The Resurrection
Greek icon
I want to congratulate you both on the great feast of Easter. Christ is risen!
Since we spoke of the Gates of Hell so much it is fitting that we contemplate the holy icon showing these very gates. Here is the explanation of the icon, from an Orthodox source:
Some key features:
- Christ’s cape/robe is flowing upward, this symbolizes his radical descent into Hades to save all who have died.
- The golden bars by his feet are the gates of Hades, which he has broken and torn apart. There are keys floating in the abyss below, which symbolizes that he has entered and conquered both death and Hades.
- You may also note the skeletal figure who is chained up: that is Death. He has been bound and killed by Christ (all throughout Pascha we sing “Christ has trampled down death by death”).
- The two figures whom Christ has grasped and is pulling on are Adam and Eve, symbolizing that his victory redeems all mankind, even back to the beginning. This resurrection scene is taking place in the past, present, and future.
- To his left, we see three characters: David and Solomon, two of his ancestors according to his fleshly nature. We also see, closest to him John the Baptizer, who was his forerunner in both life and death.
- On the right, we have the apostles who are alive. The purpose is to show that Christ’s redemption transcends time and space. You could very well picture yourself on the right side, coming to Christ as he is breaking down the gates of Hades and setting the captives free. As I alluded to above, Christ ignores the constraints of time and space. This is an act that happened in the past, is happening right now, and will happen in the future. Christ is always in the state of redeeming and setting us free.
- The blue shape around Christ is called the Mandorla (which is Italian for almond, which describes its shape). The Mandorla is the uncreated, eternal light of Christ. In the writings of the Eastern Orthodox mystics, God is often prayerfully experienced as light. This is not simply a pretty bright light. It is the same light which filled the apostles with wonder when they witnessed His Transfiguration. It is the light which Christ Himself described as the power of the Kingdom of God (Mark 9:1 Matt 16:28 Luke 9:27). It is the light that filled the once perpetual darkness of Hades when Christ descended and brought life into the realm of death. It is also the light that is seen when one purifies their heart and mind (Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.)
- The Mandorla becomes progressively darker as it moves toward its center, which is Christ. If God is represented by light, the Mandorla may seem confusing. However, those who seek God will find that the more they know Him, the less they comprehend Him. To know God, to experience Him, is to walk in the darkness of His light, to enter into the mystery of His presence.
One of the key things to remember is that icons are not meant to be “photo recordings” of what happened. These are symbolic tools that help us to better grasp through our sense of sight and our imagination the gospel message.
For further reading on the intriguing ancient account from which this icon is taken, check out The Harrowing of Hades.