unique intersection:
a phenomenon observed with instruments, yet understood through faith;
measured in degrees, yet felt in devotion.

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Conclusion

The investigation of the Holy Fire by Archbishop Gennady Zaridze offers a compelling example of how science and faith need not be in opposition. Through careful observation and respectful inquiry, he has highlighted unusual physical properties of the flame while affirming its spiritual significance.

Whether viewed as a miracle beyond explanation or a phenomenon awaiting deeper understanding, the Holy Fire continues to inspire both reverence and curiosity—reminding us that some of the most profound human experiences lie at the boundary between what we can measure and what we believe.

I am not coming down to earth, mother. Here is better

 At that awesome moment, with “Thine own of Thine own,”

The Holy Spirit comes and transforms the bread into the Body of Christ and the wine into the Blood of Christ. for the remission of our sins and for eternal life. That is, that we may be made worthy without guilt. This is what “for the remission of sins” means: that we may have a life in the heavenly Divine Liturgy. So every person who dies—while we remain here and weep over them— if that person is one whom God has mercy on, because of their kindness, their forgiveness, their charity, And whatever good they have done, then they go to the heavenly Divine Liturgy. --- Let me tell you something else—I’ve told you this before. A poor mother once went to pick up her child from school, a 10-year-old boy. His name was Andreas—his real name. She was waiting, and the boy saw his mother across the street and ran toward her. A car came and struck the child. He was thrown into the air and fell dead at her feet. A 10-year-old child. --- Anyway, she came to me and said, with deep sorrow: “Be careful what you tell me. Many sent me to you. If you do not fill my soul with what you say, I will go and kill myself.” Imagine what that poor man felt at that moment. I cried and prayed within myself: “My Christ, enlighten me—give me one word, just one, to fill the soul of this grieving mother.” --- Then, suddenly, something came to me. There was the portrait of my own mother, who had also lost a child. I said to her: “You lost Andreas at 10 years old. My mother lost her son at 24.” And I told her the known story—that he fell into the arms of Christ, and now the mother managed, through prayer, to sanctify her son who died without confession, little by little, for Christ to forgive him, to raise him into the Light, so that he too may partake in the heavenly Divine Liturgy. Together with my father, who fell asleep before my brother Nicholas, and later Stella, and my son-in-law Andreas— Many from my family are now in the heavenly liturgy. --- She stood up. That’s all I told her. Then she knelt before my mother’s portrait. kissed it and said: “Woman of God, grandmother, I beg you— Tell Christ to send my Andreas to tell me even one word, and let my Andreas be where your Petros is.” She called her daughter Maria, who was outside, 15 years old: “Maria, come here—we found what we were looking for. We found the Messiah.” (I am not the Messiah—through this, she found Christ.) --- She asked me, “Do you have anything else to tell me?” I said, "I told you everything. I arranged it with my mother. Now all that remains is to pray that what you asked will happen— that Andreas will show you where he is.” --- Four months later, she came again. And what did she tell me? “I saw Andreas, my dead 10-year-old child. I saw him, but his face was a bright light, and I could not see it clearly. I could see the rest of him.” She said to him: “My Andreas, come down—what are you doing up there?” He replied: “I can’t come down. It is beautiful here above.” She asked him: “What do you do all day?” He said: “Here it is always day. It is always light. Do you know? Christ comes—the great one comes—and serves the liturgy. We stand around Him, and His light shines upon us. And according to the heart we had on earth, And according to your prayers, we receive light.” --- “And we learn things—many things we didn’t learn at school.” She said, “Come down to me.” He replied: “I cannot.” She begged him: “My child, let me at least see your face.” He answered: “The light of Christ does not allow you to see my face. Your eyes are not yet pure. Cleanse your eyes, and next time you will see my face as well.” --- Do you understand what is happening? That is why we say: “Jesus rose from the tomb and granted us eternal life and great mercy.” --- Thus, “Thine own of Thine own”— The Holy Spirit comes and makes the change of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ. And we, because we have stalls (not seats, like others), Do not sit merely to observe the mysteries. We do not say “for those who are watching." but “for those who are partaking.” From the moment of the Cherubic Hymn onward, Those

Those who are able should stand upright in their place.

Hidden Christians in Turkey

 

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Abdul Hamid gave the order for the tomb of Mehmed the Conqueror, which was located next to the mosque, to be opened in order to check for any damage and make repairs.

The tomb was opened, and at a depth of three meters, an iron trapdoor was found. From there, a stone staircase led down into the underground chamber of a Byzantine church.

There, to their astonishment, the workers found a marble tomb containing the embalmed body of Mehmed—identical to the portrait painted by the Italian artist a few months before his death.

This fact—that Mehmed was buried within the ruins of a Byzantine church—has been considered by many as strong evidence that he wished to be buried as a Christian and Byzantine emperor, among the other Byzantine rulers.

