“If the Holy Fire does not descend, it will be a sign that the end of the world is near,” Bishop Nicholas
Representatives of the Kremenchug city authorities and clergy will specially go to the Boryspil airport to pick him up. The Holy Fire will be delivered to the Holy Dormition Cathedral(Kryukov), where he will be met by Bishop Nikolai of Kremenchug and Lubensky, as well as priests Orthodox churches cities. As the press service of the diocese reported, it is assumed that the Fire will be brought before the start of the festive service, i.e. around 10-11 pm. After the meeting, the priests - representatives of the churches - will light special lamps from him and take the Fire to other churches of the diocese.
Why is it so important for the Holy Fire to descend? What happens if this doesn't happen? We asked Bishop Nikolai of Kremenchug and Lubensky to answer these and other questions.
— Vladyka, every year believers watch the miracle of the convergence with bated breath Holy Fire in the temple...
The appearance of the Holy Fire
Every year, in the spring, believers celebrate a holiday called Easter. Before the celebration, believers prepare very carefully; for some time they observe strict fasting, thereby repeating a feat similar to the feat of the God-Man Jesus Christ, when after baptism He remained in the desert for 40 days and was tempted by the devil.
On the last day of Holy Week, on Holy Saturday, a very unusual phenomenon occurs, which millions of Orthodox Christians are waiting for - the appearance of the Holy Fire in the Church of the Resurrection of Christ. Many people know the extraordinary properties of this fire. It is believed that in the first minutes of its appearance, it does not burn, such a miracle is explained by the special Grace that comes to us from heaven, some believers even wash their faces, hands and bodies with a miraculous flame, without...
The descent of the Holy Fire of the year remains an inexplicable mystery; Christians believe in its miraculous, divine origin. Moreover, according to historical evidence, fire appears in the Edicule, the inner chapel of the Jerusalem Church of the Holy Sepulcher, only through the prayer of the Orthodox patriarch. It is believed that if the fire does not go down, it will become a terrible omen for all humanity, and those who are in the temple will die...
The Resurrection of Christ - Easter, before which the described event takes place - is the greatest event for Christians, which is a sign of the Savior’s victory over sin and death and the beginning of the existence of the world, redeemed and sanctified by the Lord Jesus Christ.
For nearly two thousand years, Orthodox Christians and representatives of other Christian denominations have been celebrating their greatest holiday - the Resurrection of Christ (Easter) in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher (Resurrection) in Jerusalem. In this greatest shrine for Christians, there is a Tomb where...
All for Easter Orthodox world awaits a miracle - the descent of the Holy Fire in the Jerusalem Church of the Holy Sepulcher. This fire descends only here and only on Holy Saturday, on the eve of Easter, but many do not know that this miracle is a promise for the whole year and is valid until next Easter. We learned about the symbolism of the descent of the Holy Fire, myths and attempts to extinguish it or take it “by force” from the vicar of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, Metropolitan Paul.
WITNESSES OF A MIRACLE
Master, what does the descent of fire mean and why should we remember it for a whole year?
The Holy Fire, according to legend, descends from the year 166. Once upon a time, in this place, light and radiance simply lit up and emanated from the Earth. The first witness of the descent of the Holy Light into the Holy Sepulcher was, according to the testimony of the holy fathers, the Apostle Peter. Having run to the Tomb after the news of the Resurrection of the Savior, in addition to the burial shrouds, he saw an amazing light inside the Tomb of Christ. “When Peter saw this, he believed and saw that the Tomb was full...
read this: In 1099, Jerusalem was conquered by the crusaders, the Roman Church and local city officials, considering the Orthodox to be apostates, boldly began to trample on their rights. The English historian Stephen Runciman cites in his book a story about this chronicler of the Western Church: “The first Latin patriarch Arnold of Choquet started unsuccessfully: he ordered the expulsion of the heretical sects from their territory in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, then he began to torture Orthodox monks, trying to find out where they were. keep the Cross and other relics... A few months later, Arnold was replaced on the throne by Daimbert of Pisa, who went even further. He tried to expel all local Christians, even Orthodox Christians, from the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and allow only Latins there, completely depriving the rest of the church buildings in or near Jerusalem... God's retribution soon struck: already in 1101 on Holy Saturday the miracle of the descent of the Holy Fire did not happen in Kuvuklia, until the eastern ones were invited to participate in this rite...
