The vision of Father Ephraim of Arizona (Metr. Athanasios)

In this video, Metropolitan Athanasios of Limassol [Cyprus] reveals to us a vision of Father Ephraim of Arizona. Father Ephraim of Arizona moved to the eternal Kingdom on December 7th, 2019, after a lifetime of service to the Orthodox Church.
"He was in the jungle, holding a small child in his arms... and the wild beasts were following him closely..."

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Related by of Metropolitan Athanasios of Limassol [Cyprus] on December 8th, 2019

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Metropolitan Athanasios:
When I went to Arizona, he (Fr. Ephraim) told me: "I want to tell you what I experienced when I came to America."
And then I asked him, "Father, how did you succeed, from the Holy Mountain, an hesychast, without worldly knowledge (he lived in the hermitage since he was 18) to live in America, with the specifics of these places?"
And he told me: "I really encountered many temptations, many dangers. They wanted to kill me. They were trying to destroy me... on a physical level and on a spiritual one as well... Many dangers, many temptations and many sorrows... And many troubles...
Many times I wondered myself: Did I do a good thing by coming here? And what can I do, a simple and humble monk, on a continent with so many problems, so many difficulties and so many weirdnesses?

So... as he prayed, being troubled, he saw himself in a jungle, with all the specifics of the jungle! And it was full of wild beasts!
And he was in the jungle, holding a small child in his arms... and the wild beasts were following him... wildly trying to tear his body to pieces.
And he runs, he runs, he runs in that jungle, and the beasts were following him. But then he understood that they wanted to rip the baby apart, the baby which he held in his arms.
So, running, he was in great trouble and great fear!
He reached a difficult path, with very narrow edges, And it was only a hollow through which he could get out. And the beasts, from right to left, were trying to tear him and the baby to pieces. And struggling to get out from that narrow path, a great dragon, a snake, came out before him, ready to swallow him!
When he saw that he had no escape and he was ready to be torn by the dragon, shouted: "My Holy Mother!"
After he called the Mother of God, he heard the voice of the Theotokos, who spoke, saying, "Michael!"
And by saying "Michael", Michael the Archangel showed up before him, and fought with that dragon, and hit him hard and the dragon disappeared and everything returned to calm.
When the peace came back, the Father being troubled, said: "What does this vision mean?" And he prayed to God, saying: What does this vision mean, O Lord? This terrible and indescribable vision that I saw... That disturbing vision...
And God said unto him, "This will be your life: full of persecutions, sadness and dangers, bodily and spiritual dangers!"
And the Father asked: "And the baby? What does it mean?"
And God answers him: "The baby is your soul! You have to save your soul no matter how many obstacles you will face!"
The Father came to his senses and he understood that this was his mission! And he had great trials...

Let me just mention something from Arizona...
He lived in a desert in which no man had ever lived since the creation of the earth.
As it is stated by scientists and researchers, no man has ever lived in that desert!
An endless desert, full of cactuses, snakes with bells and tigers... Wild beasts! Nobody lived there!
When Father Ephraim was passing by plane on his way to Phoenix, to hear confessions, saw the desert from above, from the plane's window.
And God told him that: "This is where I want you to build a monastery!" And he saw St. Anthony the Great who said to him: "Here I want you to build a monastery!"
But how to build a monastery in the desert of Arizona?
He went there by car, being accompanied by three other cars and the local Metropolitan. The Father said nothing to anyone. He just said, "Let's go through the desert, to see a town..." "Father, in the desert? The road is difficult and dangerous!" He said, "It doesn't matter, let's see it!"
Passing through the desert, by the place where the monastery is now, they all heard bells!
Bells like in Mount Athos ringing in the desert! All three-four cars stopped! They got down and said to each another:
"Do you hear the bells?"
The Metropolitan heard the bells, and so the Father, and the fathers and those who accompanied them.

And they built the first monastery of St. Anthony the Great, in which Father Ephraim fell asleep today [December 7th, 2019].

[SymeonPhronema]

I'm so grateful that Elder Ephraim came to the US to start so many monasteries. Glory to God !

[ivygarcia]

Thank you so much Father Ephraim for humbly submitting to God's Will and obeying His voice. Because of your obedience many of us are now blessed today! The Lord remembered us and the light of the true Gospel shines in this dark and evil society. Praise God! There's hope for us!

[cjanvier]

As a Catholic, I have been praying the St Michael's prayer especially before sleep. Love this story of Father Ephraim.

[stpierreforjesusthesavior]

Father Ephraim did something wonderfully charitable for me. Am still awed by it. A blessing that will always be remembered.

[harrisfrankou]

I am here now to hear and read this. My Father is from a small Village near Larnaca called Skarinou, I love him but he has left his Faith Decades ago.
We are closer now more than ever as I rekindle my faith.
Today I spoke to a Lebanese Brother that has encouraged me to attend Church.
He is studying the Faith Daily and has been a guide.
Glory to God and Jesus.
☦☦

[josiahb]

If Papa Ephraim could barely bear the temptations in America, woe to us who were born and raised in this society! Only through God's help will we be saved, but we must understand and believe truly that all the behavior we see around us here is not normal, but abnormal, and thus wake every morning, and when we walk out into the world, understand we are walking out onto violently turbulent water amid a great storm, and like Peter, learn to always be reaching out to Christ saying "Lord, save me!". The monasteries are here so that the faithful may have somewhere to go where sanity may still be encountered, so that we do not despair, but may find some respite from the madness and chaos of the Western World.

