Holy Fire 2017: when the live broadcast, the history of convergence, and much more, read the TopNews material.
vid_roll_width="300px" vid_roll_height="150px">Tens of thousands of Christians around the world are praying these days for the descent of the Holy Fire on the eve of Easter. Great Saturday in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem.
According to Christian tradition, the Holy Fire miraculously appears in Kuvuklia - the chapel above the Holy Sepulcher. Its convergence takes place annually on the eve of the holiday. Orthodox Easter.
Live broadcast of the convergence of the Holy Fire in Jerusalem 2017 will be intkbbee available on the web.
The Holy Fire will be delivered to our country by the delegation of the St. Andrew the First-Called Foundation, which in 2017 included the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova.
Descent of the Holy Fire 2017
The convergence of the Holy Fire in 2017 will take place in the renovated Kuvuklia chapel, which was restored for about a year. During the repair, for the first time in 500, scientists removed the marble slab covering the burial bed of Christ and studied it.
The Holy Fire symbolizes the miraculous light of the Resurrection of Christ, about which the Apostle Peter spoke. This fire appears in Kuvuklia every year precisely on the eve of Orthodox Easter, thanks to the prayers of the Orthodox clergy and tens of thousands of pilgrims in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and at its walls.
However, the debate continues in society about whether the convergence of the Holy Fire is an annual miracle or simply a traditional Easter religious rite of the Jerusalem Church.
At noon from the Jerusalem Patriarchy begins procession to the Holy Sepulcher, ending before the entrance to Kuvuklia. A large lampada is brought into it, in which a fire should ignite, and 33 candles (according to the number of years of the Savior's earthly life).
The Patriarch of Jerusalem traditionally enters the Kuvukliya in one linen cassock, so that it can be seen that he does not carry matches or anything else with which to make fire. After that, the entrance to the chapel is sealed, and a period of tense waiting for the convergence of the blessed fire begins.
According to popular tradition, if the fire does not descend, it will be a terrible omen for all mankind, and those who are in the temple will die.
Waiting for a miracle lasts from several minutes to several hours. At this time, the lights are extinguished in the temple, and the faithful hold unlit Easter eggs (large holiday candles) in their hands. People pray, repent of their sins and ask the Lord to grant the Holy Fire. According to eyewitnesses, after some time, inexplicable flashes of light appear in the temple, which seem to flow down the walls and columns, and a vertical wide column of light descends from the hole in the dome of the temple onto the Holy Sepulcher.
Soon, a blessed fire appears in Kuvuklia, the patriarch comes out of the cave and passes the fire from candle to candle to the people gathered in the temple. It is noteworthy that at first the Holy Fire does not burn when touched, RIA Novosti notes.
Descent of the Holy Fire VIDEO
When the Holy Fire descends in Jerusalem in 2018, it directly depends on the date of Orthodox Easter. In 2018, Easter will be on April 8, which means that thousands of believers around the world will expect the Holy Fire to descend on the 7th. They say that if in some year the fire does not come down, then this will be a symbol of the imminent end of the world. So, I would like to hope that this year in Jerusalem, in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the fire will definitely appear.
If we return to history, it should be noted that the first evidence of the emergence of this fire precisely in the territory of the city of Jerusalem, the holy land, appeared in the fourth century. It has always happened since then in one place - in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. According to legend, it was in this cave that the body of Jesus Christ was located after the crucifixion and until the moment of his resurrection. So, that's exactly how it happened, on Great Saturday, believers are waiting for the descent of the Holy Fire. If it was not possible to get into the temple itself, it is difficult to do it, because there are more and more people who want it every year, then the process of convergence of fire can be watched online on the Internet or on television.
About the ceremony
The descent of the Holy Fire is a whole ceremony that includes many rules and rituals. The ceremony starts about a day before Happy Easter. This ceremony is called a litany. At lunch, the patriarchs make a procession to the chapel, which is located in the very center of the temple. During the procession, a lamp is carried. It does not burn yet and it is there, then the fire appears. Around the icon lamp there are 33 candles, which are a symbol of the years of Jesus Christ's life on earth until the moment of the crucifixion.
