PROPHETS TIER

The fourth from the bottom is the Prophets tier. It consists of seventeen icons, like the Forefathers tier, and depicts prophets who prophesied the incarnation of the Son through the Virgin Mary.  Therefore, Our Lady of the Sign icon is placed in the centre of the row. On each side of the Virgin, there are prophets interceding and holding scrolls with prophecies and the symbols of those prophecies. The Theotokos is portrayed Enthroned with the Child on Her lap, while Christ blesses with both hands as an archbishop – the head of the Church; thus the Mother of God is compared to the Church, which is the Body of Christ according to Christian teaching. To the left of this icon, there are the next prophets: David holding an ark of the covenant (Maria came from his royal lineage), Ilia, Daniel, Moses, Aaron, Isaiah, Elisha and Habakkuk. To the right of the icon: Solomon holding a temple that he built in Jerusalem, Jacob, Zephaniah, Ezekiel, Jonah, Jeremiah, Gideon and Zachariah.