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Description
This is a drawing on gray paper with black and white prisma pencils from December of 2004. The scene is of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, as recorded in the Bible, of the kind set up symbolically from the Baroque period and Renaissance, portrayed solely by mannequins to display the form of the "characters" featurelessly. The identities of the players in the piece are identified solely by their positions and certain symbolic elements. The perspective and angle is really pushed into the viewer's realm to draw them into the scene from above, and to create an unsettling feel of disharmony.

This is a piece I started to work out prophetically as the Lord directed me in the Spirit. In fact, much of the symbolism wasn't revealed to me from God until I'd more than halfway finished it. Jesus Christ is seen on the cross at the moment of death, having uttered His last words, "It is finished." The Latin for this is "Ilicet," hence the title of the piece. The earth quakes and splits around those gathered at the scene as a torrentuous storm rolls in. The figures in the background react in shock or fear at the earth's spectacle, appearing distorted in the shadow of the storm and the glow of the lightning. Yet despite the darkness of the storm, a symbolic light emanating from heaven, and also effectively from Christ Himself, lights strongly on the body of Jesus and also illuminates those around Him, as if the truth of what has actually occurred, Jesus Christ's true nature, and its depth of meaning has now dawned on all who've drawn close to Him, both believer and unbeliever, Jew and Gentile. At the foot of the cross stand, from right to left, a Roman centurion (recognized by dress and the spear, which was used to pierce Jesus' side to verify he was dead), John the Evangelist (one of the twelve apostles, designated by the eagle feathers in his belt, the eagle being a common symbol to identify him in the Baroque/Renaissance eras), Mary the mother of Jesus (denoted by her veil and posture of grief), Mary Magdalene (typically shown with long hair in Renaissance/Baroque art to define her), and a Pharisee/scribe (a religious leader at the time, identified by his "robes" and the scroll in his hand). The centurion recoils in astonishment, as if to utter the Biblical line he or one like him spoke at this time, "Truly this Man was the Son of God!" John buckles at the quaking earth and the blow to his spirit from viewing the death of his friend and teacher, the one he thought would redeem the Jewish people and restore the nation of Israel, while trying to comfort Mary. Mary, Jesus' mother, has fallen to her knees and reaches out to her son wailing in grief. Mary Magdalene, one of the women who traveled with Jesus and his disciples, out of whom scripture says He cast out seven demons, is also on her knees and buries her head into the shoulder of His mother, weeping. Every figure in the picture reacts to the violence of the crucifixion or the earthquake and storm in some notable way, all except one, the Pharisee, one of the religious rulers who called for Jesus' death, who remains stalwart and unmoved, his arms crossed in indifference and mockery as he chastises the One who dared to compare Himself with God. One last figure is present, the serpent, coiled around the cross' foot, writhes and hisses in rage at the body of Christ. As His blood falls upon the serpent, it burns into it and hisses like acid on its head.

Note that the earth has opened up in front of the cross, creating with this particular crack a complete gulf and separation of all the figures from Jesus and the serpent. This symbolizes that His sacrifice has forever separated those who believe on and follow Him from the power of Hell and Satan (long symbolized by the form of a serpent), that He Himself paid the debt of sin for mankind once and for all. All figures in the picture are shown at the right hand of Jesus, except two, the serpent and the unrepentant self-righteous Pharisee. In the Bible, in the gospel of Matthew, Jesus speaks of all the peoples of the earth being divided at the time of the final judgment to his right or to his left. Those at His right did the will of his Father, God, and will enter into His kingdom. Those on His left did not do so, and enter eternal torment. The blood of Jesus, according the scripture, is the very thing that paid the price of man's remission from sin. Its power has brought final defeat for Satan, who has sought since man's beginning to separate him from God, and it's very touch burns at him. Finally, separating the serpent from Jesus is a banner bearing the last words of Christ in Latin, "Ilicet," "It is finished," noting that the plan of God to restore man to himself through His Son's sacrifice was complete. This serves to isolate Satan from the heavenly realms once and for all, taking back from him the lordship over mankind and the earth he was given by Adam during the original sin of man. Upon Christ's resurrection from the grave three days later, he would have no absolute right to man anymore and that anyone who, as the book of Romans in the Bible says, believes that Jesus rose from the dead and confesses that He is Lord of all, living their lives as His disciples according to God's will, they will be saved from the fate awarded for their evil deeds and be reunited with their Creator for all eternity. Amen.