The patriarch enters the chapel alone. He wears a minimum of clothes, and Israeli police officers check and search the patriarch so that he does not have any objects with him that allow him to get fire. At the same time, in the temple itself, on the eve of Great Saturday, all lamps, candles and other sources of fire are extinguished.
The lamp is placed by the patriarch directly in the center of the coffin bed. There is also cotton wool around the perimeter, and a tape around the edges. After that, once again the police inspect the chapel, and then the main clergyman, who is already inside and searched, is sealed. No one knows exactly where the fire comes from. This secret has been preserved for more than one millennium. On the festive table can be done on Easter.
About obligatory rituals
An obligatory ritual that should be observed in order for the fire to appear is the presence of young people in the temple who ask the Mother of God and the Lord to grant fire. Eyewitnesses who were in the temple when the fire descended, all as one say that out of nowhere flashes of bright light appear right above the Holy Sepulcher.
It is impossible to determine the exact time when the Holy Fire 2018 descends in Jerusalem. But we know for sure that this happens all the time.
The convergence of the Holy Fire in 2018: date, time, where to watch
The Holy Fire is what almost the whole world is waiting for every year. His convergence takes place right on the eve of Easter, and not only Christians and believers yearn to see him. After all, every person knows that if Fire has appeared, then everything will be fine on Earth for another year. It is believed that if the Holy Fire does not arise at least once, then a big trouble will soon happen. That is why, with bated breath, people are waiting for the appearance of this miracle.
The ceremony of the descent of the Holy Fire, which has existed for more than a thousand years, is strictly regulated and spelled out to the smallest detail.
10:15 Detour around Kuvuklia (chapel) by a procession led by the Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem
11:00 Closing and sealing of the marble chapel of the Holy Sepulcher
11:30 Emergence of emotional Arab Christian youth
12:00 Arrival at the Temple of the Greek Patriarch
12:10 Address by representatives of the Armenian clergy, as well as the Coptic and Syrian Orthodox churches to the patriarch
12:20 A closed lamp is brought into the Holy Sepulcher, in which a fire should flare up
12:30 Procession of the Greek clergy with a three-fold detour of Kuvuklia 12:50 Entrance to the Holy Sepulcher of the Patriarch and the Armenian Archimandrite
12:55 – 15:00 Exit of the Patriarch with the Holy Fire Traditionally, the Church of the Resurrection of Christ in Jerusalem is filled with pilgrims from all over the world.
Where can you see the Holy Fire
Such a phenomenon as the Holy Fire, as historians and representatives say christian church originated about two thousand years ago. You can see how it flares up in only one place. In Jerusalem there is the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, which was built where the cave is located, where the coffin with the body of the Savior was placed. It was there that believers first saw this inexplicable miracle, and it is there that the Fire appears every year. Therefore, about ten thousand people gather in this temple every year to see everything with their own eyes. Other believers observe this phenomenon only on TV. Therefore, there are a lot of questions about when the convergence of the Holy Fire will already take place in 2018. The date, time, where to watch the broadcast - all this interests people, because many believe that even if you are not in the temple, but you can see the flames on TV, you can receive the blessing of the Lord.
It is worth saying that when the Fire appears exactly, no one can say. The fact is that this inexplicable phenomenon occurs every year at different times. But, as a rule, it happens on Great Saturday. This time it falls on April 7th. If we talk about time, then from the very morning the believers, together with the ministers of the church, gather in the temple so as not to miss such a significant event. In addition, the procession and several other religious rituals are held first. And often the Holy Fire can be seen only in the late afternoon. It is first given to all believers in the temple, and then sent in lamps to churches located in other countries.
