This is for Angelica Zambrano

 FALSE VISIONS OF JESUS: AN ORTHODOX WARNING ABOUT SPIRITUAL DECEPTION AND THE SIGNS OF THE ANTICHRIST

Centuries ago, Christ warned us about the end times and the signs we must watch for. Would the true God ever speak in a way that disparages the Mother of God, who continually intercedes for humanity so that we may not be lost?

What troubles the spirit of the Antichrist in our times, as the hour of his final defeat draws nearer, is that he will do everything in his power to deceive humanity through various manifestations and alleged supernatural experiences, targeting the Virgin Mary and the Saints of God.

It is possible that Angelica genuinely experienced something, but I strongly believe that what she saw was not Jesus Christ. She must pray for spiritual discernment, because Christ would not need golden sandals or a golden belt covered with the words “King of Kings and Lord of Lords” to demonstrate His divine authority. His very presence would be sufficient for all to recognize Him as King.

Furthermore, would Christ walk through Hell pointing His finger at people and saying, “You know what you did”? When the final judgment comes, God will judge humanity with perfect justice, while the devil seeks to accuse and condemn. Therefore, I sincerely believe that Angelica may have been deceived by the devil, who seeks to lead her astray.

Satan is known in Christian spiritual tradition as a deceiver who can disguise himself as an angel of light. An apparent vision of Jesus must never be accepted unquestioningly, especially when its details contradict the spirit of the Gospel. Christ, who lived on Earth in humility and love, did not cease to be the Savior after His Ascension into Heaven. He gave His life for our salvation and desires the repentance and salvation of sinners. We must therefore be cautious about claims that He appears merely to condemn the lost or declare that all hope is gone.

Our hope in Christ remains firm, provided that we do not fall into the trap of pursuing visions, extraordinary manifestations, or superficial spiritual experiences. In the Orthodox understanding, genuine spiritual life is not measured by dramatic revelations but by repentance, humility, prayer, and faithfulness to the truth.

Even within the Orthodox Church today, alleged miracles and supernatural experiences require careful examination and spiritual discernment. The spirit of lawlessness, as understood in Christian teaching, operates with subtlety and deception, often through details that may initially escape notice.

Consider, for example, the way Orthodox Saints traditionally described profound spiritual experiences. Rather than treating them lightly or recounting them with casual amusement, they often approached such experiences with fear of God, humility, repentance, and profound spiritual seriousness. Orthodox spirituality also speaks of charmolypi—a state of “joyful sorrow,” in which spiritual joy is inseparably united with repentance and compunction.

For this reason, we should not automatically accept as genuine the spirit that presents itself in a vision as Jesus Christ. Every such experience must be examined in the light of Holy Scripture, the teachings of the Church, and the Orthodox understanding of the Holy Trinity.

Where has the fullness of the Orthodox spiritual tradition been preserved? The Orthodox Church bears witness to the faith handed down through the Apostles and the Holy Fathers. Christians must therefore exercise discernment rather than accepting every extraordinary claim simply because it appears supernatural or emotionally powerful.

Christ Himself warned that false prophets would arise and perform great signs and wonders, seeking to lead people astray. This warning remains especially important whenever people are encouraged to follow alleged revelations without testing them against the authentic teachings of the Christian faith.

Superficial repentance and confession, detached from the depth of Orthodox spiritual life, can also become misleading when they encourage people to trust extraordinary manifestations rather than cultivate genuine humility, obedience, and a transformed life. Similar concerns arise whenever alleged apparitions or revelations, including claims associated with Medjugorje, are accepted without careful spiritual examination.

Consider the central question raised by this particular vision: if the figure presented as “Jesus” appears to disparage the Virgin Mary and the Saints while urging people to accept messages through a book, should this not prompt serious caution? Would such claims be consistent with the faith and reverence for the Mother of God preserved in Orthodox Christian tradition?

No Christian should abandon the Orthodox faith in pursuit of spectacular visions or supposed revelations. Christ warned us that signs and wonders could be used to deceive people before His coming. Not every supernatural claim comes from God, and not every figure presented as Christ should be accepted as the true Savior.

The essential lesson is clear: spiritual discernment is indispensable. Hold fast to Christ, remain rooted in the Orthodox faith, and test every alleged vision against the Holy Gospel and the authentic spiritual tradition of the Church.

 THE SOUL ON ITS WAY TO HEAVEN — THE AERIAL TOLL HOUSES AND THE JOURNEY AFTER DEATH

The Guardian Angels, the Demonic Accusations, and the Soul’s Journey Toward the Kingdom of Light

We have already mentioned several contemporary accounts describing the review of one’s life that some people experience when they leave their bodies during near-death experiences. This stage appears to have a connection with the particular judgment of the soul, or may serve as a preparation for it.

