Orthodox Byzantine Icons of the Lord

[Mayda]

Christ Enthroned



Date: 20th c. (Late) Style: Enthroned. Heritage: Greek

The Lord Almighty sits on a throne as the Ruler of the universe, and in His left hand He holds an opened Gospel. With His right hand He blesses with the priest's blessing, the fingers of His hand forming the Greek letters "IC XC", which is the abbreviation for "Jesus Christ". In Christ's halo are the Greek letters for "I AM", for this is the King of Kings as spoken of in Revelation (1:8), "I am Alpha and Omega...saith the Lord, Which Is, Which Was, and Which Is To Come, the Almighty."

This is an example of a modern rendition of a traditional depiction of Christ as He will appear at the end of time, for icons are a revelation of theology and a vision of eternity made manifest for us as a foretaste “before that great and notable day of the Lord come.” (Acts 2:20) Because Christ is Alpha and Omega, the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet which St. John used when he wrote his Gospel, Epistles, and Revelation, He always stands at the beginning and end of everything, bearing witness to how we choose to respond to His call to holiness. It is up to us to choose well, and cooperate with His Will to sanctify His People

[Mayda]

Christ The Life-Giver



Date: 20th c. (Late) Heritage: Greek
L ocation: Theotokos Monastery, Myreleou, Greece

Christ blesses us with His right hand, His fingers formed into the shape of the Greek letters "IC XC", the abbreviation in Greek for "Jesus Christ". He holds in His left arm a jewel-studded Book of the Gospel. His blessing hand is turned inward as if to remind us that He is the Great Blessing, granting us to receive this incalculable gift: the opportunity to repent and inherit eternal life.

From the prototype of the first icon of Christ, miraculously made by the Saviour Himself, He is traditionally shown with a short beard and having long dark brown hair with reddish highlights, parted in the middle. Christ is shown with an outer blue robe, symbolizing the Humanity that He put on at His Incarnation, and with an inner red robe, representing His Divinity that remains for all eternity. In the cross, in the nimbus or halo around His head, are the Greek letters for "I AM" to remind us that although Incarnate in time, Jesus Christ is God before the ages, even before Abraham, and He is the same God Who spoke with Moses face to face. This loving Lord calls us to Him, and it is He Who also is the Creator and the Giver of Life

[Mayda]

Christ Enthroned



Date: 20th c. (Late)Style: Enthroned. Heritage: Greek
L ocation: St. Anne’s Skete, Mt. Athos

The Lord Almighty sits on a throne as the Ruler of the universe, and in His left hand He holds an opened Gospel. With His right hand He blesses with the priest's blessing, the fingers of His hand forming the Greek letters "IC XC", which is the abbreviation for "Jesus Christ". In Christ's halo are the Greek letters for "I AM", for this is the King of Kings as spoken of in Revelation (1:8), "I am Alpha and Omega...saith the Lord, Which Is, Which Was, and Which Is To Come, the Almighty."

Orthodox iconography we often see inverse perspective, as is shown in the shape of the throne that Christ sits upon in this icon. This is not lack of understanding of the natural perspective of a distant vanishing point, but to show that we are not mere observers but active participants included in the icon itself.

It is important to note that often when we focus on Christ’s amazing love for all creation, and His great condescension and humility in coming to us so approachably, we can lose sight of His Divinity, which was and is always present for those who see with sober sight and awesome awareness. May we see this also

[Maximos]

Howeeeee ... elmawdoo3 bayento fakhmmmmmmmm

bass

yarit shi neskha bel3arabi






s-ool-302

[Mayda]

Christ Blessing (Theophanes)



Date: 16th c. (Mid). Heritage: Cretan
L ocation: Stavronikita Monastery, Mt. Athos

Christ blesses us with His right hand, His fingers formed into the shape of the Greek letters "IC XC," the abbreviation in Greek for “Jesus Christ”. He holds in His left arm a jewel-studded Book of the Gospels. From the prototype of the first icon of Christ, miraculously made by the Saviour Himself, He is traditionally shown with a short beard and having long dark brown hair with reddish highlights, parted in the middle.

Christ is shown with an outer blue robe, symbolizing the Humanity that He put on at His Incarnation, and with an inner red robe, representing His Divinity that remains for all eternity. In the cross, in the nimbus or halo around His head, are the Greek letters for "I AM" to remind us that although Incarnate in time, Jesus Christ is God before the ages, even before Abraham, and He is the same God Who spoke with Moses face to face.

This icon was painted by the master iconographer Theophanes the Cretan in 1546 and is found with many more of his masterpieces at the Katholikon or main monastery church of Stavronikita Monastery on Mount Athos

[Mayda]

Howeeeee ... elmawdoo3 bayento fakhmmmmmmmm

bass

yarit shi neskha bel3arabi






s-ool-302

ههههه... قال يعني لأنو القسم بالإنجليزي اجيت كتبت عربي بس بأحرف انجليزية؟؟؟

حاضر يا سيدي... والموضوع عنجد فخامة لأنه بيوصف كل أيقونة وبيشرحها وانشالله بس أخلص منه نهائياً رح ترجمه للعربي...

صلواتك

[wafaa elias]

Maywe frequently ask His Blessing upon all of our works,feelings, and thoughts, so that we may be blessed indeed].

O Lord Jesus Christ son of GOD, hear us and have mercy on us.

[Nahla Nicolas]

حاضر يا سيدي... والموضوع عنجد فخامة لأنه بيوصف كل أيقونة وبيشرحها وانشالله بس أخلص منه نهائياً رح ترجمه للعربي...

[Mayda]

Face of Christ (Russian) - J17



Date: 16th c. (Mid) / Style: Of the Burning Eye / Heritage: Russian

Christ is traditionally shown from the earliest times of iconography with a short beard and long dark hair parted in the middle. His outer robe is blue, symbolizing His humanity which he put on in time at His Incarnation, and His inner robe is red, symbolizing His Divinity that He always is, was, and will be in all Eternity. In Christ’s halo or nimbus, his cross is lightly traced in red with the words “I AM” to remind us that He is the Lord of all.

This mid-16th c. Russian icon has raised edges which define the lowered interior space where the main figure of the icon is drawn. This lower space can symbolize the chalice, which contains God, for all icons are actually icons of the Incarnated God-Man Jesus Christ, Who is an icon of God the Father. Since we are made in His Image and Likeness, the sanctified humanity of the Saints are icons of Him also. Sometimes this space is also said to symbolize the Ark of the Covenant.

We see in this icon Christ’s eyes calling to us in a silent suffering love, as He serenely, yet intently, beckons us to join Him on the journey to Heaven. May we start today

[Mayda]

Christ (Russian)



Date: 16th c. / Heritage: Russian

Christ is shown here in a close-up detail from a 16th c. Russian icon. His robe is brilliant white with the brightness and glory of the Holy Resurrection which has just broken over the horizon of the world as He pulls Adam and Eve out of the nether world and into Heaven, as can be seen in the complete icon F53. This detail shows the intent mercy and love of God for us, for the Lord’s Death and Resurrection are not just the cosmic fix of humanity’s existential problems, but the very conscious culmination of the saving work of Christ--to deify and glorify the innate image and likeness of Mankind into the fullness of the Heavenly Man that he was created for, now remade as he was always intended to be.

We can now in truth become far more than Adam’s condition before the Fall, for the Second Adam, Christ our God, has come to refashion the potential godliness of Adam into actual godliness. St. Athanasios the Great says in reference to the purpose of the Incarnation that “God became man so that man could become God”, not by nature, but by adoption. Let us live up to our inheritance with intent Faith and Love, and so be transfigured like Him