Understanding Orthodox Icons: Descent into Hades
Some key features:
– Christ’s cape/robe is flowing upward, this
symbolizes his radical descent into Hades to save those who have died in the
flesh.
– 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 and/or Satan.
He has been bound and killed by Christ, which is why all throughout
Pascha we sing “Christ has trampled down death by death.” The icon depicts Hebrews 2:14, “that through
death he might destroy him who has the power of death, that is, the
devil.” The power of the devil and death
have been destroyed through the life-giving death of our Savior.
– The two figures whom Christ has grasped and
is pulling from tombs are Adam and Eve, symbolizing that his victory redeems
all mankind, even back to the beginning.
It also foreshadows the general resurrection of the body before the
Final Judgment.
– To the 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.
– The figures on the right vary from icon to
icon. Initially, I was told that they
generic representatives for those who are presently alive, but after further
research I have discovered that all of the characters (on the left and right)
are Old Testament prophets and saints.
Moses is usually depicted on the right as well as other prophets. Additionally, there are the three youth who
went into the fiery furnace and a shepherd, the latter of which may depict the
ones who first venerated our Lord at His birth.
– 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 assists us
in comprehension of the gospel truth
through our sense of sight.
Source: http://www.orthodoxroad.com/christs-descent-into-hell-icon-explanation/
