Many Christian icons carry a deep meaning when every detail of the image and the entire composition as a whole are filled with hidden symbols, references, allusions. They allow you to dive deeper into the depicted face or scene from Holy Scripture, to comprehend their meaning. This is exactly the relic that will be discussed in our article - from here you will find out what this shrine represents, what it protects from and where it is best to place it.

"All-seeing eye": the meaning of the symbol

This image is inspired by a quote from the Bible:“Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon those who fear Him and hope in His mercy…” (Psalm, Psalm of David 32:18), which sings of the vigilant, all-knowing Jesus Christ, reigning over believers, like a source of light. In addition, he demonstrates the structure of the Christian universe: God the Father, standing at the beginning of all things, God the Son, who is the focus of truth, and the Mother of God, the merciful guardian of the human race. Murals with such a plot are found in Old Believer and Orthodox churches from the 18th-19th centuries. (one of the most famous is on the vault of the church of St. Demetrius in Bitola, Macedonia). Later they began to be made in the form of home relics.

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The image of such shrines is extremely multifaceted, therefore, in order to find out everything about the icon, you will have to work hard. In the center is Spas Emmanuel - the young Son of God, who blesses people. Sometimes the Gospel is written in His left hand, where the Church Slavonic script is inscribed “Come to Me, all who need it” (Matt. 11-12) or “My eyes are on the faithful, plant the land with you.” From the circle in which Jesus Christ is depicted, 4 rays of a triangular section diverge diagonally. They can touch the outer halo or cross its limits, ending with the so-called tetramorph (from the Greek "τετρά-μορφος" - "fourfold") - miniature faces of the apostles Matthew, Mark, John and Luke. As a rule, the disciples of the Savior appear in allegorical images of an angel, a lion, a calf and an eagle, indicated by the corresponding captions-titles.

In the next circle, painted in scarlet, eyes, nose and mouth are visible, embodying the constant presence of the Creator in the life of Christians, His care and love for every sinner. It is because of them that it got its name. This part is framed by the inscription: "Manifest the coal of Isaiah, the sun from the Virgin's womb will shine in the darkness of the erring prudent." The Virgin Mary hovers above her in the form of Oranta with her hands upraised in prayer.

After that, there is a green (sometimes dark red) ring dotted with stars. It personifies the Lord's grace, which descended on believers after the great sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the hope of salvation and eternal life. This is also reminiscent of the words from the Gospel of Luke, written on the rim: “My soul magnifies the Lord; and my spirit rejoiced in God, my Savior, as if he looked upon the humility of his Servant.

The outer circle, dark blue or scarlet, is filled with six-winged seraphim. It depicts the abode of the saints and the righteous, who eternally sing of the Creator. The meaning of the symbol in Orthodoxy is emphasized by the words: “Heaven gives the kingdom to Your eyes on loyal lands sue their host of cherubs glorifying God. Heaven gives glory to God."

The angels look with joy and spiritual awe at Sabaoth, depicted in a halo truncated at the bottom. The Lord spread his hands, overshadowing with his intercession all those who admire the relic. Sometimes His face is decorated with clouds and rainbows, and on the chest of the Creator they draw a snow-white dove - the emblem of the Holy Spirit who appeared to the Virgin. This part of the composition is also framed with light ribbons with the text: “Holy, holy, holy, Lord of Hosts, heaven and earth are filled with your glory” and “Glory to God in the Highest, peace on earth.”

A complex drawing is not perceived immediately - it must be considered gradually, covering ever wider circles with a glance. However, the perspective created in this way makes the meaning of the icon even more expressive - Jesus Christ seems to enlighten the whole world, silently promising to be on guard for Christians until the end of time. The Savior, who decides the fate of people and nations, contemplates the actions of each person and judges them fairly.

I wonder what sign All-seeing eye found not only on Christian shrines. In particular, the eye, inscribed in an equilateral triangle (radiant delta), serves as the coat of arms of the Masons. It is interpreted as hidden truth, wisdom and conscience, the root cause of all things and victory over evil, and also personifies the Great Architect of the Universe - the supreme essence that created the world. A similar emblem existed in the ancient Egyptian cults - there it embodied vitality, fertility and royal power.

Icon "The All-Seeing Eye": what helps, where to hang

God is omnipotent - He is able to deliver from illnesses, hardships, temptations and sins, to give joy and peace, to prevent troubles and dangers, to suggest the right decision. However, at the same time, the Creator leaves man free will, the right to independently manage his life. Jesus Christ and the Blessed Virgin invisibly accompany Christians, but in order to receive their support and comfort, it is necessary to turn to them with sincere faith and hope. And the shrine becomes the material conductor of such a prayer, in front of which you pronounce the words of akathists and kontakions. Because of this, special traditions of veneration of relics arose.

