Ephraim the Syrian — Sermon on the Advent, the End, and the Antichrist — ENGLISH TRANSLATION

This sermon by Ephraim the Syrian is an overlooked gem that clearly teaches a pretribulation rapture, a three-and-a-half-year long tribulation, and a literal antichrist who administers a literal mark. Prophecy students should familiarize themselves with this work. 

— LATIN TITLE — Sermo in adventum domini, et de consummatione saeculi, et in adventum antichristi.
— GREEK TITLE — Λόγος εἰς τὴν παρουσίαν τοῦ Κυρίου, καὶ περὶ συντελείας τοῦ κόσμου, καὶ εἰς τὴν παρουσίαν τοῦ Ἀντιχρίστου.
— GREEK TEXT USED —K.G. Phrantzolas. Ὁσίου Ἐφραίμ τοῦ Σύρου ἔργα, vol. 4. To Perivoli tis Panagias, 1992: 111-128.  Accessed at Thesaurus Linguae Graecae (stephanus.tlg.uci.edu).
— ENGLISH TRANSLATION — Translation is my own as I was unable to locate one for this message.  The websites that specialize in Ephraim, like roger-pearse.com/weblog/ephraim-graecus-works/ and saintephrem.wordpress.com, offered no links. Nor did TLG (Thesaurus Linguae Graecae). This isn’t surprising as the majority of Ephraim’s Greek works have never been translated into English, and some of those that have been translated in the past decade or two were not formally published but squirreled away on Ephraim the Syrian websites that see little traffic except from folks interested in patristic theology, largely in Orthodox and Catholic circles. Some thirty of Ephraim’s Greek works that are currently untranslated have significant pretribulation-rapture passages. May God put it upon someone’s heart to bring all of these passages within the reach of the English reader.  
— TRANSLATION KEY — I used KJV-style italics to fill in the ellipses that the Greek reader would have naturally supplied, parentheses to indicate alternate translations, and square brackets where I added clarification.  Tribulation references are highlighted with all caps, e.g. TRIBULATION. Rapture references are indicated with red lettering, e.g. worthy to escape the tribulation.
— ELLIPSIS — Ephraim used ellipsis similar to the pattern we see in the NT, indeed everywhere in Koine and Classical Greek.
— NUMBERING — The numbering follows the pagination in Phrantzolas’s Ὁσίου Ἐφραίμ τοῦ Σύρου ἔργα, vol. 4., a standard work for serious students of Ephraim.
— PARAGRAPHS — The paragraph divisions follow those used by Phrantzolas in his edition of the Greek works of Ephraim the Syrian.

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(111) How shall I, Ephraim the least, a sinner full of offenses, be able to speak out on things that are beyond my ability? But seeing that the Saviour in his sweet mercies teaches wisdom to the uneducated and through them enlightens the believers everywhere, and our backward tongues open [the Scriptures] for profit and edification both to me the speaker and to all the hearers. I shall speak with pangs, and I should speak with groans, concerning the end of the present world and concerning the most shameless and terrible dragon, who is about to trouble everything under heaven, and put timidity and contempt and fear in the hearts of men, (112) and perform wonders, signs, and terrors so as to deceive, if it were possible, even the elect, and beguile everyone with lying signs and deceiving wonders wrought by him. In the allowance of the Holy God, he receives authority to deceive the world because the ungodliness of the world has climaxed, and everywhere every kind of terrible deed is wrought. And because of this the incorruptible God assented to try the world with a spirit of deception because of their ungodliness, since men so chose to depart (apostatize) from God and love the evil (the Evil One).

There [will be] a great battle, brethren, in those times, especially for the believers. When signs and wonders shall be fulfilled by the dragon himself with great authority. Again, when he sets himself forth as if he were God with terrible deceptions, flying in the air, and all his demons lofted in the air before him like angels. For he shall shout with great force, changing their forms and terrifying all of mankind without measure.