Where to watch live broadcasts of the convergence of the Holy Fire
Every year, several TV channels broadcast live from the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. But most often the occurrence of this miracle is shown in the record. The film crew records the entire ceremony, then the best moments are selected, and all this is mounted into an hour or an hour and a half program. It is then often shown on Sunday.
But if there is a desire to see everything in real time, then you can turn on the NTV channel. The live broadcast will begin at 13.15 Moscow time on April 7th. Also, the appearance of Fire can be viewed on the Internet. Some resources will also broadcast online.
As for Channel One and Russia TV, they will not broadcast this event, but they will broadcast from the Cathedral of Christ the Savior at 19.30.
The descent of the Holy Fire is a very bright event that all people rejoice at. As those who managed to observe the phenomenon with their own eyes say, often candles and icon lamps in their hands light up by themselves, flashes appear at the place where the tomb of Christ stood, and dew also appears on the cotton wool, which is laid out in the temple. Such miracles, of course, deserve attention!
Scientists managed to get to the Holy Sepulcher and conduct research, the result 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 existence higher powers that every religion talks about.
In Orthodoxy, one of the testimonies of the miracles indicated in the Bible is the Holy Fire descending on the Holy Sepulcher on the eve of Easter. On Great Saturday, anyone can look at it - just come to the square in front of the Church of the Resurrection. But the longer this tradition exists, the more hypotheses are built by journalists and scientists. All of them refute the divine origin of fire - but can one of them be trusted?
History of the Holy Fire
The convergence of fire can be seen only once a year and in the only place on the planet - the Jerusalem Church of the Resurrection. Its huge complex includes: Calvary, 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 tomb of the Lord - it is called Cuvuklia.
At ten o'clock in the morning of Great Saturday, all candles, lamps and other sources of light are extinguished in the temple every year. The highest church ranks personally monitor this: Kuvuklia passes the last test, after which it is sealed with a large wax seal. From that moment on, the protection of holy places falls on the shoulders of the Israeli police (in ancient times, the Janissaries of the Ottoman Empire handled their duties). They also put additional printing over 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 headed by the patriarch: having bypassed Kuvuklia three times, he stops in front of her doors.
“The patriarch dresses in white clothes. With him, at the same time, 12 archimandrites and four deacons put on white vestments. Then clerics in white surplice 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 life-giving cross, then 12 priests in pairs, then four deacons also in pairs, and the last two of them in front of the patriarch hold bunches of candles in their hands in a silver stand for the most convenient transfer of holy fire to the people, and, finally, the patriarch with a rod in right hand. With the blessing of the patriarch, the singers and all the clergy, while singing: “Thy Resurrection, Christ the Savior, the angels sing in heaven, and make us on earth glorify You with a pure heart” go from the Church of the Resurrection to the Kuvukliya and bypass it three times. After the third circumambulation, the patriarch, the clergy and the chanters stop with the banner-bearers and the crusader in front of the holy life-giving tomb and sing the evening hymn: “Quiet Light”, reminiscent of the fact that this litany was once part of the rite of evening worship.
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 officers search the Patriarch, after which he enters Kuvuklia. An Armenian archimandrite remains at the front door in order to offer prayers to Christ for the forgiveness of the sins of the human race.
“The patriarch, having stood at the door of the holy tomb, with the help of the deacons, takes off his miter, sakkos, omophorion and club and remains only in the vestment, stole, belt and handrails. The dragoman then removes the seals and cords from the door of the holy tomb and lets in his patriarch, who has the aforementioned bunches of candles in his hands. Behind him immediately goes inside the Kuvuklia one Armenian bishop, dressed in sacred garments and also having bunches of candles in his hands for the speedy transfer of the holy fire to the people through the southern opening of the Kuvuklia in the chapel of the Angel.
