Last year, my uncle died but doctors brought him back to life. He lived for two more weeks before dying again from heart problems. In the short time he was back, he kept talking about his experience. He said that when he died, he felt like he was out of his body, watching the doctors try to save him. He saw an angel take him up to the sky and met a devil there. He felt like he saw his whole life, including all the wrong things he had done. After coming back to life, he begged us to go to church, pray a lot, and ask God for forgiveness while crying. This was surprising because he never used to go to church or be religious. Our family thinks God gave him this experience to give him one last chance to repent.
@@madsocsci Glory.to God! The way he was telling us about what happened, you can tell he was speaking of something very real. He actually saw his guardian angel.
I've been slipping lately in my spiritual growth due to worldly problems and I just want to say love and appreciate the work you are doing as I take my path towards conversion, thank you Father. You and a few others who are my teachers in Orthodoxy right now are keeping my head above the water, it means a lot. Any recommendations I will hear.
The Royal Path is a great one. God bless and good strength. All of us need you. When you pray we all benefit. Keep praying and moving toward Christ brother.
@@applesnicolle5144 It won't be right away, but I shall do that. I've heard Father Michael speaking of him many times so he must be pretty cool dude. Thank you
When I was a child I had a visit to the dentist and he gave me gas to put me under whilst he removed two teeth. My airway collapsed and I nearly died. Whilst I was unconscious I found myself in a black tunnel surrounded by Disney characters. I think they might have been demons. I was resuscitated, but I was left with a fear of Disney characters. I'm 53 now. I fear the demons.
I came across this one the other day that I don't remember seeing in "The Departure of the Soul". From the St. Gregory of Nyssa's "Life of St. Macrina", in her final prayer before death: "O God eternal, to Whom I have been attached from my mother's womb, Whom my soul has loved with all its strength, to Whom I have dedicated both my flesh and my soul from my youth up until now----do Thou give me an angel of light to conduct me to the place of refreshment, where is the water of rest, in the bosom of the holy Fathers. Thou that didst break the flaming sword and didst restore to Paradise the man that was crucified with Thee and implored Thy mercies, remember me, too, in Thy kingdom; because I, too, was crucified with Thee, having nailed my flesh to the cross for fear of Thee, and of Thy judgments have I been afraid. Let not the terrible chasm separate me from Thy elect. Nor let the Slanderer stand against me in the way; nor let my sin be found before Thy eyes, if in anything I have sinned in word or deed or thought, led astray by the weakness of our nature."
This is so necessary for the new converts, especially many who are not being catechized properly and look for answers on the internet. So many young people coming into the Church too quickly....It will be interesting to see how many remain true to the faith!
Your blessing Father! I think an entire video dedicated to just the scriptural references and interpretations of our Saints would be very profitable, especially for the ever increasing numbers of Protestant inquirers. The more thorough material we have available on this topic, the better. This was one of the tougher realities to accept during my conversion, but by God's Grace and with the help of Fr Seraphim Rose it all came together and I don't even see a possibility for any other reality at this point. Thank your for your continued work in bringing true Orthodoxy to the online world. My family and I soon hope to come visit your Parish again. Kissing your right hand, Seraphim
Father, another good source is St. Niphon in the book An Ascetic Bishop. He talks about seeing the tollhouses. He lived at the time of St. Athanasius the Great, and was made a Bishop by St. Alexander. So we see it in the early Church and it's not some later syncretism with pagan folklore.
Fourth. Also, please keep doing what you do, I pray for you, your channel, and your family. Please also pray for me as I want to convert to Orthodoxy. Thank you Father ☦️ Edit: I don’t want to ask too much of you, but I would really appreciate it if you made an exhaustive review of Tollhouses in scripture… thanks again
Excellent video on a very important topic. Thank you, father. According to the Athonite monks the toll houses are there. I choose to believe the community that gives saints to the Church rather than academic speculators.
On the last part about not commemorating non-Orthodox, one of the local US Russian Bishops (last generation, but I can't remember exactly who) had told many converts with this question of commemorating our non-Orthodox family members: "we honor the freewill of our departed who aren't Orthodox, we don't force them into the Church!" Its a dishonour of free will also to pretend they were in the Church, when they were not, and didn't choose to be. Blessed Fr John Krestiankin was very very harsh with people who attempt to do so - according to him, canonically, you are doing more damage to your ancestors souls trying to "trick" God this way. Pray how the Saints have shown us for our non-Orthodox ancestors, God brought us all to the Church to follow Him, not ourselves.
Thank you for this timely vid! I’ve been having these thoughts like crazy lately. About how people pick and choose what saints to believe especially when concerning Toll Houses. Never made sense to me. Actually just unfollowed the Bible illustrated channel earlier today. So interesting how things work out. Thanks 🙏🏼
Father, Will you please make a video about how we can prepare ourselves for the tollhouses and use this knowledge of them for our benefit? I was convinced they were not real until this video, and now I am worried and I feel unprepared
Don’t worry! The short answer is to always be honest in confession, pray and receive Holy Communion as much as possible. Maintain your prayer life and avoid falling into old sins and deadly passions as best as you can. God loves when we struggle for Him she is I’ll help those who do.
Thank you, Father and Christ be with you. Gotta keep crucifying that intellect, right! That’s great, Father! “‘Ooh, I don’t know I…i, the definer of all worlds, I don’t know if I like that!’ Christ have mercy on us all-we may not LIKE the place prepared for the devil and his angels either. I pray a prayer every day; would love to cite it now, but…you’ve already said you’ll get to the Church Fathers, so I should sit on my hands and not jump ahead Looking forward to your next installment.