At that time, brethren, whoever shall be found walled up (spiritually) and holding their ground unshaken, having (113) the absolute proof in their soul, the holy coming of the only begotten Son of God [anchored hope], when he sees that UNRELENTING TRIBULATION HAPPENING EVERYWHERE on every soul, completely without relief or rest anywhere, neither on land or sea. When he sees the entire world troubled and everyone is fleeing to the mountains to hide, some dying from famine, others drooping like a candle from terrible thirst, and there is no one to show them pity. When he sees every face (person) crying and asking with longing, ‘Is the word of God no longer on the earth?’ And he hears, ‘Not anywhere.’ Who therefore shall bear those days? Who shall endure the INTOLERABLE TRIBULATION when he sees the commotion of the peoples coming for [to see] the spectacle of the tyrant, and many worshipping before the tyrant, crying with trembling [awe], ‘You are our savior’? The sea is tossed, the land is dried, the heavens rain not, the plants are withered, and everyone who lives in the eastern lands shall flee to the west out of fear. And again, those who live in the western lands shall flee to the eastern lands with trembling. When the shameless one assumes authority, he shall send demons into every corner of the earth to boldly preach, ‘the great king has appeared with glory. Come and see him.’

(114) Who has an adamantine soul that he should nobly bear all these snares (stumbling blocks)? Who therefore, as I said previously, is such a man that all the angels should congratulate him (pronounce him blessed). For I [Ephraim], mature brethren and Christ-lovers, am terrified by the mention of the dragon, who is preparing for THE COMING TRIBULATION itself, to be among men in those times. What kind of man shall this dragon be found to be? Harsh and relentless in his dealings with mankind. He shall be especially embittered with the saints, who are able to overcome his deceptions. For many shall be found at that time—who are pleasing to God, able to be saved— in the mountains and in the desert places, in much prayer and uncontrollable weeping. The Holy God, seeing them in such inconsolable weeping and sincere faith, shall have mercy upon them as a father’s tender compassion, and shall preserve them through that time—they shall be hidden there. For the wholly abominable one shall not cease searching out the saints on land and sea, figuring that he is king over the remnant left on earth and he will subject all of them [to himself]. For the wretch shall figure [that he is able] to withstand [successfully] in that terrible hour when the Lord shall come from heaven, that wretch not knowing his own weakness and arrogance, (115) for which he shall fall [implication here of banishment]. Notwithstanding, he shall roil the earth. He shall terrify the entire globe with lying occultic (magical, of-Magi) signs.

At that time, when the dragon is come, there shall not be rest upon the earth, but rather great tribulation, tumult, and confusion. Deadly pestilences and famines in every corner of the earth. For the Lord himself said with his divine lips, ‘such things have not happened since the creation of the world.’ But how shall we sinners liken (portray) its immeasurable indeed inexpressible sorrows as God described it. Let everyone set his mind carefully on the holy sayings of the Lord and Saviour. How because of the EXTREME NECESSITY AND TRIBULATION he might shorten the days of the TRIBULATION in his tender mercy, advising us and saying, ‘Pray that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath. And again, ‘Watch always, praying continually, that you may be worthy to escape the tribulation and stand before God. For the time is near. All of us stand in this evil [of not being diligent], and we do not believe [these exhortations]. Let us pray continuously with tears and prayers, night and (116) day, prostrating ourselves before God that we sinners might be delivered.

For if anyone has tears and compunction, let him pray the Lord that we might be delivered from THE TRIBULATION WHICH IS ABOUT TO COME UPON THE EARTH that he might not see it at all, nor the beast himself, not even hear of its terrors. For there shall be famines, earthquakes, and diverse pestilences upon the earth. The noble soul shall be able to hold his own life together (keep it together) in the midst of the snares (stumbling blocks). For if a man be found a little negligent, living recklessly, he shall be besieged, and he shall be taken captive with the signs of the evil and deceitful dragon. And this man shall be found unpardonable in the judgment. For it shall manifestly be discovered that he willingly believed the tyrant.

We need to use many prayers and tears, oh beloved, that each and every one of us might be found steadfast in our trials, for many deceptive signs by [the hand of] the beast are going to happen. For he is God-fighter. He wants to destroy all men. For the tyrant shall work in such a way that all shall bear the mark of the beast when (117) he shall come in his own time with signs to deceive the entire world in the completion of the times (i.e. the end of the age). And this so they can buy foodstuffs and every form of goods. And he shall establish government officials to fulfill the command.