When the Patriarch is alone, behind closed doors, the real sacrament begins. On his knees, the Holy One 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 see their result! Blue and red flashes appear on the walls, columns and icons of the temple, reminiscent of reflections during fireworks. At the same time, blue lights appear on the marble slab of the Coffin. The clergyman touches one of them with a cotton ball - and the fire spreads to her. The patriarch lights a lampada with a cotton wool and hands it over 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 buzzes and thunders from the cry of those people. And here tears are shed in streams from faithful people. Even with a stone heart, a person can then shed a tear. 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 ... hurries in spiritual joy to kindle them from the primary light, through the clergy deliberately appointed for this from the Orthodox and Armenian clergy, standing near the northern and southern openings of the cuvuklia and the first to receive holy fire from the holy tomb. From numerous lodges, from windows and cornices of walls, similar bundles descend on ropes. wax candles, since the spectators, who occupy their 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 usual properties. Several centuries ago, one of the pilgrims wrote:
“He lit 20 candles in one place and burned his brother with all those candles, and not a single hair writhed or burned; and having extinguished all the candles and then kindled them with other people, I kindled those candles, and I also kindled those candles on the third day, and then touching my wife with nothing, I didn’t singe a single hair, nor writhed.
Conditions for the appearance of the sacred fire
Among the Orthodox, there is a belief that in the year when the fire does not light up, the apocalypse will begin. However, this event has already happened once - then a follower of a different confession of Christianity tried to extract the fire.
“The first Latin Patriarch Arnopd of Choquet ordered the expulsion of heretic sects from their limits in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, then he began torturing Orthodox monks, seeking where they kept 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 admit only Latins there, generally 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 Kuvuklia did not happen until Eastern Christians were invited to participate in this rite. Then King Baldwin I took care of the return of the local Christians of their rights.
Fire under the Latin Patriarch and a crack in the column
In 1578, the clergy from Armenia, who had not heard anything about the attempts of their predecessor, tried to repeat them. They obtained permission to be the first to see the Holy Fire by forbidding them to enter the church Orthodox Patriarch. He, along with other priests, was forced to pray at the gate on the eve of Easter. See the miracle of God to the minions Armenian Church did not succeed. One of the columns of the courtyard, in which the Orthodox prayed, cracked, and a pillar of fire appeared from it. Traces of its convergence can be observed by any tourist today. Believers traditionally leave notes in it with the most cherished requests to God.
A series of mystical events forced Christians to sit down at the negotiating table and decide that God is pleased to pass the fire into his hands Orthodox priest. Well, he, in turn, goes out to the people and gives the sacred flame to the hegumen and the monks of the Lavra of St. Savva the Sanctified, the Armenian Apostolic and Syrian Church. The last to enter the temple must be the local Orthodox Arabs. On Holy Saturday, they appear in the square with songs and dances, and then enter the chapel. In it they say ancient prayers on Arabic in which they turn to Christ and Mother of God. This condition is also required 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 the Son to send Fire to George the Victorious, who is especially revered in the Orthodox East. They literally shout out that they are the most eastern, the most Orthodox, living where the sun rises, bringing candles with them to kindle the Fire. According to oral tradition, 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 his will to let the Arab youth. After they performed the ritual, the Fire descended"
Were attempts to find a scientific explanation for the Holy Fire successful?
It is impossible to say that the skeptics managed to defeat the believers. Among the many theories that have physical, chemical and even alien justification, only one deserves attention. In 2008, physicist Andrey Volkov managed to get into Kuvuklia 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 Kuvuklia, a device that fixes the spectrum of electromagnetic radiation detected a strange long-wave impulse in the temple, which no longer manifested itself. I do not want to refute or prove anything, but such is the scientific result of the experiment. There was an electric discharge - either lightning struck, or something like a piezo lighter turned on for a moment.
Physicist about blessed fire
The physicist himself did not set the goal of his research to expose the shrine. He was interested in the very process of convergence of fire: the appearance of flashes on the walls and on the lid of the Holy Sepulcher.
“So, it is quite 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 Andrei comments on what happened. It turns out that to unravel the mystery of the sacred Holy Fire is beyond the power of modern technology ...
