The second coming icon. The image of the "Last Judgment" in monumental painting
The doomsday prophecy and the theme of the Last Judgment were not at all relevant for ancient Russia. This theme came from Byzantium only in the XIV-XV centuries, having received its own special interpretation here.
The doomsday prophecy and the icon on this topic, any - Greek, Byzantine, Catholic, is very full of various figures, animals, plants, which are difficult to understand for contemporaries. It is difficult, not only because not everyone knows and understands the Gospel and the Apocalypse, but also because modern ideas have gone far from medieval people.
Today, the Apocalypse and the end of the world are no longer associated with the personal state of the soul of each person, but with the collapse of the world in general. The icon, on the other hand, appeals more to a person, prompting him to comprehend his own life, to understand that he did something wrong and wrong.
The Last Judgment, as a personal tragedy and catastrophe, worried many: this is the theme of Kafka's novel The Trial, the films Andrei Rublev by Tarkovsky and Apocalypse Now by Francis Coppola ... I'm not talking about the endless speculations on this topic of various sects and teachings, the last of which the world experienced in December 2012. And they all lie here - in the theme of the "small" and "big" end of the world.
The Doomsday prophecy and the Russian icon dedicated to this topic are based on the Gospel parable of the Last Judgment, although it includes some elements of the Apocalypse, but there are also such icons that include the Last Judgment in the image of the Apocalypse. But the first is still more common.
The main difference between the Russian version of the icon and others is that it not only reflects the parable of the Last Judgment, the essence of which is the division of people and nations into righteous and sinners, but is also an image of a single liturgical cycle of the Lenten Triodion, including Holy Week. First, the movement of a person goes up - through repentance and judgment day to the Passion of the Lord (through Great Lent), then goes down (in Passion Week), reaching its highest point - in the Resurrection of Christ. The upward movement is a person's path to God through personal purification and repentance. The downward movement is the way of God towards man. The meeting point of man and God is Easter, the day of the Resurrection of Christ.
The doomsday prophecy with an icon on this topic is not isolated and is not determined only by a parable, but turns into an assembly into a single whole of symbols, words and images, in which each element occupies a certain place, and the whole of the icon is set by the entire liturgical cycle of Great Lent, being Lenten Triode in colors.
What is contained in a huge, almost thousand-page folio called "Lenten Triod" is placed on just one icon, often of small size. This is the difficulty of reading and understanding the icon. In addition, it refers to some elements of the Christmas cycle, which will be discussed below.
Therefore, the icon needs a certain route and an indication of the key points along which one can move and navigate, both in the icon and in the space of Great Lent. First of all, let's outline a coordinate system that will allow us to navigate the icon, both spatially and morally. In this case, we will start from the external viewer.
The lower right corner of the icon is hell, the place where evil is concentrated. The upper left is the place of Mount Jerusalem, in which there are the righteous, dressed in white clothes with halos over their heads. This is a place of goodness. Connecting these two corners with a diagonal, we get the first line of orientation: good - evil.
If you look from the inside of the icon, then the right and left sides change places and then their names correspond to the gospel ones: the left side is “oshuya” and the right side is “gum” (left and right).
There is another moral opposition - Paradise Secluded (Eden), from which Adam and Eve were expelled, and the new world created by the Savior.
The lower left corner (opposite to hell) is the place of the Sealed Paradise. The righteous go to it, led by the supreme apostles Peter and Paul. In the hands of the first are the keys to paradise. They go towards those righteous people who are already in paradise. But such an image is not always present. The schemniki-righteous are often shown taking off along the "Eden Corridor" to the righteous sitting in Heavenly Jerusalem.
Thus, the lower part of the icon has a clear opposition: heaven and hell. Exactly in the middle is the merciful fornicator, who, for mercy, was not rewarded with hell, and for prodigal passion, he was not rewarded with heaven. So he is between them, neither here nor there.
In addition to such an opposition, one can also read the opposition of the Last Judgment (paradise, prophets, the Mother of God, the righteous) on the left and the Apocalypse (on the right) with its images of earth, water, hell, a serpent and a fiery river.
The upper right corner (from the viewer) is the place of the creation of the new heaven and the new world, which in time refers to Holy Week and the descent of Jesus Christ into Hell, from which he leads all the righteous. This brings together the icon of the Last Judgment and the icon of the Resurrection of Christ ("Descent into Hell"), placing them in the same space of the Lenten Triodion. Here, two angels turn the sky into a scroll (an element of the apocalyptic image), here Jesus Christ is depicted as the head of the new world, and in the same place Golgotha is depicted with the Cross on which the Savior was crucified and buried. Here the angels of light cast the angels of darkness into hell.
So, heaven (or Vertograd Prisoner) is opposed to hell, and in the upper part - to the new world, created instead of the old world. In paradise are the Old Testament forefathers (Jacob, Isaac and Abraham), the Mother of God with two angels and the prudent Thief, crucified with Jesus, but confessing Him, in response to which the Savior said that now he would be in paradise. Thus, not only heaven and hell are contrasted, but the old and the new, the first and the last times.
Below, near paradise, we see the prophet Daniel, who prophesied about the four kingdoms and the coming of a new kingdom - the kingdom of Christ. Four kingdoms, in the form of four animals (a bear - the Babylonian kingdom, a griffin - the Macedonian kingdom, a lion - the Persian kingdom and a miracle beast with horns - the Antichrist or the Roman kingdom) are in a circle, which the Angel points to Daniel. It also depicts earth and water giving up their dead to be judged.
Speaking in general, the lower part of the icon is the most intense and refers us not only to the first and Old Testament times, but also to the Christmas cycle of worship, in which the forefathers and prophets are remembered. This is the space of the earth, not the sky.
The sky is above. It starts with a deisus row. It contains the Savior in Glory, who judges the people and nations who come to him. Next to Him on the left is the Mother of God, the Intercessor for the human race, and on the right is John the Baptist. They graciously implore Jesus to have mercy on those who come to the Last Judgment.
Just below the deysus with Jesus Christ, the Mother of God and John the Baptist are Adam and Eve, as an image of saved humanity. The snake's head rests on Adam's heel, as if stinging him. This is the serpent of ordeals, emerging from hell with twenty rings of passions. Sometimes, instead of a serpent, a fiery river is depicted emanating from the mouth of the beast, on which Satan sits with the soul of Judas in his hand.
Below the Deisus tier is the throne, on which lies the unfolded Gospel - the book of Life, the Cross and the instruments of the Lord's passions. This place is central to the icon. It is in front of the throne that a person stands on the Day of Judgment and all his deeds recorded in the book become clear. Under the throne is depicted with hands, in which are the white souls of the righteous, including babies.
Above the deisus rank is God-Sabaoth, Heavenly Jerusalem and the New Heaven.