Pay heed, my brethren, to the extreme nature of the beast. The handiwork of evil. For he begins with the belly so that whenever anyone is straitened and lacking food, he is forced to take his seal—not it so happens on any part of the body, but upon the right hand and likewise upon the forehead— the ungodly mark, that he no longer has the right to be sealed [in the spiritual realm] with the sign of the cross in his right hand, moreover completely un-able to signify in his forehead the holy name of the Lord or the glorious and honorable cross of our Christ and Saviour. For that wretch knows that the cross of the Lord, if a man be sealed with it, undoes all of his power. Therefore he seals the right hand of man. For this is sealing every part of our body. Likewise, also the forehead, as a lampstand, bears the lamp of light, the sign of our Saviour on high.

Finally, brethren, there is a terrible struggle for all those men who are lovers of Christ, (118) that we may not manifest timidity till the hour of our death, neither stand in weakness (sponginess) when the dragon is marking with his own seal in opposition to the cross of the Saviour. For he shall work in this manner so that the name of the Lord and Saviour shall absolutely not be named at all in that time. This the weak one does fearing and trembling at the holy power of our Saviour. For unless a man is sealed with his seal, he is unable to be taken prisoner by his deceptions. For the Lord is not distant from such men but enlightens them and draws them to himself.

We need to know, brethren, with complete accuracy, the heartless deceptions of the enemy. For our Lord comes to all of us in the calm, repelling the machinations of the beast for our sakes. We who sincerely bear the steadfast faith of Christ render the power of the tyrant easily rejectable. We procure a fixed and stable reason (mind), and the weak one departs from us, not having anything he can do.

I, [Ephraim] the least, brethren, implore you, Christ-lovers, to not become weak (spongy) but rather strong in the power of the cross. An inevitable struggle (119) is at the doors. We must all take up the shield of faith. Be prepared as the household of faith, not accepting any other course. Seeing that the thief, destroyer, and cruel one, shall first come in his own time, wanting to steal and kill and destroy the elect flock of Christ the true shepherd. For it takes up the character of the true shepherd.

Let us be instructed, O friends, in what form the impudent serpent comes. Seeing that the Saviour, wanting to save mankind, was born of a virgin and in the form of a man trampled the enemy with the holy power of his divinity, the serpent figured to take up the form of his [Christ’s] [first] coming and deceive us. — Our Lord in brilliant clouds as terrible lightning shall come upon the earth. The enemy is not coming in this manner. For he is an apostate. — The instrument of that one [the enemy] shall strictly (literally) be born of a defiled maiden, but he [the enemy] shall not be incarnated. The abominable one shall come in the likeness of a thief to deceive the whole globe. Humble, quiet, claiming to hate unrighteousness, turning back idolatry, honoring godliness, good, friend of the poor, exceptionally handsome, in good standing [good reputation], (120) cheerful toward everyone, honoring the Jewish nation in great degree, for they are expecting his coming [the coming of their messiah]. In the context of all these traits, he shall perform signs, wonders, and terrors with great power. He works deceitfully to please all, so he shall be quickly loved by many. He shall not receive gifts. He shall not speak with anger. He shall not manifest discouragement. With the fashion of a well-ordered man, he shall deceive the world until he shall reign as king.

When, therefore, many peoples and nations shall see such virtues and abilities, they shall all with one mind and with great joy pronounce (announce) him king, saying to each other, ‘Such a good and righteous man has never been found.’ He shall immediately rebuild (reorganize) his kingdom, and shall slay three great kings in anger. Then he shall be lifted up in his heart, and the dragon shall vomit his own bitterness. He shall trouble the world (settled world), and he shall disturb the ends of the earth. He shall crush the whole globe, defiling their souls. No longer as a pious man, but as a harsh, severe, angry, easily provoked, terrible, unstable, fear-inducing, ugly, hateful, abominable, savage, destructive, and impudent man, doing his best (121) to cast all mankind into the pit of ungodliness. He shall multiply signs in great degree, dishonestly and not in truth. Many other nations shall present themselves and praise him through the influence of the delusion. He launches his claim with a powerful voice that shakes the entire place where the crowds have gathered with him, ‘Understand, all you peoples, my power and authority.’ He shall move mountains before the eyes of those watching, and he shall raise islands from the sea, all with deception and delusion and not in truth. Indeed, he shall deceive the world and delude the entire globe. Many shall believe and glorify him as a mighty god.

