The Old Testament
At the top of the left section is an eye in a swirl of stars symbolizing God's work of creation. Beneath it is a portrayal of Adam and Eve who represented the climax of all God has made. At the bottom is the serpent through which they are tempted with the flaming sword depicting their expulsion from the garden on Eden.
In the middle section is Abraham who is called as the man through whom God's purpose of redemption is to be realized. His name of Abram is changed to Abraham meaning "the father of a multitude". Across Abraham is a sash with a cross, a star of David and a crescent and sword representing the idea that the three religions -Christianity, Judaism, and Islam - trace their spiritual ancestry to Abraham. Below the stars, used to depict the numerous ancestry of Abraham, is a representation of his willingness to sacrifice his son Isaac with the ram in the thicket that is offered instead.
To the right is the call of Isiah in the temple whose mouth is purged with
a live coal so that he might prophesy. Below the figure is a symbol of the
man treading out the winepress as an indication of the suffering Messiah.
The tree stump with a shoot to the side represents his prophesy of the Messiah
- "And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch
shall grow out of his roots."
