The festival of Pentecost has its roots in the Old Testament. It began as a harvest feast and later added the giving of the Law of Moses on Mount Sinai as the "harvest" of the Old Covenant. Our Christian Feast of Pentecost is celebrated on the fiftieth day after the Resurrection of Christ. On this feast the Descent of the Holy Spirit effected a New Covenant. It was precisely this descent of the Spirit which revealed to the world the knowledge of the mystery of the Holy Trinity, consubstantial, undivided and yet distinct. It was the fulfillment of the revelation concerning the Persons of the one God as three.
Blessed are you O Christ Our God, You have filled the fishermen with wisdom, by sending down the Holy Spirit upon them and who through them have caught in your net the whole world, O Lover of mankind, glory to you!
The Icon of Pentecost is a marked contrast with the biblical
description of the Descent of the Spirit. The Book of Acts of the
Apostles (2: 2) records that "suddenly from up in the sky there came
a noise, like a strong, driving wind which was heard all through the
house where they were seated." In contrast, the Icon is characterized
by serenity and composure. The postures of the Apostles reveals
serenity. All of them are seated, some gesturing as if in subdued
conversation with one another. The gift of the Holy Spirit remains the
inner life of grace. The event of Pentecost forms the Church and is
the inauguration of the Kingdom of God. The twelve Apostles form a
semi-circle to express the unity of the Mystical Body of Christ, the
Church. They are pictured in an inverse perspective -- their figures
grow larger as they recede into the background.
The center place which is unoccupied is reserved for Christ, the
invisible head of the Church. Some ancient icons symbolize Christ's
invisible presence with an altar, the throne of His glory. The
Evangelists are shown holding books; another has a scroll as a sign
of having received the gift of teaching. Above the semi-circle,
beyond the edge of the panel, there is a symbol of heaven from which
rays or tongues of fire descend. This is a sign both of the
sancification of the Apostles and Disciples, and of their baptism with
the Holy Spirit and fire. The world, to which the Apostles would
preach, is represented at the bottom of the Icon by one symbolic figure of a king. He is known as "Cosmos" as he represents the whole world enveloped by sin. He sits in a dark place since the whole world had formerly been without the light of faith. He is bent over to show he was made old by the sin of Adam. Through the power of the Holy Spirit the twelve Apostles brought light: to the whole world by their teaching.
