The central icon in the lower tier of our iconostasis is the most mystical fall of the images of christ, It is based upon the visions of the prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel. Christ is seated in glory on a throne supported by the red wheels of the angelic cherubim, surrounded by the angelic seraphim in the deep blue heavens. Christ here appears as the Creator and Lord of the Universe ". "..with heaven my throne and earth my footstool" Is 66:1. The heavenly mandorla is crossed by rays coming from Christ, and it is placed between two red squares which form an octagonal star that symbolizes the eighth day —the future life. Christ holds an open book of the gospels, and His right hand is raised in blessing. The pages of the book contain the Greek letters, Alpha and Omega, reminding us of the words from the Book of Revelations, " ' am the Alpha and the Omega,' says the Lord God, 'the one who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty." (Rev 1:8). The halo of Christ is inscribed with a cross, symbolizing his death, and the Greek letters O WN, the name of God that was given to Moses from the burning bush. This reminds us that Christ and the Father are One. The symbols of the Four Evangelists lie in the outer four corners of the icon-the winged ox symbolizing Matthew, the winged lion symbolizing Mark, the winged man symbolizing Luke, and the winged eagle symbolizing John.
Christ in Glory
The lower tier of our iconastasis is called a deisis. The word desis means prayer- in this case, the standing in prayer before the Saviour. Our deiss consists of five icons -the icon of Christ in the center, with the four side figures of the Blessed Mother, John the Baptist, and the Archangels Michael and Gabriel. The hands of all of the side figures are all extended to Christ, pointing toward him. In the deisis, the Virgin is always at the right hand of Christ, according to the words of the Psalm, "The queen stands at your right hand" (Psalm 45). Sometimes called the Virgin of Reverence, this icon shows us the tenderness of Our Lady. Her hands guide us to her Son; she leads us back to Christ. In Byzantine iconography, Mary is usually dressed in a deep red outer robe, which symbolizes her humanity. Mary was fully human in every sense of the word, and it was as a young human girl that she chose freely to accept God's call to bear His Son. She abandoned herself fully to God's will, as she said to the angel, "I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word" (Lk 1:38). Mary's inner robe is blue, the color that symbolizes divinity. It reminds us of her Assumption into heaven, and it reminds us that we, like her, are both body and spirit and that we are all called to the hope of eternal glory with God. Mary, the Theotokos, the Mother of God and the mother of us all, leads us along that path. She shows us what it means to be "Christ-like."
Mary, the Mother of God
Standing at the left side of Christ is St. John the Baptist, the cousin of the Lord and the last and greatest of the prophets. He was the son of the priest Zechariah and Elizabeth, the cousin of Mary, an elderly barren couple. His birth was foretold by the Archangel Gabriel, who struck Zechariah dumb until John's birth because Zechariah did not believe the angel. Ancient legends tell stories that Zechariah the priest was killed during Herod's slaughter of the innocents and that Elizabeth took her infant son John and fled to the desert, where John was raised. All four gospels tell of John the Baptist and the baptism of Jesus. "In those days John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert of Judea and saying 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.' It was of him that the prophet Isaiah had spoken when he said: A voice of one crying out in the desert, Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. John wore clothing made of camel hair and had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey." (Matt 3:1-4) In our icon, John wears a green camel-hair garment under his golden outer robe. His garments, along with his wild hair and straggly beard, are identifying features of his iconography. The Gospel of John adds that "John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, 'Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world...' (Un 1:29). In this icon St. John's scroll contains the Latin inscription, "Ecce, agnus dei, ecce qui tollis peccata mundi" - Behold the Lamb of God; behold Him who takes away the sins of the world."
St. John the Baptist
Flanking the icons of Christ in Glory, the Mother of God, and John the Baptist are the icons of the great Archangels Michael and Gabriel. The Archangel Michael stands next to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the Archangel Gabriel stands on the side of St. John the Baptist. In traditional iconography, the garb of the angels is that of the 4th century Byzantine court-often elaborate jeweled garments. Archangel Michael is usually shown with a scarlet red outer cloak and a blue or green inner robe. Angels in iconography often hold staffs, indicating their function as messengers from God to men. Their wings are also indicative of their messenger function. Michael is the Warrior Angel, the leader of God's heavenly hosts. The Book of Daniel calls him "Michael, the great prince, guardian of your people." In the Book of Revelation, Michael and his angels battle against the dragon. Tradition holds that Michael was the angel who guarded the Hebrews on their march toward the Promised Land and that he appeared at Moses' death. As Catholics, we often turn to St. Michael in prayer with the following words: Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host, by the Divine Power of God, cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who roam throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Archangel Michael
Just as the Archangel Michael is the warrior angel, so is Archangel Gabriel the messenger angel. In the Old Testament, Gabriel is the messenger between God and Daniel. He appears to Daniel to explain Daniel's vision (8:16) and again later to Daniel in prayer (9:21). In the New Testament, Gabriel has an active role in the infancy narratives of the Gospel of Luke. He appears first to Zechariah to announce the birth of John, saying, "1 am Gabriel, who stands before God. I was sent to speak to you and to announce to you this good news" (1:19). The Archangel Gabriel was later sent to the Virgin Mary in Nazareth to announce the birth of Christ (Luke 1:26-48). Tradition holds that it was also Gabriel who appeared in a dream to Joseph to calm his fears about taking Mary for his wife, that it was Gabriel who announced the birth of Christ to the shepherds, and that it was Gabriel who warned Joseph in a dream to take Mary and the Child and flee to Egypt. In contrast to Michael's red cloak, Gabriel's outer cloak is green and his inner robe is red. He and Michael both hold a messenger staff in one hand and a transparent orb in the other hand. The orb is an ancient symbol of authority. The inscriptions on the two orbs together give us the name of Christ: the Greek letters IC and XC-abbreviations for the Greek name Jesus Christ.
