Orthodox icon | Christ Pantocrator | 25017

Orthodox icon | Christ Pantocrator.

The depiction of Christ Pantocrator holds a central place among all icons, representing Him as the “Almighty” or “all-powerful.” Through His Incarnation, Christ encompasses both the spoken and visual embodiment, embodying the ineffable mysteries and the image of the unseen God.

Furthermore, the Council of Nicea in 325 affirmed Christ as the perfect and visible image of the Father. This declaration solidified the significance of the Pantocrator image, which became a symbol defended by prominent figures such as John of Damascus in the Byzantine Church.

In the Western Church, a similar motif known as the Majestas Domini (“Glory of the Lord”) exists, albeit with stronger associations to earthly rulers.

The icon portrays distinctive features, with the undergarment (chiton) in red or gold hues and the overgarment (himation) in blue or occasionally green. These colors symbolize divine attributes (red, white, gold) and earthly characteristics (blue, green, brown).

The icon vividly portrays Christ bestowing His blessing upon the viewer, holding the Gospel open as a testament to His teachings. The inscription accompanying this depiction reads: “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me…” (Matthew 11:28-29).

A testament to its historical origin, the icon is printed on metal and bears the date “May 22, 1903” engraved on its side.

Source: Orthodox icon | Christ Pantocrator | 25017 © Ikonen Mautner. Typing errors, other errors or changes reserved. For more information: “Das Synaxarion. Die Leben der Heiligen der Orthodoxen Kirche.” (http://www.prodromos-verlag.de/buecher.html) and Joachim Schäfer: Das Ökumenische Heiligenlexikon – https://www.heiligenlexikon.de