The Prophecies of Hatziflorenos of Milia Famagusta: Cyprus, the Turkish Invasion, and the Future Liberation of the Island

 

Hatziflorenos of Miliana, Famagusta, whose book I was given the opportunity to introduce, by God's grace, has now brought us to the end of this account.

He reposed in the Lord in 1969 in his village of Miliana, in the Famagusta district. He lived a life of repentance and tears, and he described everything that we have experienced from 1964 until today, as well as what we may yet experience. He recorded these things himself and passed his accounts on to his children.

He went and met Makarios, the then Archbishop and President; Gennadios, who was then Bishop of Paphos; and the Bishop of Kyrenia, whom the speaker describes as a great national leader. He spoke to them and warned them:

“Be careful. The Turks will come and take half the island.”

Only Gennadios, he said, took his words seriously. Makarios listened to him with seriousness, while others may even have mocked him.

In the end, the speaker claims, it was not the visions of Makarios or of the great national leader Kyprianos that came to pass, but the prophecies of Hatziflorenos of Miliana, whom the villagers mockingly called “Hatmouna.”

People from those parts remember him riding around on a bicycle. They paid little attention to him and even considered him mad.

Now listen to some of the sayings preserved by a very good writer.

“There will come a time when you will run like camels. You will be afraid to look behind you. Wherever you go, you will think you have arrived at a festival. You will neither hunger nor thirst.”

The speaker interprets these words as referring to the displacement of the Cypriot population in 1974.

“Many countries will intervene, but the Turks will listen to no one. They will be unyielding.

“However, the time will come when you will return to your homes. When that time comes, you will fall to the ground. You will humble yourselves.

“The Panagia will will it, and you will return. But I tell you again: humble yourselves. You will fall to the ground. God knows when this will happen, and He will set you free when you are at peace with one another.

“When you return, there will be weeping. All Cyprus will be dressed in black.”

The speaker interprets the reference to mourning as pointing to the events of 1974, when Cyprus suffered devastating losses.

Consider that these words were allegedly spoken before 1969.

“You will search for the smallest cave, the tiniest hole in which to hide. A great evil will befall Cyprus. You will leave, but I will remain.”

The speaker explains that Hatziflorenos was referring to his own death and burial in Miliana, where he was eventually laid to rest.

Now listen to another saying, which concerns the current negotiations. This next part is my own interpretation, and I may be mistaken.

“They will go as far as the point of signing an agreement, but in the end, they will not sign it. Satan will place obstacles in their way, and the documents will remain unsigned. The problem, however, will resolve itself.”

The speaker then recounts a conversation between Hatziflorenos and his son.

His son told him, “The Turks will destroy us.”

This conversation allegedly took place in 1964, during the period of intercommunal unrest.

“Listen, my son,” Hatziflorenos replied. “There will come a time when only three people in Cyprus will be able to set it free. And Cyprus will be liberated by itself, without anyone helping it.”

When people asked him, “Do you really believe such things about Constantinople? It has been under occupation for so many years and still has not been liberated. How, then, will we be liberated?”

He reportedly answered prophetically:

“Their time will come, too, and they will take back what belongs to them. God is in no hurry.”

The speaker continues by recalling the events of 1964, when Turkish Cypriot communities were living in enclaves and villages.

Hatziflorenos told his son to go and lie down to sleep.

He explained that God's saints had received no indication that the Turks would come immediately in 1964.

“They will come later,” he said, “as they did in 1974, and they will take half of Cyprus.”

His son, whom the speaker describes as a strong and confident man, replied, “If only they would leave us alone until morning, we would finish them off.”

Hatziflorenos answered:

“My dear Antonis, the Turks will come through your village, and you will not be able to pass through your own village.”

The speaker interprets this as a prophecy of the Turkish occupation.

His son replied, “But we are not alone. We also have Greece.”

Hatziflorenos then reportedly said:

“We have no one on our side. They are all against us. The Turks will come later, and everyone will ask them to stop, but they will not stop.

“Then you will leave your homes just as they are and flee.”

The speaker says these words describe what people experienced from 1974 onward.

“You will fall over one another, but you will not harm one another.”