In the lives of the saints and in Orthodox spiritual literature, there are accounts of Guardian Angels receiving the soul after death and accompanying it toward Heaven, where it is brought before God. Frequently, as the soul ascends, demons appear, surround it, and attempt to frighten it and drag it away.

According to Orthodox tradition, following their expulsion from Heaven, the fallen angels occupy the spiritual realm between Heaven and Earth. This is why the Apostle Paul refers to Satan as the “prince of the power of the air” and speaks of the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places (Ephesians 2:2; 6:12).

These wandering spirits, upon seeing a soul being led by an angel, approach it from every side and accuse it of the sins committed during its earthly life. With great insolence, they attempt to frighten the soul, drive it into despair, and claim it for themselves.

Throughout this trial, the Guardian Angel strengthens and defends the soul.

This does not mean that demons possess independent authority over the soul, for they, too, are subject to God’s judgment. Their audacity stems from the fact that, during earthly life, the soul may have yielded to their temptations in certain matters. Their reasoning is simple: “Since you acted as we do, your place belongs with us.”

In Orthodox spiritual literature, these encounters with demons are known as the Aerial Toll Houses. The subject is discussed in the writings and teachings attributed to several Church Fathers, including Saint Ephraim the Syrian, Saint Athanasius the Great, Saint Macarius the Great, and Saint John Chrysostom.

A particularly detailed account of this tradition is associated with Saint Cyril of Alexandria and a discourse concerning the departure of the soul. Further descriptions appear in the account of the life of Saint Basil the New, in which Saint Theodora recounts what she experienced after leaving her body.

Additional accounts can be found in the book Eternal Mysteries from Beyond the Grave.

When reading these accounts, it is important to remember that many descriptions of the spiritual world may be figurative, since spiritual realities do not necessarily resemble the physical world as we know it.

THE EXTRAORDINARY TESTIMONY OF K. UEKSKUELL

K. Uekskuell, whose account was mentioned earlier, describes a similar encounter with evil spiritual beings. He recounts what happened after two angels came to receive his soul:

“We began to ascend rapidly. As we rose higher, the vast expanse of space revealed itself increasingly before my eyes. Eventually, it assumed such terrifying proportions that I was overcome by fear at the realization of my own insignificance in comparison with this infinite wilderness.

“At that moment, certain peculiarities of my vision became apparent. First, everything was dark, yet I could see clearly. It was as though I had been given the ability to see in darkness. Second, my field of vision extended across an immense expanse of space, far beyond anything my ordinary eyesight could have perceived.

“My usual conception of time was absent. I do not know how long we continued to ascend when, suddenly, I heard a faint, indistinct noise.

“Then, emerging from somewhere in the darkness, a multitude of hideous beings approached us rapidly, accompanied by shrieks and raucous laughter.

“‘Evil spirits!’ I suddenly realized.

“The horror I experienced was unlike anything I had ever known. Only a few days earlier, perhaps even a few hours before, the very idea of evil spirits would have seemed ridiculous to me. I would have laughed at anyone who claimed not only to have seen such beings but even to believe in their existence as a tangible reality.

“Like an educated man of the late nineteenth century, I had regarded such expressions as mere abstractions, referring to foolish inclinations and human passions. The words had possessed no literal meaning for me.

“Yet suddenly, this supposedly abstract concept appeared before me as a living reality.

“To this day, I cannot explain how or why I recognized these beings without the slightest doubt. Their appearance was so unnatural that, under ordinary circumstances, I would have considered it a grotesque fantasy or an abnormal creation of the imagination. I would never have thought of calling it something that could not be seen.

“Yet at that moment, I recognized their nature immediately, as though I had known it all my life.

“Moreover, I understood that their hideous appearance was not necessarily their true form. It seemed to be a repulsive disguise, deliberately designed to frighten me.

“For a brief moment, something resembling pride stirred within me. Then I felt ashamed, realizing that beings seeking to frighten a creature as proud as man would resort to methods similar to those we use to frighten small children.

“The evil spirits surrounded us on every side. Screaming and howling, they demanded that I be handed over to them. They attempted to seize me and tear me away from the angels, but apparently they did not dare to do so.

“Amid their unbearable cries, I occasionally caught fragments of words and entire phrases.

“‘He belongs to us! He has renounced God!’ they suddenly cried almost in unison.

“They then rushed toward us with such ferocity that, for a moment, fear seemed to paralyze every thought in my mind.

“‘That is a lie! It is not true!’ I wanted to shout when I regained my composure.