• In what situations do they appeal to the image " All-seeing eye»? First of all, it protects from spiritual and physical temptations, allows you to clear your thoughts, find inner balance, peace and virtue. They fall to the icon before the start of an important matter in order to avoid mistakes, troubles and conflicts. And it also helps to strengthen one's faith, cast aside doubts and hesitations, settle enmity between friends, relatives and colleagues, and find one's own path in life.
• You can also buy it so that it overshadows the grace of your loved ones. Thus, this relic protects newborns and their mothers, admonishes older children, warns them against unkind acquaintances and envious people, points out to young men and women who is worthy of becoming their partner, and facilitates the upbringing of a child. In addition, it is believed that the image reveals the hidden talents and abilities of a person, instilling perseverance and self-confidence.

No confirmed evidence has been preserved of whether there were healings at the shrine. However, it so happened that those who have vision problems - myopia or hyperopia, cataracts, myopia, glaucoma, conjunctivitis, and progressive blindness turn to her.

However, do not expect that even the most fervent prayer will immediately bring you what you want. The Lord sends down to people only those tests with which they are able to cope, and only in order to teach a lesson. Therefore, you cannot appeal to God with reproaches and demands - your words must be filled with humility, because a Christian is not able to comprehend the highest providence. In addition, at the time of the daily rule in front of the icon, one should get rid of routine worries as much as possible, without being distracted by extraneous noises, conversations, music and other irritants. In this regard, you need to carefully consider the location of the icons in the house. It is best to place them on a southeast or east wall, protected from drafts and direct sunlight - this way you protect the images from damage and fading.

In ancient times, this place was called red, or front corner. The images in special icon cases and the table standing under them were identified with the church altar (in contrast to the stove on the north side - the embodiment of paganism). There were windows on both sides - they provided good lighting during the day, and at night a lamp was lit in front of the holy faces. They also kept containers with consecrated water, pieces of Easter cake, willow twigs and thunderous (Sretensky) candles. Entering the dwelling, the person first crossed himself and bowed to the relics, and then greeted the owners. And only the most honored guests had the right to sit nearby!

In a modern home, icons are placed on a separate shelf lined with a white cloth or paper napkin. There should not be any other items near them, especially household appliances, secular books, paintings, photographs. Only bouquets of fresh or artificial flowers, as well as embroidered towels, are acceptable, but it is better to observe the measure with such decor. In front of the images, there must be a free space of 1-1.5 m, sufficient for kneeling prayer. In addition, since the house is considered a continuation of the temple, you can place one shrine (usually a nominal one) in the room of each family member, as well as in the kitchen - thanksgiving words are addressed to it before the meal.

In the city of Rybinsk, in the monastery chapel built near the Rybinsko-Bologovskaya railway station railway, there is an ancient miraculous icon called the “Watching Eye”. It was donated by the daughter of the famous preacher, Archpriest Rodion Putyatin, who had a special reverence for this icon due to family traditions. The image is 10 inches wide and one arshin high; it is written on a canvas pasted on a wooden board; his painting belongs to the Italian style. The Blessed Virgin is depicted at half height; She is sitting in front of a table in a room with a dark green curtain tucked up on the left side. Her head is covered with a white veil, from under which her hair is visible. Her most pure face and sad gaze are lowered down and turned to the reclining Divine Infant. Left hand The Mother of God, resting on the table, supports Her head, and the right of the sleeping God-child. The eyes of the Eternal Child are closed, and His head is turned to the right side; the right hand rests on the right hand of the Mother of God, and the left on the bent knee of His left leg; the middle part of the body is covered with white taffeta. At the bottom of the icon is the following inscription: "I sleep, but my heart is vigilant" (Song of Songs, V, 2). This inscription testifies that the name of the icon “Watching Eye” has a symbolic meaning: it indicates that the Savior and His Most Pure Mother are always vigilantly concerned about our salvation.