The icons of the Last Judgment, especially the icons of earlier centuries, have folk roots; this is an art that has a folk core at its very core, which has been preserved for a long time and has come down to us in the images of crib performances. Such icons are painted vividly, brightly, simply and instructively, so that they are understandable to a simple peasant.
The origins of folk tales and folklore are in the poetry of the Lenten Triodion, which is full of vivid pictures and images, on which it was easy to stage performances.
The Old Believers also adhered to the same tradition, who tried to maintain maximum closeness to the texts of Holy Scripture.
Over time, the “Corridor of Eden” with the Garden of Eden and hermits ascending to Heavenly Jerusalem began to be more clearly separated from the “Gehena” with its serpent of ordeals and the angels of darkness flying into hell.
Mountainous Jerusalem began to turn into a place of the feast of the righteous, with a clear division of the ranks sitting at the festive table with food. Parallels began to appear with other icons: "The Sign", "Descent into Hell", "The Only Begotten Son", etc. Greater emphasis began to be placed on the Cross, as a symbol of the Crucifixion, which plays an important role in Lenten days.
But on the whole, the lower part of the icon undergoes major changes, while the upper part (deisus, throne, and with the image of the Lord of hosts) remains practically unchanged. Other elements of the icon also underwent changes, but in the main the iconography was preserved, representing the general image of Great Lent with the preparatory cycle and the final Passion framing it.
Tina Guy
In its developed form, the iconography of the Last Judgment is based on the texts of the Gospel, the Apocalypse, as well as patristic creations: "Words" of Ephraim the Syrian, Words of Palladius Mnich, "Life of Basil the New" and other works of Byzantine and ancient Russian literature; in the next period, the texts of folk spiritual verses can also be seen in the iconographic details.
- One of the most important sources that influenced the composition and nature of the compositions of the Last Judgment was the Life of Basil the New (X century).
- The vision of the prophet Daniel (Dan. -) - in the scene “The Vision of the Prophet Daniel”, an angel shows the prophet Daniel four animals. These beasts symbolize the "perilous kingdoms" (kingdoms that are to perish) - Babylonian, Macedonian, Persian and Roman, or Antichrist. The first is represented in the form of a bear, the second - in the form of a griffin, the third - in the form of a lion, the fourth - in the form of a horned beast. Sometimes other animals were also written, which had an allegorical meaning. Among the latter, hares are especially interesting, which, according to the widespread idea in Russia, embodied in the verses about the Pigeon Book, were allegorical images of truth (white hare) and “falsehood” (gray hare).
- The fiery stream (river) is known from the so-called "Walking of the Virgin through the torments", one of the most popular apocrypha in ancient Russian writing. In the lists of "Journeys", starting from the XII century, it is indicated that " in this river there are many men and women; some are immersed to the waist, others - to the chest, and only others - to the neck”, depending on the degree of their guilt.
purpose
The images of the Last Judgment had an important feature: they were created not to intimidate a person, but to make him think about his sins; " do not despair, do not lose hope, but initiate repentance» . Repentance as an indispensable condition for achieving the Kingdom of God is one of the fundamental provisions of the Christian doctrine, and this problem was especially relevant for the turn of the 11th-12th centuries, the time when the plot penetrated into Russia.
Byzantine mosaic "Last Judgment", XII century (Torcello)
History of addition
Orthodox iconography of the Last Judgment has existed in Byzantine art since the 11th-12th centuries.
The origins of the image of this plot date back to the 4th century - the painting of the Christian catacombs. Judgment was originally portrayed in two forms: the story of the separation of the sheep from the goats, and the parable of the ten virgins. Then, in V-VI, separate parts of the narrative image are formed, which then by the VIII century in Byzantium will form a complete composition.
The image of this plot includes not only icon painting, but also the system of painting of an Orthodox church (both in Byzantium and in Russia), where it is usually located on the western wall. Western Europe also used this plot (for example, Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel). In The Tale of Bygone Years, an episode is mentioned about the use by a Christian "philosopher" (Orthodox preacher) of a cuff with the image of the Last Judgment to preach Christianity to Prince Vladimir, which influenced the future baptism of Vladimir himself and Russia. Images of the Last Judgment were an effective tool that helped to convert the pagans. In Russia, compositions of the Last Judgment appear very early, shortly after Baptism. N.V. Pokrovsky, a researcher of the 19th century, points out that until the 15th century, the Russian “Last Judgments” repeat Byzantine forms, the peak of the development of this plot in painting falls on the 16th-17th centuries, and at the end of the 17th century, according to Pokrovsky, eschatological images began write with less skill - especially in southwestern Russia (under the influence of Western European influences).
Spreading
The most famous monuments of the Byzantine cultural area on this plot are in the porch of the Church of Panagia Halkeon in Thessaloniki (beginning of the 11th century); in Georgia - a heavily damaged fresco in the David Gareji Monastery of Udabno on the western wall (XI century); poorly preserved frescoes of the Last Judgment in Atensky Zion (XI century), in the church in Ikvi (XII century), the grandiose composition of the Last Judgment in the temple in Timotesubani (1st quarter of the XIII century)
Icon of the Last Judgment, XII century (St. Catherine's Monastery, Sinai)
Icon "The Last Judgment", the end of the XIV-beginning of the XV century (Moscow, Assumption Cathedral)
The earliest known Russian fresco on this subject is the Kirillov Monastery in Kyiv (XII century), the murals of the Nikolo-Dvorishchensky Cathedral in Novgorod (beginning of the XII century), the St. George Cathedral of Staraya Ladoga (1180s), the Church of the Savior on Nereditsa ( 1199), Dmitrovsky Cathedral of Vladimir (end of the 12th century), followed by fragments of paintings by Andrei Rublev and Daniil Cherny in the Assumption Cathedral of Vladimir.
The iconographic canon of the Last Judgment, which is destined to exist for at least another seven centuries, takes shape at the end of the 10th - beginning of the 11th centuries. In the XI-XII centuries, a number of important images of the Last Judgment were created. The most famous: the murals of the Church of Panagia Halkeon in Thessaloniki (1028), the frescoes of Sant Angelo in Formis, two icons depicting the Last Judgment from the monastery of St. Catherine in Sinai (XI-XII centuries), two miniatures of the Paris Gospel, an ivory plate from the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the mosaics of the Torcello Basilica in Venice, the frescoes of the Mavriotissa church in Kastoria, the murals of the Bachkovo ossuary in Bulgaria, and the giant floor mosaics of the cathedral in Otranto (1163), and the cathedral of Trani close in time.
The earliest known Russian icon painting dates back to the 15th century (an icon in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin).
