nd NO ONE SAW JESUS RISE from the dead. The the (2 century) Apostles’ Creed, that Christ “And the Lord, stretched forth His hand and Scriptures simply say that the tomb was “…descended into hell; the third day He made the sign of the cross over Adam and found to be empty early on that Sunday rose again from the dead.” The English over all His saints. He took the right hand of morning. Later the risen Christ appeared to version translated as “hell” the Greek word Adam and went up out of hell, with all the His disciples as we read in the Gospels, the katotata (the lowest region), the place of the saints following Him… and brought them all Acts and the Epistles. This is why the dead. into the glory and beauty of paradise” (From Byzantine rules governing icons prohibit The Descent of Christ to the Depths 4, 5, 8, showing Christ rising from the dead. Instead Early Images in Our Liturgy 9). they set forth two scenes for Paschal icons: the women at the empty tomb and the “The Descent of Christ to the Depths” is a This text is the earliest source we have for “harrowing of hell,” Christ’s descent into third-century text incorporated in later our icon of Pascha. It does not attempt to death. writings such as the apocryphal Gospel of describe Christ’s physical resurrection but Nicodemus and the Acts of Pilate. This text the spiritual reality of what His Death and In the description of St Peter’s first address – much abridged here – contains a dramatic Resurrection accomplished. The Lord Jesus, to the people on Pentecost, we read that he scene involving Satan, Hades (the realm of in radiant garments, is shown standing on applied the prophetic Psalm 16:8-11 to death) and those held captive there. the brazen gates of Hades (also called the Christ, saying that the psalmist “,,,spoke "Doors of Death"), which are broken and concerning the resurrection of Christ that “Behold, Satan, the prince and chief of have fallen in the form of a cross, His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His death, said to Hades, ‘Prepare to receive illustrating the belief that by His death on flesh see corruption” (Acts 2:31). Jesus, who boasts that He is the Son of God, the cross, Christ has trampled down death. and yet is a man afraid of death…’ At the bottom of the icon we see Hades as a chasm of darkness, often with various pieces Christ’s time among the dead was described “As they were speaking, suddenly there of broken locks and chains strewn about. with some detail in the first universal epistle came a voice like thunder, crying ‘Remove of St Peter. We are told that Christ “went your gates, you princes. Be lifted up, you Our paschal icon contains a second image and made a proclamation to the spirits in everlasting doors, and the King of Glory from The Descent of Christ to the Depths. prison, who in former times did not obey, shall come in.’ …Then Hades said to his Christ is shown pulling Adam and Eve up when God waited patiently in the days of wicked ministers, ‘Shut firm the gates of out of Hades, surrounded by other righteous Noah….” (1 Peter 3:19-20) and that “the brass and put on them bars of iron…’ figures from the Old Testament, “the saints” gospel was preached also to those who are mentioned in The Descent. In many versions dead, that they might be judged as men in When all the saints heard it, they answered, of this icon Christ is not shown holding the flesh, but live according to God in the rebuking Hades, “Open the gates that the them by the hands, but by their wrists, to spirit” (1 Peter 4:6). King of Glory may come in.”… stress that mankind could not attach himself to God because of his ancestral sin; rather it This concept of Christ enlightening those in “Stretching forth His hand, the Lord said, is Christ’s work alone which effects our the darkness of death was thought to be so ‘Come to Me, all you holy ones who bear recreation. central to our faith that it was included in My image and likeness…” early creeds, we still profess, when we say The Dialogue with Satan Christ in Hades (St Epiphanius of Cyprus) Holy Pascha This image of the brass gates in The Descent Something strange is happening—there is a was taken in turn from Psalm 23, depicting a great silence on earth today, a great silence conqueror’s entry into the city. In The and stillness. The whole earth keeps silence Descent this psalm is used to describe because the King is asleep. It trembled and Christ, the true King of Glory, breaking is still because God has fallen asleep in the down the gates of Hades and leading flesh and He has raised up all who have mankind from the prison of death to slept ever since the world began. God has paradise. died in the flesh and Hell trembles with fear. He has gone to search for our first parent, as In the Middle Eastern Patriarchates this for a lost sheep. Greatly desiring to visit psalm is recited as the Paschal procession those who live in darkness and in the stands in darkness before the doors of the shadow of death, He has gone to free from church. The priest outside and a “Satan,” sorrow the captives Adam and Eve, He who inside recreate this dialogue: is both God and the Son of Eve. The Lord approached them bearing the Cross, the Priest: Lift up your gates, you princes; and weapon that had won Him the victory. At be lifted up, you everlasting gates, and the the sight of Him Adam, the first man He had King of Glory shall enter in. created, struck his breast in terror and cried Reader: Who is this King of Glory? out to everyone, ‘My Lord be with you all.’ Priest: The Lord strong and mighty, the Christ answered him: ‘And with your spirit.’ Lord, mighty in battle. Lift up your gates, He took him by the hand and raised him up, you princes; and be lifted up, you saying: ‘Awake, O sleeper, and rise from the everlasting gates, and the King of Glory dead, and Christ will give you light. shall enter in. Reader; Who is this King of Glory? ‘I am your God, who for your sake have Priest: The Lord of hosts, He is the King of become your son. Out of love for you and Glory. your descendants I now by my own autho- rity command all who are held in bondage to “I am The doors burst open and the congregation come forth, all who are in darkness to be enters the brilliantly lit church, becoming enlightened, all who are sleeping to arise. themselves an icon of redeemed humanity. Sleeper, awake. I did not create you to be the Life held a prisoner in Hades. Rise from the dead, for I am the life of the dead. Rise up, work of my hands, you who were created in of the dead!” my image. Rise, let us leave this place, for you are in Me and I in you; together we form one person and cannot be separated.