An Orthodox believer does not consider these images of Jesus and the saints the works of men but as manifestations of the heavenly ideal. They are a kind of window between the earthly and the celestial worlds. Through the icons the heavenly beings manifest themselves to the worshiping congregation and unite with it. Thus, it is impossible to understand Orthodox worship apart from the icons. In Orthodoxy the idea of image is the key to understanding the ways of God with man. Man is created “in the image of God”; he carries the icon of God within himself.