He connects this saying with the overcrowded conditions of displacement in 1974, when three families might have to live together in a single room.

He adds that the words reflect the moral character and solidarity of Cypriots at that time, before moving on to what he sees as later spiritual and social decline.

“Afterward, people will sin. You will be delayed in returning. When you do return, there will be weeping.

“Then God will grant people the understanding to recognize the right path. Many Turks, because of their good deeds, will become Christians.

“The Panagia will turn even stones into Christians at that time—not only human beings. The fear of God will come upon the world, and people will walk with their heads bowed.”

The speaker then recounts another prophecy concerning the liberation of Cyprus.

“Cyprus will be liberated by itself, without anyone helping it.”

He says that when they asked Elder Paisios how Cyprus could possibly be liberated on its own, the Elder reportedly explained:

“My child, after the Turks make their threat in the Aegean, the Russians will strike them so suddenly and from so many directions that the Turks will be forced to withdraw their troops from Cyprus and take them away to fight in the Bosporus straits.

“One day you will wake up and hear that the troops are leaving to fight in Turkey.”

The speaker continues that the Cypriots would then need wisdom and discernment to manage northern Cyprus, which, according to this account, would no longer have Turkish troops stationed there but would still have a diverse population.

He mentions Turkish Cypriots, Kurds, Laz people, Alevis, Sunnis, and Shiites.

“At that point, our wisdom will be put to the test. We, as members of the Church, will have a great responsibility toward both Christians and Muslims.”

The speaker concludes that moral and spiritual decline will precede Cyprus's liberation.

He says that a period of prosperity will come before a great crisis, and that people must turn toward God if they are to withstand it.

He describes a possible economic collapse in which hotels will close and unfinished buildings will remain standing on their concrete columns.

He adds that God may even withhold rain, reminding his listeners that all things belong to Him.

Then he recounts a saying that sounds humorous but, he argues, conceals a tragic truth:

“There will come a time when people will search for donkeys, but they will not find any.”

Why would people be looking for donkeys? Because there would be no fuel.

Without fuel, he explains, how would he travel from Evrychou to Stavraetos?

He warns that even if Cyprus does not experience war directly, it could still suffer shortages of essential goods.

He suggests that shopping centres and urban supply systems could run into serious difficulties within days, raising the question of how city populations would feed themselves.

For this reason, he argues that agriculture must be taken seriously. People should produce some of their own food so that, in difficult times, they can sustain themselves and manage at least the basic necessities of life.

Finally, he emphasizes the most important point, which he says he had not discussed enough:

“May God forgive me. We must have repentance.

“Repentance attracts the mercy of God.”

An Elder’s Prophecies About Cyprus, Turkey, Greece, and the Coming Difficult Times

 

And about national issues, too. For example, I had asked him about Cyprus 

Regarding Cyprus, he said—and there were Cypriots present at that meeting—“I will go when Cyprus is united.” I did not understand what he meant by that. Perhaps he meant something else. I don't know. I couldn't interpret it, but he did say that.

As for Turkey, other people asked him questions, too. I had certainly asked him twice, perhaps even a third time. I had heard him say,

“The Turks have their kollyva tied around their belts.”

That was the decisive phrase. “The Turks have their kollyva around their belts.”

Note: Kollyva are boiled-wheat offerings traditionally associated with memorial services for the departed. The precise meaning of this expression in the testimony remains uncertain.

They also asked him about Turkey. He said that developments would come, although I don't remember the exact details.

They also asked him about the six-mile limit. He said, “The Turks will reach Corinth.”

“Elder, people are saying that they will reach Corinth now. They say we've lost everything and nothing will be left.”

“No, God bless you! You haven't even seen the six miles yet.”

He was referring to the six-nautical-mile maritime limit.

He said that they would try to seize two or three small islands, perhaps more.

Then, he said, it would not necessarily be us who fought them or our own military strength that decided matters. The great powers, which have substantial interests in the region, would come into play.

Not because they love us—not out of love for us—but because of their own interests. Their interests would conflict with one another, and they would say, “Go on, you take them.”