Composition
The icon of the Last Judgment is extremely rich in the number of actors and includes images that can be grouped into three themes:
- The Second Coming of Christ, the Resurrection of the Dead and the Judgment of the Righteous and the Sinners
- world renewal
- the triumph of the righteous in the heavenly Jerusalem.
| Paradise in the image of the holy city - the Mountainous Jerusalem with the righteous blissful in it, is written almost always at the top. Under the Mountainous Jerusalem, there is often an image of hermits flying to paradise |
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As a symbol of the end of the world, the sky is always depicted in the form of a scroll, twisted by angels. | ||
| At the top, God Sabaoth is often depicted, then angels of light, casting down angels of darkness (demons) from Heaven. | ||||
| On the sides of the central group sit the apostles (6 on each side) with open books in their hands. Behind the backs of the apostles are angels - guardians of heaven. |
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(Eschatological themes are often associated with the four archangels - Michael, Gabriel, Raphael and Uriel. These angels must call the dead to the Last Judgment with a trumpet voice, they also protect the Church and every believer from the forces of darkness). | ||
| In the center of the composition of the icon is depicted Christ - "Judge of the world". The Mother of God and John the Baptist are coming to him - intercessors for the human race at this Last Judgment. At their feet Adam and Eve - the first people on earth, the progenitors of the human race - as an image of the whole bowed righteous, redeemed humanity. |
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| Sometimes groups of people are depicted addressing the Judge with gospel words. "when we saw you hungry" And so on. |
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Among sinners in later compositions, peoples are accompanied by explanatory inscriptions: Germans, Rus, Poles, Hellenes, Ethiopians. | ||
| Under the apostles, the peoples going to the Judgment are depicted. To the right of Christ are the righteous, to the left are the sinners. In the center, under Christ, a prepared throne (altar) is depicted. He is wearing the clothes of Christ, the Cross, the instruments of the Passion, and the opened "Book of Genesis", in which, according to legend, all the words and deeds of people are recorded: "The books will unfold, the deeds of man will be revealed"(Stichira on "Lord, I have called" the Meat-Feast Week); “When thrones are set up and books are opened, and God sits in judgment, what a fear then, an angel coming in fear and a fiery attracting river!”(Ibid., Glory). Even lower are depicted: a large hand holding babies, which means "righteous souls in the hand of God", and here, nearby, scales - that is, "the measure of human deeds." Near the scales, angels fight with devils for the human soul, which is often present right there, in the form of a naked young man (or several young men). |
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| The angel points Daniel to the four beasts. The plot of the "paradise theme": the image, sometimes against the background of trees, the Mother of God on the throne with two angels and sometimes with a prudent robber on the sides. |
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"Daniel's vision" is four animals (in a circle), and "Earth giving up its dead": a dark circle, usually irregular in shape. In the center sits a half-naked woman - her personification. The woman is surrounded by figures of people rising from the ground - "risen from the dead", animals, birds and reptiles, spitting out those whom they have devoured. The earth is surrounded by a round sea, where fish swim, spitting out the dead. | ||
| Hell is depicted as a "fiery Gehenna" - full of flames, in which a terrible beast swims, a sea monster, on which satan sits with the soul of Judas in his hands. From the fiery mouth of the infernal beast, a long writhing serpent rises up to the feet of Adam, personifying sin, sometimes a fiery river is depicted instead. | ||||
| In the lower part of the plots of paradise - "Abraham's Bosom" (forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob with the souls of the righteous, sitting among the trees of paradise) |
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In later icons, inscriptions appear indicating the type of punishments (“Pitching Darkness”, “Scum”, “The Sleepless Worm”, “Resin”, “Hoarfrost”) and the type of sin punished. Female figures entwined with snakes are an image of hellish torments. | ||
| On the left side - "paradise" stories. In addition to the Bosom of Abraham, the gates of paradise (guarded by a seraphim) are depicted, to which the righteous approach, led by the apostle Peter with the keys to paradise in his hand. Sinners tormented by the devils burn in the fire (in special stigmas, individual torments can be shown). Exactly in the middle, a merciful fornicator is depicted chained to a pole, who "for the sake of alms delivered from eternal torment, and for the sake of fornication deprived of the Kingdom of Heaven." |
With the blessing of Elder Nikolai Guryanov
The first edition of the book “The Last Judgment of God. The vision of Gregory, a disciple of our holy and God-bearing father Basil the New Tsaregradsky, which was subsequently reprinted several times, was published through the prayers and blessing of Father Nicholas (Guryanov; 05/24/1909 08/24/2002).
The father said: “This is how the Last Judgment of God will take place. Every person on earth should have this book.
The icon of the Second Coming of Christ and the Last Judgment of God, the image of which is placed on the first page of the cover, is one of the favorite cell icons of Father Nicholas.
Before her, he begged many souls from hell, but their names are You, Lord, weigh.
“Blessed ones, my beloved. Let no one remain in disbelief, as if what was said about the Judgment are just empty words. On the contrary, exactly and undoubtedly, let us all believe in the Lord, according to the Divine Scriptures, that there is the Resurrection of the dead, and Judgment, and retribution for good and bad deeds. Despising everything temporary and neglecting it, let us take care how to stand and give an answer before the terrible Judgment Seat at this terrible and trembling hour; for this hour is many-tearful, much-painful, much-sorrowful, subjecting the whole life to evaluation.
The holy Prophets and Apostles foretold about this terrible day and hour; about this day and hour, Divine Scripture, from ends to ends of the world, in churches and in every place, cries out, and testifies to everyone, and implores everyone, saying:
Look, brethren, listen, be sober, be merciful, be ready - as if the day does not know an hour, in which the Son of Man will come” (Matt. 25:13).
REVEREND EPHRAIM SIRIN
GREGORY'S VISION,
STUDENT OF THE HOLY AND GOD-BEARING FATHER
OUR VASILY
NEW TSAREGRAD
O name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit!
Once, when I was sitting in my cell and lamenting over my sins, a thought came to me and began to greatly occupy my mind. I thought that the faith of the Jews was deep and sincere, since Abraham is called the friend of God in Scripture, and Isaac is righteous before God, Jacob is the father of the twelve patriarchs, and Moses is the great saint of God. He smote the Egyptians with signs and wonders. How not sincere is the faith of the Jews, if they received the Law of God on Mount Sinai in the Decalogue, learned to separate good and evil, if God, through Moses, divided the Red Sea for the Israelites and led them out of Egyptian slavery, fed them with manna in the wilderness?
I read other books of the Old Testament and, having struggled with these thoughts for a long time, finally came to myself. Why bother with vain thoughts in vain, because I have a spiritual father, full of spiritual talent. I will go and reveal my thoughts to him, and he will judge about it. After all, I am well aware that he who confesses his thoughts to his spiritual father receives relief from the thoughts that wrestle him. And whoever hides thoughts in his heart, he hides in himself a serpent and not Christ, but Antichrist.
I got up and went to my father Vasily.
On that day, horse races were appointed, and on this occasion people from all over the city gathered at the hippodrome. And I have not gone to this entertainment for many years, remembering the formidable word of John Chrysostom. And so, when I approached the assembled people at the place of Dioptim, the thought came to me to see if the first race of horses had taken place. Carried away by such a thought, I stopped and looked at the running horses.
