There is a lot of interesting information about the unique, annual ceremony of the descent of the Holy Fire. This magical action takes place on the eve of the bright Orthodox holiday of Easter in Jerusalem - the city of the world, combining the shrine of three religions. The ceremony itself takes place in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, gathering thousands of pilgrims who want to see this miracle. Journalists and media representatives are broadcasting live outside the walls of the Temple.
Every year for many centuries the Holy Fire is born in the Temple, reminding everyone of the resurrection of our Lord. The descent of the Holy Fire takes place in a small chapel (Cuvuklia) inside the temple itself, which includes the Holy Sepulcher. It is lined with pink and yellow marble with wooden double doors. It is this place that is the center of the origin of fire.
During the Middle Ages, the fire was lit by the clergy and blessed it. The ceremony was not held according to a single scheme and was constantly changing. Only the Temple itself was a permanent place of convergence of fire. The Temple of the Lord is the place where Jesus rested and was resurrected. And the appearance of the Light (Holy Fire) soon after the resurrection of Christ symbolizes the victory over death and the forgiveness of all sins.
Today the church ceremony is solemn and very exciting. The temple, which can accommodate up to 20 thousand people, gathers up to 30 thousand of them on this day, and outside the walls of the Temple there are two times more people. The feeling that the whole world is gathered in one place at such an hour. Clergymen in light festive clothes are performing a procession. On the territory of the entire temple, candles, lamps and any other lighting are extinguished. Thousands of people stand in silent silence, waiting for a miracle. The patriarch enters the Kuvuklia, reciting a prayer. Before the ceremony, all the clergy participating in it undergo a rigorous check. Their clothes and pockets are completely revised to ensure that none of them can carry with them substances and objects that can ignite a fire. And the Patriarch himself is undressed in front of the entrance to the chapel, leaving him in one white podreznik. The Kuvuklia is also carefully checked and then sealed by representatives of the mayor's office, pre-locking the doors with a key. The key to the main chapel of the temple has been kept in one Arab family for many years and passed down from generation to generation. But once a year, one key is given to the Patriarch for the ceremony.
There is no exact time during which the Holy Fire appears. This can take 10, 20, 30 minutes. Cases are described when the fire appeared only after two hours of prayer. All this time, anxious expectation grows in the crowd. For a long time it was believed that the year in which the descent of the Holy Fire does not occur will be the last for the living. Therefore, people with great excitement expect the descent of the sacred fire every year.
The patriarch, entering the Kuvuklia, carries with him an oil lamp and 33 candles, which symbolize the earthly age of Christ. The appearance of Light is preceded by sparks and sounds similar to electrical discharges. The atmosphere itself at the moment of waiting, as if it has its own special charge, the air is filled with discharges and flashes flying inside the Temple, sometimes illuminating with instantaneous bright light. The Kuvuklia is pierced with many small holes, and the appearance of fire is noticed before the Patriarch has time to go out to the people. Through the same holes, the assistants begin to transmit fire to everyone who waits. Many small lights scatter this day from Jerusalem to different parts of the world. A piece of sacred fire can be obtained in any temple. It is believed that such a fire has miraculous powers and is able to heal from ailments.
Promotional video:
In the first few minutes, a lighted fire does not burn, it can “wash”, treating sore spots. And at this moment he is Light, and then already fire. History knows several cases when people, "washing" with fire in the Temple, were cured of skin diseases and eye diseases.
The phenomenon of the descent of the Holy Fire has not yet been fully solved. Christians sacredly believe in the divine origin of the Sacred Fire, but there are those who question the very process of the appearance of Light, considering this ceremony a simple, beautiful and symbolic ritual. Even scientists decided to join in the clarification of this issue.
One of the Russian physicists was lucky enough to conduct research and prove that the Holy Fire is not just a beautiful ceremony, but a Divine miracle given to people to strengthen their faith. The scientist took with him a whole arsenal of technical devices capable of detecting electromagnetic radiation of any frequency. At the moment when the fire was supposed to appear, the instruments suddenly caught an impulse. This meant that there was an electric discharge, which means that there was no artificial ignition.
Another team of physicists suggested that this phenomenon is based on knowledge of geophysics. The Earth, being a unique electromagnetic object, is able to release its internal tectonic energy, which can be a source of fire. And the location of Cuvuklia is not accidental. It is in this place that the junction of tectonic plates is located, which are able to actively release a large amount of energy. And by interacting with the energies of a large number of people, it gives a similar magical effect. The energy at this moment in the Temple is extraordinary. There is massive pacification and a state of bliss.
May the Holy Fire of Jerusalem come down to everyone every year again and again, giving all of us faith and hope that everyone living on this earth is always under the protection of the Most High.