Let's start, as usual, with a very long quote:
Where does the Holy Fire come from?
“People have been trying to understand where the Holy Fire comes from for many hundreds of years. Believers claim that this is the mercy of the Lord, given to people. Scientists do not entirely agree with this belief, and therefore they do not stop trying to find explanations for this phenomenon with scientific point vision.
The appearance of the Holy Fire
"Christ is Risen!" - “Truly He is Risen!” So we are used to hearing this Easter greeting from believers, filled with joy and happiness in honor of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ!
Every year, in the spring, believers celebrate a holiday called Easter. Before the celebration, believers prepare very carefully; for some time they observe strict fasting, thereby repeating the feat of Christ, when after baptism He remained in the desert for 40 days and was tempted by the devil.
On the last day of Lent, Holy Saturday, a very unusual phenomenon occurs, which millions of Orthodox Christians are waiting for -...
What happens if the Holy Fire does not descend?
The Holy Fire descends annually in the Holy Sepulcher at the end of the Saturday service, depicting the Passion of Christ, His burial and resurrection. The miracle of lighting the Holy Light symbolizes Christ's exit from the Tomb, that is, his Resurrection.
Parishioners gather in the Jerusalem Church of the Resurrection of Christ, extinguish the candles and chandelier, and the moment comes when the exposed Partiarch enters the Edicule cave, prays over a large chandelier and 33 candles, and comes out of there with Fire. In the first minutes, the Light does not burn either the body or the hair at all. The service is broadcast in many countries, and the Fire itself is greeted with great honor everywhere.
There are many legends and beliefs about what will happen if the Holy Fire does not descend.
Christian legend says that when the Holy Light does not appear in the Edicule, the end of the world will come.
The priests claim that the Apocalypse will begin only when...
Representatives of the Kremenchug city authorities and clergy will specially go to the Boryspil airport to pick him up. The Holy Fire will be delivered to the Holy Assumption Cathedral (Kryukov), where it will be met by Bishop Nikolai of Kremenchug and Lubensky, as well as priests of the city’s Orthodox churches. As the press service of the diocese reported, it is assumed that the Fire will be brought before the start of the festive service, i.e. around 10-11 pm. After the meeting, the priests - representatives of the churches - will light special lamps from him and take the Fire to other churches of the diocese.
Why is it so important for the Holy Fire to descend? What happens if this doesn't happen? We asked Bishop Nikolai of Kremenchug and Lubensky to answer these and other questions.
— Vladyka, every year believers watch with bated breath the miracle of the descent of the Holy Fire in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. When did this first happen?
There are references to the descent of heavenly fire in Old Testament. There are several cases described there when the Lord sent fire from heaven as a sign that the sacrifice was pleasing to Him, that He accepted it. Nowadays, in the days of the New Testament, the very first information about the descent of the Holy Fire is found in Gregory of Nyssa, Eusebius and Silvia of Aquitaine. They date back to the 4th century. Although there are earlier mentions. According to the testimony of the Apostles and Holy Fathers, the uncreated Light illuminated the Holy Sepulcher shortly after the Resurrection of Christ. One of the apostles, Peter, saw this. However, it is impossible to name a specific date. We can only say that the Fire began to descend from the time of the first Christians, and this is already more than two thousand years ago.
- What does the very fact of the descent of the Holy Fire mean?
With this miracle, the Lord seems to confirm the favor and grace of God towards people. This is when God favors us, our prayers, our repentance.
- If the Fire does not descend, could this mean the end of the world is approaching?
Actually, there are three beliefs that can foretell the approaching end of the world. And we can say that the end of the world is near only if all three come true. The first is if Noah's Ark is found on Mount Ararat. The second is when the Oak of Mamre, under which Abraham met the Three Angels - the Holy Trinity, dries up. And thirdly, if the Holy Fire does not descend. There is already historical evidence that Noah's Ark has been found. As for the Mamre oak, there was a time when it dried up. However, in the 90s, during the revival Orthodox faith, when churches opened and services began to be fully conducted, the oak tree came to life again. So in 1996, green leaves were seen on it, and in 1998, living shoots appeared near the root trunk. But this tree is already about 5000 years old. Now the oak trunk, unfortunately, has dried up; it is supported by metal supports.
