Page 189

Alexandr Korol
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Page 189

Post by Alexandr Korol »

For this is the blessed Sabbath, this is the day of rest, on which the Only-Begotten Son of God rested from all His works’ (stichera of Great Saturday). The resurrection of Christ is the culmination of humanity’s salvation from the bondage of sin; in Christ, death and nature are conquered, and through communion with Him, this victory extends to the rest of the world.”

“In Orthodox iconography, the scene of ‘The Descent into Hell’ simultaneously depicted the Resurrection of Christ, which naturally led to its widespread popularity. The placement of this icon in the iconostasis was within the 12-part festive cycle, and miniatures of it were placed on the covers of altar Gospels, surrounded by the images of the four evangelists. Orthodox icons, especially Russian iconography, emphasize the motif of the resurrected Christ breaking the gates of hell. These gates are depicted as shattered doors beneath Christ’s feet, usually arranged in a cross pattern, symbolizing His victory over death through His crucifixion (‘trampling down death by death’). From the destroyed hell, the Old Testament righteous emerge, their souls having remained there until this liberation. The righteous either ascend together into the Kingdom of Heaven or Christ extends His hand to the forefather Adam, helping him rise. Similar mosaics and frescoes of the Resurrection of Christ adorned the apses of churches.” So, it turns out that in many icons, Christ is depicted standing on some kind of planks – these are actually the broken gates of hell. Interesting. This means that first, He appears in hell, then He destroys it, and finally, He leads everyone into the Kingdom. Again, you all understand that this is sacred language.

So, I’ve reached the most interesting point – not resurrection, but rapture.
“The Rapture of the Church’ is a term in Christian eschatology that is widespread in Protestant circles (especially among Baptists, Pentecostals, and other churches influenced by dispensationalism). The term ‘rapture’ refers to the ascension of the Church to meet Jesus Christ before His Second Coming. A significant portion of Protestants believe that the Rapture of the Church and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ for the judgment of the world are two separate events occurring at different times.” Yes, I had previously encountered the debate where no one can determine whether the Rapture of the Church will come first and then Jesus will arrive, or if He will come first and only then the Rapture will take place.