Another icon with the same name is located in the city of Uglich, Yaroslavl province, in the Epiphany chapel of the Epiphany Monastery, built under the cathedral monastery church. It was donated in 1848 by A. V. Lebedeva, a resident of Uglich, who certified that this icon is very ancient and has long been considered miraculous. The icon is more than a yard high and 3/4 arshin wide and is painted on a board in Italian painting. The Mother of God is depicted sitting in a room with a window on the right side. Her head is turned to the left side and covered to the shoulders with a blue veil, from under which her hair is knocked out. The eyes of the Mother of God are half open and turned to the sleeping Eternal Child. Her outer robe is blue, and her undergarment is scarlet. The sleeping Divine Infant rests on the left knee and left hand of the Mother of God; His head is turned to the left; hands are folded under the chest, and the legs are bent at the knees and lowered down. His whole body is dressed in a shirt white color and laid on an unfolded white shroud, one edge of which is raised right hand Our Lady is level with Her right shoulder. The icon is decorated with a gilded riza and crowns. Other decorations on this icon - three silver images of legs and two silver crosses were donated by persons who were healed after praying in front of this icon. Before this icon, as well as before the first one, the following prayer of the Mother of God is read: “Oh, the Precious Lady, the Lady of the Mother of God! Receive us who bow down to Your image; look with your unsleeping eye on our sinful sores of the soul; implore with your heart your Son, Christ our God, who is watching over us, may he deliver us with faith to Him who run from the heavy sleep of sin and from all the libel of the enemy, may our souls be saved, like a Lover of mankind.

The icon has a symbolic meaning; and the words: “I am sleeping, but my heart is watching,” from the Song of Songs of the Biblical King Solomon (Song of Songs: 5, 2) mean not only the All-Seeing and, therefore, the Vigilant Eye of God, but also indicate the future resurrection of Christ from the dead, when sleep of death could not bind Eternal Life. Although Christ lay in the tomb and was buried, he rose from the dead on the third day. And how God could not die, but descended into hell with his immortal soul, giving light and liberation to the prisoners of death, and according to the Divinity, His eyes never closed in death. Therefore, the iconography is called just like that: "The Unsleeping Eye". In Greek, iconography is otherwise called "Anapeson" or reclining, which also allegorically speaks of the resurrection of Christ; The lion from Judah reclining regally, as if sleeping... If we remember the prophecy of Jacob, which he taught to his sons: "The young lion Judah, from prey, my son, rises. He bowed, lay down, like a lion and like a lioness; who will lift him ... washes his clothes in wine and his clothes in the blood of grapevines (my note - my note). (Gen. 9:10-11). Symbolically, the lion is the king of beasts, which indicates the Royal origin of Christ from the lineage of David, the reclining of the lion is the dream of the death of Christ, washing clothes in wine as in blood is death and suffering and offering Himself as a Sacrifice for the sins of the world, as happened on Golgotha; and also this type also hides the Eucharistic meaning, as always when wine and blood are compared in Holy Scripture. "Who will lift it?" - none of the people, which implies the Divine dignity of Christ. Therefore, the icons "Christ Anapeson" or "The Unsleeping Eye" symbolically or in hidden images refer us to the death and resurrection of Christ, and thereby testify to His Divine love for the Church of the faithful, about the reciprocal love of the Church for Her Bridegroom. “I am sleeping, but my heart (My love for you) is vigilant,” that is, it never stops.

Origin of iconography.

Byzantine icons of the Mother of God, holding the reclining Divine Infant Christ in her arms, were inscribed "Anapeson", namely "reclining", the very name prophetically reflects the death and mourning of Christ, the three-day reclining of His pure flesh in the tomb. Remembering the prayer of the Eucharist: "You are the one who offers and You are the one who is offered", - Spread out in the arms of His Most Holy Mother, who died and rose again, who became the Heavenly Bread that feeds the faithful into eternal life. Therefore, the Mother of God is the mysterious Divine Meal, the Holy Eucharistic Throne, on which the Holy Gifts of the Body and Blood of Christ are brought and consecrated. On top of the maphorium of the Mother of God, a scarlet board is depicted, indicating this analogy or supernatural reality. The scarlet robe or veil of the Eucharistic Throne, where the Sacrament of the Sacraments is performed, is sometimes depicted over the maphorium of the Virgin and is often embroidered with gold or with a golden border with precious stones and pearls.

The Byzantine iconography "Anapeson" knew not only the Mother of God icons, sometimes the Divine Infant Himself was depicted, reclining on a scarlet couch. The scarlet color also means the Resurrection. Such images are often found in temple paintings, these are mosaics and frescoes.

Sometimes, the reclining Christ is praying to the Mother of God, and on the other hand, an Angel with a ripida or fan, reverently guarding the dream of Christ, enveloping and thus consoling Divine sorrow.
The inscription, "... falling asleep like a lion," refers us to the prophecy of Patriarch Jacob.

More complex compositions are also presented. The Blessed Virgin Mother of God embraces the reclining on the couch and comforts. On the left are angels with a ripida and instruments of passion, and on the right, Patriarch Jacob with an unrolled scroll of his prophecy.