The third evidence of the approaching end of the world will be if on the eve of Easter, on Holy Saturday, Heavenly fire does not descend on the Holy Sepulcher. But everything depends on us. While people in churches pray and repent, the Lord endures and sends Grace, as evidenced by the descent of the Holy Fire.
- And yet, if the Fire suddenly does not come down, what should the world expect?
Today you can no longer ask anyone and you cannot clarify what will happen if the miracle of the descent of Fire does not happen. There are church traditions, there is Holy Letter. According to Holy Scripture, if the Fire does not descend, it will be a sign that the end of the world is near, that the Antichrist will reign. Terrible days will come for the people of God, for those who do not want to worship darkness. As the Scripture says, all the signs that we receive about the approaching end of the world will be confirmation last days life on earth.
The descent of the Holy Fire occurs only on Orthodox Easter and only in the presence and prayer of the Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem. How do you explain this?
Only the truth of the Orthodox faith. There is evidence that one day the Orthodox Patriarch was kicked out of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, closing the doors to the church. The Patriarch remained on the porch at the entrance. He stood with candles in his hands and prayed. And through his prayer, the Fire of God descended on the column near which the patriarch stood. This happened in 1579. Now this column still stands at the entrance.
What will happen if the Holy Fire does not descend, says Archimandrite Victor (Kotsaba).
Reference:
The Holy Fire has been appearing in the temple for more than a millennium. The earliest mentions of the descent of the Holy Fire on the eve of the Resurrection of Christ are found in Gregory of Nyssa, Eusebius and Silvia of Aquitaine and date back to the 4th century. They also contain descriptions of earlier convergences. According to the testimony of the Apostles and Holy Fathers, the uncreated Light illuminated the Holy Sepulcher shortly after the Resurrection of Christ, which the Apostle Peter saw.
Eusebius Pamphilus narrates in his “Church History” that when one day there was not enough lamp oil, Patriarch Narcissus (2nd century) blessed to pour water from the Pool of Siloam into the lamps, and the fire that came down from heaven lit the lamps, which then burned throughout the entire Easter service . Among the earliest mentions are the testimonies of Muslims and Catholics.
– Father, how many times have you been present at the descent of the Holy Fire?
– By the grace of God I had the opportunity to witness this miracle several times. Of course, the experience is unforgettable. First of all, the trip itself requires some effort: these days in Jerusalem great amount people and it is not at all easy to go to the Edicule of the Holy Sepulcher, where the Holy Fire descends.
It seems that it is on this day, Holy Saturday, that the Church of the Holy Sepulcher becomes the center of the world. People have been arriving since the evening, the entire city is blocked off, and police officers at checkpoints are becoming more active. The path to the Church of the Resurrection of Christ is also not easy, which must be overcome by entering Old city. Every 100-200 meters there is a new post, people gather in crowds. We once stood in one of them for more than an hour. The path itself is not long, but takes approximately 1.5 – 2 hours. It happens that you are caught in the middle of a crush, and you cannot advance anywhere. Everyone is rushing to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
I remember my first trip to the descent of the Holy Fire; then I didn’t have any special passes, but I managed to calmly walk the whole way and stop right next to the entrance to the Edicule. It was also a miracle for me then. (smiles)
– Nobody knows at what moment the Holy Fire will descend? How is the wait going?
– Our entire delegation has been in the Temple since 10 am. The fire usually goes down around 2 p.m. We stay in one place all this time, because if we go out, it will be difficult, almost impossible, to enter. There are screams, bustle, noise and heat all around. There is, of course, an opportunity to pray, because we are standing near the Edicule of the Holy Sepulcher itself.
First, Arab Orthodox youth appear, shouting slogans in their own language, announcing that Christ is Risen, singing various songs, running, and climbing out onto the Edicule with drums. When I first saw such behavior in the temple, I was amazed. But this is considered the norm: at a time when Jerusalem was under the British Mandate, the English governor tried to ban these “savage” dances, young people were not allowed into the Temple - and the Fire did not appear. The Patriarch prayed in Edicule for two hours and then ordered the Arabs to be let in... Then only the fire descended.
