The iconostasis is a wall of icons standing between the nave (where you stand during services) and the altar. It’s the first thing you notice when you walk into an Orthodox church.
Most people from Baptist or non-denominational backgrounds see it and think it’s a barrier. Something keeping them out. But it’s actually the opposite. The iconostasis doesn’t hide heaven from us, it reveals it.
Think of it this way: the altar represents the Holy of Holies, where God dwells. The nave where we stand represents the Holy Place. In the Old Testament temple, these were completely separated. Only the high priest could enter once a year. But Christ tore the veil. He opened heaven to us. The iconostasis shows us that opening. It’s covered with faces, Christ, the Theotokos, the saints, all the people who’ve gone before us and now surround us in worship.
The Royal Doors
At the center of the iconostasis you’ll find the Royal Doors, sometimes called the Holy Doors or Beautiful Gates. They’re called royal because the King of Glory passes through them. During the Divine Liturgy, the priest brings the Eucharist through these doors to us. Christ himself comes out to meet us.
On the Royal Doors you’ll typically see an icon of the Annunciation. That’s when the angel Gabriel told Mary she’d bear the Son of God. It’s the beginning of our salvation, the moment heaven touched earth. Often you’ll also see the four Evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, because they proclaimed that same good news to the world.
Behind the Royal Doors hangs a curtain. It opens and closes throughout the service depending on what’s happening. During the most solemn moments it’s drawn back. During penitential prayers it’s closed. This isn’t arbitrary. It teaches us something about approaching God, sometimes we see clearly, sometimes we stand in awe before mystery.
On either side of the Royal Doors are the deacon’s doors. Servers and clergy use these to enter and exit the altar. They’re smaller, less ornate. Functional.
The Icons
To the right of the Royal Doors (as you’re facing them) stands an icon of Christ. Usually Christ Pantokrator, Christ the Almighty. He’s looking at you. His right hand is raised in blessing, his left holds the Gospel. This icon reminds us that Christ is coming again. He’s both the priest offering the sacrifice and the sacrifice itself.
To the left stands an icon of the Theotokos holding the Christ child. This is the Incarnation. God became man in her womb. These two icons, Christ and his Mother, frame the Royal Doors. They show us the whole story: God became man, died, rose, and is coming again.
Many iconostases have multiple tiers rising above this first row. You might see icons of the twelve great feasts, the apostles, the prophets. Some are simple with just one row. Others, especially in older churches or cathedrals, rise nearly to the ceiling. St. Michael’s here in Beaumont has a more modest iconostasis, but it serves the same purpose as the grandest one in Moscow or Antioch.
What It Means
The iconostasis developed over centuries. Early churches had a simple barrier, maybe a low railing. After the iconoclastic controversy in the eighth and ninth centuries, when the Church definitively affirmed that we can depict Christ because he truly became man, the practice of covering this barrier with icons became standard.
Some people worry it separates the clergy from the people. It doesn’t. During the Liturgy, the priest isn’t performing something private back there. He’s leading our worship. We’re all participating together. When the doors open and Christ comes out to us in the Eucharist, that’s the point. Heaven has come to earth. The iconostasis shows us the company of heaven joining our worship.
If you visit St. Michael’s for a service, don’t let the iconostasis intimidate you. Let it teach you. Look at those faces. They’re your family. They’re praying with you. And those Royal Doors? They’re going to open, and Christ is going to come through them to you.
