Definition and Context:
Eyesalve is a term found in the Bible, specifically in the book of Revelation, and it refers to a substance used for healing or improving vision. In a metaphorical sense, it represents spiritual insight and discernment. The term is mentioned in the context of a message to the church in Laodicea, one of the seven churches addressed in the book of Revelation.

Biblical Reference:
The primary biblical reference to eyesalve is found in Revelation 3:18. In this passage, Jesus addresses the church in Laodicea, which is known for its wealth and self-sufficiency but is spiritually lukewarm. The verse reads: "I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, white garments so that you may be clothed and your shameful nakedness not exposed, and salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see" (Revelation 3:18).

Historical and Cultural Background:
Laodicea was a wealthy city in the Roman province of Asia, known for its banking industry, textile production, and a famous medical school. The city was particularly renowned for a special eye ointment, which was believed to have healing properties. This historical context adds depth to the metaphor used in Revelation, as the Laodiceans would have been familiar with the concept of eyesalve as a remedy for physical blindness.

Theological Significance:
In the biblical context, eyesalve symbolizes the need for spiritual enlightenment and the ability to perceive truth. The Laodiceans are admonished to seek spiritual vision from Christ, who offers true insight and understanding. The call to "anoint your eyes so that you may see" underscores the importance of recognizing one's spiritual condition and the need for divine intervention to gain clarity and wisdom.

Application for Believers:
The message to the Laodicean church serves as a warning and an invitation for believers to examine their own spiritual state. It encourages Christians to seek spiritual discernment and to rely on Christ for true vision. The metaphor of eyesalve challenges believers to move beyond complacency and self-reliance, urging them to pursue a deeper relationship with God and to seek His guidance in all aspects of life.

Related Concepts:
· Spiritual Blindness: The Bible often uses the concept of blindness to describe a lack of spiritual understanding or awareness. In contrast, spiritual sight is associated with knowledge of God and His will.
· Discernment: The ability to distinguish between truth and falsehood, right and wrong, is a key aspect of spiritual maturity. Eyesalve, in a metaphorical sense, represents the divine aid needed to develop such discernment.
· Repentance and Renewal: The call to apply eyesalve is part of a broader invitation to repentance and spiritual renewal. It emphasizes the need for believers to turn away from self-sufficiency and toward dependence on Christ for spiritual growth and insight.(n.) Ointment for the eye.EYESALVE

i'-sav (kollourion; collyrium; Revelation 3:18):

A Phrygian powder mentioned by Galen, for which the medical school of Laodicea seems to have been famous (see Ramsay, The Letters to the Seven Churches of Asia), but the figurative reference is to the restoring of spiritual vision.

2854. kollourion -- eye salve.
... of kollura (a cake; prob akin to the base of kollao); properly, a poultice (as made
of or in the form of crackers), ie (by analogy) a plaster -- eyesalve. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2854.htm - 6k

What Manner of Man Ought not to Come to Rule.
... To him it is well said through the angel, Anoint thine eyes with eyesalve
that thou mayest see (Revelation 3:18). For we may be ...
/.../leo/writings of leo the great/chapter xi what manner of.htm

An Earnest Warning About Lukewarmness
... be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and [that] the shame of
thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou ...
/.../spurgeons sermons volume 20 1874/an earnest warning about lukewarmness.htm

Preaching at Nazareth
... thou mayest be rich ... and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve that thou mayest
see.'. ***. A SABBATH IN CAPERNAUM. 'And in the synagogue ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture e/preaching at nazareth.htm

The Good Man's Life and Death
... the unseen. Anoint your eyes with eyesalve, and make them so bright that
they can pierce the ether and see the unknown worlds. Come ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 3 1857/the good mans life and.htm

Appendix xvii. The Ordinances and Law of the Sabbath as Laid Down ...
... milk, a mouthful; of honey, sufficient to lay on a wound; of oil, sufficient to
anoint the smallest member; of water, sufficient to wet eyesalve; and of all ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/appendix xvii the ordinances and.htm

Washed to Greater Foulness
... be rich; and white raiment that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy
nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 32 1886/washed to greater foulness.htm

Eyesalve (1 Occurrence)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (n.) Ointment for the eye. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia.
EYESALVE. ... Multi-Version Concordance Eyesalve (1 Occurrence). ...
/e/eyesalve.htm - 7k

Eye's (1 Occurrence)

/e/eye's.htm - 6k

Eye-salve (1 Occurrence)
Eye-salve. Eyesalve, Eye-salve. Eyeservice . Multi-Version Concordance ... (WEY
DBY WBS YLT). Eyesalve, Eye-salve. Eyeservice . Reference Bible.
/e/eye-salve.htm - 6k

Blindness (7 Occurrences)
... be restored. The only other reference to medicaments is the figurative
mention of eyesalve in Revelation 3:18. Blindness unfitted ...
/b/blindness.htm - 19k

Raiment (75 Occurrences)
... be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy
nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou ...
/r/raiment.htm - 31k

Clothed (153 Occurrences)
... be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy
nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou ...
/c/clothed.htm - 37k

Tried (96 Occurrences)
... be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy
nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou ...
/t/tried.htm - 33k

Appear (111 Occurrences)
... be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy
nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou ...
/a/appear.htm - 39k

Thyself (352 Occurrences)
... mayest become rich; and white garments, that thou mayest clothe thyself, and 'that'
the shame of thy nakedness be not made manifest; and eyesalve to anoint ...
/t/thyself.htm - 36k

Manifest (74 Occurrences)
... mayest become rich; and white garments, that thou mayest clothe thyself, and 'that'
the shame of thy nakedness be not made manifest; and eyesalve to anoint ...
/m/manifest.htm - 33k

Eyesalve: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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