The Arabs seem to be addressing all nations: the Lord confirms the correctness of our faith by bringing down the Holy Fire on the eve of Orthodox Easter.
Next, the Patriarch with the bishops of the Jerusalem Church leads the procession of the Cross, walking around the Edicule three times, after which he is completely undressed and goes inside. All the lamps are extinguished. A regal silence sets in, despite the large number of people, only the flashes of phones and cameras appear. After about 15 minutes, the Patriarch comes out with Fire and distributes it to everyone. One of the “dancing” Orthodox Arabs runs up to him, takes the Fire, and, cutting through the crowd, simply runs to the other end of the Temple. In a matter of minutes, the entire Temple is ablaze with the Holy Fire.
Immediately after the descent, the fire has a special property: it does not burn the face and hands. I checked on myself, this is indeed the case. It feels soft, not like the fire we are used to. After this, everyone congratulates each other with the words “Christ is Risen!”
– There is a legend that if the fire does not go down, it will be the end of the world.
– This, of course, is a well-known legend, so everyone is waiting with trepidation and fear for the descent of the Holy Fire.
– Were there any cases when the fire did not go away?
– There was the only case in history when the descent of the Holy Fire took place outside the Temple through the prayers of the Orthodox Patriarch. This happened in 1579.
As you know, the owners of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher are several Churches. And so the priests of the Armenian Church, contrary to tradition, persuaded and bribed Sultan Murat the Truthful and the mayor to allow them to individually celebrate Easter and receive the Holy Fire. At the call of the Armenian clergy from all over the Middle East, many of their coreligionists came to Jerusalem to celebrate Easter alone. The Orthodox, together with Patriarch Sophrony IV, were removed not only from the Edicule, but also taken out of the Temple. They prayed for the fire to descend before entering the shrine, grieving over what happened.
The Armenian Patriarch prayed for about a day, but no miracle happened. At one moment, a ray struck from the sky, as usually happens when fire descends, and hit the column at the entrance, next to which the Orthodox Patriarch was located. Fiery bursts of fire splashed out from it in all directions - and the Orthodox Patriarch’s candle was lit, who passed on the Holy Fire to his co-religionists. This column has been preserved to this day at the entrance to the Church of the Resurrection of Christ.
Interviewed by Natalya Goroshkova
"Christ is Risen!" - “Truly He is Risen!” So we are used to hearing this Easter greeting from believers, filled with joy and happiness in honor of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ!
Every year, in the spring, believers celebrate a holiday called Easter. Before the celebration, believers prepare very carefully; for some time they observe strict fasting, thereby repeating the feat of Christ, when after baptism He remained in the desert for 40 days and was tempted by the devil.
On the last day of Lent, on Holy Saturday, a very unusual phenomenon occurs, which millions of Orthodox Christians are waiting for - the appearance of the Holy Fire in the Church of the Resurrection of Christ. Many people know the extraordinary properties of this fire. It is believed that in the first minutes of its appearance, it does not burn; such a miracle is explained by the special Grace that comes to us from heaven; some believers even wash their faces, hands and bodies with a miraculous flame, without causing themselves any harm.
Now, thanks to television and the Internet, the descent of the Holy Fire can be observed in live from any corner of our planet, thus you can observe a miracle without going to Jerusalem, but even seeing how this miracle happens, people do not stop asking the question -
Descent of the Holy Fire in history
Historical mention of the descent of fire dates back to at least the 4th century; it is evidenced by:
- Saint Gregory of Nyssa
- Eusebius of Caesarea
- Sylvia of Aquitaine
There are descriptions of earlier evidence, for example:
- Gregory of Nyssa wrote that the Apostle Peter saw how, after the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, His tomb was consecrated with bright light.
- Eusebius of Caesarea wrote that in the second century, with the blessing of Patriarch Narcissus, it was ordered to pour water into the lamps from the font of Siloam due to a lack of oil, then fire miraculously came down from heaven, from which the lamps caught fire by themselves.
- The Latin monk-traveler Bernard described in his diary that on Holy Saturday during the service they sang “Lord have mercy” until an angel appeared and lit a fire in the lamps.
