The attitude of one who prays in front of an icon is the proper attitude of those who inhabit the heavenly Jerusalem able to see God in everything. The icon painters have always been aware and thus we have the world in a way that corresponds to this eschatological vision (of the Kingdom of Heaven). The mountains, the trees will bow to Christ, the suffering of the martyrs will not cause more pain, the greatness of the people and objects corresponding to their spiritual greatness, the eyes of people are in eternity.
But the most important, this aspect is the Light. Revelation tells us that the end of time the sun and the moon shall not give more light: because Christ himself will expand its light on the land without shadows, Ap 22, 5 -. Therefore, the icons do not know the light coming from the outside, right, left or above. It radiates from the faces of the saints and the whole environment.
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Florenski - The painting of icons, we can say, is in the light not only something external to the objects, but the essential identity and intimacy of its substance. For the painting of icons, the light supports and creates things, is the specific cause, it can not be considered foreign, is the creator and transcendental principle is manifest in them, and not merely - All it shows is light cf. Eph 5, 13. Those covered with a pure heart icons belong to those blessed who see God.
Tomas Spidlik
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