“But an unexpected memory silenced me.

“I suddenly recalled an apparently insignificant incident from my student years, something so remote that I could hardly understand how it had returned to my mind with such clarity.

“Once, while visiting a friend, a group of us had been discussing our studies before moving on to abstract and philosophical questions.

“‘Generally speaking, I dislike abstractions,’ one of my companions remarked, ‘but this is something entirely different. I can believe in some unknown force of nature, even if it has not yet been investigated. I can allow for its existence without seeing clear evidence of it, because its effects might be too small or might be combined with those of other forces.

“‘But to believe in God as a personal, omnipotent Being, when I see no clear manifestation of His existence, seems absurd. People tell me that I must believe. But why should I believe when I can just as easily believe that God does not exist? Is that not possible?’

“My companion then turned to me, seeking my agreement.

“‘Perhaps not,’ I replied carelessly.

“My words had been insignificant to me. My friend’s arguments had not shaken my belief in God, and I had paid little attention to his reasoning.

“Yet now, in this extraordinary encounter, that apparently idle remark returned to accuse me.

“I was forced to defend myself against an accusation that seemed to have remained hidden in my memory for years.

“Thus, the words of the New Testament appeared to be fulfilled before my eyes: that people will have to give an account of their idle words. Whether through the judgment of God, who knows the secrets of the human heart, or through the accusations of the enemy of salvation, the incident had not been forgotten.

“Apparently, this accusation was the strongest argument the evil spirits possessed against me. It seemed to give them renewed courage, and they began circling us with furious cries, preventing us from proceeding.

“I remembered prayer and began calling upon the holy ones whose names I knew and could recall at that moment.

“Yet this did not appear to frighten my attackers.

“I was a Christian in name, but one whose faith and understanding had been sadly neglected. It seemed that, for almost the first time in my life, I remembered Her who is known as the Intercessor for Christians: the Most Holy Theotokos, the Mother of God.

“My appeal to Her must have been intense, and my soul must have been filled with terror. For scarcely had I remembered and pronounced Her name when a kind of white mist suddenly appeared around us.

“The mist began to envelop the hideous multitude of evil spirits, concealing them from my sight before they could withdraw from us.

“Their roaring and mocking laughter continued for a long time. But as the sounds gradually weakened and grew more distant, I understood that the terrible pursuit was being left behind.

“My fear had overwhelmed me so completely that I could not even tell whether we had continued moving during the encounter or whether our ascent had been interrupted.

“I realized that we were moving upward again only when the infinite expanse of space spread itself before me once more.

“After we had crossed a considerable distance, I saw a brilliant light above me. It resembled sunlight, but it was incomparably more intense.

“‘There must be a kingdom of light,’ I thought.

“Then, through a mysterious feeling I could not explain, I understood it to be a kingdom filled with the power of light.

“There were no shadows.

“‘But how can there be light without shadows?’ I wondered.

“Suddenly, we were carried rapidly into this realm of light, and its brilliance literally blinded me. I closed my eyes and raised my hands to my face, but this did not help. My hands could not provide shade.

“Yet what could such protection mean in a place like this?

“Then something extraordinary happened.

“From above, majestic and authoritative, yet without anger, a voice resounded:

“‘NOT READY!’

“Immediately, our rapid ascent came to a halt, and we began descending just as quickly.

“Before leaving that realm, however, I was permitted to experience one of the most extraordinary phenomena imaginable.

“No sooner had the words resounded than everything in that world seemed to respond in agreement. Every particle of dust, every minute atom, appeared to echo the decision, as though millions upon millions of voices were repeating it in a language that could not be heard by the ears but was understood by the heart and mind.

“The entire realm seemed to express complete unity with the decision that had been pronounced.

“And within that unity of will, there was a harmony beyond description. The happiness contained in that harmony was so exalted that all earthly pleasures and delights seemed like a gloomy day without sunlight.

“The countless echoes merged into an incomparable musical chord. My entire soul seemed to reach toward it, responding completely and yearning to become one with that magnificent, all-encompassing harmony.

“I did not understand the full meaning of the words spoken to me. I did not realize that I was being sent back to Earth to continue my life.

“I thought that I was being taken somewhere else, and a timid feeling of protest arose within me.

“Gradually, as though emerging through the mist of early morning, the outlines of a city appeared before me. Soon, familiar streets became clearly visible.

“I recognized the hospital.

“As we approached my lifeless body, the Guardian Angel said:

“‘Have you heard God’s decision?’

“Pointing toward my body, he commanded:

“‘Enter it and prepare!’

“After these words, both angels disappeared.”

