Applying modern critical approaches to the art of icon painting is not sufficient, in itself, to understand these church images in all their dimensions. This does not mean that the icon is not amenable to scientific research, but rather that in order to extract the essence of the message contained in it, we must pay attention to the deep faith background behind each icon. The shapes and types of icons are based on that comprehensive wisdom that we find in the theological and liturgical writings of the Orthodox Church, and they are also linked to the spiritual life lived among the community of believers.
As for the style of the icon represented in the image shown above, it is the style called “Christ Almighty” (in Greek, o Christos o Pantokrator). One of our most famous originals is this Russian icon, which dates back to the fifteenth century and is currently preserved in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. The icons of Christ the Almighty point to the divine majesty that characterizes the Creator alone, and there are bright features of the humanity of the incarnate Son that we notice in the detailed drawing of his human body.
In this drawing, Christ sits on a beautiful carved throne befitting the majesty of its owner, from which the Lord blesses with his right hand all who stand before him and thus the entire creation. We see in his lap the open book of the Gospels, and in it we read a text consisting of two quotations: “Judge not according to what appears, but judge justly; for with the judgment with which you judge you will be judged” (John 7:24 and Matthew 7:2a). The King of Kings and Judge of Judges appears here within a green, oval-shaped halo and in two red squares with curved sides that form an eight-pointed star symbolizing the new creation, that is, the resurrection and the coming age. We also find a star like this in the icons of the Transfiguration, where the eternal glory of the Lord appears to His apostles (see Matthew 17: 1-13 and Luke 9: 28-36).
In our icon, the first small square includes the sublime body of Christ in all its splendor, noticeable in the way he sits and especially in the color of his golden robe. From the corners of the small square emerge the lines of the oval halo, which contains within it the world of angels represented by the Cherubim, because, according to tradition, they and the seraphim surround the heavenly throne (see Psalms 80:1; 99:1; Ezekiel 10:1-20). From here we see that in the service of the Divine Mass, the group of believers who intend to receive the King of All is called “the mystical Cherubim representatives,” because the presence of Christ in the mystery of the Eucharist places us in the presence of the divine glory, as is the case of the Cherubim in this icon. As for the choice of the red color for the eight-pointed star and the green color for the oval halo, it is undoubtedly inspired by John the Beloved’s description of the divine throne, which says: “...and behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sitting on the throne. And he who sat was in appearance like a stone of jasper and a sardine (their color is red), and a rainbow around the throne in appearance was like an emerald (its green color)” (Revelation 4:2-3).
In the corners of the second large square, there are symbols of the four evangelists who preached the good news in the four directions of the earth. In the upper corner, to the left of the viewer, we find a symbol of the Evangelist Matthew, which is in the shape of a human, and a lion appears at the bottom, symbolizing the Evangelist Mark. At the top in the right corner we see an eagle symbolizing John the Evangelist, followed at the bottom by a bull symbolizing the Evangelist Luke. There is a very ancient biblical tradition dating back to before the book of the prophet Ezekiel (see Ezekiel 1:4-10) linking these four beings to the heavenly throne. The Book of Revelation of John adopted this tradition (see Revelation 4:6-8), which the Church, since Saint Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyons (second century AD), attributed to the Evangelists, because just as the four beings carried the divine throne wherever He wanted, so the Gospels carry the glory of the Lord. To those who believe in the words contained therein and memorize them. It should be noted that the images of man, lion, eagle, and bull indicate, in sequence, the wisest, noblest, fastest, and strongest creatures on earth who submit to their Creator in order to convey the news of salvation to all human beings. Hence, we see that in the churches, the Evangelists paint on the four central columns a symbol of the wisest, noblest, fastest, and strongest that carries the foundation and structure of the church.
The Creator, surrounded by the Cherubim, is depicted in a powerful yet calm movement that reflects on the human world through the flapping of the angels’ wings and their standing in multiple directions, and finally through the movement of the creatures, which seem to be directed towards the viewer. It should be noted that the icon presents the four Gospels as emanating from the divine throne and seeking all members of the human race so that they may know through them our Lord Jesus Christ and His law of salvation.
This icon brings us a few ideas at a glance. It reminds us first that Jesus Christ is Lord and Supreme Master, as His glory extends not only in this world, but also in every time and place. It also reminds us that the Master is the lover of humanity and the benefactor to them, and therefore his natural movement is the movement of blessing and care. Finally, the icon tells us the law of the Kingdom of Christ, which is contained in the Gospel text, which calls on its readers to forgive and forgive each other.
Jesus Christ reigns over the church and the entire inhabited world, and He is a king forever. We find His law in the Gospels, and His first will is to save us and all people. This is the message of the icon of Christ the Almighty, and it consoles our hearts whenever we see it and see someone implementing its message on earth.
Dr.. Daniel Ayouch
Saint John of Damascus Theological Institute
the reviewer:
Altaner, B. / Stuiber, A., Patrologie. Leben, Schriften und Lehre der Kirchenväter, Freiburg et all., 1993, pg. 110-117.
Asurmendi, J., Ezequiel (CB 38), Estella, 21984, pg. 10-16.
Fischer, H., Die Welt der Ikonen. Das religiöse Bild in der Ostkirche und in der Bildkunst des Westens, Frankfurt – Leipzig, 1996, pg. 12-28.
Oesterreicher-Mollowo, M. (Ed.), Herder-Lexikon Symbole, Freiburg et all., 61998, pg. 10.128.
Ouspensky, L. / Lossky, V., The Meaning of Icons, Crestwood (NY), 21989, pg. 71-73.
