But this language does much to reveal ChristвЂ™s Cross as the most faithful revelation of ChristвЂ™s judgment.ДЇor so it was on the day of His crucifixion. Compared to the imagery of the judge, the fire and the worms, suchВ language is perhaps not as fascinating (in its original sense). Here, it is not the assignment of punishment and reward, but the self-selection of all regarding the Light. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.вЂќ (Joh 3:17-21) For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. He who believes in Him is not condemned but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. вЂ¦God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. For example, we have this saying of Christ regarding judgment: However, when that image is set within the context of the Cross, as in the icon, something different emerges. Our tendency is to hear вЂњjudgment seat of ChristвЂќ and immediately picture a law court with the judge presiding, passing sentence. The icon directs our attention towards the manner of reading and understanding the Scriptures. The Cross is all of these things, and all of these things are the Cross. Here the judgment is placed in a manner to say that these are all one thing. Lastly, the scales of righteousness, the judgment of Christ itself. Within the Church, the altar is understood to be both throne, footstool, place of atonement, etc.

It is also the place of atonement, and is thus the altar. The Cross is itself the judgment seat of Christ. The three things are placed together because they are one and the same thing. They are the Cross, an altar, and the вЂњbalance scales ( zygos) of righteousness.вЂќ This small collection does something Scripture (in words) cannot do. Of interest to me are a few details just below the seated Christ. We see some who are being judged (with various demons being pictured as well).

From beneath His feet proceeds the river of fire. Christ is seated (on the cherubim), surrounded by a mandorla, a circle that represents His transcendent glory. This is particularly true in the traditional icon of the Last Judgment. Formed by habits of reading, we frequently see such icons and attempt to вЂњreadвЂќ them, failing to notice the inner relationships within the various items and the commentary that they form. Of course, icons that do this have a tendency to be somewhat jumbled, even busy. Icons, however, can do what Scripture does, but can also bring multiple Scriptures together in a single place, forming something of a commentary. Scripture, as words to be read, necessarily becomes linear вЂ“ words follow words and cannot be read except in the order in which theyвЂ™re written. This statement by the 7 th Council aptly describes the work of an icon вЂ“ but fails to do justice to the reality. вЂњIcons do with color what Scripture does with words.вЂќ

The judgment seat of christ timeline