When he came to our Reverend Father Basil, he found him in a silent cell, standing in prayer. I went in to him after making the usual bow. He blessed me, and, having prayed with me, sternly said to me: “Behold, a man came to me who, having read the books of the Old Testament, began to praise the Jews, saying, “The faith of the Jews is deep and sincere; not understanding Scripture, its true meaning. He left crying about sins and thinking about death, and about the Last Judgment of Christ. And not only that, but also went to the hippodrome, where foolish people bring joy to the devil with their frivolity. Therefore, the devil instilled such thoughts in you and deposed you twice!”
Having heard such a denunciation of myself from the God-wise elder Basil, I mentally vowed never to visit this devilish spectacle.
The saint continued: “Tell me, why do you think that the faith of the Jews is good and true?”
I found it difficult to give an appropriate answer. And St. Basil also told me what the words spoken by the Lord in the Holy Gospel mean: who is not honors the Son, he does not honor the Father who sent him.
“You see from these words that there is no benefit to those who believe in the Father, but those who reject the Son.
And the Lord said to the Jews:
They didn't know the Father or Me . If they saw Him in the hosts teaching them and performing numerous miracles and did not recognize Him as the Son of God, but as the Heavenly Father, they never saw Him, how can they know well?Jesus said to the Jews: I have come in the name of my Father, and you do not receive me; but if another comes in his name, you will receive him. And he also said: Behold, your house is left to you empty.
You see that God finally rejected them and scattered them over the whole earth, among all peoples, and made their very name hated among the peoples of the Universe.
And again the Lord spoke: If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin... but now they have seen and hated both Me and My Father.
In the same way, the Lord spoke about the fig tree in the Holy Gospel, when he was hungry and approached her and did not find fruit on her, having cursed her, he said:May there be no further fruit from you forever. The fig tree refers to the Jewish people.The Son of God came, hungry for righteousness, and did not find the fruit of righteousness among the Jewish people. Although this people covered themselves with the Law of God, given through Moses, they did not bear the fruits of righteousness, for which they were cursed and rejected. Before the advent of Christ, the faith of the Jews was indeed right and good, and the Law was holy. When Christ, the Son of God, came into the world, Whom the Jews did not accept and unlawfully crucified on the Cross, their faith in God was rejected, and the people were cursed.
Instead of the Old Testament, God concluded a New Testament, not with the Jews, as before, but in the person of those who believe in the Son of God with all the tribes of the earth.
The Jews, however, who did not accept the Son of God, expect a false messiah, the Antichrist. In proof of this, before the death of the prophet Moses, God said: Behold, you will rest with your fathers, and this people will begin to wander after strange gods... and will leave Me, and will break My Covenant, which I have established with them; and my wrath will be kindled against him... and I will leave them and hide my face from them, and he will be destroyed, and many disasters and afflictions will come upon him.
Through the prophet Isaiah, God spoke: I will reject My great rod, that is
The law given to the Jews through Moses, and I will destroy them with a great ruin, I will reject them to the end and will not turn to them.
You see, child Gregory, how they are rejected from God, and their Law no longer has any meaning before God. After the coming of Christ, the Jews did not have a single prophet or righteous man. Prophet David said: Rejected they will rise no more. And he also said: May God arise and scatter against Him.
Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, was resurrected on the third day from the dead, and after forty days he ascended into Heaven and sat down in human nature at the right hand of God the Father. On the fiftieth day after His Resurrection, He sent down on His disciples and Apostles the Holy Spirit; when they dispersed throughout the universe, to preach the word of God, the righteous Judgment of God overtook the Jews. Jerusalem was destroyed to the ground, then all the Jews were dispersed throughout the countries of the Universe. And all nations hate this outcast Jewish race, God-slayers.
St. John the Theologian in Revelation says about them that the Jews are no longer the host of Israel and the sons of God, and not a holy people, but a cursed, and indecent, and outcast people - a host of satanic. When they gather in the synagogue on Saturday, the Lord is not among them, but Satan among them rejoices and rejoices over their death, because they rejected the Son of God. They became guilty of shedding the blood of the Son of God; branded themselves with the most shameful name of a godslayer. Satan took them as his inheritance and sealed them with his vile name. They are the sons of the devil, and the deceitful and vile lot of his activities, and part of the Antichrist. Before they rejected the Son of God, they were sons of the Kingdom. Now they have been expelled from the garden of Christ, and instead of them all the peoples who believe in the Holy Trinity have been brought in. New Israel is a Christian people, sons of the New Testament and heirs of future, eternal heavenly blessings.
So know, child Gregory, if anyone does not believe that Jesus Christ is really the Son of God, who came into the world, into the world to save sinners, that person is cursed. But if anyone believes in the Holy Trinity, and does not confess that Christ was incarnated from the Most Holy Virgin Mary, and was perfect God and perfect man, and gave us life, Resurrection, and salvation, and reconciliation, and the justice of the Heavenly Father by His Cross, he is deprived of the favor of God, subjected to condemnation, damnation, eternal torment along with the Jews and the atheists, ”he said this and fell silent.
I began to beg him, saying: “I ask you, Saint Basil, pray to the Lord for me, that He will send me some kind of sign and thereby confirm my lack of faith.”
He said: “You ask a lot from me, child Gregory. Know that the Lord does not want the death of a sinner, but wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. If you ask in faith, everything will be fulfilled for you.” And he let me go in peace.
WONDERFUL VISION
On the first night after my return from blessed Basil, when, after a long and fervent prayer, I rested on my bed, I see Saint Basil enter, take my hand and say: “Did I not tell you that the Jews are cursed by God? Come with me now, and I will show you the faith of every nation and what value it has before God.”
And he took me, and went to the East, and a bright cloud enveloped us and lifted us to heavenly heights. And then I saw a wonderful, beautiful world. I saw a lot and marveled at its beauty. Suddenly, a cloud lowered us, and we found ourselves on some spacious and wondrous, unearthly beauty field. The earth of this field was bright, like glass or crystal clear and transparent. And all the ends of the Universe were visible from this field. Soaring across this field were regiments of bright and beautiful fire-like youths, sweetly singing Divine songs and glorifying the One God in the Trinity.
Then we came to some terrible place, glowing with a fiery light, and I thought that they had brought me to be burned. But it was not fire, but light like fire. Among this light are many winged young men dressed in snow-white clothes. They went and burned the immaterial altar of God.
