Topical Bible: Anointing was Applied to The Eyes

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Topical Encyclopedia

In biblical times, anointing was a significant act often associated with consecration, healing, and the impartation of divine favor or blessing. The application of anointing to the eyes is a specific practice that appears in the context of healing and spiritual enlightenment.

Biblical Instances:

1. Healing of the Blind Man (John 9:6-7): One of the most notable instances of anointing applied to the eyes is found in the Gospel of John. Jesus encounters a man who was blind from birth. In this account, Jesus uses a unique method to heal the man: "When He had said this, He spat on the ground, made some mud, and applied it to the man’s eyes. Then He told him, 'Go, wash in the Pool of Siloam' (which means Sent). So the man went and washed, and came back seeing" (John 9:6-7). This act of anointing with mud, followed by washing, signifies not only physical healing but also spiritual insight and revelation.

2. Symbolism of Anointing in Revelation (Revelation 3:18): In the message to the church in Laodicea, Jesus advises the spiritually blind to seek anointing for their eyes: "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). Here, the anointing of the eyes is metaphorical, representing the need for spiritual discernment and clarity.

Theological Significance:

The act of anointing the eyes in Scripture carries profound theological implications. It underscores the belief that true sight—both physical and spiritual—is a gift from God. The physical healing of the blind man in John 9 serves as a powerful testament to Jesus' divine authority and compassion. It also illustrates the transformative power of faith and obedience, as the blind man follows Jesus' instructions and receives his sight.

In Revelation, the call to anoint one's eyes with salve is a metaphorical exhortation to the church to seek spiritual insight and repentance. It highlights the necessity of divine intervention for true understanding and the ability to perceive spiritual truths.

Cultural and Historical Context:

In ancient Near Eastern cultures, anointing was a common practice for various purposes, including medicinal, religious, and ceremonial uses. Oils and salves were often used for healing and protection, and the act of anointing was seen as a means of invoking divine favor or blessing.

The use of mud in the healing of the blind man may also reflect contemporary medicinal practices, where natural substances were employed for their perceived healing properties. However, in the biblical narrative, the emphasis is on the miraculous power of Jesus rather than the physical properties of the mud.

Conclusion:

The application of anointing to the eyes in the Bible serves as a powerful symbol of healing, both physically and spiritually. It reflects the broader biblical theme of light and sight as metaphors for understanding and revelation, emphasizing the necessity of divine intervention for true insight.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Revelation 3:18
I counsel you to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that you may be rich; and white raiment, that you may be clothed, and that the shame of your nakedness do not appear; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The King after Man's Heart
... The two are perfectly consistent, and, indeed, the private anointing is presupposed ...
places of business, of certain circular gold discs applied to the eyes. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture f/the king after mans heart.htm

Whether those who are Deformed in those Parts Should be Anointed?
... Yet in the anointing of the eyes mention is made of sins by sight. Therefore this
anointing ought not to be applied to one born blind, and in like manner as ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether those who are deformed.htm

Appendix ix. List of Old Testament Passages Messianically Applied ...
... the King Messiah, on whose account the anointing oil was ... not judge after the sight
of His eyes, but reprove ... rod of his mouth,' is Messianically applied in the ...
/.../edersheim/the life and times of jesus the messiah/appendix ix list of old.htm

Whether the Parts to be Anointed are Suitably Assigned?
... since the remedy for sin should be applied where sin ... the eyes, to wit, on account
of the sight, the ... the first principle of human activity, the anointing of the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether the parts to be.htm

Of Miracles which were Wrought that the World Might Believe in ...
... I know that a young woman of Hippo was immediately dispossessed of a devil, on
anointing herself with ... She took them, applied them to her eyes, and forthwith ...
/.../augustine/city of god/chapter 8 of miracles which were.htm

Concerning Faith of Things Not Seen
... we judge that we see, with certain eyes of it ... how much more is faith to be applied
to divine ... the oil of gladness above Thy fellows." This anointing is spiritual ...
//christianbookshelf.org/augustine/concerning faith of things not seen /

Ceremonies of Baptism and Chrism.
... And this ointment is symbolically applied to thy forehead ... the chief ceremony was
the anointing of the ... the holy ointment on the forehead, eyes, nostrils, mouth ...
/.../cyril/lectures of s cyril of jerusalem/chapter iv ceremonies of baptism and.htm

The Debt of Iren??us to Justin Martyr
... in Genesis tell of the gladness of the eyes produced by ... For he to whom a name is
applied must have ... The anointing which made Him the Christ is something which ...
/.../the demonstration of the apostolic preaching/ii the debt of irenaeus.htm

Some Helpful Thoughts on Consecration
... The blood of this animal was applied to the body of ... afterwards it was sprinkled with
the anointing oil upon ... These eyes shall see, this tongue shall speak, this ...
/.../byers/sanctification/chapter xi some helpful thoughts.htm

Not that Light, but a Witness.
... Did all eyes turn towards the Christ ... The term baptism, as applied to the Holy Spirit,
had better be ... of those experiences of the indwelling and anointing of the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/meyer/john the baptist/viii not that light but.htm