RETURNING FROM THE DEAD

K. Uekskuell continues his account by describing his return to his body, which had reportedly been lying in the hospital morgue for thirty-six hours.

According to his testimony, the medical personnel were astonished by his unexpected return to life. In the period that followed, he went to a monastery and devoted his life to monasticism.

His account presents a striking spiritual narrative about the soul’s journey after death, the accusations of evil spirits, the protection offered by the Guardian Angels, and the overwhelming light of the heavenly realm.

A FINAL SPIRITUAL REFLECTION

The Orthodox Christian tradition teaches that earthly life is not the end of our existence. It calls us to repentance, prayer, humility, and a sincere relationship with God.

The account of the Aerial Toll Houses reminds us of the seriousness of our words and actions, the spiritual struggle against temptation, and the importance of seeking God’s mercy throughout our lives.

Above all, it emphasizes the hope that the soul is not abandoned in its final hour, but that God’s judgment, the protection of the holy angels, and the intercessions of the Most Holy Theotokos remain central themes in Orthodox spiritual understanding.

May we therefore strive to live with faith, repentance, love, and a clear conscience, placing our hope in the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Note: The narrative above presents traditional Orthodox spiritual accounts and the testimony attributed to K. Uekskuell. Such accounts should be understood within their religious and historical context and are not independently verified scientific descriptions of the afterlife.

 

 And so I also came to Father Porphyry for the first time, and he tells me that five or six children and disciples are sitting around him, and he says, “Children, I can’t talk to you today.” And he says to me, the guitar is broken, I can’t play, the heavenly musician says, “I’m ashamed, ashamed.” He turns and says, “Poor child, you want him to believe, but you can’t.” He says, “Yes, come tomorrow alone.” The next day there was a personal Pentecostal. He takes me by the hand, we walk into the forest, and he says, “I want to show you God.” I thought he was going to read my mind, but he says, “Hey, you know, as I always said, God doesn’t need to read your mind. Let me tell you something you don’t know.” He says, “You know, when I was born, you came out with a double-twisted umbilical cord, and I was suffocating.” I say, “What did you say?” And he starts describing the scene, how he was drunk, how there was no doctor, how there was no midwife, and I started choking, and the nurse was screaming, “I’m losing the baby.” And so on. And my father, who was listening, said, “You would either be dead or become an idiot.” You don’t know, ask your mother. My mother came over, my mother said she had driven him away, she says, “How you psychologists were very traumatic, don’t talk about it.” And she starts telling me more about how I would get a rare disease, would become deaf and mute, how I was undergoing treatment and how the doctor discovered it by chance. Remember? Yes, and he was undergoing treatment. And he says, “Either dead, or an idiot, or deaf and mute.” I say, “He’s telling me more and more, I won’t tell you everything.” And the terrible thing is that when I went to breathe, he says, “Now I’m old, I said it.” I say, “I’m reading poetry, are you listening?” He says, “Yes, but these new poets, they all talk, it’s very difficult to understand what they’re saying.” Do you want me to recite a few poems to you, explain them? And the old man starts reading his own poems, I don’t understand my own poems. Publish this, and I was shaking, we experienced shock, horror, that’s what they call it. And he says, “How do I know all this? Old man, you know this, God knows this, and the Holy Spirit illuminates this moment to show you that God exists. He’s been watching over you from the moment you were born. I brought you here today.” For me, that was amazing, also for my question. He knows the future. Of course, God tells me that He knows the future. God takes my hand here, not there. Happy Birthday, here, here, here, here. And He tells me that you have passed one of the tests, I was told that I have an illness and it’s coming towards you, and another tells me, “Be careful when you do this.” It's amazing. After four years. After four years, why does everyone say these are psychosomatic illnesses? He says illnesses are the Holy Spirit. I can't do this, and I see it. He adds, "He will watch how your life changes from here on out. You will do great things, but you won't do them." I say, "No, you don't understand what God is yet." He says, "Yes,You can’t do them.” That’s why I went to the tarot

Χριστιανοί μου, σας λέω αυτά τα παραδείγματα... για να ταπεινώσουμε τον εαυτό μας.