Suddenly we found ourselves on a high mountain, which we climbed with great difficulty, and St. Basil ordered me to look to the East, and I saw another field, very large and shining like gold in the sun. When I saw this field, my heart was filled with unspeakable joy. Still looking to the East, I saw a wonderful city, of unspeakable beauty and very great. I admired for many hours and stood in amazement, then I asked the one who led me: “My lord, tell me, what is this wonderful city?” He said to me: “This is the Jerusalem of Heaven, the city of the King of Heaven. Not made by hands, as vast as the circle of heaven is built. And I asked: “Who owns this city and who lives in it?” He said, “This is the city of the great King, of which David wonderfully prophesied; our Lord Jesus Christ created it at the end of His earthly life and after His miraculous Resurrection, and after His Ascension to Heaven to God, His Father, He prepared it for His holy disciples, and the Apostles, and those who, through their preaching, believed in Him, as The Lord Himself said in His Gospel:
In my Father's house there are many abodes. Then a wonderful young man appeared, descended from the height of heaven to a hill in the midst of this wondrous city, saying: “Behold, the Judgment and Resurrection of the dead will be, and recompense will come to everyone from the righteous Judge.”And after the words of this young man, a pillar of fire descended from the height of heaven, and a terrible voice was heard, like a thousand thousand thunders. It is the creative and almighty power of God that will gather all creation. And went down after that
Human bones began to collect throughout the Universe, and the whole earth was one whole cemetery filled with dry human skeletons.
After that, a young man descended from the height of heavenly marvelous beauty, holding a golden trumpet in his hand, and with him twelve young men. Each had a golden trumpet. When they descended to the ground, their glorious Voivode blew before them menacingly, and terribly, and powerfully. The voice of his trumpet was heard throughout the universe, and the whole earth, like a leaf on a tree, shook. And now the dry bones were clothed in flesh, but there was no life in them, and the glorious and majestic Governor and twelve young men blew a second time. The earth trembled and shook greatly.
And at that very hour numerous hosts of angels descended like the sand of the sea. And each Angel led the soul of a dead person, whom he guarded during his temporary life, and each soul went to his body. All the Angels trumpeted for the third time, and Heaven and earth were terrified, and everything trembled, as a leaf on a tree trembles from a strong wind. And all the dead were resurrected, the souls were united with the bodies. All were of the same age, both old and young. The forefathers Adam and Eve rose from the dead, all the patriarchs, prophets, ancestors with all the tribes and tribes stood across the face of the earth in cramped quarters.
Many who did not believe in the mystery of the Resurrection were very surprised and horrified: how dust and ashes rose again, all the sons of Adam safe and sound after a long dust and corruption.
Those who did not believe in the Son of God were horrified and trembled, seeing the faces of the righteous shining like the stars of heaven, in accordance with their holiness and degree of perfection. According to the words of the Apostle Paul, the star differs from the star in glory. Some of the righteous had faces that shone like the sun at noon, others like the moon in the midst of a dark night, and others like the light of day. All the righteous have books in the hands of lightning-fast light. There are recorded all their virtues, labors and exploits, incurred to purify the heart from passions, and an inscription on the forehead of each righteous person, testifying to the glory of each. Some have written: “prophet of the Lord”, “Apostle of Christ”, “preacher of God”, “martyr of Christ”, “Evangelist-confessor”, “poor in spirit”, “pleasing to repentance”, “merciful”, “generous”, “pure heart”, “exiled for the sake of righteousness”, “hospice of the Lord”, “having endured poverty and illness”, “presbyter”, “virgin”, “giving his life for his friend”, and other various virtues.
In the same way there was a sign on the faces of sinners. Some of them had faces gloomy, like a dark night, others like soot, others rotting-
scabs, some like stinking mud. Others have faces covered with pus and infested with disgusting worms, their eyes burning with malevolent fires.
Sinners, seeing the glory of the righteous and their lewdness and wretchedness, in horror and fear said to each other:
“Woe to us is fierce, so the last day of the Second Coming of the Lord has come, about which we heard a lot from the righteous and evangelists before our death. But out of frivolity, we did not believe and with all our hearts indulged in voluptuousness, covetousness and worldly pride, laughed, mocked the righteous of the Holy Gospel. Oh, woe to us fools. For a minute of the sweetness of sin, fleeting pleasures of the flesh, we have lost the Glory of God. Clothed with eternal fear, shame. Oh, fierce woe to us, sinners, unfortunate and darkened. The Lord will betray us to eternal unbearable torment. Oh, woe to us, unfortunate ones, only now we have learned our shame and nakedness, open before Heaven and earth and before the face of all earthly people. The hour has come - the hour of a true assessment of virtue and vice in temporary life. We knew how to lie, covering gross vices with the guise of righteousness, loudly trumpeted before us about those virtues and perfections that we did not have in our souls. Tormented by the thirst for voluptuousness and ambition, we sought to satisfy the insatiable voluptuousness and ambition in all sorts of deceitful ways, and did not stop at any atrocities and crimes. Clearly and secretly shed streams of innocent human blood. And despite all the horrors and crimes they committed, they considered themselves beneficent.
On this day of the terrible Judgment of God, which we boldly, and shamelessly, and fearlessly rejected and denied, our criminality, hypocrisy will be revealed. Oh, how many innocent children's souls we have ruined, poisoning them with the poison of unbelief and godlessness. We have been leaders, and apostates, and diligent servants of Satan.
Oh, woe to us, the unfortunate proud, who dreamed of knowing everything with their own mind and madly rejected the highest mind of God. Oh, how cruelly we were mistaken, mocking and laughing at the faith of God-loving followers of Christ. We blindly served the devil, catering to the lust of the flesh.
And the servants of Christ suffered, exhausted their flesh with deeds of piety. They shine here like the sun, and we burn from eternal shame and nakedness. Oh, woe, woe to us, cursed and unfortunate. Oh, woe to us, eternal woe to the heirs of hell.
Atheists, heretics, freethinkers, apostates, unrepentant sinners spoke many other words, reproaching themselves and cursing the day and hour of their birth, expecting a strict and just verdict from the righteous Judge, looking at each other in horror. They all saw the inscriptions on their foreheads: "murderer", "adulter", "fornicator", "defiler", "thief", "sorcerer", "drunkard", "rebel", "blasphemer", "blasphemer", "predator". ”,“ sodomy ”,“ cowherd,
"child-destroyer", "murderer", "corrupter", "vindictive", "envious", "perjurer", "buffoon", "laugher", "severe", "angry", "unmerciful", "money-lover", "covetous man" "," irresistibly committed every sin and iniquity", "impudent denier of the Resurrection and the life to come", "heretic", "Arian", "Macedonian", - and all those who were not baptized into the Holy Trinity and after baptism sinned and did not bring true repentance, and from temporal life departed into eternity morally uncorrected.
They all looked at each other in terrible horror and moaned bitterly, slapped their faces and in their madness tore the hair on their heads, uttering a terrible groan and curses. Before the Judgment, the Jews stood as insane and deprived of reason, many said: “Who is God, who is Christ? .. We do not know. We served many gods, and if they are resurrected, then it will be good for us, since we tried to please in a temporary life. And so they should honor us.”