It is known that Mehmed often claimed to be the successor of the Byzantine emperors.

Sultan Abdul Hamid II, who, for political reasons at the time, had abandoned a certain Islamic sect he had followed and had adopted Sunni Islam, was seized with panic and ordered the tomb to be immediately sealed.

These events took place before 1908, and since then, the tomb has never been opened again. For this reason, it is difficult today to verify the testimony.

However, on December 19, 1996, a Turkish weekly publication associated with the well-known newspaper Sabah was released with the striking headline:
“The Conqueror was a Christian.”

The subtitle read: “Historians have not been able to solve this mystery to this day.”

Many centuries after the death of the great Fatih—Mehmed the Conqueror, as he is historically known—it is also known that he had a Christian mother, most likely of Greek origin.

The fact that in modern Turkey—where Islamic identity is strongly re-emerging—such reports are published is seen by some as evidence of doubt about Mehmed’s true religious identity, even within the official Turkish establishment.

This becomes even more significant when we consider that Fatih Mehmed is one of the greatest taboos of Turkish history, nationalism, and identity.

A leader like him was expected to embody not only national pride but also religious identity.

And yet, inside his tomb, it is claimed, lies one of the greatest secrets of the Ottoman Empire.

There were testimonies stating that next to the tomb there was a cross and an icon of the Virgin Mary.

According to these claims, Mehmed the Conqueror may have embraced Christianity at the end of his life—something carefully concealed by official Turkish historiography.

From his early childhood, he had contact with Christianity through his Christian mother.

It is one of the great historical mysteries how a relatively small number of Seljuk Turks and Ottomans who arrived in Asia Minor between the 9th and 10th centuries managed, within a few centuries, to change the entire ethnic and religious character of a region inhabited by millions—many say up to 20 million—Greek-speaking Orthodox Christians.

There are many explanations. Some say it was forced Islamization through violence, while others say it occurred for practical and economic reasons.

However, because this process of religious conversion was often incomplete and superficial, a unique characteristic remained within Turkish Islam—one that some consider a heterodox element.

Today, this is being increasingly discussed by Turkish journalists and researchers under the term “the religious problem of modern Turkey.”

On November 10, 2002, a Turkish newspaper reported that the feast of Saint Nektarios was celebrated inside a Muslim mosque—formerly a Christian church—in Eastern Thrace.

Many Turkish Muslims stayed after their prayers to observe the Christian service with great reverence.

Similarly, there are reports of Turkish Muslims attending Christian ceremonies, lighting candles, kissing priests’ hands, and seeking blessings from the Virgin Mary.

In some cases, even Muslims from other countries, such as Iran and Iraq, visit Orthodox churches in Istanbul, seeking hope, healing, and help for their personal struggles.

Some Turkish women have even been reported diving into the water during the Epiphany ceremony to catch the cross—an act deeply rooted in Orthodox Christian tradition.

Other reports mention Muslims visiting churches regularly, praying, lighting candles, and asking for miracles.

Turkish newspapers have even described certain churches as “places of hope” for Muslims.

In recent years, there has also been an increase in conversions to Christianity in Turkey, often among people who later discover they have Christian ancestry.

Investigations revealed that many of these individuals had ancestors who were Islamized, especially after the Asia Minor catastrophe, and later rediscovered their Christian roots.

There are also remarkable accounts of healing sites, such as sacred springs associated with early Christianity, where both Turks and foreigners visit for healing.

In some places, visitors light candles, burn incense, and perform acts that are officially forbidden in Islam.

Despite this, such practices continue and are even broadcast on Turkish television.

One striking example is the pilgrimage to Saint George on the island of Büyükada, where tens of thousands of Muslim Turks visit the church, light candles, make vows, and seek blessings.

Some even walk barefoot up the hill to the church, tying threads along the path as part of a ritual for their wishes.

Priests are seen blessing Muslim visitors, sometimes even making the sign of the cross on their foreheads.

Finally, there was a mysterious event reported in 1998 on the island of Antigoni, where a strange, sorrowful sound—like a sigh—was heard every night around a church.

Residents were alarmed and unable to explain it.

Some interpreted it as a supernatural sign, even suggesting it was a message from the Virgin Mary—a lament for the state of the world and the abandonment of faith.

The church, once full of Orthodox believers, now stands nearly empty.

And this sorrowful “voice” was seen by some as a symbol of that loss.

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The curse takes effect when injustice is involved

The curse takes effect when injustice is involved. For example, if someone wrongs a suffering person, does something bad to them, and that person curses them, then it takes effect.

When I do harm to someone, and that person curses me, their curse works. God allows it, just as He allows, for example, one person to kill another.

But when there is no injustice, then the curse returns to the one who gave it.

And how can someone be freed from a curse?
Through repentance and confession.

I know many cases. People who suffered from a curse, when they realized they had been cursed—because they had done wrong—repented, confessed, and were restored.