@@dougharitopulos9288 yeah they are, just not described in great detail. Many things are not fully fleshed out in Scripture alone, and this is absolutely fine, because we aren't bound to sola scriptura. The Orthodox Church keeps all the ORAL and written TRADITIONS. A great example I like is St. Paul teaching at Ephesus for 3 years. Do you think absolutely everything he taught the Ephesians is what's in the Epistle?
It’s not dogma of the Orthodox Church. It’s a gnostic heresy! It has demons judging souls!! Who gave them this authority? We will only face one judge Jesus. The demons are liars and evil. Would God allow them to judge us. Think it through and don’t be deceived.
The link of the book I just posted is perhaps one of the best on this subject. The book, Life After Death According to Orthodox Tradition, by Dr Jean Claude Larchet, validate Fr Seraphim Rose, Metropolitan Hierotheos Vlachos, and the book produced by St Anthony's. It is full of Patristic quotes, and offers a comprehensive detailed description of the whole process of death. I'm preparing for my own death due to kidney failure. This is the book I'm reading over and over, while I pray.
I bought the book a while ago its very large so I havent read it yet. Im glad you made this video! Thank you Fr. Mikhail if you're ever in Ottawa I would love to meet you.
25:04 regarding your last comment, I know non-orthodox can’t be commemorated in a service. But I have been told by my priest and I have heard from Fr. Peter Heers that we should pray privately for our heterodox (many in ignorance, not defiance) loved ones who have passed away.
Just like in the RC, we had to educate ourselves. Thank you for the information on praying for the dead etc. I am a Catechumen now; I am trying to learn as much as possible.
Jean Claude Larchet has a great book "Life after Death According to the Orthodox Tradition". It's not as detailed as the one menitioned in the video so it may be an easier read. He covers many topics including something like 50 pages defense of the Toll Houses doctrine.
I've been Orthodox for about 20 years or so and I've never heard of the toll houses until I read Fr. Saraphim Rose's book, "The Soul After death". At about the same time I became aware of the, "River of Fire". Please explain the difference and connection, if any. I have my own ideas, but I'd like to hear your opinion first. Thank you. Father, bless.
Corinthians 11 v 31. God does not judge twice. Salvation is of Christ and He has done all to bring me home. How dare I then give credence to the "fallen" to hold His arm and prevent His victory from breaking those bonds (bars) and barrelling through those areas where they accuse? I'm genuinely asking you Dr Michael; If confession is not a loosing or binding against accusations, who can stand? If it's not getting another witness to God's providence and Christ's life in me by the Holy Spirit, the Church and prayers of the Saints, to then say "but" ... must I then freshly have to submit my soul to these demonic aerial tollbooths? Forgive me, but it seems like purgatory again.
Hello Fr. Mikhail, thank you for your very clear and concise explanations of matters which are getting muddled with in the current days. I have a question regarding prayer with the heterodox. I am a cradle orthodox, but because I live in an area without any orthodox churches near me (the closest is about 100 km away), I have not only attended Roman Catholic masses, but also accepted communion there, and even started to serve the altar in that parish, because I did not know any better. As time went on I looked into the matter and realized my errors. My question ist the following: should I just confess those things that I did in the next confession that I can attend in an Orthodox church, or should I do more/something additional? How grave are those sins? What if the priest who will take my confession won't see it as a sin? I'd be thankful for some advice.
If the priest doesn’t see it as a serious matter, because it is a very grave matter, then find another. You must certainly confess this as it is the sin of apostasy and you’ll need to be Chrismated again before the reception on any sacrament.
@@living_orthodox Thanks for the quick reply! Unfortunately that raises four more questions to me. 1. How much time will pass from the confession to my Chrismation? 2. In what kind of spiritual state am I until my Chrismation? Am I an Orthodox Christian? 3. Is there anything you can recommend me to do(for example pto pray specific prayers of repentance etc. ...) until I have the opportunity to confess my sins in an Orthodox church (I never had the opportunity to do a Orthodox confession) 4. Am I as an Greek-Orthodox (EP) allowed to take sacraments in a Russian church? Best regards and many thanks!
@@geobi1342 1. That’s completely up to the person who receives you 2. No, you’re no longer Orthodox as you have communed from the altar of heretics and schismatics. 3. Read psalm 50 and look up the prayers for reception of an apostate back to the Orthodox Church. 4. Greek by birth but no longer Orthodox as you have communed in a Catholic Church. You cannot receive communion in any Orthodox Church as they’re all one Church. Be watchful, don’t remain unknowing. Don’t commune or attend at the services of Coptics, or Catholics. Remain faithful to Eastern Orthodox Church, and until you’re received back into communion, don’t entree the naive during services but remain in the narthex
Father, I think it would be great if this video was a primer, and then offer deeper dives into specific areas in the follow-up videos. If I may suggest an order, I think it would serve us well if the next video was a deeper dive into the Scriptural evidence, as you offered in this video. Then the next one after that to be on the liturgical evidence, proving that the teaching is preserved in our actual praxis as the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. Then offer the video deep-diving the patristic evidence, showing the consensus of the Holy Fathers. Biblical, liturgical (our actively preserved Tradition), and patristic.I just think that would be the optimal order of videos for dismantling the objections and pushback on the Toll Houses from our brothers and sisters.