 2025

Χριστιανοί μου, σας λέω αυτά τα παραδείγματα... για να ταπεινώσουμε τον εαυτό μας.

 once our saint paisius our great saint our paisius had a

classmate and the inhabitants go there you see and they went there and

they tell him our saint paisius the monk, and then when his evolution is

he has an evolution and I will explain it to you now and they say your classmate is the one

who has canned goods and spaghetti and bread and brings them have you asked where she

finds them, says the saint, I haven't asked why.

he says, I don't know; you sleep with men and what he brings you is what they

give her; the devil is bigger than what

caught him in the leg than he told the despot that I don't sign the

signature for the money; it's easier than the other because the other says

I'm a zealot for God, he says he was giving an opinion, a zealot, that I'm of God, I

'll save the world, you wretch. Where are we all going and

this girl goes and this girl goes and the

girl goes and the saint threw her out he threw her coffees he threw her

Spaghetti. he threw her milk and he said, lose from here on what

you see, where the georgakis is there is old wrestling, not wrestling.

win wrestling and lose let me tell you that if you lose, you learn

Christ better because you lost than when you lost he always beat her he threw her away he chased the girl

away and the girl left crying and went down she might have been a vulture

go to the old man but what did he say saint he whore! This he did saint

he whore and a saint he omi and as soon as he left he says god will

make you a Palisades so you won't be my saint Palisades; you will walk the mind and

you will be damned I must I will download you, the one who spoke about humiliation, the one

who was humble he he took the judgment of god who led him astray

this was one reason he left it was to escape from

the world he was taken to and he went to Sina, and you will see at sina

in the desert of Sinai, how nice he lived and he made a case and stayed in the

case so he did it can't be seen from here he was sleeping in the case at night

he covered a bed and during the day he tied it with two straps and dragged it

behind the

Bedouins, and after dragging them, he reached a place he raised it upright and

made it like the post of the unknown soldier and went inside and

prayed for hours that the sun wouldn't burn him and at night when the sun went down, he

made it a bed and there he concentrated his mind of the applause of the

People, the applause of the people is too much he puts a dust on your

head solo and of the applause of the people, he slipped and criticized

his classmate, who should have had a liking for agriculture, went

to school my child don't tell her to her face but because he had this

authentic pap he said, and as soon as the woman left he says god I will make you stink

monk he gets the passion from the woman and he throws it at the holy

paisius and then he says,  lord have mercy I didn't have such things what happened

now the gossip took him by the leg to go find a woman to put out

his eye the gods as soon as I tell them this they go crazy because why if you stand by

god you stand if you don't stand god allowed you to fall you suffered but

god took grace and you fell it's not your right it's a gift you got it

, my Christians, I'm telling you these examples just like that

so you can understand why a life goes by and you say, Oh, so the saint goes

to the Virgin Mary who you see falls in front of her and says, take it from me, no

there you will sit the Virgin Mary is dark the place was darkening and the saint, while

he was always checking his conscience to see what the hell I was doing

and it came out what the hell I was doing and this thing came out in my soul What, hey?

I became dark again, when it was dark; when it was dark, he wanted this

need and what does he say because he had learned from an old ascetic that he burned his hand?

his hand melted. Saint Jacob is the one who has read these things, he tells you and me.

will do something, he takes the ax that was cutting the wood

from his right hand and gives him one on his left leg and cut it here; heck,

you have these here, this piece here of the leg; I cut it with the shoe and

he tells you the pain will stop, the blood will leave me if I don't say the word; it doesn't go away, blood

was running down the bones; he was screaming from the pain, and lust lust didn't take him

why did god look at you baby? Look, look, face, look STL, look baby, look.

how god made him the cocoon like a chrysalis enters a

cocoon and then makes a prf and opens its wings and flies he entered

the spiritual cocoon of god's grace and chook chook chook he came out and

he is this great saint, the mouth the comforter what a nice word the mouth is the

comforter you are a saint comforted me because he was in pain

what happened now what happened do I do something I hit the

cane so

Fine, but why do you lock them if they want to come in anyway what did they come in

anyway you know what you are saying, what is going on and I don't

understand it let's go up again we are going up we are going up what is good the

saint says, instead of going down,

I will go up he road had two roads, one that went down and one

that went up up are the bears

the bears will smell the blood and they will come to eat me and I will sit and be eaten

by going down, let a bear eat me and go up and not even the bears

came to see them coming and he said to them, You, my lady

where do you want to go from here you will go from here or I'll go from here what do you want what

road do you want and the cross leave the hare for the hare he had and the cross and he said

never let anything catch you as this yes and many more the bears don't

accept him and he says what a stinker I am not even the bears don't want me but

what I have done and then a ray of sunlight from the old man from the labors

from his mother from all his prayer not to go and tells him inside

what you were doing to your classmate is the

cause he criticized her and the

exhaustion exhaustion exhaustion exhaustion and

exhaustion as soon as he realized it, he fell where he was with the blood and started

crying and saying,  sorry  Sorry, I'm the cause.

as soon as he said that

god took his lust so it's a passion he understands that it's not like that it

's not a coincidence