With much joy I received just
these days from Father Hilarion, the spiritual child of the ever-memorable
hieromonk Savvas, your letter of the 25th of May.
...I read it with much attention
and I praised, as was proper, your God-inspired zeal and the fact that, as a
good Christian, you were moved to examine the Holy Scripture and to write a
study in which you deal with the number 666, which implies the Antichrist.
...And as for the Chiliasts whom
you censure, you are worthy of praise. The all-good God, Who sees your good
faith and your good will, will not allow you to fall into delusions, as some
others did, because they relied on their own self and wished to interpret
matters of the Apocalypse of John the Theologian.
...Proof of the humble opinion
you have of yourself is that you feared the right-hand snares of the deceitful
dragon and did not rely on yourself and your own opinions. For this reason, you
performed forty Liturgies and other sacred acts, and then you wrote and sent
this study.
...In this you are worthy of
praise, for you imitated the Apostle Paul, who, although he had certainty
concerning what he taught, because he was taught them directly by our very
Savior Jesus, yet, out of fear lest he might be running or had run in vain, would
go every year to Jerusalem to present his thoughts to Peter and James. Thus,
being guided, he became a faultless luminary of the world.
...Since, then, you have
entrusted everything to me, dear one, and have asked with unwavering faith that
I tell you whether the opinion you set forth and the conclusion you express
concerning the number 666 have any foundation or not, I hasten to tell you with
all sincerity what the holy Fathers of the Church declare regarding this.
...In general, they urge us to
be cautious, not to proceed in interpreting the Apocalypse of Saint John
according to our own opinions, for all those from ancient times until today who
attempted to do so were grievously deceived.
...Likewise, those who resort
to numbers and claim that such and such a number signifies the coming of the
Antichrist or even the time of his arrival, labor in vain without the slightest
benefit. In any case, those who occupy themselves with such matters are bound
to fall into many strange delusions.
...We observe that the holy
Apostles and all the great Fathers left the sacred Apocalypse uninterpreted,
because it refers to future events in an obscure manner, which are only
revealed as they come to pass.
...The Apostle Paul, in his
Epistle to the Galatians, condemns those who observe times and seasons. He
writes: “Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of
you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain” (Gal. 4:10–11).
...We also see clearly in the
Holy Gospel that our Lord Jesus, although He explained to the disciples all His
supernatural mysteries and the great mystery of the Superessential Trinity, and
all that was necessary for them to know for their salvation—He revealed all
these to them—yet the time and hour of His Second Coming He concealed, saying: “But
of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my
Father only” (Matt. 24:36).
...What then? Did our God-man
Jesus know nothing concerning this? Even to entertain such a thought is
blasphemous. He knew it very well, as being of one essence with the Father and
co-eternal; but it was not expedient for that day to be made known—especially
by the Apostles—and for all of us to learn it. He only declared the signs and
the circumstances which would foretell the coming of the Antichrist, and, as we
see today, the time is drawing near. Also, in the Acts of the Apostles we see
that our Lord dissuades us from this unprofitable inquiry. Luke writes: “It
is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in
His own power” (Acts 1:7).
...And since, as you write, you
are a sinful man, as also am I who write to you, and you have been shown mercy
by God through confession and are already under a rule, since these are the
circumstances, why, my dear one, should we abandon humble self-knowledge and
occupy ourselves with matters beyond our strength? Why should we busy ourselves
with numbers and subjective speculations in order to learn the times and the
seasons?
...Instead of occupying yourself
with such dangerous inquiries, is it not better to concern yourself with how
you may please the Lord through virtuous deeds and by avoiding hidden pride?
...As much as the All-Good One is
pleased with the humble self-awareness of ourselves and with a single tear shed
for our sins, He is not pleased with ten thousand discoveries of the Old and
New Testaments.
...Proof of this is the thief,
who, although he was a criminal and a sinner, because he humbled himself and
asked for mercy for his sins, was exalted so greatly that he entered first into
paradise.
...As for the coming of the
Antichrist, we, dear one, have the infallible teacher—the Church, which has the
help of the Holy Spirit. This cannot err. Here is what the Church says: First,
the prophets Enoch and Elias will come to earth. The Antichrist will be
born of a Jewish harlot, etc., and he will perform wonders and signs in
appearance only, and thus the end shall come (cf. Triodion, Sunday of
Meatfare).
...These are the saving truths
which we must believe, and by believing, be made ready to receive the Lord,
according to the saying: “Watch therefore, and pray, for ye know neither the
day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh” (Matt. 25:13).
...Truly, what benefit will we
gain from the interpretation of the name of the Antichrist or the investigation
of numbers, if before the coming of the Antichrist, death overtakes us?
...These things are sufficient,
and I believe that, as a prudent laborer in the vineyard of Christ, you will
not take offense at me, but will be persuaded that this is the truth.
...Therefore, set aside these
speculations and turn to the writings of the Fathers, which will benefit you
ten thousand times more. And then, pray also for me, the least one, who wishes
you all things that contribute to salvation.
Katounakia of Mount Athos
September 5, 1925
Daniel, Monk of Katounakia
Source: Συμβουλευτικόν περί χριστιανικής τελειότητος
[Advice on Christian Perfection], “Letter to S. Vergonis,” pp. 87–91 for the
modernized (Demotic) text; original text on pp. 169–173, transliterated by
Nikolaos Vasileiadis, Theologian; published by the Holy Hesychasterion
Brotherhood of the Daniēlai, Mount Athos, 2009.
Online: https://entoytwnika1.blogspot.com/2025/09/blog-post_7.html
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