The demons joyfully egotistically rejoice when they can plant doubt in us. "Without hindrance" is very different to tollhouses. Interrogation ? ? The conversation of the soul with God is already happening ... we judge/interrogate our selves ... If God in Christ and His Church has done ALL things for us, what victory can "tollhouses" have in the Grace and Mercy of God? If we, in the Church and by the the Saints, have taken ourself into hand and relied on God completely, what accusation is left?
That victory is dependent on you and how much you struggle for Christ. We don’t believe in cheap grace or lazy Christianity, which insults Christ by disregarding His call to repentance and watchfulness
Thank you brother for what you do. Not sure if you mention this but this always sticks in my mind. Luke 22 31. Behold satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat, but i have prayed that your own faith may not fail: and once you have turned back, you must strengthen your brothers. I wonder if this is in reference to these toll houses?
@living_orthodoxy What is the difference between the Toll Houses and Purgatory? For clarification, Purgatory is for us a great Mercy of God, a manner by which we are purified from sinful attachments (but not if we died in a state of grave/mortal sin).
If we read RCC Encyclopedia, we find that: "temporal punishment is due to sin, even after the sin itself has been pardoned by God". This is false pretext that is source of the Purgatory. Such false assertion is an extension of the original false premise that all people are guilty of Original Sin of Adam. Neither one is endorsed by the Orthodox Church. These are the roots of Purgatory. Since Orthodox do not share these same roots with RCC, we can never agree on Purgatory. Toll Houses are attempts of the Devil (meaning: Accuser) to accuse soul on its way to the heavens of certain misdeeds and are not "places of cleansing" like Purgatory is.
Lights are a tad too bright, wonder if you can move them further to the side so they don't make your pupil's white out. Thanks for this series!! Very important topic! Blessing's, Father!
Father, do non-Orthodox go through the tollhouses too? Or is it just us, because we ought to have known better, ought to have become more Christlike, having received so much?
According to Fr Kosmas and his reading, he thinks the Toll Houses are only for Orthodox Christians. OrthodoxTalks has ~4 videos on the Toll Houses. And as with all things in Orthodox, the Patristic Consensus is what guides our opinions.
Working on it! It’s a large amount. Video will likely be 40 mins to an hour plus at the rate it’s going. Stay tuned and I’ll get it out as soon as possible! God bless you as you strive for His kingdom :)
Pardon my ignorance, Father. I’m a convert and catechumen still working to shed Roman thinking. I’m a terrible sinner and this is absolutely horrifying to think about. I’ll add to my reading, but in the interim if you could educate me, what is my defense? Confession and repentance? I know that I will not be free of my sins in this life and I’m terrified to stand before them wounded and marred. Thank you, Father.
Dearest to Christ. You’re defence is repentance. While learning and coming into the Church it’s important to suspend one’s personal judgments, especially in the face of many holy fathers and the hymnography of the Church. Watch the video in full. To me at least, it’s clear that if one confesses (not hiding anything willingly and thus rendering absolution inert), and continually lives a Christian life, that the toll houses won’t have an effect. Many people don’t like them not because there is anything wrong dogmatically with the teaching. Clearly it is a fully Orthodox belief. They take issue because they are struggling with passions that they’re afraid they cannot give up. That’s what the toll houses are. They’re groupings of demons associated with that particular passion or sin. Be repenting and you will be saved.
UPDATE: After I asked this, Father, I listened to the video again and found on page 262 in the Jordanville prayer book, Prayer to the Guardian Angel that mentions toll houses. Do you know of any specific prayers to the Theotokos that mentions toll houses? Father, Would you please share prayers for us to help with the toll houses? Thank you! Anna
This is similar to Rudolf Steiner's Theosophy teachings called the 8th sphere. Because the Orthodox church did not teach me (this was the 60's, 70's, 80's.) I had to go on my own journey......
I cast my vote for wanting detailed references supporting aerial toll houses. BUT, I also would like a concise overall picture. Some questions come to mind. If our Lord Jesus Christ "went down to hades and trampled on the power of the devil," why are demons given any power at all in the movement of the soul from earth to paradise? How many toll houses are there? What happens in each toll house and what happens if you don't "pass" the tests (?) of a particular toll house? Are you held back from going on? If so, why would demons be in a position to make that judgement? Are there things you can do to further your progress? What bearing do toll houses have on the final judgement? Wow! This is a lot to take in for a "toddler" in orthodoxy (3.5 years old) -- and, by the way, I am overwhelmed by the knowledge you have acquired, having been orthodox for much less time than I have!
God bless you! Already working on putting together the scripture references. As for the other questions, the devil is of course still around and able to put men to the test. That said it’s not that Christ doesn’t judge the soul, the toll houses more reveal what the soul may not have repented of in this life. If we die attached to certain serious sins, the o we who encouraged the sins will come to collect their “payment”. As for someone as young as a toddler, they wouldn’t be able to do anything to accuse them. They’d ascend immediately. We also do have two angels who come and assist us in our ascent through the Toll Houses
To be fair, and I am sure you will cover this Fr, I think a lot of people are just unsettled by the implications of the imagery of toll houses. I have genuinely met people who speak of the toll houses as if demons are gonna literally sit and judge the worth of their soul. Traditionally, don't the tribulations seem to have been understood more as battles(?) of the soul of the departed with the demons (as some of the quotes presented in the video seem to also imply)which unlike the toll house imagery cannot imply that demons have authority over the soul. A lot of us are I think only wish there was a more precise term used to describe the doctrine to alleviate the confusion. I think my qusetion to you Father Michael is why should we persist on using the toll houses as the imagery for the trials of the soul after death? (Edit:Fr Michael is right and I am dumb and dishonest)
That’s where many don’t see the difference in language. Demons accuse. It is God who ultimately judges. I’ll definitely be covering this in more detail.