Searching the Patriarch's pockets
At a crucial moment, the day before the celebration, all the lamps and candles in the temple are extinguished - this is due to the historical past, due to the fact that different times miracle of the descent of the Holy Fire various reasons tried to expose.
The Turkish authorities conducted a strict search of the Edicule and the entire Temple complex. On the initiative of Catholics, sometimes even the Patriarch's pockets were searched to check for the presence of objects from which fire could be extracted.
Since then, before entering the Edicule, the Patriarch is necessarily unmasked, remaining in only one cassock, thereby, as if proving that he has nothing with him. Of course, now, by and large, such actions are more likely a ritual, but during the reign of the Arabs, a search of the patriarch and Edicule was a mandatory element; if something was suspected, or deception, the death penalty was imposed. The procession is now being monitored by Israeli authorities.
- Before entering the Edicule of the Patriarch of Constantinople or Israel and the Armenian Catholicos, a lamp with oil is placed on the Holy Sepulcher and a bunch of 33 candles is brought in. Their number is related to earthly life Jesus Christ.
- After the patriarchs enter the cave, the door is closed behind them and a large wax seal is placed, which is additionally secured with a red ribbon.
- The Patriarchs remain in the Tomb until the Holy Fire appears. The descent of the Holy Fire can be expected from a few minutes to many hours. All this time, being in Edicule, the Patriarch of Constantinople kneels and prays tearfully.
It is believed that if in Last year If the fire does not go down during the celebration of Easter, the temple will be destroyed and everyone in it will die.
The Holy Fire did not descend
By the way, the presence of two patriarchs in Edicule is also historical in nature. In 1578, the Armenian priests and the new head of Jerusalem agreed on the right to transfer the reception of the Holy Fire to them, and not to the Patriarch of Jerusalem, to which consent was given.
On Holy Saturday 1579, the Patriarch of Jerusalem and the rest of the priests were forcibly not allowed into the temple, and they had to remain outside its boundaries. The Armenian priesthood prayed to the Lord in the cave and asked him for the descent of the fire. However, their prayers were not heard and the fire did not descend into the Tomb.
The Israeli patriarch and priests were praying on the street, it was then that the only descent of the Holy Fire outside the Temple took place, then one of the columns located to the left of the entrance to the Temple cracked, and Fire came out of it!
With great joy, the patriarch then lit candles from this column, passing it on to the rest of the believers. The Arabs immediately expelled the Armenians from the Tomb, and the Israeli Patriarch was allowed to enter the temple.
Since then, it is the Israeli or Constantinople Patriarch who participates in the process of receiving the fire, and the Armenian Catholicos is only present during the descent.
In addition, while awaiting the descent of the Holy Fire, monks and the rector of the Lavra of Sava the Sanctified must be present in the temple. This has been observed since the pilgrimage of Abbot Daniel in the twelfth century.
One more important element The presence of Orthodox Arab youth in the temple is considered. Some time after the sealing of the Tomb - Edicule - the Arabs enter the Temple with shouts, stomping, drums, dancing and prayer songs. With such actions, Arab youth glorify Christ and the Mother of God. U Mother of God they ask for mercy so that the Son will send them the Holy Fire. It is impossible to accurately determine the history of the origin of such a special Arabic ritual, but nevertheless such a ritual still exists.
Once, not so long ago, during the period of British rule over Israel, the governor tried to suppress the Arab tradition, considering that such behavior was “savage” and was not acceptable in the Holy Temple. However, that year the patriarch for a long time prayed in the Edicule, but the fire did not go down, then, by his own will, the patriarch ordered that the Arabs be allowed into the Temple, and only after the Arab dances and chants did the Fire go down.
After the patriarch enters the tomb, anxious anticipation sets in. The wait of believers before the descent of the Fire is accompanied by another interesting phenomenon. The temple begins to be illuminated with bright flashes and flashes, and, before the appearance of the Holy Fire, the intensity of the flashes increases. These outbreaks occur throughout the Temple and are witnessed by all parishioners.
The Holy Fire is delivered all over the world
Eyewitnesses claim that sometimes it happened that the flame was lit by itself on the candles of some parishioners, as well as on Orthodox lamps hanging near the Edicule.
