A Ray of Light

A Ray of Light

Compiled by Panteleimon (Nizhnik)
Translated by Michael Hilko
Format
Pamphlet, 96 pages
Published
Jan 1, 1996
ISBN
9780884650478
Status
Out of print
Dimensions
9 in x 6 in
Weight
4 grams

— About the Book —

Discusses the state of the world at the end of time and encourages the reader to be spiritually prepared for the coming of the end of times, for it will be unexpected, like a "thief in the night".  Gathered from the writings of ancient and modern Church Fathers.

— Author Biography —

Archimandrite Panteleimon was the founder and first abbot of Holy Trinity Monastery, in Jordanville New York.  Father Panteleimon was born Peter Nizhnik on January 16, 1895 in the village of Rechitsa, Grodno Province, Russia.  Immigrating to the United States in 1913, he found work in a factory in Chicago.  Spurred by the radical changes that were occurring in his homeland due to the Revolution and Civil War, he entered St. Tikhon’s Monastery in Pennsylvania in 1918.  Quickly ordained first a deacon and then a priest, Fr. Panteleimon was in charge of agricultural projects at the monastery.  Desiring a life even more removed from the vanity and bustle of the world, he wanted to build his own monastery far away in the woods. Along with a fellow desirer of the quiet monastic life Ivan Kolos, (the future Archimandrite Joseph) Fr. Panteleimon received permission to work in the Sikorsky factory in Connecticut to raise money to buy land for a monastery.  Eventually, in 1928 he was able to purchase farmland near Jordanville NY, where he started to slowly build Holy Trinity Monastery.  Facing many early challenges, including a fire that burned down the first wooden church that was built, Fr. Panteleimon and his fellow monks nevertheless continued to labor, and eventually were able to build a stone cathedral dedicated to The Holy Trinity, along with a large building to house the monks and printing press.  Strengthened with the movement of the St. Job of Pochaev Brotherhood from Slovakia, which drew its roots from the famous Pochaev Lavra, the monastery continued the printing tradition of the Pochaev monastery, and became one of the main sources for Russian language spiritual literature and service books during the Soviet period.  Father Panteleimon was a tireless compiler and author of spiritual texts.  He fell asleep in the Lord in 1984.

— Contents —

Forward 

Chapter 1 A Ray of Light, How to Leave the Darkness of Death, The Perception of Truth 

Chapter 2 What Will be the Status of the Incomplete Blessedness of Righteous Souls and the Incomplete Torture of Sinful Souls?

Chapter 3 The Fate in the Future Life of Sinful People, Unrepentant of Their Sins

Chapter 4 The Incorruptibility and Miraculous Powers of Holy Relics

Chapter 5 The Veneration of Holy Icons 

Chapter 6 Christ’s Holy Church

Chapter 7 The Characteristics of People before the End of the World. A Prophecy

Chapter 8 Apostasy in the Last Days of the World

Chapter 9 Signs by which the Nearness of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ Can Be Judged

Chapter 10 The Coming of Antichrist

Chapter 11 The Birth of Antichrist and His Acceptance by the Jews as the True Messiah

Chapter 12 Antichrist Foretold

Chapter 13 The Actions and Name of the Antichrist

Chapter 14 Seal of Antichrist 

Chapter 15 Miracles of Antichrist

Chapter 16 The Disparagement of Divine Law by Antichrist; Persecutions and Tortures of those Confessing Christ 

Chapter 17 The Construction by Antichrist of his Altar in the Temple of Jerusalem

Chapter 18 The Terrible State of the World and All Mankind during the Reign of Antichrist 

Chapter 19 Posthumous Prophecies of our Holy Father Nilus the Myrrh-streamer of Athos

Chapter 20 Prophetic Characteristics of People Before the End of the World

Chapter 21 The Prophecy on the Increase of Poverty; Persecution of Poor Peasants, their Resettlements; The Grain Monopoly Preceding the Birth of Antichrist

Chapter 22 The Root of Evil is Avarice, or Love of Money

Chapter 23 Antichrist Will be Born When the World Will Become Spiritually Impoverished and When Worldwide Anarchy Begins.  The Universal Reign of Antichrist

Chapter 24 The Spirit of Christ and the Spirit of Antichrist

Chapter 25 What is the Seal of Antichrist Which Seals Evil People Today, and What is the Seal with Which Antichrist Will Seal People after his Accession?

Chapter 26 Calamities Which will Overtake the World after the Accession of Antichrist: The Ocean Will Dry Up, Animals Will Perish, Time Will Accelerate 

Chapter 27 the Sermon of Enoch and Elijah, so that People Receive Not the Seal of Antichrist, but Always Sign Themselves with the Cross; The Slaying of these Preachers

Chapter 28 The Word of our Holy Father Ephraim the Syrian on the Coming of Antichrist

— More from the Author —
A Ray of Light
The Journey Beyond Death