Bring the mic closer to your voice. It's too far away. Hope you've sorted moving forward and back pointing you voice down reading from a book is very clear. Looking up towards the screen looses clarity. Please move to mic up
Sorry, that interpretation of John 14:30 is completely wrong. Christ is saying is about to be crucified. It has nothing to do with the believer's soul after death. What in the context could possibly lead you to your interpretation?
It’s not my interpretation and I never said it didn’t concern that. He says the devil is drawing near because of His impending death. The devil would come and find nothing of himself in Christ. You are looking at scripture from the heretical perspective of the Protestants and it is shameful to disagree with the collected interpretation of the Fathers. So no it is you who is completely wrong. If you want to argue go ahead. I’ll simply deny you the satisfaction as I don’t have time to waste arguing with one person (especially one who is Protestant minded) over scripture when they themselves are incapable of even listening with accuracy to the initial argument they take issue with.
Finally saw this! I am not sure what’s happening as I would see a notification for you and then it wouldn’t be found when I check the app. I also check my studio. This seems to be a YT problem. Perhaps respond to this comment and see if it works?
@@living_orthodox It's absolutely TH-cam doing it. My previous comment said that I checked back with his channel after not seeing notifications for quite a while, only to find this video was 7 days old. I mentioned asking David Erhan to include notifications for this channel on the discord app because obviously TH-cam doesn't like this channel or me. 😞
Intriguing discussion about tollhouses, because it seems Orthodox Christians are "all over the map" when it comes to explaining what happens to the soul after death. Perhaps explaining what happens at these tollhouses, how many there are, and the criteria for passing through them would be useful in a follow on video. I've never heard that explained cogently. Ultimately we stand before the fearsome judgment seat of Christ and that alone determines our eternal destiny.
Trust me, it’s coming :) this is going to be a very in-depth series. Honestly, us being “all over the map”, is sadly a modern issue. Thanks for the comment! It’s helpful
Last year, my uncle died but doctors brought him back to life. He lived for two more weeks before dying again from heart problems. In the short time he was back, he kept talking about his experience. He said that when he died, he felt like he was out of his body, watching the doctors try to save him. He saw an angel take him up to the sky and met a devil there. He felt like he saw his whole life, including all the wrong things he had done. After coming back to life, he begged us to go to church, pray a lot, and ask God for forgiveness while crying. This was surprising because he never used to go to church or be religious. Our family thinks God gave him this experience to give him one last chance to repent.
I had a heart attack/NDE in April of '22. I was not religious for 20+ years. I have returned to Orthodoxy. Please listen to your uncle.
@@madsocsci Glory.to God!
The way he was telling us about what happened, you can tell he was speaking of something very real. He actually saw his guardian angel.
I've been slipping lately in my spiritual growth due to worldly problems and I just want to say love and appreciate the work you are doing as I take my path towards conversion, thank you Father. You and a few others who are my teachers in Orthodoxy right now are keeping my head above the water, it means a lot. Any recommendations I will hear.
I've been a catechumen for three years and lately I've definitely been backsliding.
@@SeraphimGoose 🌊Start reading Everything on the late great Saint Paisios!!!
The Royal Path is a great one. God bless and good strength. All of us need you. When you pray we all benefit. Keep praying and moving toward Christ brother.
@@negotiumnovum8899 Thank you God bless you aw well.
@@applesnicolle5144 It won't be right away, but I shall do that. I've heard Father Michael speaking of him many times so he must be pretty cool dude. Thank you
When I was a child I had a visit to the dentist and he gave me gas to put me under whilst he removed two teeth. My airway collapsed and I nearly died. Whilst I was unconscious I found myself in a black tunnel surrounded by Disney characters. I think they might have been demons. I was resuscitated, but I was left with a fear of Disney characters. I'm 53 now. I fear the demons.
I still fear Disney characters 😂
Did they look in the style of Disney characters or literally Disney characters?
Thanks for the acknowledgment! Excellent episode!
I came across this one the other day that I don't remember seeing in "The Departure of the Soul". From the St. Gregory of Nyssa's "Life of St. Macrina", in her final prayer before death:
"O God eternal, to Whom I have been attached from my mother's womb, Whom my soul has loved with all its strength, to Whom I have dedicated both my flesh and my soul from my youth up until now----do Thou give me an angel of light to conduct me to the place of refreshment, where is the water of rest, in the bosom of the holy Fathers. Thou that didst break the flaming sword and didst restore to Paradise the man that was crucified with Thee and implored Thy mercies, remember me, too, in Thy kingdom; because I, too, was crucified with Thee, having nailed my flesh to the cross for fear of Thee, and of Thy judgments have I been afraid. Let not the terrible chasm separate me from Thy elect. Nor let the Slanderer stand against me in the way; nor let my sin be found before Thy eyes, if in anything I have sinned in word or deed or thought, led astray by the weakness of our nature."