Then every soul shall mourn awfully and groan. Then all shall see UNRELENTING TRIBULATION which besets them night and day, and they find no means to be filled with bread (lit. food). Severe government officials shall be appointed everywhere. And if anyone bears on himself the seal of the tyrant in his forehead or right hand, he can buy a little food from what can be found. Then the infants shall pass away on their mothers’ bosoms. Likewise, a mother shall die after her child. Likewise, a father with a wife and children shall die in the market, and there is no one (122) to wrap and bury him. Because of the many bodies tossed into the streets, there shall be a foul smell everywhere which powerfully overwhelms the living. In the morning, all shall count [their remaining family and friends] with grief and groans. When evening comes, they shall count again that they may obtain rest. When evening overtakes them again, they converse amongst themselves with bitter tears, when it suddenly dawns on them, ‘we must flee the remaining TRIBULATION.’ And there is nowhere to flee or hide. Everything is in disarray—in the sea and on dry land. This is why the Lord said to us, watch and pray continuously that you might escape the TRIBULATION.

Stench in the sea. Stench on the land. Famines. Earthquakes. Confusion at sea. Confusion on land. Terrors at sea. Terrors on land. Much gold and silver and silk garments shall profit no one at all in that tribulation, but all men shall bless the dead, who were buried before the GREAT TRIBULATION came upon the earth. The gold and the silver shall be cast into the streets, and no one will touch it since all abominate it. (123) All make haste to flee and hide, and there is nowhere for them to hide from the tribulation. Indeed, there is more. With the famine and TRIBULATION, there is also terrifying beasts and biting, flesh-eating reptiles shall be found. Inward terror and outward trembling, both at night and in the day. Carcasses in the streets. Stench in the streets. Stench in the houses. Hunger and thirst in the streets. Hunger and thirst in the houses. The sound of weeping in the streets. The sound of weeping in the houses. Chaos in the streets. Chaos in the houses. They shall greet one another with weeping, father and child, son and father, mother and daughter. Men shall pass away in the arms of their friends, and men shall die in the arms of their brothers. The outward beauty of all flesh shall fade. Their appearance shall be like a dead person. Female beauty shall be abominated and hated. All flesh shall fade, as will human desire.

All who had been persuaded [to submit] to the horrible beast and take his seal, the impious mark of defilement, shall run to him together and say with grief, ‘give us to eat and drink because we are all suffering severe lack in the iron grip of the famine. (124) And drive the poisonous beasts away from us.’ And the wretch shall answer with great severity, saying, ‘From whence shall I give you to eat and drink, O men. The heaven is not willing to give the earth rain. On top of that, the earth has not given a harvest or produce at all.’ The people, hearing these things, shall mourn and cry, having absolutely no reprieve from THE TRIBULATION, but unspeakable TRIBULATION UPON TRIBULATION shall be their lot because they so willingly believed the tyrant. For that wretch is not strong, neither is he able to come to his own aid. How shall he give mercifully to the people? In those days there shall be great distress from the FULL-BLOWN TRIBULATION OF THE DRAGON, from fear, from earthquake, from the roaring of the sea, from famine, from thirst, and from the bites of beasts. All who have taken the mark of the beast and worshiped him, as a good god, they have no part in the kingdom of Christ, but with the dragon who shall be cast into Gehenna.

Blessed is he who is found fully-holy and fully-faithful, who has his heart unwaveringly toward God. Fearlessly he shall resist all his inquisitions, despising both his tortures and his deceptions. (125) But before these things happen, the Lord shall send Elijah the Tishbite and Enoch—how merciful!—that these two might make known godliness to that generation of man and boldly preach the knowledge of God to all, for the sake of not believing the fearful tyrant, crying and saying, it is deception O men. Let none of you believe him or submit to that God-fighter. Let none of you be afraid. For he shall be destroyed in an instant. The Holy Lord, behold, he is coming from heaven to judge all those who were persuaded with his signs. Nonetheless, there are a few then who chose to hear and believe the preaching of the prophets. The Saviour did this [sent the prophets] that he might demonstrate his inexplicable philanthropy. Because not even in that season does he allow mankind to be without preaching so that all might be without excuse in the judgment.