Description
This is a drawing on gray paper with black and white prisma pencils from December of 2004. The scene is of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, as recorded in the Bible, of the kind set up symbolically from the Baroque period and Renaissance, portrayed solely by mannequins to display the form of the "characters" featurelessly. The identities of the players in the piece are identified solely by their positions and certain symbolic elements. The perspective and angle is really pushed into the viewer's realm to draw them into the scene from above, and to create an unsettling feel of disharmony.

This is a piece I started to work out prophetically as the Lord directed me in the Spirit. In fact, much of the symbolism wasn't revealed to me from God until I'd more than halfway finished it. Jesus Christ is seen on the cross at the moment of death, having uttered His last words, "It is finished." The Latin for this is "Ilicet," hence the title of the piece. The earth quakes and splits around those gathered at the scene as a torrentuous storm rolls in. The figures in the background react in shock or fear at the earth's spectacle, appearing distorted in the shadow of the storm and the glow of the lightning. Yet despite the darkness of the storm, a symbolic light emanating from heaven, and also effectively from Christ Himself, lights strongly on the body of Jesus and also illuminates those around Him, as if the truth of what has actually occurred, Jesus Christ's true nature, and its depth of meaning has now dawned on all who've drawn close to Him, both believer and unbeliever, Jew and Gentile. At the foot of the cross stand, from right to left, a Roman centurion (recognized by dress and the spear, which was used to pierce Jesus' side to verify he was dead), John the Evangelist (one of the twelve apostles, designated by the eagle feathers in his belt, the eagle being a common symbol to identify him in the Baroque/Renaissance eras), Mary the mother of Jesus (denoted by her veil and posture of grief), Mary Magdalene (typically shown with long hair in Renaissance/Baroque art to define her), and a Pharisee/scribe (a religious leader at the time, identified by his "robes" and the scroll in his hand). The centurion recoils in astonishment, as if to utter the Biblical line he or one like him spoke at this time, "Truly this Man was the Son of God!" John buckles at the quaking earth and the blow to his spirit from viewing the death of his friend and teacher, the one he thought would redeem the Jewish people and restore the nation of Israel, while trying to comfort Mary. Mary, Jesus' mother, has fallen to her knees and reaches out to her son wailing in grief. Mary Magdalene, one of the women who traveled with Jesus and his disciples, out of whom scripture says He cast out seven demons, is also on her knees and buries her head into the shoulder of His mother, weeping. Every figure in the picture reacts to the violence of the crucifixion or the earthquake and storm in some notable way, all except one, the Pharisee, one of the religious rulers who called for Jesus' death, who remains stalwart and unmoved, his arms crossed in indifference and mockery as he chastises the One who dared to compare Himself with God. One last figure is present, the serpent, coiled around the cross' foot, writhes and hisses in rage at the body of Christ. As His blood falls upon the serpent, it burns into it and hisses like acid on its head.

Note that the earth has opened up in front of the cross, creating with this particular crack a complete gulf and separation of all the figures from Jesus and the serpent. This symbolizes that His sacrifice has forever separated those who believe on and follow Him from the power of Hell and Satan (long symbolized by the form of a serpent), that He Himself paid the debt of sin for mankind once and for all. All figures in the picture are shown at the right hand of Jesus, except two, the serpent and the unrepentant self-righteous Pharisee. In the Bible, in the gospel of Matthew, Jesus speaks of all the peoples of the earth being divided at the time of the final judgment to his right or to his left. Those at His right did the will of his Father, God, and will enter into His kingdom. Those on His left did not do so, and enter eternal torment. The blood of Jesus, according the scripture, is the very thing that paid the price of man's remission from sin. Its power has brought final defeat for Satan, who has sought since man's beginning to separate him from God, and it's very touch burns at him. Finally, separating the serpent from Jesus is a banner bearing the last words of Christ in Latin, "Ilicet," "It is finished," noting that the plan of God to restore man to himself through His Son's sacrifice was complete. This serves to isolate Satan from the heavenly realms once and for all, taking back from him the lordship over mankind and the earth he was given by Adam during the original sin of man. Upon Christ's resurrection from the grave three days later, he would have no absolute right to man anymore and that anyone who, as the book of Romans in the Bible says, believes that Jesus rose from the dead and confesses that He is Lord of all, living their lives as His disciples according to God's will, they will be saved from the fate awarded for their evil deeds and be reunited with their Creator for all eternity. Amen.