Thank you Father, looking forward to watching and comprehending this entire series starting with this - only with my undivided time
This is so necessary for the new converts, especially many who are not being catechized properly and look for answers on the internet. So many young people coming into the Church too quickly....It will be interesting to see how many remain true to the faith!
Your blessing Father!
I think an entire video dedicated to just the scriptural references and interpretations of our Saints would be very profitable, especially for the ever increasing numbers of Protestant inquirers. The more thorough material we have available on this topic, the better. This was one of the tougher realities to accept during my conversion, but by God's Grace and with the help of Fr Seraphim Rose it all came together and I don't even see a possibility for any other reality at this point. Thank your for your continued work in bringing true Orthodoxy to the online world.
My family and I soon hope to come visit your Parish again.
Kissing your right hand,
Seraphim
True it would be very good
Father John Whiteford has some great interviews on Toll houses. Thank you Father Mikhail for your videos.
Father, another good source is St. Niphon in the book An Ascetic Bishop. He talks about seeing the tollhouses. He lived at the time of St. Athanasius the Great, and was made a Bishop by St. Alexander. So we see it in the early Church and it's not some later syncretism with pagan folklore.
Fourth. Also, please keep doing what you do, I pray for you, your channel, and your family. Please also pray for me as I want to convert to Orthodoxy. Thank you Father ☦️
Edit: I don’t want to ask too much of you, but I would really appreciate it if you made an exhaustive review of Tollhouses in scripture… thanks again
That can be done in a Pt 1.5
I’ve been really contemplating both sides to this lately and I want to say thank you so much for such a great and educational video
Excellent video on a very important topic. Thank you, father. According to the Athonite monks the toll houses are there. I choose to believe the community that gives saints to the Church rather than academic speculators.
Yes please, please exhaust yourself on providing us ALL the scriptures!!! Bless you very much brother. This is so very helpful
Happy to exhaust myself as much as possible :)
On the last part about not commemorating non-Orthodox, one of the local US Russian Bishops (last generation, but I can't remember exactly who) had told many converts with this question of commemorating our non-Orthodox family members: "we honor the freewill of our departed who aren't Orthodox, we don't force them into the Church!" Its a dishonour of free will also to pretend they were in the Church, when they were not, and didn't choose to be. Blessed Fr John Krestiankin was very very harsh with people who attempt to do so - according to him, canonically, you are doing more damage to your ancestors souls trying to "trick" God this way. Pray how the Saints have shown us for our non-Orthodox ancestors, God brought us all to the Church to follow Him, not ourselves.
Thank you for this timely vid! I’ve been having these thoughts like crazy lately. About how people pick and choose what saints to believe especially when concerning Toll Houses. Never made sense to me. Actually just unfollowed the Bible illustrated channel earlier today. So interesting how things work out. Thanks 🙏🏼
I am also reading through The Departure of the Soul, it is indeed a massive tome.
I wish I could afford to give a copy to every doubter.
Your blessing Father! Thank you for making these videos, an even more thorough overview of toll houses would indeed be appreciated.
Father, Will you please make a video about how we can prepare ourselves for the tollhouses and use this knowledge of them for our benefit?
I was convinced they were not real until this video, and now I am worried and I feel unprepared
Don’t worry! The short answer is to always be honest in confession, pray and receive Holy Communion as much as possible. Maintain your prayer life and avoid falling into old sins and deadly passions as best as you can. God loves when we struggle for Him she is I’ll help those who do.
Thank you, Father and Christ be with you.
Gotta keep crucifying that intellect, right!
That’s great, Father! “‘Ooh, I don’t know I…i, the definer of all worlds, I don’t know if I like that!’
Christ have mercy on us all-we may not LIKE the place prepared for the devil and his angels either.
I pray a prayer every day; would love to cite it now, but…you’ve already said you’ll get to the Church Fathers, so I should sit on my hands and not jump ahead
Looking forward to your next installment.
Yes,a complete review and discussion of all the Scriptural references to toll houses would be beneficial. Thank you, Fr. Mikhail.
Thank you for this video and the start to the series!
Will there be a video on prayer for the dead and its effectiveness?
That’s actually going to be covered in this series!
Great
Wuuhu! We were waitin for this! 🎉❤🔥 Thank you father ☦️
Thank you for this amazing video. God bless you Fr Mikhail
Please do as much as you can
Thank you for starting this video series!
Thank you. I think an exhaustive treatment of this would be very helpful!
The level of your voice of the first prayer for departure of the soul was clear.
Father please talk about the Toll Houses in the scriptures! IT WOULD BE SO HELPFUL AND FRUITFUL
Toll houses aren't mentioned in the scriptures
@@dougharitopulos9288 they are friend
@@dougharitopulos9288 yeah they are, just not described in great detail. Many things are not fully fleshed out in Scripture alone, and this is absolutely fine, because we aren't bound to sola scriptura. The Orthodox Church keeps all the ORAL and written TRADITIONS. A great example I like is St. Paul teaching at Ephesus for 3 years. Do you think absolutely everything he taught the Ephesians is what's in the Epistle?
Okay please forgive me I meant to say it's not the dogma Of the orthodox
It’s not dogma of the Orthodox Church. It’s a gnostic heresy! It has demons judging souls!! Who gave them this authority? We will only face one judge Jesus. The demons are liars and evil. Would God allow them to judge us. Think it through and don’t be deceived.