Then I saw how the ranks of the Heavenly Powers descended from the height of heaven and sang a sweetly wondrous song of heaven, carrying a wooden Cross in their midst, shining with the light of heavenly glory more than the rays of the sun. And having brought it, they placed it on the Throne prepared for the Righteous Judgment.
And this Cross was visible to the whole Universe, and all peoples were very surprised at the extraordinary beauty of the Cross of the Lord.
The Jews saw, were horrified and trembled with great fear and horror, in vain the sign of Christ crucified by them. In desperation, they began to tear their hair and beat their faces, saying: “Oh, woe to us and great misfortune, we did not see a good sign. Oh, woe to us cursed ones. This is the sign of Christ crucified by us. If He comes to judge, then woe to us. We have done much harm to Him, not only to Himself, but also to those who believe in Him.” So the Jews spoke and wept.
The angel who led me said: “Look how they began to tremble when they saw the Holy Cross of the Lord!” We stood on an elevated place, and the whole Universe was visible to me, and conversations were heard, and I even saw all the people who filled the earth.
After this, I heard the many-voiced noise of those who spoke, and an innumerable multitude of Heavenly Forces, Beginnings, Powers, Forces, Dominations began to appear, Angels, Archangels, decorously and harmoniously great regiments began to descend to the place of the Judgment Seat of Christ. Seeing this, I was greatly horrified and trembled, but the Angel who led me encouraged me, saying: “Do not be afraid, but look carefully and remember what you saw. These are my friends and fellow servants at the Throne of the King,” and fear receded from me.
Soon loud trumpet blasts and numerous peals of thunder and lightning were heard, from which the whole earth shook. The righteous, having bright faces, rejoiced and rejoiced. Those who had gloomy faces were horrified and trembled with fear.
And now, the Great Heavenly Powers descended from the heavenly heights, and from them a wondrous light emanated, like a fiery flame. They descended and stood decorously around the place prepared for the Righteous Judge. The beauty of shining faces cannot be described by any human language.
Seeing them clouded my mind and my tongue refused to speak. The righteous from Adam to the last earthly one rejoiced with great joy, expecting a righteous reward from the inexpressible mercy of God. And sinners, idolaters, atheists and apostates began to be horrified and tremble like a leaf on an aspen.
At this time, a bright cloud appeared with lightning and, having overshadowed the Divine Cross, remained on it for a long time; as soon as it rose to the same place from which it descended, a wonderful crown wrapped around the Cross, of indescribable beauty, shining more than the rays of the sun.
The terrible Throne of Glory stood not on the ground, but in the air. And so one regiment of Angels stood on the east side, another on the south, a third on the west, and a fourth on the north.
It was a terrible and wondrous sight. The air was filled with the Forces of Heaven, and the earth with the sons of the human race. Then the chariot of fire descended from the height of heaven. Around her are an innumerable multitude of six-winged Cherubim and many-eyed Seraphim, loudly, solemnly and victoriously crying out: “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God of Hosts, fulfill heaven and earth with Thy glory.”
And then all the Powers of Heaven exclaimed: "Bless, Father Almighty... Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, the Word Concurrent with the Father."
TERRIBLE JUDGMENT OF GOD
SEPARATION
THE RIGHTEOUS AND THE SINNERS
Suddenly a trumpet voice was heard, terrible and great, and everything that lives in heaven and on earth trembled. Even the very Powers of Heaven shuddered and were afraid. This trumpet sound foreshadowed the nearness of the Coming of the Most Righteous Judge. Then the trumpets sounded again, and numerous regiments of the glorious Powers of Heaven again began to descend, carrying banners and the royal scepter. Then a cloud began to descend, bright and white as snow, carried by four animals.In the midst of the cloud is the Only Begotten Son of God Himself, our Lord Jesus Christ!!! Around the cloud there is a large multitude of incorporeal servants of God, with many fear and trembling and great reverence, not daring to approach the cloud. A thousand times stronger than the sun, the whole world was illuminated from the Magnificence of the Glory of God. When the cloud began to descend over the place where the Throne of Glory stood, immediately all the Powers of Heaven exclaimed with a great voice: “Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord! God the Lord came to judge the living and the dead - the whole human race. And the angelic world with fear and trembling bowed to the Most Righteous Judge. After this, the Only Begotten Son of God descended from the cloud and sat on the Throne of the Majesty of His Glory. Heaven and earth trembled with fear and terror. The human race was horrified by great fear. Archangels, Angels, Dominations, Principles, Forces, Authorities, Thrones, Seraphim and Cherubim loudly exclaimed in victorious solemnity, like numerous thunders: “You are the Christ - the Son of God - the Son of the Living God, Whom the all-wicked and mad with envy crucified the Jews. You are God, the Most High Word, whom the Father begot before all ages. Pure nature, and will, and desire. There is only one Lord Jesus Christ. Christ, who took on human flesh, did not change the Divine Deity. The flesh was borrowed from the Most Immaculate and Most Pure Virgin Mary. He lived in the world, showed the sons of Adam the path of truth and salvation. He defeated death, destroyed hell, gave salvation, freedom to the prisoners of hell, destroying all the power and might of Satan. And victoriously resurrected from the tomb, gave life and Resurrection to all the dead. You are our God, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, and there is no other God but You. Amen".And then the All-Righte Judge looked at the sky — and it twisted like a scroll. The Lord looked at the earth - and it fled from His presence, being defiled by human deeds. And all the sons of Adam, that is, the human race, stood in the air. The Lord again looked at the sky - and a new sky appeared, looked at the immeasurable depth - and a new earth appeared - pure, shining, like flowers of the field adorned with unearthly beauty, since
Icon of the Last Judgment. 1830s (?)Board, tempera. 1.73 x 2.09 m.
State Museum of the History of Religion, St. Petersburg.
The Last Judgment is the final moment of world history, preceding the renewal of the world, the Second Coming of JESUS CHRIST. The composition of the Last Judgment took shape in Byzantine art by the 11th century. Book miniatures and temple paintings were colorful and replete with characters and details. Carefully written images were designed for careful reading. In Russia, the icons of the Last Judgment appeared very early, shortly after Baptism. The Tale of Bygone Years mentions an episode about the use by the Byzantine philosopher of the image of the Last Judgment to preach Christianity to Prince VLADIMIR, which influenced the future Baptism of Vladimir himself and Russia.
The icon repeats in general terms the iconographic scheme that developed in Byzantine art in the 10th-11th centuries, and, at the same time, contains a number of new motifs that have become widespread in Russian icon painting since the 15th-16th centuries.
❶ In the upper part of the composition - the figure of God the Father, seated on a luxurious golden throne, surrounded by Angels. Everyone has a mirror in their hands (in Church Slavonic - a mirror). The mirror is a symbol of destiny, foresight. To the right - the image of the Holy Trinity, the Angels glorifying the Trinity, and the Archangel Michael, casting down the fallen angels (demons) from Heaven.
