The way I was told by Coptic Orthodox, the imagery that surrounds the sanctuary tells a story and each image is a reminder of the Hall of Witnesses (Hebrews 11) that we're surrounded by - from Noah to Moses to David and so many others.
During one Oriential Orthodox service, after all of the prayers/liturgy were done, the priest came and shared his m---specifically, on Titus 3 and other scriptures discussing how Christians are to be peaceable/bless everyone since we're "children of the light." And one of the most powerful things he did was talk about how we live our lives today is to be in light of eternity since we're just passing through---and then he pointed to an Icon of Christ on top of the entrance to the sanctuary. It was a portait of the Lord in His resurrected state and returning in glory. When the priest was speaking, he noted how everyone was to look at the icon and remember that they were to leave the church and enter the world outside in the rememberance of their belonging to Christ---and that He would carry them through. The visual dynamic helped me to connect things.
After the sermon was done, we had some very excellent time of fellowship with the people. I was very glad I was able to talk with the priest and have some wonderful discussion with him and find out more on some of the questions I had. Some things I learned from him was how iconagraphy was something done because Egyptians at one point didn't have the written Word/Scriptures---and thus, pictures were needed to illustrate what the Bible said. It was cool to see since the ways I'd often seen iconagraphy was in the sense of reminders of what scripture notes and as an expression of worship---but I never saw it as something done for practical purposes of helping others learn when there no other outlets.
And of course, the spiritual dynamic is ever-present as well. To use a very contemporary parallel to this, praying before an icon is akin to using the other icons in our culture..those on a computer desktop. To use those icons, you click it and the program opens. The little icon is not the program, but rather it is the link that is the access to that computer program--and likewise, the icon is a simple link. By prayerfully viewing one, it is the goal that one becomes involved in what is depicted....
Iconographer
David Mastroberte is a great individual to review, as he explains the theology of icons in
this lecture (i..e "The Theology of Icons" ) given February 8, 2010 at Christ the Savior Orthodox Church in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The lecture is in mp3format and lasts about 50 minutes.