The link of the book I just posted is perhaps one of the best on this subject. The book, Life After Death According to Orthodox Tradition, by Dr Jean Claude Larchet, validate Fr Seraphim Rose, Metropolitan Hierotheos Vlachos, and the book produced by St Anthony's. It is full of Patristic quotes, and offers a comprehensive detailed description of the whole process of death. I'm preparing for my own death due to kidney failure. This is the book I'm reading over and over, while I pray.
Yes please...exhaustive study on the subject!
I bought the book a while ago its very large so I havent read it yet. Im glad you made this video! Thank you Fr. Mikhail if you're ever in Ottawa I would love to meet you.
Always something to be learned. Thank you.
25:04 regarding your last comment, I know non-orthodox can’t be commemorated in a service. But I have been told by my priest and I have heard from Fr. Peter Heers that we should pray privately for our heterodox (many in ignorance, not defiance) loved ones who have passed away.
@@GuitarJesse7 yes absolutely
Do an exhaustive read through of scripture. Many need to hear it. Thank you Father.
Just like in the RC, we had to educate ourselves. Thank you for the information on praying for the dead etc. I am a Catechumen now; I am trying to learn as much as possible.
Audio and Video look great ☦️
Jean Claude Larchet has a great book "Life after Death According to the Orthodox Tradition". It's not as detailed as the one menitioned in the video so it may be an easier read. He covers many topics including something like 50 pages defense of the Toll Houses doctrine.
I've been Orthodox for about 20 years or so and I've never heard of the toll houses until I read Fr. Saraphim Rose's book, "The Soul After death". At about the same time I became aware of the, "River of Fire". Please explain the difference and connection, if any. I have my own ideas, but I'd like to hear your opinion first. Thank you. Father, bless.
I believe in the Toll Houses and I've got that book :)
Glad to hear from you Ankido!
@@living_orthodox You are doing a wonderful job, Father. God bless you :)
Father , an exhaustive reading would not be necessary, but a list so we could read them for ourselves would be excellent .
I’ll do both.
@@living_orthodox Thank you for replying to my comment
Your blessing Father!
Corinthians 11 v 31.
God does not judge twice.
Salvation is of Christ and He has done all to bring me home.
How dare I then give credence to the "fallen" to hold His arm and prevent His victory from breaking those bonds (bars) and barrelling through those areas where they accuse?
I'm genuinely asking you Dr Michael;
If confession is not a loosing or binding against accusations, who can stand?
If it's not getting another witness to God's providence and Christ's life in me by the Holy Spirit, the Church and prayers of the Saints, to then say "but" ... must I then freshly have to submit my soul to these demonic aerial tollbooths?
Forgive me, but it seems like purgatory again.
This is the hardest teaching for me to accept...... still a somewhat recent convert.
I wouldn't let it distract you too much. I do not think it is officially cannon, but I'm still learning.
Toll houses are not a dogma but theological opinion. However, it has such a strong basis from the Bible onwards that I am surprised it is not a dogma.
@johnnyd2383 yeah. I've accepted it now as simply something I won't know until I die. Just going to worry about being better today.
DO ALL VERSES 🙌🏻
As long as it's not going to suck up all your time.
I would really appreciate a more scriptural video expanding on this, that you mentioned. That would be even more helpful than this was already
It’s on the way!
Hello Fr. Mikhail, thank you for your very clear and concise explanations of matters which are getting muddled with in the current days.
I have a question regarding prayer with the heterodox. I am a cradle orthodox, but because I live in an area without any orthodox churches near me (the closest is about 100 km away), I have not only attended Roman Catholic masses, but also accepted communion there, and even started to serve the altar in that parish, because I did not know any better. As time went on I looked into the matter and realized my errors. My question ist the following: should I just confess those things that I did in the next confession that I can attend in an Orthodox church, or should I do more/something additional? How grave are those sins? What if the priest who will take my confession won't see it as a sin?
I'd be thankful for some advice.
If the priest doesn’t see it as a serious matter, because it is a very grave matter, then find another. You must certainly confess this as it is the sin of apostasy and you’ll need to be Chrismated again before the reception on any sacrament.
@@living_orthodox Thanks for the quick reply! Unfortunately that raises four more questions to me.
1. How much time will pass from the confession to my Chrismation?
2. In what kind of spiritual state am I until my Chrismation? Am I an Orthodox Christian?
3. Is there anything you can recommend me to do(for example pto pray specific prayers of repentance etc. ...) until I have the opportunity to confess my sins in an Orthodox church (I never had the opportunity to do a Orthodox confession)
4. Am I as an Greek-Orthodox (EP) allowed to take sacraments in a Russian church?
Best regards and many thanks!
@@geobi1342 1. That’s completely up to the person who receives you
2. No, you’re no longer Orthodox as you have communed from the altar of heretics and schismatics.
3. Read psalm 50 and look up the prayers for reception of an apostate back to the Orthodox Church.
4. Greek by birth but no longer Orthodox as you have communed in a Catholic Church. You cannot receive communion in any Orthodox Church as they’re all one Church. Be watchful, don’t remain unknowing. Don’t commune or attend at the services of Coptics, or Catholics. Remain faithful to Eastern Orthodox Church, and until you’re received back into communion, don’t entree the naive during services but remain in the narthex
I would love ot hear more on this.
I'm Catholic and appreciate your information. Thank you
Father, I think it would be great if this video was a primer, and then offer deeper dives into specific areas in the follow-up videos. If I may suggest an order, I think it would serve us well if the next video was a deeper dive into the Scriptural evidence, as you offered in this video. Then the next one after that to be on the liturgical evidence, proving that the teaching is preserved in our actual praxis as the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. Then offer the video deep-diving the patristic evidence, showing the consensus of the Holy Fathers.
