Anthony's Vision

Εἶχε δὲ καὶ τοῦτο πάλιν χάρισμα. Ἐν γὰρ τῷ ὄρει κατὰ μόνας καθήμενος, εἴ ποτέ τι πρὸς ἑαυτὸν ζητῶν ἠπόρει, τοῦτο αὐτῷ παρὰ τῆς Προνοίας εὐχομένῳ ἀπεκαλύπτετο. Καὶ ἦν, κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον, θεοδίδακτος γενόμενος ὁ μακάριος. Μετὰ ταῦτα γοῦν διαλέξεως αὐτῷ ποτε γενομένης πρός τινας εἰσελθόν τας πρὸς αὐτὸν, περὶ τῆς διαγωγῆς τῆς ψυχῆς, καὶ ποῖος μετὰ ταῦτα αὐτῇ τόπος ἔσται, τῇ ἑξῆς νυκτὶ καλεῖ τις αὐτὸν ἄνωθεν, λέγων· Ἀντώνιε, ἀναστὰς ἔξελθε, καὶ βλέπε. Ἐξελθὼν τοίνυν, (ᾔδει γὰρ τίσιν ὑπακούειν ὀφείλει·) καὶ ἐθεώρησέ τινα μακρὸν ἀναβλέψας, ἀειδῆ καὶ φοβερὸν, ἑστῶτα καὶ φθάνοντα μέχρι τῶν νεφελῶν, καὶ ἀναβαίνοντάς τινας ὥσπερ ἐπτερωμένους· κἀκεῖνον ἐκτείνοντα τὰς χεῖρας· καὶ τοὺς μὲν κωλυομένους παρ' αὐτοῦ, τοὺς δὲ ὑπεριπταμένους, καὶ διελθόντας λοιπὸν, ἀμερίμνως ἀνάγεσθαι. Ἐπὶ μὲν οὖν τοῖς τοιούτοις ἔτριζε τοὺς ὀδόντας ὁ μακρὸς ἐκεῖνος· ἐπὶ δὲ τοῖς ἀποπίπτουσιν, ἔχαιρε. Καὶ εὐθὺς πρὸς Ἀντώνιον ἐγένετο φωνή· Νόει τὸ βλεπόμενον· καὶ διανοιχθείσης αὐτοῦ τῆς διανοίας, ἐνενόει τῶν ψυχῶν εἶναι τὴν πάροδον, καὶ τὸν ἑστῶ τα μακρὸν εἶναι τὸν ἐχθρὸν τὸν φθονοῦντα τοῖς πιστοῖς· καὶ τοὺς μὲν ὑπευθύνους αὐτῷ κρατοῦντα καὶ κωλύοντα διελθεῖν, τοὺς δὲ μὴ πεισθέντας αὐτῷ μὴ δυνάμενον κρατεῖν ὡς ὑπερβαίνοντας. Τοῦτο πάλιν ἑωρακὼς, καὶ ὥσπερ ὑπομιμνησκόμενος, μᾶλλον ἠγω νίζετο προκόπτειν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν καθ' ἡμέραν. Ταῦ τα δὲ οὐχ ἑκὼν ἀπήγγελλεν αὐτός· ἐν δὲ τῷ χρονίζειν ἐν ταῖς εὐχαῖς καὶ καθ' ἑαυτὸν θαυμάζειν, πυνθανο μένων τῶν συνόντων καὶ θλιβόντων αὐτὸν, ἠναγκάζε το λέγειν, ὡς πατὴρ οὐ δυνάμενος κρύπτειν τοῖς τέκνοις· ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡγούμενος, ὅτι τὸ μὲν αὐτοῦ σύνειδός ἐστι καθαρὸν, ἐκείνοις δὲ τὸ διήγημα γίνεται πρὸς ὠφέλειαν, μανθάνουσι τῆς ἀσκήσεως εἶναι καρπὸν ἀγαθὸν, τῶν τε πόνων πολλάκις παραμύθιον γίνεσθαι τὰς ὀπτασίας. Ἅγιος Ἀθανάσιος, Βίος καί Πολιτεία Τοῦ Ὅσῐος Παρτός Ἡμών Ἀντωνιοῦ Source: Migne PG 26.936c-937b

And again Anthony had this grace. For when he was sitting alone on the mountain, if he was ever in perplexity in his contemplations, it was revealed to him by Providence in prayer. He was that blessed man taught by God, as it is written. 1 After this, having discussed with certain men who had come to him the passing of the soul and what sort of things will happen to it after, the next night a voice from above called to him, saying, 'Antony, rise up, go out and look.' Having gone out, for he knew whom he should obey, and looking up, he saw a man standing there, one hideous and fearful and so tall that his height reached up to the clouds, and other men rose up as if they had wings. The figure stretched forth his hands and stopped some of those who were ascending, but others flew on above, and having passed on were free from care. Because of which the giant gnashed his teeth, but he rejoiced over those who fell back. And immediately a voice came to Antony, 'Understand what you see.' And his understanding was opened, and he understood that it was about the passing of souls, and that the great one who stood there was the enemy who envies the faithful. And those he seized and stopped from passing through were subject to him, but those he could not stop as they rose were not subservient to him. Having seen this, and as it were being reminded, he daily struggled to advance all the more towards those things which were ahead. He was not willing to speak about these visions, but as he spent much time in prayer and was amazed when those who were with him questioned him and pressed it upon him, he was obliged to speak of it, like a father who cannot hide things from his children. For he judged that as his conscience was clear, the account would be of benefit to them, that they might learn that discipline gave good fruit, and that visions were often the comfort of labours. Saint Athanasius, The Life of Saint Anthony 1 Isaiah 54.13, Jn 6.45