Easter is approaching - one of the significant holidays of Orthodox Christians, in 2019 it falls on April 28. But the day before, on Great Saturday, it became a tradition to wait in Jerusalem at the Holy Sepulcher for the descent of the Holy Fire.
So, the Holy Fire in Jerusalem 2019: the history of the event, how the ceremony goes, and much more - later in the article. Pay attention, and why in many churches the sacrament is not performed on the day of the holiday.
The Holy Fire has been known to people for thousands of years. It was first mentioned in the 4th century. The witnesses were the Apostles, the holy fathers. They claimed that before the resurrection of Jesus, an unusual light illuminated the Holy Sepulcher after he was resurrected.
Reasons to see the Holy Fire
Most Christians dream of being in Jerusalem on this day. After all, it is believed that if you see the fire, or at least you are present in the temple, then all sins will be forgiven. There are a lot of people who want to get in, but the temple can only accommodate about 10 thousand people.
It is interesting! Not only Christians, but also people who profess Islam dream of seeing and taking the Holy Fire with them.
People of different nationalities and religions gather here. On the way to the temple, you will have to go through a line of soldiers who carefully examine the pilgrims so that no one carries explosives in order to avoid a terrorist attack.
Holy Fire Meeting Ceremony
The ceremony of the descent of the Holy Fire in Jerusalem 2019 is a real miracle. But everything happens gradually. First, the procession takes place, with a detour of the memorial places associated with the name of Jesus Christ, it is led by the clergy. The procession is closed by patriarchs from the local temple and Armenia, as well as priests.
The procession reaches the chapel near the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, which is called the Cuvuklia. Then everyone walks around it three times. The local and Armenian patriarchs, in front of everyone, are examined by the mayor of the city and the head of Jerusalem, so that they cannot carry sources of fire with them. After the inspection, both patriarchs enter the Kuvukliya, and the door is sealed behind them with wax and a red ribbon.
Important! A little earlier, a lamp is placed in the middle of the bed of the Holy Sepulcher, oil is poured into it, but not set on fire. Then cotton wool is placed everywhere, the edges are framed with tape.
The lights go out in the temple. People hold interconnected candles in their hands, pray, ask the Lord for the Holy Fire. Waiting is always different. Sometimes the wait takes several minutes, and sometimes the Holy Fire is expected for hours. No one knows how long to wait for the Holy Fire in Jerusalem in 2019.
Note! Sometimes miracles can happen before the fire appears. The pilgrims heard thunder, although the sky was cloudless or rain was dripping on them right in the temple.
The accomplishment of a great miracle
But the most long-awaited miracle is still considered the Holy Fire. No one knows where it will appear from, every year in a different way: it can appear above the dome of the temple or on the altar, slide down the walls like a snake. Believers, as it were, grab the fire, setting fire to their candles, many touch it with their hands. Surprisingly, it does not burn the body within 10 minutes.
At the moment of the convergence of the fire, the temple begins to be illuminated by the Holy Fire, thanks to small lightning. They pass almost through people without harming them. The temperature of the fire reaches 45-50 degrees. In this turmoil, sick people are trying to be cured by fire. Eyewitnesses say that they manage to regain health, lost for many years: the blind see clearly, the crippled become healthy, incurable wounds heal.
If it is not possible to visit Jerusalem, then on television they always broadcast the convergence of the Holy Fire in Jerusalem 2017 online. And everyone who wishes has the opportunity to get in touch with this event and see a miracle. This miraculous fire is transported to different countries by plane, so he gets to Russia. You know, it's not just Sunday.
It is interesting! Usually, exactly 33 candles are used to light the Holy Fire. This is not a random number, because Jesus Christ lived with people for just so many years.
Many skeptics try to refute that such a fire really exists, although it has been known for millennia, and it has become a reliable historical event. At the same time, this fire is a great symbol of gaining divine light. This is a miracle that gives people hope for goodness and faith.
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