Archangel Gabriel
The middle tier of this iconostasis consists of the cow of Patriarchs and prophets, with the Blessed Virgin Mary in the center holding Christ Emmanuel. The patriarchs and prophets are all figures from the Old Testament who played significant roles in salvation history. The first of these figures is Abraham, our father in faith. The story of Abraham is found in the Book of Genesis. In this icon, Abraham's hands are held up in a gesture of surprise, indicating the many surprises Abraham experienced in his relationship with God, beginning with God's call to him: "I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you" (Gen 12:2). In his old age Abraham and his wife Sarah, who were childless and beyond child-bearing years, became the parents of a son Isaac-another surprise from God. A few years later, testing Abraham's loyalty, God surprised Abraham again. When Isaac was a young boy, God called Abraham to sacrifice his beloved son. Not withholding even his most precious child from God, Abraham prepared the altar of sacrifice as God instructed. Then, poised with his knife raised, ready to slaughter his bound son, Abraham heard God say, "Do not lay your hand on the boy. Do not do the least thing to him. I know now how devoted you are to God since you did not withhold from me your own beloved son... because you acted as you did, / will bless you abundantly and make your descendants as countless as the stars of the sky and the sands of the seashore... and in your descendants, all the nations of the earth shall find blessing" (Gen 22:12-18). Abraham's son Isaac was the father of Jacob, who was the father of twelve sons who founded the twelve tribes of Israel. From Abraham came the great religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
Patriarch Abraham
During Abraham's wanderings and struggles after his call from God, when he was still called Abram, and before the birth of Isaac, he encountered Melchizedek, king of Salem. "Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine, and being a priest of God Most High, he blessed Abram with these words: 'Blessed be Abram by God Most High, the creator of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High who delivered your foes into your hand'" (Gen 14:18-20). Our icon shows Melchizedek dressed in the royal robes of king and priest, holding a bowl of bread. Psalm 110, written hundreds of years later, refers to Melchizedek with the words, "Like Melchizedek you are a priest forever." Again, hundreds of years after the writing of the psalm, St. Paul's Letter to the Hebrews echoes this idea, "You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek" (Heb 5:6). In Chapter 7 of his Letter to the Hebrews, St. Paul explains how Melchizedek foreshadows Christ, who is both our king and our great high priest. As king, Christ rules forever. As priest, Christ offered bread and wine and transformed them into his Body and Blood. In the Roman Catholic Church, the ordained priesthood is referred to as "the priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek." The singing of Psalm 110 is included in the Rite of Ordination of Priests, during the investiture with stole and chasuble and the anointing of hands: "Christ the Lord, a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek, offered bread and wine." The Roman Canon (Eucharistic Prayer I) of our Catholic Mass also refers to Melchizedek with these words: "Be pleased to look upon these offerings with a serene and kindly countenance, and to accept them, as once you were pleased to accept the gifts of your servant Abel the just, the sacrifice of Abraham, our father in faith, and the holy offering of your high priest Melchizedek, a holy sacrifice, a spotless victim."
Patriarch Melchizedek
Just as Abraham is known as our Father in Faith, so Moses is known as the Lawgiver of the Old Testament. The story of Moses is found in the Book of Exodus, which narrates the oppression of the ever-increasing descendants of Jacob by the Egyptians and their miraculous deliverance from Egypt. Moses was called by God to lead the people out of Egypt and across the Red Sea to Mount Sinai, where they received the Ten Commandments and entered into a special covenant with God. Through Moses God gave the Israelites the Law-the moral, civil, and ritual legislation by which they were to become a holy people, God's chosen people. Our icon shows Moses holding a stone tablet that contains the words of the first of the Ten Commandments. As found in Chapter 20 of the Book of Exodus, the Commandments are as follows: 1. I am the Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt. You shall not have other gods before me. 2. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. 3. Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day. Six days you may labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord, your God. 4. Honor your father and your mother, that you may have a long life in the land which the Lord, your God, is giving you. 5. You shall not kill. 6. You shall not commit adultery. 7. You shall not steal. 8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. 9. You shall not covet your neighbor's house, nor his ox or ass or anything that belongs to him. 10. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife.
