This year’s Holy Week Trilogy is a series of three visions of the crucifixion, each primarily illumined by one of three different ‘light sources.’ Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Each day’s particular illumination draws out certain aspects of the same, infinitely meaning-filled event—the Crucifixion of the Risen Lord.
In the final picture we see the crucified Jesus illumined by the resurrection. At the center of the image Jesus stands—living, yet ‘as having been slain’ (Rev.5:6)—in the midst of the Golgotha’s cross, now revealed to be the angel-encircled Throne of Heaven (Is.6:2-3; Rev.4:6-8) and Tree of Life whose fruit is food and leaves are for healing (Rev.22:1-2).
The crown of thorns is set with five red jewels—the wounds of the Lord now glorified (Heb.2:9). From it stand out seven prominent ‘horns’ (Rev.5:6)—the perfect power of God revealed in His humble bearing of our curse. Around His head are six flames of fire which, combined with the breath from His mouth, make up the sevenfold Spirit of God that rests upon the Son (Rev.5:6, cf.Is. 11:2).
Around the throne is the emerald rainbow (Rev.4:3) depicted as a ‘mandorla,’ which not only represents the presence of God, but—as the shape created by the overlap of two perfect circles—depicts the perfect union of Heaven and Earth achieved in the anastasiform Lord (Col.1:20). In the center of the image is the the New Jerusalem, the Bride of Christ. She is pictured as a perfect cube (Rev 21:16), which indicates that She has become the true Holy of Holies, residing at the heart of the True Temple, the slain and risen Christ; She in Him, and He in Her (Jn 14:20, Rev 21:22, 22:1-2).
Above the throne the clouds roll back, declaring that—for those with eyes to see—this is the appearing of the Pierced Son of Man, shining in the glory of God (). At the right and left of the throne are the trumpets and bowls of Revelation, visualizing the eschatological unmaking of the cosmos achieved through the slaying and rising of the Lamb. While the scroll which none is worthy to open is held unfurled in the hands of the Lord—unsealed by His wounds—proclaiming with perfect finality that, truly, ‘It Is Finished’ (Jn 19:31).