If the one who did wrong says, “My God, I did this and this, forgive me,” and confesses with pain and sincerity, then God will forgive him. God is God.

And who is punished, Elder? Only the one who receives the curse, or also the one who gives it?

The one who receives the curse suffers in this life. But the one who gives the curse suffers both in this life and in the next. Because, as a criminal, he will be punished by God if he does not repent and confess.

Because, alright, someone may have wronged you. But by giving a curse, it is as if you take a gun and kill them. And with what right do you do that?

Whatever someone has done to you, you do not have the right to kill them.

For someone to curse means that they have malice. A person gives a curse when they speak with passion and with anger.

A curse, when it comes from someone who is in the right, has great power—especially the curse of a widow.

I remember an old woman. She had a little horse and tied it at the edge of the forest to graze. Because it was a bit restless, she had tied it with a strong rope.

One day, three women went to the forest to gather wood. One was rich, one was a widow, and one was an orphan and very poor.

They saw the horse tied with the rope and grazing and said, “Why don’t we take the rope to tie our wood?” They cut it into three pieces, and each took one piece to tie their bundles. Naturally, the horse ran away.

When the old woman came and did not find the animal, she was upset. She searched everywhere and suffered greatly trying to find it.

Finally, when she found it, she said in anger, "With that same rope, they will carry the one who took it.”

One day, the rich woman’s brother was playing with a gun, thinking it was empty. It was one left by the Italians, and he shot his sister in the neck.

They had to carry her to the hospital and needed a rope to tie her to a wooden ladder.

At that moment, one of the stolen pieces of rope was found—but it was not enough.

The other two women brought their stolen pieces as well. They tied her to the ladder and carried her to the hospital.

Thus, the old woman’s curse was fulfilled: with the same rope they carried her.

And in the end, the poor woman died—may God rest her soul.

You see how the curse fell on the rich woman, who had no real need. The others had their poverty—they had some justification.

Many illnesses that doctors cannot explain may come from a curse. Doctors cannot diagnose a curse.

Once, they brought a paralyzed man to my hut. A full-grown man who could not sit.

His body was stiff like wood. One person carried him on his back, and another supported him from behind.

I placed two logs so he could lean a little, poor man.

Those who accompanied him told me, "Since he was 15 years old, Father, he has been in this condition, and 18 whole years have passed.”

I said, “How could this happen? Something must be wrong.”

I investigated and found that someone had cursed him.

What had happened was this: he used to go to school by bus and would sit stretched out across the seat.

At one stop, an elderly priest and an old man got on and stood next to him.

Someone told him, “Get up so the elders can sit,” but he stretched out even more and ignored them.

Then the old man who was standing said to him:
“May you remain stretched out and never be able to sit.”

And that curse took effect.

You see, the young man was disrespectful. He thought, “Why should I get up? I paid for the seat.”

Yes, but the other person also paid—and he is elderly and worthy of respect, while you are just a 15-year-old boy sitting.

“That is the reason,” I told him. “Repent so that you may be healed. Repentance is needed, my child.”

As soon as the poor man understood this and acknowledged it, he was restored.

How many of the things that happen today come from curses, from indignation?

And when entire families are destroyed, or many members of one family die, know that it may be due to injustice, or sorcery, or a curse.

A father had a child who wandered around. Once, in frustration, he told him the following:
“Come home once and for all.”

That same night, as the child was returning home, something struck him right outside the door…

orthodox holy light-ορθόδοξο άγιο φως

Let's rewind it now and take a look at the luminous sphere, which is truly unique—I would say this is a unique document, truly.

And how God, let’s say, deemed me worthy… You can see the luminous sphere as it appears.

It begins to move above people’s heads, among the crowd. It touches people’s heads and passes through the crowd.

At this moment, the camera loses focus because it was out of focus, but let’s say that it is not burning—
It does not burn.

Look, because people might wonder how it passes over people’s heads without burning anyone.

No one even noticed it. I was able to confirm this later, because there were people from Thessaloniki sitting exactly across from that spot.

I asked them, “Did you see it?”
They said, “Of course not; we saw nothing.”

So this is a multiple miracle, not a simple event. It is a multiple miracle.

That means… if we, as a crew, wanted to reproduce this today, we wouldn’t be able to.

With the technical means we have today, this cannot be recreated.

Obviously not even with effects.

Yes, exactly.

Because many people will look at that point—yes—and you can see the flame.

Due to the flame, the camera tries to focus; it does this thing, loses focus, and then regains it.

That, of course, was unfortunate in a way, because the image becomes blurry.

If the camera had been stabilized, it might have captured the image more clearly.

That’s why it’s not so clear.

Here, we actually see the miracle of the Holy Fire.

You can see the ball of the Holy Fire—a sphere—which those who have been there have experienced.

Some people may question it.

So tomorrow, at the courts of Evelpidon, we must all stand together for this great miracle of Orthodoxy.

This great miracle of Christianity.