The lighting of the Fire occurs only during the prayer of the Orthodox Patriarch; this phenomenon reminds sinners of Great Saturday, that Christ is Risen and has conquered hell. In other words, the meaning of this sacrament and phenomenon can be interpreted as follows: Lost sinners who cannot know the truth, or are simply confused in their life path The Lord testifies to them of his Resurrection on land of israel, as a miracle that can help sinners to believe and take the path of salvation.
The Lord warns those people who do not strive to take the true path of soul salvation about His Second Coming and the Last Judgment. Jesus Christ proves to His opponents His power over hell and victory over it, warning the infidels about the hellish torment that awaits them after the Last Judgment.
After some waiting, Fire appears in the Edicule, at that moment the bells begin to ring. From the southern window of the Tomb, the Armenian Catholicos transfers the fire to the Armenians, through the northern window the patriarch transfers the fire to the Greeks, after which, with the help of special, so-called walkers, the Fire quickly spreads to all parishioners in the Temple.
In our modern times, the Holy Fire, is delivered all over the world using special flights that bring it to various countries. At airports he is greeted with special honor and joy. The ceremony is attended by both high-ranking officials, the clergy and simply believers experiencing joy in their souls!
The Mystery of the Holy Fire
This wonderful phenomenon at different times had many critics, some, due to their unhealthy curiosity or disbelief, tried to expose and prove the artificial origin of fire. Among those who disagreed was even Catholic Church. In 1238, Pope Gregory IX disagreed about the miraculousness of the Holy Fire, asking the same question that remains relevant today - Where does the Holy Fire come from?
Some Arabs, not understanding the true origin of the Holy Fire, tried to prove that the Fire was supposedly produced using some means, substances and devices, but they had no direct evidence, moreover, they did not even witness this miracle.
Modern researchers have also tried to study the nature of this phenomenon. It is, of course, possible to produce fire artificially; spontaneous combustion of chemical mixtures and substances is also possible, but none of them are similar to the appearance of the Holy Fire, especially with its amazing property when it does not burn or scorch in the first minutes of its appearance.
There were attempts to receive the Holy Fire by representatives of other religious Christian denominations. These were Armenians and, in 1101, Catholics, who at that time dominated Jerusalem after the first Crusade. Then all Christians who were not Latins were expelled, the Temple was captured, and on Holy Saturday of 1101 the Fire did not descend! This suggests that Orthodox Christians must be present!
Once upon a time, even before the Nativity of Christ, before people who believed in different gods the question arose, which faith is the most correct: Faith in the True God or faith in various pagan gods? The prophet Elijah took the path of reconciliation. He came up with the simplest way to prove it.
The Prophet invited various confessors to call on the name of their God, and from whose prayers the answer would be received in the form of a descent of fire, that is the true God. If Baal is God, then we will believe and follow Baal; if the Lord is God, then we will follow Him. People willingly accepted this offer and offered prayers to their gods. And only the prayers of the prophet Elijah were answered, fire descended on the altar and burned it, then it became clear whose worship of God is true!
Here is proof that the Holy Fire descends only on Orthodox prayers. Here it is, an undeniable miracle from God, which we observe year after year on Holy Saturday, on the eve of Easter! This is why the answer to the question is, where does the holy fire come from, there can only be one thing - this is a miracle, and whose, nature or the Lord, has not yet been established for sure.
Scientists managed to get to the Holy Sepulcher and conduct research, the results of which shocked believers.
Regardless of whether a person considers himself a believer or not, at least once in his life he was interested in real evidence of the existence higher powers that every religion talks about.
In Orthodoxy, one of the evidences of miracles indicated in the Bible is the Holy Fire descending on the Holy Sepulcher on the eve of Easter. On Holy Saturday, anyone can see it - just come to the square in front of the Church of the Resurrection. But the longer this tradition exists, the more hypotheses journalists and scientists build. All of them refute the divine origin of fire - but can you trust at least one of them?
History of the Holy Fire
The descent of fire can be seen only once a year and in the only place on the planet - the Jerusalem Temple of the Resurrection. Its huge complex includes: Golgotha, a cave with the Cross of the Lord, a garden where Christ was seen after the resurrection. It was built in the 4th century by Emperor Constantine and the Holy Fire was seen there during the first service on Easter. Around the place where this happened, they built a chapel with the Holy Sepulcher - it is called Edicule.