Biblical, liturgical (our actively preserved Tradition), and patristic.I just think that would be the optimal order of videos for dismantling the objections and pushback on the Toll Houses from our brothers and sisters.
Fantastic suggestion!
The demons joyfully egotistically rejoice when they can plant doubt in us.
"Without hindrance" is very different to tollhouses.
Interrogation ? ? The conversation of the soul with God is already happening ... we judge/interrogate our selves ...
If God in Christ and His Church has done ALL things for us, what victory can "tollhouses" have in the Grace and Mercy of God? If we, in the Church and by the the Saints, have taken ourself into hand and relied on God completely, what accusation is left?
That victory is dependent on you and how much you struggle for Christ. We don’t believe in cheap grace or lazy Christianity, which insults Christ by disregarding His call to repentance and watchfulness
If wounds stop us inheriting the Kingdom who can be saved?
Context dear one. Wounds remain Whe we don’t repent.
Thank you brother for what you do. Not sure if you mention this but this always sticks in my mind. Luke 22 31. Behold satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat, but i have prayed that your own faith may not fail: and once you have turned back, you must strengthen your brothers. I wonder if this is in reference to these toll houses?
If confession and judging ourselves does not cleave us to Christ, who can be grasped by the wrist by Christ and brought home?
I love bojan though ❤️
It would be great if you did a in-depth scriptural reading of the toll house, thank you father
You got it!
Learning about this is like getting punched in the stomach from the inside, but it's the type of punch I needed and i'm thankful for.
wonderfull video!
@living_orthodoxy
What is the difference between the Toll Houses and Purgatory?
For clarification, Purgatory is for us a great Mercy of God, a manner by which we are purified from sinful attachments (but not if we died in a state of grave/mortal sin).
If we read RCC Encyclopedia, we find that: "temporal punishment is due to sin, even after the sin itself has been pardoned by God". This is false pretext that is source of the Purgatory. Such false assertion is an extension of the original false premise that all people are guilty of Original Sin of Adam. Neither one is endorsed by the Orthodox Church. These are the roots of Purgatory. Since Orthodox do not share these same roots with RCC, we can never agree on Purgatory. Toll Houses are attempts of the Devil (meaning: Accuser) to accuse soul on its way to the heavens of certain misdeeds and are not "places of cleansing" like Purgatory is.
Lights are a tad too bright, wonder if you can move them further to the side so they don't make your pupil's white out. Thanks for this series!! Very important topic! Blessing's, Father!
I’ll try lowering them
Father, do non-Orthodox go through the tollhouses too? Or is it just us, because we ought to have known better, ought to have become more Christlike, having received so much?
According to Fr Kosmas and his reading, he thinks the Toll Houses are only for Orthodox Christians. OrthodoxTalks has ~4 videos on the Toll Houses. And as with all things in Orthodox, the Patristic Consensus is what guides our opinions.
@fsalemh , thank you for responding. That is what I recalled but needed to be sure.
What happens to non-O, when die?
Taken straight to hades in most cases. The same can happen with Orthodox who disregard their spiritual life.
@living_orthodox , that's what I thought, Father. I believe I heard that, somewhere, though I can't remember where exactly. Thank you for confirming.
Please do the scriptural side of it, I'd really appreciate it as someone going to an Orthodox Parish seeking the catechumenate.
Working on it! It’s a large amount. Video will likely be 40 mins to an hour plus at the rate it’s going. Stay tuned and I’ll get it out as soon as possible! God bless you as you strive for His kingdom :)
Did you ever get around to making part 2?
That’s actually high on the list
Pardon my ignorance, Father. I’m a convert and catechumen still working to shed Roman thinking. I’m a terrible sinner and this is absolutely horrifying to think about. I’ll add to my reading, but in the interim if you could educate me, what is my defense? Confession and repentance? I know that I will not be free of my sins in this life and I’m terrified to stand before them wounded and marred.
Thank you, Father.
Dearest to Christ. You’re defence is repentance. While learning and coming into the Church it’s important to suspend one’s personal judgments, especially in the face of many holy fathers and the hymnography of the Church. Watch the video in full. To me at least, it’s clear that if one confesses (not hiding anything willingly and thus rendering absolution inert), and continually lives a Christian life, that the toll houses won’t have an effect.
Many people don’t like them not because there is anything wrong dogmatically with the teaching. Clearly it is a fully Orthodox belief. They take issue because they are struggling with passions that they’re afraid they cannot give up. That’s what the toll houses are. They’re groupings of demons associated with that particular passion or sin. Be repenting and you will be saved.
@@living_orthodox Thank you, Father. I watched the video but was confused on that point. I appreciate your time and guidance.
Hello Father. I was wondering if you'd do a video on the different steps of the toll houses in depth?
That’s on the way Xenia! That’ll be covered more in video three. Working on a deep dive on the scriptures referring to the toll-houses
UPDATE:
After I asked this, Father, I listened to the video again and found on page 262 in the Jordanville prayer book, Prayer to the Guardian Angel that mentions toll houses.
Do you know of any specific prayers to the Theotokos that mentions toll houses?
Father,
Would you please share prayers for us to help with the toll houses?
Thank you!
Anna
Toll houses are a recent addition to the language. They won't acknowledge that.