Byzantine miniature preserved on Mount Athos. The Divine Infant Christ is depicted as a youth and as the Bridegroom of the Church in bright robes; Christ and Mary the Mother of God are both reclining on green grass dotted with flowers, which symbolically points to Paradise. Christ is full of sorrow, He turns His gaze to the Mother Who embraces Him.

Already on ancient Russian icons, the theme of Paradise dominates, and the Tree of Life, scarlet birds of paradise and a scroll of heaven at the top of the icon with stars are depicted. Everything speaks of the Garden of Eden in the bright Heavenly Dwelling of God.
Pskov icon of the 16th century

A dialogue takes place between Christ and the Mother of God, which is recorded on the scrolls unfolded in Their hands. Angels surround the Divine bed with a candle and instruments of passions or with a ripida and a Cross. Most likely one of them is the Archangel Michael, the leader of the heavenly host, this is also indicated by his larger size compared to the other angel.
Moscow. middle of the 16th century

All ancient Russian icons are written on white, symbolically WHITE COLOR has the same meaning as the primordial light, it is also the Light of Life, and the Divine uncreated radiance, and the Heavenly Dwelling, and the Paradise of spiritual sweetness, the coming Glory of the Future Age, Easter, Resurrection and immortality.
With sadness, love and hope, the Mother of God prays to Christ. Consoling His Mother, the Son of God answers Her request with the words of Solomon: "I sleep, but My heart is vigilant." (Song of Songs: 5, 2) These words can be translated as follows: although I must die as a man in order to redeem and save the sinful race of Adam, but as God I am always alive, therefore - "I will rise and exalt with glory, like God, by faith and the love of Thee Magnifying". Magnifying You, My Mother, as the Mother of God.
Therefore, it is known that in ancient Russian icon painting since the 16th century this iconography has been called the "Nesleep Eye".

The iconography of the Vigilant Eye also serves as a visible image of the service of Great Friday, when the canon of St. Simeon Metaphrastus is read in the Church, in which the Lament of the Virgin is described.

Virgin images related to the iconography of Anapeson.

Series of messages "

The heavenly world, full of various religious heroes, can be seen depicted on ancient religious shrines. Their artistic images, clearly presented on sacred canvases, can have different semantic meanings. One of these is the All-Seeing Eye icon.

History of the icon

According to some literary information, the alleged place of appearance God's icon"All-seeing eye" is considered to be the Vladimir region. It was there that local icon painters created such a wonderful masterpiece, the artistic elements of which cause a special delight among connoisseurs of art and Orthodox believers.

What do the symbols on the icon mean?

Those who have seen the icon of the watchful eye more than once remember perfectly well its main distinctive features, clearly presented on this sacred canvas. The key details of the All-Seeing Eye icon fill the image with deep meaning, allowing people to form an important idea about the existence of the earthly world, which is under the influence of the almighty Jesus Christ.

The central figure of the icon is the image of Christ the Savior. Located in the circle of this icon-painting composition, it radiates a bright, blessed light from itself, penetrating the souls of people praying for help.

The multiple eyes, which are represented in the inner part of the next, larger circle, are an expression of the relationship that can be traced between spiritual and earthly reality. Their quantitative diversity represents ordinary people who, despite their individual and seemingly independent existence, are completely under the influence of Jesus Christ.

The last and, perhaps, the most significant circle is assigned to the Lord God. It is depicted at the top of this circle.

Being on an elevation, he appears as the main leader of the entire Kingdom of Heaven, which consists of various heroes of the Bible. From there, God blesses all living and peaceful inhabitants.

Thus, the icon of the All-Seeing Eye of God allows us to emphasize the following important thoughts:

• Jesus Christ watches and watches over all living people, some of whom he separately tries to help, radiating his beneficial light on them.
• The Mother of God is the guardian and protector of people.
• The Lord God, the main peacemaker and creator of all life on earth. At the same time, everyone is subject to his authority.

What helps the icon "All-Seeing Eye"

It should be noted that the icon Mother of God The "all-seeing eye" can be found far from everywhere. However, this image, like the rest of the holy images, is fraught with great miraculous power.

The meaning of the "All-seeing eye" on the icons is extremely high.

It performs an important protective function, helping people to remove the negative public from themselves, to reveal unique Creative skills, protect yourself from loss of vision and total blindness.

Any home places can act as a separate place for the icon. The most important thing is that this shrine is clearly visible to all family members living in the house, and that it is convenient to say the words of prayer near this place.