❷ On the left - paradise in the form of a holy city - Mountain Jerusalem with the righteous blessed in it. The Mother of God and the prudent robber with a large cross are also depicted here. They are dressed in royal clothes, with crowns on their heads (which is not traditional for a prudent robber - more often he is depicted naked to the waist with a belt on his loins). The prudent thief was crucified at the right hand of Christ (to the left of the viewer). Having repented during the torment on the Cross, the thief believed in the divinity of the Savior and received from the Lord a promise to “now” be with Him in paradise.
❸ Under the Mountainous Jerusalem - an image of hermits flying to paradise.
❹ In the center of the composition, on a blue sphere, Christ in glory is the Judge of the world. He stretches out his hands, the right palm is open in a gesture of giving and turned to the righteous in the right part of the icon from Christ, the left is lowered and points to sinners. The mournful Mother of God and John the Baptist are coming to him - intercessors for the human race at the Last Judgment. ❺
❻ On the sides of this central group sit the apostles (six on each side). Behind the apostles are Angels with swords in their hands - the Heavenly Host. The two Angels closest to the center hold the scepter and orb.
❼ Adam and Eve - the progenitors of the human race and the first sinners on earth - fall at the feet of Christ as an image of all the bowed righteous, redeemed humanity.
❽ In the center under Christ is the prepared Throne (etimasia). On it is the Cross, the instruments of the Passion (a spear and a sponge) and the opened "Book of Genesis", in which, according to legend, all the words and deeds of people are recorded. The book is held by two angels. Nearby are the four symbols of the evangelists (Lion, Angel, calf and eagle). Four trumpeting Archangels soar in the sky. They must call with a trumpet voice all the dead to the Last Judgment, and they also protect the Church and every believer from the forces of darkness.
❾ Below - scales, "the measure of human deeds." Near the scales, the Angel fights with demons for the human soul, which is present right there, in the form of a naked youth. The devils are trying to pull the scales of evil deeds in their favor. The contents of one bowl of scales are white (a symbol of repentance), the other is black.
❿ On the left is the scene “The Vision of the Prophet Daniel”: An angel points Daniel to four animals. These beasts symbolize the "perilous kingdoms" (kingdoms that are to perish), or the Antichrist - Babylonian (bear), Macedonian (griffin), Persian (lion) and Roman (horned beast).
⓫ On the right is the scene “Earth and sea give up the dead” (figures of people rising from the earth and emerging from the mouths of fish - resurrected from the dead).
⓬ Below, on the right and on the left, are depicted the righteous and the sinners who have risen to the Judgment. In accordance with the iconographic tradition, saints are depicted to the right of Christ, represented by rank - prophets, saints, martyrs, saints, etc. Groups of sinners personify various peoples, and Jews are represented in front of all. Before the sinners, the prophet Moses is depicted with a tablet in his hands, pointing them to Christ, in whom they did not believe during His First Coming to earth.
⓭ On the right side of the icon is hell, fiery hell. In hell, Satan is depicted with the soul of Judas on his knees. Judas Iscariot holding a purse with 30 pieces of silver. In Byzantine art by the XI-XII centuries. there was a stable iconography of the prince of darkness, personifying hell: a frontal image of a terrible-looking half-naked old man with disheveled gray hair and a beard, sitting in a lake of fire (gehenna).
⓮ Satan draws a crowd of sinners with a chain (in the lower part of the icon) - these are representatives of various social groups (nobility, persons in imperial crowns, monks and even bishops).
⓯ Under them, in 14 hallmarks, especially severe torments are described that await sinners. Sinners in the compositions of the Last Judgment are always depicted naked. Their nakedness is the nakedness of Adam, who, having sinned, was ashamed of his appearance and tried to hide from God.
⓰ In the lower right corner is the mouth of an infernal beast, from which a long writhing snake crawls out. He is the road to hell and is depicted in red. On the snake are allegorical images of ordeals - temptations by sins through which the human soul must go through before it enters the Kingdom of Heaven or hell (envy, despondency, gluttony, anger, pride ...). The image of a snake is one of the unique subjects known only in late Russian icon painting.
⓱ Below in the center is a merciful fornicator chained to a post. During the reign of Emperor Leo the Isaurian (VIII century), a certain rich man lived in Constantinople, who, although he was merciful, remained in the sin of fornication until old age. He remained between heaven and hell - thanks to his actions, he was delivered from hellish torments, but deprived of heavenly bliss. This image of a man who combines good and evil at the same time appears in Russian icon painting in the 16th-17th centuries. His image shows an intermediate state between a sinner and a righteous person, introducing into the composition of the Last Judgment a new assessment of a person endowed with contradictions, as well as a hope for the forgiveness of human sins.
⓲ The righteous, led by the Apostle Peter, holding the keys, strive for the gates of paradise. In the group of the righteous, there are three bishops in cross-shaped phelons, probably, these are the images of John Chrysostom, Basil the Great and Gregory the Theologian. The gate is guarded by a six-winged fiery Seraphim.
⓳ Behind the golden gates and snow-white walls is the Garden of Eden. It also depicts the "Bosom of Abraham" (forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob with the souls of the righteous).
The icon is dominated by blue and red colors. Blue - heavenly, a symbol of purity; red is the color of the cleansing and devouring flame.
The icon of the Last Judgment is very important and significant in Orthodoxy. It depicts scenes that will happen after the second coming of Jesus Christ. It is believed that then each person will appear before the judge, and each will receive according to his deeds and merits.
The emergence of the plot of the icon and the first images
What can be said about the origins of this story in Christianity? It is believed that for the first time these compositions began to appear on the walls of the temple in the Byzantine Empire before the iconoclastic period. They date back to the fourth century. The first images described the parable of ten virgins, as well as the separation of goats and sheep (sinners and righteous). Only by the eighth century in Byzantium was an image formed, which later became canonical. This is how the icon of the Last Judgment appeared.
In Russia, these images existed almost from the very beginning of baptism and were of particular importance for the Orthodox.
What influenced the emergence of the plot
In many ways, the plot of the Last Judgment icon was taken from the Gospel and the Apocalypse, as well as from other ancient books of Byzantium and Russia, such as: the Word of Palladium Mnicha, the Word of Ephraim the Syrian, the Life of Basil the New, etc. The revelations of John the Theologian also had a significant influence on it .
One of the important sources from which the icon of the Last Judgment was painted was the revelation of the prophet Daniel. His visions are generally considered significant in Orthodoxy, which is described in the corresponding book of the prophet. Some motifs from it were taken for the plot of the icon of the Last Judgment, namely those that spoke of the end of the world and the coming of Jesus.
