In this video, meet an Orthodox Patriarch who spent his life at the heart of the Church, wrapped in centuries of tradition, ritual, and reverence. From towering domes echoing with ancient chants to the golden vessels and incense of the liturgy, he embodied the role of shepherd, leader, and guardian of the faith. People bowed, kissed his ring, and saw him as a bridge to the divine. Yet behind the vestments and ceremonies, he quietly wrestled with a distance he could not name, a longing for closeness he could not find.

On a quiet Tuesday night after vespers, weary from travel, services, and meetings, the Patriarch returned to his private chamber to pray. Alone with his icon and oil lamp, he whispered the Jesus Prayer, his mind slipping between devotion and exhaustion. Then came the sudden tightness in his chest, the glass of water falling from his hand, and the moment when everything stopped.

During that time between life and death, the Patriarch experienced a shocking Near-Death Experience (NDE). In a vision unlike anything he had ever imagined, he witnessed churches in flames and a reality that shook the foundation of everything he had built his life upon.

In this extraordinary account, the Orthodox Patriarch shares what he saw during his NDE and the life-altering message he received — a revelation that changed his understanding of Christ, the Church, and what it truly means to be close to God.