This is similar to Rudolf Steiner's Theosophy teachings called the 8th sphere. Because the Orthodox church did not teach me (this was the 60's, 70's, 80's.) I had to go on my own journey......
We reject theosophy as it is occult. There is a lot of resources now and priests can help you.
I cast my vote for wanting detailed references supporting aerial toll houses.
BUT, I also would like a concise overall picture. Some questions come to mind. If our Lord Jesus Christ "went down to hades and trampled on the power of the devil," why are demons given any power at all in the movement of the soul from earth to paradise? How many toll houses are there? What happens in each toll house and what happens if you don't "pass" the tests (?) of a particular toll house? Are you held back from going on? If so, why would demons be in a position to make that judgement? Are there things you can do to further your progress? What bearing do toll houses have on the final judgement?
Wow! This is a lot to take in for a "toddler" in orthodoxy (3.5 years old) -- and, by the way, I am overwhelmed by the knowledge you have acquired, having been orthodox for much less time than I have!
God bless you! Already working on putting together the scripture references. As for the other questions, the devil is of course still around and able to put men to the test. That said it’s not that Christ doesn’t judge the soul, the toll houses more reveal what the soul may not have repented of in this life. If we die attached to certain serious sins, the o we who encouraged the sins will come to collect their “payment”. As for someone as young as a toddler, they wouldn’t be able to do anything to accuse them. They’d ascend immediately. We also do have two angels who come and assist us in our ascent through the Toll Houses
Roman catholics use saints to add to theology. Do orthodox do that too?
Short answer, no. We don’t have “development of doctrine”, like they do.
To be fair, and I am sure you will cover this Fr, I think a lot of people are just unsettled by the implications of the imagery of toll houses. I have genuinely met people who speak of the toll houses as if demons are gonna literally sit and judge the worth of their soul. Traditionally, don't the tribulations seem to have been understood more as battles(?) of the soul of the departed with the demons (as some of the quotes presented in the video seem to also imply)which unlike the toll house imagery cannot imply that demons have authority over the soul.
A lot of us are I think only wish there was a more precise term used to describe the doctrine to alleviate the confusion. I think my qusetion to you Father Michael is why should we persist on using the toll houses as the imagery for the trials of the soul after death?
(Edit:Fr Michael is right and I am dumb and dishonest)
That’s where many don’t see the difference in language. Demons accuse. It is God who ultimately judges. I’ll definitely be covering this in more detail.
@@living_orthodox I see, indeed that makes sense, thank you very much for the answer Father
You dont need the lights blasting in your face so bright father! That must be uncomfortable!
Thankfully the lights don’t hurt the eyes. Still figuring everything out!
Pt 2!!
Bring the mic closer to your voice. It's too far away. Hope you've sorted moving forward and back pointing you voice down reading from a book is very clear. Looking up towards the screen looses clarity.
Please move to mic up
Which bible version are you reading from? My KJV does not read the same as what you said in Luke 12:20.
A more direct translation from the Greek.
@@living_orthodox thank you Father. God bless. God is great.
Please Father.
How can we pray for the non Orthodox departed?
God if it be within your will, have mercy upon the departed soul of __________.
@living_orthodox Thank you Father.
Pray to Saint Varus.
Sorry, that interpretation of John 14:30 is completely wrong. Christ is saying is about to be crucified. It has nothing to do with the believer's soul after death. What in the context could possibly lead you to your interpretation?
It’s not my interpretation and I never said it didn’t concern that. He says the devil is drawing near because of His impending death. The devil would come and find nothing of himself in Christ. You are looking at scripture from the heretical perspective of the Protestants and it is shameful to disagree with the collected interpretation of the Fathers. So no it is you who is completely wrong. If you want to argue go ahead. I’ll simply deny you the satisfaction as I don’t have time to waste arguing with one person (especially one who is Protestant minded) over scripture when they themselves are incapable of even listening with accuracy to the initial argument they take issue with.
is st basil the new and st basil the great the same person?
No. Hence the different epithets
What is a ‘tolll house’?
What’s the song in the beginning
Hymn, not just a song.
@@agiasf7330 obviously it’s a hymn
I'm not getting notifications and my comments get automatically deleted. 😔
Finally saw this! I am not sure what’s happening as I would see a notification for you and then it wouldn’t be found when I check the app. I also check my studio. This seems to be a YT problem. Perhaps respond to this comment and see if it works?
@@living_orthodox It's absolutely TH-cam doing it. My previous comment said that I checked back with his channel after not seeing notifications for quite a while, only to find this video was 7 days old. I mentioned asking David Erhan to include notifications for this channel on the discord app because obviously TH-cam doesn't like this channel or me. 😞
@@living_orthodox *this not "his"
Intriguing discussion about tollhouses, because it seems Orthodox Christians are "all over the map" when it comes to explaining what happens to the soul after death. Perhaps explaining what happens at these tollhouses, how many there are, and the criteria for passing through them would be useful in a follow on video. I've never heard that explained cogently. Ultimately we stand before the fearsome judgment seat of Christ and that alone determines our eternal destiny.
Trust me, it’s coming :) this is going to be a very in-depth series. Honestly, us being “all over the map”, is sadly a modern issue. Thanks for the comment! It’s helpful
First!
Second!
Third!
Your video were fine before.
We Catholics call it Purgatory.
Not even remotely the same thing. Toll Houses don’t purify and they’re not an assurance of heaven. They’re a place of testing and one can fail.
7th!