At ten o'clock on the morning of Holy Saturday, all candles, lamps and other light sources in the temple are extinguished every year. The highest church dignitaries personally monitor this: the last test is the Edicule, after which it is sealed with a large wax seal. From this moment on, the protection of holy places falls on the shoulders of the Israeli police (in ancient times, the Janissaries handled their duties Ottoman Empire). They also put an additional seal on top of the seal of the Patriarch. What is not proof of the miraculous origin of the Holy Fire?
Edicule
At twelve o'clock in the afternoon, a procession of the cross begins to stretch from the courtyard of the Jerusalem Patriarchate to the Holy Sepulcher. It is led by the patriarch: having walked around the Edicule three times, he stops in front of its doors.
“The Patriarch dresses in white robes. With him, 12 archimandrites and four deacons put on white vestments at the same time. Then clerics in white surplices with 12 banners depicting the passion of Christ and His glorious resurrection come out of the altar in pairs, followed by clerics with ripids and a life-giving cross, then 12 priests in pairs, then four deacons, also in pairs, with the last two of them in front of the patriarch holding bunches of candles in their hands in a silver stand for the most convenient transmission of the holy fire to the people, and, finally, the patriarch with a staff in right hand. With the blessing of the patriarch, the singers and all the clergy while singing: “Thy Resurrection, O Christ the Savior, the angels sing in heaven, and vouchsafe us on earth with a pure heart Glory to you” they go from the Church of the Resurrection to the edicule and go around it three times. After the third circumambulation, the patriarch, clergy and singers stop with the banner bearers and the crusader in front of the holy life-giving tomb and sing the evening hymn: “Quiet Light,” recalling that this litany was once part of the rite of the evening service.”
Patriarch and Holy Sepulcher
In the courtyard of the temple, the Patriarch is watched by thousands of eyes of pilgrims-tourists from all over the world - from Russia, Ukraine, Greece, England, Germany. The police search the Patriarch, after which he enters the Edicule. U entrance doors the Armenian archimandrite remains in order to offer prayers to Christ for the forgiveness of the sins of the human race.
“The Patriarch, standing before the doors of the holy tomb, with the help of the deacons, takes off his miter, sakkos, omophorion and club and remains only in the vestment, epitrachelion, belt and armbands. Dragoman then removes the seals and cords from the door of the holy tomb and lets the patriarch inside, who has the aforementioned bundles of candles in his hands. Behind him, one Armenian bishop immediately goes inside the edicule, dressed in sacred robes and also holding bunches of candles in his hands to quickly transfer the holy fire to the people through the southern hole of the edicule in the chapel of the Angel.”
When the Patriarch is alone, for closed doors, the real mystery begins. On his knees, His Holiness prays to the Lord for the message of the Holy Fire. His prayers are not heard by people outside the doors of the chapel - but they can observe their result! Blue and red flashes appear on the walls, columns and icons of the temple, reminiscent of reflections during a fireworks display. At the same time, blue lights appear on the marble slab of the Coffin. The priest touches one of them with a cotton ball - and the fire spreads to her. The Patriarch lights the lamp using cotton wool and hands it to the Armenian bishop.
“And all those people in the church and outside the church say nothing else, only: “Lord, have mercy!” they cry unremittingly and shout loudly, so that the whole place hums and thunders from the cry of those people. And then tears flow in streams faithful people. Even with a heart of stone, a person can then shed tears. Each of the pilgrims, holding in his hand a bunch of 33 candles, according to the number of years of the life of our Savior ... hastens in spiritual joy to light them from the primary light, through clergymen from the Orthodox and Armenian clergy specially appointed for this purpose, standing near the northern and southern holes of the edicule and the first to receive holy fire from the holy tomb. From numerous boxes, from windows and wall cornices, similar bundles are lowered on ropes wax candles, since the spectators occupying places at the top of the temple immediately strive to partake of the same grace.”
