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In the Bible, anointing with oil is carried out in religious ceremonies and utilized for grooming purposes (Ruth 3:3;Matthew 6:17), refreshment “My head with oil you did not anoint, but this woman has anointed my feet with ointment.”, (Luke 7:46), medicinal treatments “and went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.”, (Luke 10:34), and burial traditions “And when the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, so that they might go and anoint him.”, (Mark 16:1).
Ceremonial anointing in the Old Testament was a physical act involving the smearing, rubbing, or pouring of sacred oil on someone’s head (or on an object) as an outward symbol that God had chosen and set apart the person (or object) for a specific holy purpose.
The Hebrew term “mashach” meant “to anoint or smear with oil.” The oil used for religious anointing was meticulously blended with fine spices according to a specific formula prescribed by the Lord (Exodus 30:22-32). Using this oil for any other purpose was a serious offense carrying the penalty of being “cut off” from the community “Whoever makes any like it, or whoever puts any of it on a stranger, shallEven be cut off from his people.” , (Exodus 30:33).
Kings, priests, and prophets were anointed outwardly with oil to symbolize a deeper spiritual reality—that God’s presence was with them and His favor was upon them (Psalm 20:6; Psalm 28:8). While David was still a young shepherd, God told Samuel to anoint him to become king over Israel “And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show thee what thou shalt do: and thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I name unto thee.” , (1 Samuel 16:3). From that day forward, the Spirit of the Lord rested powerfully upon David’s life (1 Samuel 16:13; Psalm 89:20).
Centuries before David’s time, the Lord had instructed Moses to consecrate Aaron and his sons to serve as priests (Exodus 28:41; Exodus 30:30; Leviticus 8:30; Leviticus 10:7). God authenticated their priestly ministry with the fiery glory of His presence that consumed their offerings. Holy items, including the tabernacle itself, were also set apart or consecrated by anointing for use in worship and sacrificial ceremonies (Genesis 28:18; Exodus 30:26-29; 40:9-11).
The Bible contains a direct reference to a prophet’s anointing when the Lord commanded Elijah to anoint Elisha as the prophet to succeed him “And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room.” , <a href="https://www.bibliatodo.com/In (1 Kings 19:16), there are metaphorical references to anointing, indicating that prophets were empowered and protected by the Spirit of the Lord to fulfill their calling (1 Chronicles 16:22; Psalm 105:15).
Anointing the head with oil was also an ancient custom of hospitality shown to honored guests. In Psalm 23:5, King David envisions himself as an esteemed guest at the Lord’s table. This tradition of anointing a dinner guest with oil is also mentioned in the Gospels (Luke 7:46; Mark 14:3-9; John 12:3).
In the New Testament, Jesus Christ reveals Himself as our anointed King, Priest, and Prophet. He is God’s Holy and chosen Son, the Messiah. In fact, Messiah, which means “anointed one,” is derived from the Hebrew word for “anointed.” Christ (Gr. Christos) means “the anointed one.”
At the beginning of His ministry, Jesus declared, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor, to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free” (Luke 4:18; cf: Isaiah 61:1). Jesus Christ fulfilled Old Testament prophecy as the Anointed One, the chosen Messiah, «And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.», (Luke 4:21). He demonstrated His anointing through the miracles He performed and the life He sacrificed as the Savior of the world, «how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.», <a href="https://www.bibliatodo.com/en/bible/king
There is also a sense in which Christians today are anointed. Through Jesus Christ, believers receive “an anointing from the Holy One” «But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. », (1 John 2:20). This anointing is not expressed in an outward ceremony but through sharing in the gift of the Holy Spirit «But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. », (Romans 8:11). At the moment of salvation, believers are indwelt by the Holy Spirit and joined to Christ, the Anointed One. As a result, we partake of His anointing (2 Corinthians 1:21-22). According to one scholar, this anointing “expresses the sanctifying influences of the Holy Spirit upon Christians who are priests and kings unto God” (Smith, W., “Anointing,” Smith’s Bible Dictionary, revised ed., Thomas Nelson, 2004).
The New Testament also associates anointing oil with healing and prayer. When Jesus sent out the disciples to preach the gospel, “they cast out many demons and healed many sick people, anointing them with olive oil” «And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them. », (Mark 6:13, NLT). James instructs believers to “call the elders of the church to pray over them” when they are sick “and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord” for healing «Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: », <a href="https://www.bibliatodo.com/en/bible/kin
Those in Charismatic religious circles speak of “the anointing” as something Christians can and should be seeking. It is common for them to talk about “anointed” preachers, sermons, ministries, songs, etc., and to encourage others to “unlock their anointing” or “walk in the anointing.” The concept is that the anointing is a manifestation of God’s power to accomplish a task through the anointed one. Charismatics assert there are collective anointings as well as various types of individual anointings: the five-fold anointing; the apostolic anointing; and, for women, the Ruth anointing, the Deborah anointing, the Anna anointing, etc. Some even mention a “Davidic anointing” on musical instruments—“anointed” instruments are played by God Himself to drive away demons and elevate worship to a higher level than ever before. Special anointings are believed to enable a person to utilize their spiritual gift to a “higher degree.” Charismatics state that special anointings are obtained by “releasing one’s faith.”
Much of the Charismatic teaching on the anointing surpasses what Scripture states. In their thirst for signs and wonders, many Charismatics pursue new and increasingly stimulating experiences, necessitating more outpourings, more spiritual baptisms, and more anointings. However, the Bible points to one anointing of the Spirit, just as it points to one baptism: “As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you” (1 John 2:27;see also 2 Timothy 1:14). This same passage also rebuts another misconception, namely, that Satan can somehow “steal” a believer’s anointing. We don’t need to fret about losing the anointing we received because Scripture affirms it remains.
Another erroneous teaching concerning the anointing of the Spirit is the “Mimshach anointing.” Mimshach is a Hebrew term linked to mashach (“anoint”) and only found in Ezekiel 28:14, where the anointing issaid to “cover” (NKJV) or “cover and protect” (AMP). According to some interpretations, the Mimshach anointing (which was bestowed on Lucifer before his fall) is believed to be accessible to believers today. Receiving this anointing is said to result in everything one touches experiencing growth or expansion, and the anointed individual will encounter higher levels of success, material wealth, health, and authority.
Instead of pursuing a new anointing, believers are encouraged to recognize that they already possess the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is not given partially, He is not distributed in portions or doses, and He cannot be taken away. We are assured that “his divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness” «according as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: », (2 Peter 1:3).