Then many of the saints, whosoever was found then at the coming of the defilement, pour out their tears like a river in groans unto the Holy God to be delivered from the dragon. And they flee in great haste to the deserts, and they hide in the hills and caves with fear, and they pour earth and ashes (126) upon their heads, praying night and day in great humility. And this [deliverance] shall be given to them from the Holy God, grace shall guide them to appointed places, and hidden in the holes and caves they shall be saved, not seeing the signs and terrors of the antichrist. To those having knowledge, the arrival of this [deliverance] shall be known, but to those having a mind for the matters of life and desiring earthly things, this shall not be clear. For he that is ever enslaved in the matters of life, if he should hear, he disbelieves and abominates the message. Therefore the saints shall be strengthened because day and night they renounce the cares of life.

Then the whole earth and sea mourn. And the air mourns with them, as well the wild beasts with the birds of the heaven. The mountains and cattle and the trees of the plain mourn. And the lights in the heaven mourn on account of this generation of man because all have turned away from the Holy God and believed in the deception, receiving the mark of defilement and God-fighting instead of the life-giving cross of the Saviour. The earth and the sea mourn because the sound of singing (psalming) and prayer suddenly ceased (127) from the mouth of man. All the churches of Christ mourn a great mourn because consecration and offering are no longer conducted.

Now after THE THREE AND A HALF YEARS (SEASONS) of the power and practice of pollution are fulfilled, and when all the scandals (stumbling blocks, snares) over the entire earth have been fulfilled, as the Lord says, next our holy, undefiled, terrible, and glorious God shall come as lightning flashing from heaven, with incomparable glory, with ranks of angels running before his glory, archangels, all being flames of fire, and a river full of fire, with a terrible rushing noise. Cherubim with their eyes down and Seraphim flying and covering their faces and feet with their fiery wings, crying out with shuddering. Rise up you sleepers! Behold, the bridegroom is coming! The tombs open, and all the tribes rise as in the blink of an eye, and they beheld the holy beauty of the bridegroom. And ten thousands of ten thousands and thousands of thousands of angles and archangels, countless armies, rejoice with great joy. The saints and the righteous and all who did not receive (128) the defiling and impious seal of the dragon celebrate joyously. And the tyrant, bound by the angels, is brought with all his demons before the judgment seat, and those who received his seal, and all the ungodly and sinners are bound. And the king shall level against them the sentence of eternal judgment in the unquenchable fire. All who did not take the seal of the antichrist, and all who hid in the caves, shall rejoice with the bridegroom in the eternal, heavenly bridal chamber with all of the saints for unending ages of ages. Amen.

“Eyes wide open, brain engaged, heart on fire.”

Lee W. Brainard

FURTHER LINKS ON EPHRAIM THE SYRIAN:

Observations on Ephraim the Syrian’s Sermon on the Advent of the Lord, the Consummation of the Age, and the Advent of the Antichrist. — These observations walk newcomers through the pretribulational eschatology of this work and explain several elements that pose difficulties to those unfamiliar with Ephraim’s eschatology. 

Ten undiscovered pretribulation rapture references in Ephraim the Syrian’s Greek works. — Over one hundred and fifty of Ephraim’s Greek works are not included in the standard English-translation church-fathers collections, and most of them have never been translated into English. 

Observations on Ephraim the Syrian’s eschatology. — Like most of his contemporaries, Ephraim’s theology contains a few idiosyncracies. These observations, gathered from thirty-four of his Greek works, will help the newcomer work their way through his eschatology. None of these Greek works are included in the standard English-translation church-father collections, and most of them are without an English translation. 

FURTHER LINKS ON THE PRETRIBULATION RAPTURE:

What Margaret MacDonald Really Taught

Revelation 3:10 — Tereo ek — “Keep from”

Revelation 3:10 — Peirasmos — “Trial, Testing”