Transfer of the Holy Fire
In the first minutes after receiving fire, you can do anything with it: believers wash themselves with it and touch it with their hands without fear of getting burned. After a few minutes, the fire turns from cold to warm and acquires its normal properties. Several centuries ago, one of the pilgrims wrote:
“He lit 20 candles in one place and burned his candle with all those lights, and not a single hair curled or burned; and having extinguished all the candles and then lit them with other people, he lit those candles, and on the third day I lit those candles, and then I touched my wife with nothing, not a single hair was scorched or curled.”
Conditions for the appearance of the sacred fire
There is a belief among Orthodox Christians that in the year when the fire does not ignite, the apocalypse will begin. However, this event already happened once - then a follower of a different denomination of Christianity tried to remove the fire.
“The first Latin Patriarch Harnopid of Choquet ordered the expulsion of the heretical sects from their territory in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, then he began to torture Orthodox monks, trying to find out where they kept the Cross and other relics. A few months later Arnold was succeeded on the throne by Daimbert of Pisa, who went even further. He attempted to expel all local Christians, even Orthodox Christians, from the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and admit only Latins there, completely depriving the rest of the church buildings in or near Jerusalem. God's retribution soon struck: already in 1101 on Holy Saturday, the miracle of the descent of the Holy Fire in Edicule did not happen until Eastern Christians were invited to participate in this rite. Then King Baldwin I took care of returning their rights to local Christians.”
Fire under the Latin Patriarch and a crack in the column
In 1578, clergy from Armenia, who had not heard anything about the attempts of their predecessor, tried to repeat them. They obtained permission to become the first to see the Holy Fire, prohibiting the Orthodox Patriarch from entering the church. He, along with other priests, was forced to pray at the gate on Easter Eve. The minions of the Armenian Church never managed to see the miracle of God. One of the columns of the courtyard, in which the Orthodox prayed, cracked, and a pillar of fire emerged from it. Traces of its descent can still be observed by any tourist today. Believers traditionally leave notes in it with their most cherished requests to God.
A series of mystical events forced Christians to sit down at the negotiating table and decide that God wanted to transfer the fire into the hands of an Orthodox priest. Well, he, in turn, goes out to the people and gives the sacred flame to the abbot and the monks of the Lavra of St. Savva the Sanctified, the Armenian Apostolic and Syrian Church. Local Orthodox Arabs must be the last to enter the temple. On Holy Saturday they appear in the square singing and dancing, and then enter the chapel. In it they say ancient prayers on Arabic, in which they address Christ and the Mother of God. This condition is also mandatory for the appearance of fire.
“There is no evidence of the first performance of this ritual. The Arabs ask the Mother of God to beg her Son to send Fire to St. George the Victorious, especially revered in the Orthodox East. They literally shout that they are the most eastern, the most Orthodox, living where the sun rises, bringing with them candles to light the Fire. According to oral traditions, during the years of British rule over Jerusalem (1918-1947), the English governor once tried to ban “savage” dances. The Patriarch of Jerusalem prayed for two hours, but to no avail. Then the Patriarch ordered with his will to let in the Arab youth. After they performed the ritual, the Fire descended"
Have attempts to find a scientific explanation for the Holy Fire been successful?
It is impossible to say that skeptics managed to defeat believers. Among the many theories that have physical, chemical and even alien justification, only one deserves attention. In 2008, physicist Andrei Volkov managed to get into Edicule with special equipment. There he was able to make the appropriate measurements, but their results were not in favor of science!
“A few minutes before the removal of the Holy Fire from the Edicule, a device recording the spectrum of electromagnetic radiation detected a strange long-wave pulse in the temple, which no longer appeared. I don’t want to refute or prove anything, but this is the scientific result of the experiment. An electrical discharge occurred - either lightning struck, or something like a piezo lighter turned on for a moment.”
Physicist about the Holy Fire
The physicist himself did not set the goal of his research to expose the shrine. He was interested in the very process of the descent of fire: the appearance of flashes on the walls and on the lid of the Holy Sepulcher.
“So, it is likely that the appearance of Fire is preceded by an electrical discharge, and we, by measuring the electromagnetic spectrum in the temple, tried to catch it.”
This is how Andrey comments on what happened. It turns out that modern technology cannot solve the mystery of the sacred Holy Fire...