The Prophet Moses
Eliah the Tishbite is found in the first and prophetic figure of the Old Testament. His story is found in the First and Second Books of Kings. He confronted the wickedness of King Ahab and Queen Jezebel by using his power from God to stop the rain from falling for three years. During the drought, he hid by the stream Wadi Cherth, where he was fed by ravens sent from God. Three years later, at God's bidding, Elijah challenged King Ahab and his priests of Baal in spiritual combat on Mt. Carmel, saying that "the God who answers with fire is God" (1 Kings 18:24). In answer to Eliah's fervent prayers, fire came down from heaven and burned Eliahis sacrifice, while the sacrifice of the Baal priests remained cold. In Byzantine iconography, Eljah is dressed according to his description in Scripture, "wearing a hairy garment" (Kings 1:8). His scroll contains his words, "I have been most zealous for the Lord" (1 Kings 19:10). Elijah is distinguished by his ascetic life and his close relationship to God. There are many similarities between Elijah and John the Baptist - both were fierce ascetic prophets who lived in the desert and confronted people about changing their lives. At the announcement of John's birth, an angel appeared to John's father Zechariah, and said, "[Your son) will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah" (Lk 1:16). Many events in Elijah's life also have parallels in the life of Christ, including Elijah's ascent into heaven in a chariot of fire at the end of his life— a prefiguration of Christ's Ascension. Elijah and Moses both appeared with Christ at the Transfiguration on Mt. Tabor, attesting to the fact that Christ is in truth God incarnate, the one who was foretold by both the Law (Moses) and the Prophets (Elijah).
Prophet Elijah
At the center of the middle tier of our iconostasis is the icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary holding the Christ Child and flanked by the two Old Testament prophets Micah and Isaiah. The Virgin is dressed in her traditional Byzantine colors: red outer cloak and blue inner garment. There are three stars on her cloak, one on her forehead and one on each shoulder. These stars symbolize her perpetual virginity: before the birth of Christ, during the birth of Christ, and after the birth of Christ. Her name is written in the gold ground above her shoulders: MP OY, the Greek abbreviation for the words Mother of God. Mary is holding her son and presenting him to the world. Christ Emmanuel is dressed in a cloth of gold, which symbolizes his divinity. His right hand is raised in blessing, and his left hand holds a scroll, the symbol of his teaching authority. In Byzantine iconography, the Child Jesus, known as Christ Emmanuel, is not imaged as a baby or toddler, but rather as a small adult, embodying the wisdom of the ages. He wears the cruciform halo, reminding us of his death, with the Greek inscription of God's name, O WN, reminding us that Christ and the Father are one. His name is inscribed in the gold ground on either side of the Virgin: IC XC, the Greek abbreviation of Jesus Christ. In Byzantine icons, the names of Mary and Christ are always written with their Greek abbreviations. Other names are usually written in the vernacular. Every icon bears a name. The prophets Isaiah and Micah both foretold the coming of the Messiah, hundreds of years before his birth. Standing to the right of the Virgin, the Prophet Isaiah wears a green outer robe and an orange inner garment. His scroll says, "For a child has been born for us, a son given to us" (Isaiah 9:5). To the left of the Virgin stands the Prophet Micah dressed in a yellow outer robe and a red inner garment. His scroll foretells the place of Jesus' birth: "Bethlehem, from you shall come forth one who is to rule Israel" (Micah 5:1).
Virgin Child & Prophets Micah & Isaiah
How do we image what has never been seen? How do we paint a picture of God? St. John of Damascus, in his famous treatise On the Divine Images, answered this question by saying that we can paint the God that we have seen: Jesus Christ. Since Jesus lived with us and walked among us, we can paint his face. Jesus tells us that He and the Father are one (John 10:30) and that whoever has seen Him has seen the Father (John 14:9).
However, the question remained for the early Church: how to image the Trinity? The answer of the early Bishops was that the canonical image of the Trinity should be that of three angels gathered around a table, based on the Scripture passage about the hospitality of Abraham: "The Lord appeared to Abraham by the terebinth of Mame, as he sat in the entrance of his tent, while the day was growing hot. Looking up, he saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he ran from the entrance of the tent to greet them; and bowing to the ground, he said: "Sir, if I may ask you this favor, please do not go past your servant. Let some water be brought, that you may bathe your feet, and then rest yourselves under the tree. Now that you have come this close to your servant, let me bring you a little food, that you may refresh yourselves, and afterward you may go on your way! Very well, they replied, 'do as you have said'" (Gen 18:1-5). Our icon is based on the famous icon of the Trinity painted by St. Andrei Rublev in Russia in the 15 century. It is generally agreed that the angel to the left represents God the Father, the central angel represents Christ, and the angel to the right represents the Holy Spirit.