The plot of the icon of the Last Judgment in Russia
In Russia, this plot was first recorded in the 12th century on the walls of the Cyril Monastery, which is located in Kyiv. At the end of the same century, the same images appeared in St. George's Cathedral, in the Church of the Savior Nereditsa and Dmitrovsky Cathedral. And this is not accidental, since it is believed that it was this image that influenced Prince Vladimir, who laid the foundation for the baptism of Russia. This fact is mentioned in The Tale of Bygone Years.
The early icon of the Last Judgment depicted not only the judgment itself, but also the scenes of the Apocalypse, which were later divided. The first images of the plot did not have clearly fixed moments in certain places of the icon, as, for example, the animals from the prophecy of Daniel. Only by the 16th-17th centuries did each detail of the plot take its place.
Plot Description
The very composition of the image of the Last Judgment is very rich in characters and events. In general, the Last Judgment icon, the description of which is quite extensive, consists of three registers. Each of them has its place.
Usually in the upper part of the icon there is an image of Jesus, on both sides of which there are apostles. All of them are involved in the trial. The lower part of the icon is occupied by trumpeting angels who call everyone.
Further under the image of Jesus is the throne (Etimasia). This is a judicial throne, on which a spear, a cane, a sponge, the Gospel can be placed. This is an important detail in this composition, which later becomes an independent symbol.
The lower part of the image tells about what will happen to the righteous and sinners who will go through the Last Judgment of God. The icon is divided here. To the right of Christ, you can see the righteous who are moving to Paradise, as well as the Mother of God, angels and the Garden of Eden. To the left of Christ is depicted hell, sinners and demons, as well as Satan.
These two parts of the icon in a well-established plot can be separated by a fiery river or a serpent. The latter is depicted with a writhing body through the entire icon, and his tail is lowered into hell. Serpent rings were often called by the name of ordeals (fornication, drunkenness, etc.).
Plot interpretation
The icon of the Last Judgment, the interpretation of which may seem creepy to some, has its own meaning for believers. According to the Divine plan, the deeds of every person who has ever lived on earth will be reviewed at the Last Judgment, which will be presided over by Jesus Christ, the son of God. It will happen at his Second Coming.
After the judgment, a person will have a direct road either to hell or to heaven, according to his actions. It is believed that this is a special moment in the renewal of the world, the soul can forever unite with God or forever go to the devil. However, the essence of the composition is not to intimidate a person, but to make him think about his deeds, committed sins. Also, do not despair and lose hope, you just need to repent and start changing.
Ancient images of the Last Judgment that have survived to this day
Several ancient images have survived to this day, which have been preserved as paintings in temples. For example, in Thessaloniki, in the church of Panagia Halkeon, the painting dates back to 1028, in Sinai, in the monastery of St. Catherine, two icons of the Last Judgment have been preserved. Also in London, in the Victoria and Albert Museum, there is an ivory plate with this image; in Venice, in the Basilica of Torcello, a mosaic with this theme was made.
There are also ancient images in Russia. For example, in the Moscow Kremlin of the Assumption Cathedral there is the earliest icon of the Last Judgment (photo below). Also, such murals can be found in some temples (they were mentioned above).
Words of the Saints about the Last Judgment
A lot is said about the Last Judgment both in the Holy Scriptures and in the sayings of the saints. Very many held this image before their eyes in order to see the consequences of sins and spiritual negligence.
St. Theophan the Recluse spoke about the constant preparation for the Second Coming of the Lord, without thinking about when it would be. He believed that this would happen without fail, but when - is unknown.
St. John also believed that there is no need to guess when the last day will happen, but there are terrible omens of the imminent end. These are various misfortunes and destruction, wars and famine. The man himself will change, he will forget the laws of God. At this time, sins and evil will multiply.
So, all the holy fathers considered it important to remember the second coming and the Last Judgment. The icon with this image clearly helped in this, because its compositional row was designed in such a way as to see everything clearly and in detail (the heavenly bliss of the righteous and the hellish torment of sinners).
The plot of the Last Judgment in the paintings of artists
So, as you can see, for believing Christians, the composition depicting the Last Judgment is very important. The icon and painting on the walls of temples is not the only place where this theme manifested itself. She was and is very popular with artists. This is a rather bright theme, which has found its place in painting.
For example, Michelangelo has a fresco made on this theme. She is in the Sistine Chapel. Although it was the order of the pope, the painter himself completed it in his own way. It depicts naked bodies, frankly describes the anatomy of men. This eventually led to conflict.
Also very famous is the Hieronymus Bosch triptych. This is a very strong picture that in some way affects the beholder. It is believed that no one, except Bosch, subsequently managed to convey in such a way that none of the living had seen it with their own eyes. The plot of the picture is divided into three parts. In the center is the image of the court itself, on the left is heaven, and on the right is hell. Each composition is very realistic.
Of course, these are not all masters of the brush who used the biblical story of the Last Judgment in their paintings. A lot of people were inspired by apocalyptic compositions, after which they tried to create their own vision of this. Not everyone adhered to the biblical moments, showing their imagination. Thus, many variations of the Last Judgment appeared, which were far from the canons.
Image by Vasnetsov
Viktor Vasnetsov at one time created many paintings on a religious theme. One of them was the fresco of the Last Judgment in the Kiev Vladimir Cathedral, as well as in the St. George's Cathedral.
The icon of Vasnetsov's Last Judgment was the first to appear in the Kiev Cathedral. In writing, the author did not use the already established canons, so the image looks somewhat theatrical, although it is built on the basis of biblical and patristic texts. In the center of the composition is an angel holding a scale in his hand. On one side of it are sinners and hellfire, into which they, in fact, fall. On the other side are the praying righteous.
As can be seen in the image, among the sinners are the rich, kings, people of the clergy. The author wanted to show by this that everyone is equal before God at the moment of truth. There will be a just decision for all people at the last hour. At the top of the image is the Lord himself, who holds the Gospel and the cross. Next to him is the Mother of God and John the Baptist.
The second painting was painted for St. George's Cathedral. Its plot remained unchanged and, according to many who saw the picture for the first time, made a stunning impression. It was this canvas that had a turbulent history during the Soviet Union. At the end of its existence, the painting was hardly reconstructed and returned to its old place.
Rublev's brush image
Another famous work of the Last Judgment was Rublev's fresco, which is depicted in the Moscow Assumption Cathedral. There were many of his paintings, besides this one. Many were performed together with Daniil Cherny. In some details, the author deviated from tradition, especially when the icon of the Last Judgment was painted. Rublev portrayed those people who came to the court, not suffering at all, but hoping for mercy.
By the way, all the images on the fresco are very spiritual and sublime. In this difficult time, too many events took place that contributed to the revival of human spirituality.
Thus, the fresco made a very light impression and carried hope. This led to the fact that the person did not begin to experience fear from the upcoming judgment, but represented its reigning justice. Of course, it has not been completely preserved to our times, but what remains so far is striking in its depth.
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