I don't remember exactly whether he was referring to the Bosporus or to a particular area on one side or the other. I cannot recall the precise details.

“But Elder, there are so many people there. What will happen to them?”

He said that a very great catastrophe would occur.

“There will be a great disaster. There will be bloodshed—an enormous amount of bloodshed.”

Afterward, he said, you would be searching for someone who was an atheist—or something to that effect. The exact expression is unclear in the recording.

“One-third will be lost,” he said. The others, he explained, would go over there. Many of them were Christians in secret—hidden Christians.

“They will be baptized, and a Kurdish state will be established. The Armenians will also establish a state,” he said.

I don't remember exactly how many parts he said Turkey would be divided into. I cannot recall the details.

Sometimes, when someone says something that deeply moves or shocks you, your mind stops at that particular point. You remember that part, while what comes afterward leaves a gap in your memory. I don't want to claim things I cannot remember accurately.

But he did say that the Turks had their kollyva around their belts.

Regarding Cyprus, I asked him, and he said to me, “Do you really want to go and fight?”

I was asking him about Turkey, too.

He told me, “I will not be alive to see it. Your generation will be alive to see it.”

That is how I remember his words.

Many people questioned him about national affairs. He also spoke about a period when we would experience hunger for months.

He mentioned a plant, I think, and when it should be sown and when it would grow. I understood him to be talking about cabbages.

He also spoke about how long these conditions would last.

“There will be hunger,” he said. “If you have a little piece of land, sow it.”

Then he reassured us:

“God will not abandon us like that. He will not abandon us. All we need to do is repent.”

He spoke about repentance and humility repeatedly.

He often emphasized humility, repentance, and, of course, confession.

I had seen people come to him, only for him to send them away, telling them, “Go and confess your sins, and then come back.”

He connected everything with prayer. On several occasions, he would leave the room, spend a few minutes elsewhere, and then return.

When he had no particular information to give someone, he would not invent something. He did not simply say things for the sake of saying them.

He also had a sense of humor. He might tell you one thing or another, but everything had its purpose. Nothing he said was simply to be thrown into the rubbish bin.

We were very fortunate to have experienced such things. I can understand why many people who have never experienced them are skeptical and say what they say. They have not lived through such experiences themselves.

I, too, had my doubts at first.

The only thing I said was, “If the Panagia, the Most Holy Theotokos, exists, I want her to show me the way.”

And she showed me the way. She guided me to find another person who could help me go to Mount Athos.

I did not even have my tickets, but I went.

I am happy. Glory to God! Throughout his life, he prayed constantly, and you could sense it. You felt an inner joy.

You would become filled with joy. He had spiritual insights that made you feel as though you were flying.

There were moments when you would say to yourself, “What is happening here?”

He was a saint of repentance, patience, and love.

He loved people deeply and helped so many of them. The little path leading to him had practically become a highway.

We are talking about thirty or forty people a day. What happened there every day is difficult to describe.

How could one human being possibly receive so many people, each with their own problems, and listen to everyone?

He would say different things to different people, and each person would understand what he or she personally needed to understand.

People often understood only the part that concerned them personally—the part they themselves needed to hear.

That is remarkable.

I hope that what we have discussed will help people, because we are facing difficult times.

We will find our support there. There is no other support—there is no other place to turn.

Look at the situation today. Things may become even worse than they are now.

That is all I have to say. May we have the blessing of the Elder. I call him a saint—a saint whom we were blessed to know.

MOTHER CHRISTOFORA

 

Are There Different Degrees of Paradise? An Orthodox Christian Story

In 1928, he laid the foundations of his monastery, and in 1930, the monastery was inhabited by the monks.

Saint Athimos, however, had encountered a Turkish commander before the arrival of the Germans. This commander was an exceptionally kind man.

He helped protect churches and showed great compassion toward the Christians. He did not allow Turkish soldiers to harm anyone, and he demonstrated remarkable kindness.

The saint wondered, "How can such a good man, who is a Turk, enter Paradise?”

Then God revealed something to him.

The saint saw the man in a beautiful garden, a magnificent paradise. There were trees, wonderful surroundings, and a great garden with a throne in the middle.