I heard it said that in our times, those who simply hold fast to the Christian statutes and lifestyle, who succeed against all odds in putting on a truly Christian mindset, will receive crowns of martyrdom because the psychological struggle is so extreme. Let us all seek to be counted worthy of such a crown.

[rodicabalan]

DOAMNE AJUTA SI MANTUIRE LA TOATA LUMEA! Mari si minunate sunt minunile tale DOAMNE pe care le savarsesti prin alesii TAI
Iar parintele Efrem din Arizona este unul din cei alesi!

[cosmoeventsst]

Pray and intercede for us Elder Ephraim.

[maricelachavezruiz]

Praise Our Lord Jesus Christ. It is amazing how Our Lord reveals our missions. It took me about 30 years to discern my call when Our Lord allowed me to see what I am currently experiencing. I always wanted to have a spiritual guidance, unfortunately I couldn’t obtain one. I felt walking through the dark desert hold by the hand of Our Lord Jesus Christ as a Father holds the hand of His daughter. Our Lord God had always walked in front of me. 🙏

[mariaciocanel]

Sfinte Părinte Efrem din Arizona roagă pe Dumnezeu pentru noi păcătoșii să se mântuiască sufletele noastre🙏🙏🙏

[Z_]

Truly inspiring 🙌 Obedience unto God, is what make us HOLY as He is. Nothing else matters, nothing worldly but everything HEAVENLY.
God is LOVE and we all LOVE GOD!
GOD BE PRAISED AND GLORIFIED IN EACH ONE OF US.

[rockoragu]

', Lord, .forgive me, for I am a sinner, .. with yr Mercy...Amen!'

[ruthberhe]

So beautiful story..thank you for sharing..God have mercy on us the sinners. 🙏❤

[hliastasoulhs]

Αγιε Εφραιμ πρεσβευε υπέρ ημων να περασουν αυτές οι δύσκολες στιγμές. 🇬🇷☦️🇬🇷☦️

[anonymoussource]

So thankful to God for having met with him more than once.

[Andrew-hqwu]

I met him once at a lecture at st cosmas monastery bolton ont canada

[CALAMITYGURULASTDAYS]

My fathers 2 Saint names are after Prophet Elias and Saint Anthony. May they all rest in peace until the Blessed soon return of our Saviour Jesus Christ. Memory Eternal. ✝

[InnocentFormalities]

wow im less than 2 hours away from this mo nastery i must go

[Southlander]

Sad to see so many misled Protestants here speaking from their ignorance. Holy elder Ephraim, pray for us!

[wilfred]

Concerning the dream, I've seen similar one couple of years ago on a daytime about afternoon after reading my regular religious books.
I saw a friend of mine, not Christian, begging anyone in a crowd to help her only son which got kidnapped from a strange source. Doesn't even know the location they took him. She was just crying for help and searching for a dim of hope.
I heard her cry and something inside me pushed to do that saving mission and went told her I will find your son and bring it to you don't worry.
The journey started from that point..as if I was really an actress in a scene doing my act without knowing the script and its upcoming adventures.
While I decided to take that responsibility asking myself how can I do this by myself without guidance or help? What if I never find the boy what should I tell her mom? Or even how can find his hiding place where the boy was in a hostage?
Thoughts and thoughts came into my mind then I started praying asking God you will guide me to this place.
I don't remember how but through the spirit I was at the location.
So terrifying place..no one could have been escaped from there without a miracle really. It was a desert built a huge open dungeon made of long tall slippery heavy thick metal boarders. The door was open I sneaked in and stuck there because no place to hide. It was open place like gladiator fighting field. They could see me easily and without questing they are ready to rip you out because that place was only for those who were chosen to be killed and tortured.
I saw people in that field called their names coming out from a secret room. As they came out they were locked up in chains only in their hands and a cloth covered their mouths. They were so afraid running to find a way to flee but no way out. I don't know how I managed myself but I ran as fast as I can to enter that little room where they came out before closing the door. At the same time I heard how the beasts came and killed one by one and drank their innocent blood.
Inside that room there were many people packed up waiting for their hour of escape not knowing that this was impossible.
I looked and looked finally I saw the boy I was looking for.
Each day they used to take group of people of their choice.
The next day they called the boy's name and some others too. I sneaked out with the boy out telling him don't be afraid I came to save you. But I was so scared from the fearful horrible scenes. The beasts (men covered in black huge and muscular) chasing us I shouted out loud JESUS PLEASE I NEED YOUR HELP suddenly a light appeared and saw Jesus Christ in front of me saying don't be afraid I came to save you. He held me in His arms leaving behind that child. I said JESUS I came specifically to save this boy why you don't want to save him ? Please I beg you I promised his mom to rescue her child. Save the boy too. Then Jesus held the hand of the child and we were out of that cell right before the sword entering through our bodies.
Woke up soaking wet!!!!
It was real action!!!