Separately, I would like to add that if for some time you completely focus your eyes on the icon of the all-seeing eye, then you can pay attention to the subsequent rotation of the three circular spheres, which, merging together, will create the impression of rotation.

Prayer before the shrine

Prayer can be carried out both during the Orthodox Church service together with other people, and independently. Her words are as follows:

Our Father who art in heaven!

May your name be hallowed;

Let your kingdom come;

may Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven;

Give us our daily bread for this day;

And forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors;

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

The All-Seeing Eye is an icon whose meaning is closely connected with the cultural history of Russia. Its plot is young enough for Russian Orthodox iconography. Occasionally borrowed from the Western icon-painting tradition at the end of the 17th century, it became more common only at the end of the 18th century under the influence of the fashion for Freemasonry.

It became an independent image only by the beginning of the nineteenth century - but it was never recognized as canonical: priests do not recommend making it the center of their spiritual life.

Perhaps because it is too ancient, the pagan layer of consciousness, the image is able to affect in an unprepared person. What various mass media unmistakably caught: it is this image that can be seen more often than others in the hands or on booklets of occultists, "psychics", "magicians" and "sorcerers".

What does the icon "All-seeing eye of God" mean in the Orthodox Church

Meanwhile, the image translates into the visual plane two fundamental ideas about God at once:

1. Meaning for a person: The Lord is likened to a daylight as a source of all light on earth in all its symbolic meanings - vision, warmth, life, love, knowledge, spiritual insight, knowledge.
2. The perception of the world of people by God: the way of divine knowledge is all-pervasive vision. Interestingly, it is visual perception that forms the etymological basis of any human language, and hence our thinking in general. So vision is vitality, the life of the spirit in general.

The center of the icon is formed by a drawing of the image of Jesus inscribed in the sphere, surrounded by the words "Set my eyes on the faithful lands and with you." It emits radiance and four large rays, elongated triangles, crossing the second and third circles generated by the center.

The next field is a kind of hyperbole of vision: four eyes on the divine face with the praying Mother of God crowning the sphere form the figure of an isosceles triangle. On the border they write the words of joy of a righteous soul, aspiring to God, from the first line of the famous Most Honest.

The speech of the next environment gives a biblical metaphor of the sacred light that transforms the earthly and saves from the darkness of death and sin: "The coal of Isaiah manifest the sun from the Virgin's womb, ascending in the darkness, giving enlightenment to the erring prudence." Here, the light rays emanating from the Savior end with the visual incarnations of the gospel authors or their traditional symbols. This is God's emissary Matthew, the flying eagle in the sky Mark, the meek calf Luke and the spirit of the lion John.

The fourth sphere, which encloses all the previous ones (and is born first!) Recreates the firmament strewn with stars, marked by the presence of three seraphim. Four of them can be depicted (two at the bottom - with manuscripts). Burning with love for the Creator, they glorify: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts, fill heaven and earth with Your glory."

The composition is crowned by an environment without a lower segment - “The Sky of Heavens”, where three six-winged angels bless Sabaoth. The Holy Spirit emitted by him descends like a dove on the head of the Mother of God, who raised her palms in prayer. The Creator is enclosed in a radiant halo, inscribed with the words of a prayer for the sending down of divine radiance.

Surrounded by clouds, with the holy spirit on his chest in the form of a meek dove, the Lord sits on a rainbow symbolizing hope for people and its foot is a fiery angel with majestically spread wings.

The sacred pictorial plot is as if filled with radiance. At the same time, it is one of the most difficult isographic compositions: the unprepared have to “read” it. That is, the rational principle should speak too strongly, drowning out the immediacy of religious perception.

But the geometric organization of the artistic space is immediately evident: a sphere enclosed in a triangle formed by circles-points with images of the evangelists and Sabaoth. A geometric figures these are broadly universal: sacred meaning from a wide variety of spiritual practices is too easily placed in them. For example, the Egyptian eye of Ra, or the third eye of the supreme Hindu deity Shiva, is quite familiar to a modern educated person.

How does prayer help in front of the icon "The All-Seeing Eye of God"

Traditional prayers and doxology are not assigned to this plot of Christian painting. It is the inner aspiration of the one who prays that comes first: the appeal must, first of all, be sincere, coming from the heart.

In grief or joy, with a request or gratitude, the face allows you to speak with the Creator as if He is looking directly at you at that moment.

Conclusion

Even if non-canonical, the face does not disagree with the words of the Gospel, which ascribes sight and omniscience to the Lord. So why superstitiously be afraid and notice primarily Masonic influence? Wouldn't it be better to pay tribute to another attempt of human consciousness to approach the incomprehensible perfection of the Creator?