As the man approached the throne, a voice called out:

“Welcome, my athlete! Welcome! Come and see where I am!”

The story then raises a question: Is there more than one Paradise?

The answer presented in the account is that there are different degrees of blessedness, corresponding to the goodness and kindness people have shown during their lives.

Some people may have performed many good deeds and helped others, yet their spiritual condition may not be the same as that of those who have reached the fullness of communion with God.

The account suggests that God judges each person according to their deeds and the measure of goodness they have shown.

However, Orthodox Christianity teaches that the fullness of Paradise is communion with God through Jesus Christ. It does not teach that there are separate heavens in which people can attain salvation independently of God.

The Stages of the Soul After Death and the Aerial Toll Houses: The Truth According to the Orthodox Church

 

 

Dear brothers and sisters,

In our previous video, we spoke about whether the dead can see us, and we learned that the soul continues to live and remains conscious. Today, we will discuss something very serious and deeply spiritual: what happens to a person immediately after death, what stages the soul passes through, and what are known as the aerial toll houses.

Our Church teaches that when the soul separates from the body, it does not remain alone. It is received by the angels of God. Saint Macarius of Egypt says that the angels accompany the soul with peace and reverence for God. A person does not depart from this world alone.

According to Church tradition, during the first three days, the soul remains close to the earth. It sees the places where it lived and remembers its life. This is why, shortly before dying, people sometimes speak as though they can see things and people.

Afterward, the soul is led to see places of light and joy, as well as places of sorrow, so that it may understand spiritual reality. Then begins the journey that the Holy Fathers call the aerial toll houses.

What Are the Aerial Toll Houses?

The aerial tollhouses are not physical places as we might imagine them. They are spiritual examinations. At each toll house, a particular category of sins committed during a person's life is examined.

These accounts are mentioned by various saints, including Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov, and in the vision of Blessed Theodora.

The traditional account describes the following aerial toll houses:

• The toll house of slander.

• The toll house of insult and abusive speech.

• The toll house of envy.

• The toll house of lying.

• The toll house of anger and wrath.

• The toll house of pride.

• The toll house of blasphemy.

• The toll house of idle talk and foolish speech.

• The toll house of usury and deceit.

• The toll house of laziness and excessive sleep.

• The toll house of greed and love of money.

• The toll house of drunkenness.

• The toll house of resentment and holding grudges.

• The toll house of witchcraft and divination.

• The toll house of gluttony.

• The toll house of idolatry.

• The toll house of homosexuality.

• The toll house of pleasing people and seeking their approval.

• The toll house of adultery.

• The toll house of murder.

• The toll house of theft.

• The toll house of fornication.

• The toll house of mercilessness and lack of compassion.

At each toll house, the demons accuse the soul of its sins, while the angels present evidence of any repentance shown during the person's lifetime, including confession, good deeds, and the grace of God.

Ultimately, a person does not save himself. God saves through His mercy.

The aerial toll houses are not meant to frighten us. They are meant to show us how serious our lives are. Every action matters, every word matters, but repentance also possesses tremendous power.

After this journey, the soul enters a temporary state. The righteous dwell in peace and light, while those who have not repented experience sorrow. All await the resurrection of the dead and the Final Judgment.

Here we find something deeply comforting: the prayers of the living can greatly help the souls of the departed.

This is why we hold memorial services and pray for those who have died. Our Church does not do these things merely as a formal ritual. It does so because these prayers truly matter.

The message, therefore, is not fear but spiritual vigilance. We must live with repentance, prayer, and love, because God does not want anyone to perish. He desires that all be saved, and He awaits us with open arms.

Understanding the Soul's Journey More Deeply

Let us look more deeply at what this journey of the soul means.

The Holy Fathers teach us that after death, a person can no longer hide from himself. The conscience is fully illuminated, and everything comes to light.

Saint John of Damascus explains that the soul then clearly understands the true condition of its life. The things it justified while on earth are seen as they really were, while even the smallest good deeds acquire great value.

The Holy Fathers place particular emphasis on the forty days following death. During these days, the soul passes through these stages and prepares to enter its temporary state until the Final Judgment.

This is why the Church has special prayers on the third, ninth, and fortieth days after death. These observances are not arbitrary; they have deep spiritual meaning.

On the third day, we commemorate the Resurrection of Christ and pray that God will also raise the soul spiritually.

On the ninth day, we pray in remembrance of the nine orders of angels.

On the fortieth day, we remember that our Lord Himself ascended into Heaven, and we pray that the departed soul may find rest in the place appointed for it.

The Power of Prayer for the Departed

I will share an incident related to spiritual fathers.

A priest was praying fervently for a man who had died suddenly. One night, he saw the man in a dream, looking sad and troubled.

The man said to him, "Father, your prayers are helping me, but I need more."

The priest increased his prayers and memorial services. A few days later, he saw the man again, this time radiant and peaceful.

This story illustrates the great spiritual significance attributed to the prayers of the Church.

The Holy Fathers also teach us something else: even a small prayer can bring great consolation to a departed soul.

A simple "Lord, have mercy," a candle, or an act of charity offered in the name of someone who has departed this life can be meaningful. Nothing offered in love is wasted.

The Toll Houses Are Not a Mechanical Process

There is something very important to understand: the aerial toll houses are not a mechanical procedure, nor are they simply like examinations.

They represent the revelation of a person's spiritual condition.

If the heart has learned to repent, love, and forgive, the soul approaches this journey with peace. If a person has lived far from God, the soul experiences the sorrow of separation from Him.

Saint Isaac the Syrian expresses a profound spiritual truth: God never ceases to love the human being, even after death. Yet a person experiences God's love differently depending on the condition of his or her heart.

This shows us that God does not act out of vengeance. God loves.

Therefore, the purpose of this teaching of the Church is not to terrify us. It is to awaken us, to help us live rightly from this moment onward, to stop postponing repentance, and to stop neglecting our souls.

Every day we live is a gift from God. It is an opportunity for salvation, a time for love, and an opportunity for change.

And the most comforting truth of all is this: as long as we are alive, things can still be corrected.

As long as we breathe, God awaits us.

Let us therefore live, dear brothers and sisters, with prayer, confession, forgiveness, and love, so that the journey of our souls may be filled with light and peace.

Next Friday, the next part of our series will be published, and we will discuss something many people wonder about:

What is Paradise really like, according to the Orthodox Church? What will we do there? Will time exist as we know it here? Will there be trees, men and women, and will we recognize one another in Paradise?

It is a beautiful and deeply comforting subject.

May you all be well, and may God bless us all.

Amen.

An Important Orthodox Caution About the Aerial Toll Houses

It is important to approach the teaching about the aerial toll houses with spiritual discernment and an understanding of Orthodox theology.

Although accounts of the toll houses appear in the writings and spiritual experiences of certain Orthodox saints and ascetics, the detailed teaching about the toll houses is not universally accepted by all Orthodox theologians, nor has every detail of these accounts been defined as dogma by an Ecumenical Council.

Some Orthodox writers and monastic traditions understand the toll houses as a spiritual reality in which the soul encounters the consequences of its sins and the accusations of demonic powers. Others caution that these accounts should not necessarily be interpreted as a literal, chronological description of what happens to every soul after death.

The Orthodox Church firmly teaches that death is followed by the soul's continued existence, that each person will face God's judgment, and that the final resurrection and Last Judgment will come at the end of the age. The Church also teaches the importance of repentance, the mercy of God, and prayer for the departed.

However, we should be careful not to present every detail found in private revelations, hagiographical accounts, or particular interpretations of the toll houses as an indisputable article of the Orthodox faith.

Above all, we must remember that our salvation rests in the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ, not in fear of demons or in an attempt to calculate our passage through the afterlife.

The proper Orthodox response is not panic or speculation, but repentance, participation in the sacramental life of the Church, love for our neighbor, forgiveness, and trust in the Lord.

As Christians, we are called to remain spiritually vigilant while placing our hope in Christ, who conquered death through His Resurrection.

May the Lord grant rest to the souls of all who have departed this life, forgive their sins, and bring them into His eternal Kingdom. Amen.

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.