The terms are heard often: anointed, anointing, anoint. What does it mean to be anointed? Listen to how many today constantly talk about how anointed they are or someone else is. It's as though they are special or elite.

And let's not speak on those who want someone else's anointing. Is there even any such thing as being able to put ‘your anointing' on someone else? Let's find out!

 

Anointing: First Mention

oil for the light, spices for the oil of anointing, and for the incense of perfumes; Exodus 25:6

The first mention of anointing in any of its iterations speaks of oil used to consecrate or set apart for the priesthood. So this anointing is by divine selection or election. And you know they are different by the odor of the spices used for the oil.

But oil was not being used for oil's sake. Oil is representative of something else in scripture.

 

Anointing: More Than Oil

And it shall be in that day, his burden shall turn away from on your shoulder, and his yoke from your neck; and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing. Isaiah 10:27

When we see the word anointing again, it speaks of the blessing of God toward Israel through Christ, the Anointed One. Then in the New Testament, we find oil again being used to anoint during prayer in James 5:14. But then we find a different anointing in 1 John 2:27

But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

What could this anointing be?

 

Anointing: Who, not What

I mentioned earlier oil used to anoint is symbolic. Oil itself has no spiritual properties. So what or rather WHO does it represent?

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. Acts 10:38

The anointing is in fact the Holy Spirit! Here are a couple of verses that shows when this took place.

Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased. Luke 3:21-22

And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. John 1:33

This is God the Father anointing Jesus. And the power spoken of in Acts is not something separate. The power is of the Holy Ghost!

 

Anointing: Examples by the Spirit

Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut; Isaiah 45:1

According to Isaiah, the Spirit of God came on Cyrus, King of Persia, to build God a house in Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 36:23) and to fulfill Daniel's prophecy by defeating Babylon. God ordained Cyrus to fulfill His purpose. This is what it meant for Cyrus to be anointed.

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; Isaiah 61:1

Isaiah foretells the words of Jesus about his work on earth. God the Father anointed Jesus with the Holy Ghost at his baptism. And again:

Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. Daniel 9:24

The most Holy in Daniel's prophecy is again, Jesus. So hopefully I have established what it is to be anointed. So how does it relate to us today?

 

Anointing: God's People

Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; 2 Corinthians 1:21

Paul gives us the answer during his discourse to the gathering in Corinth. With Christ as our example, we are anointed by God with the Holy Ghost! What does this mean?

Everyone who has the Holy Ghost has the anointing and is anointed. There is no special anointing anyone has other than this. Seeking for, or attempting to call down any other type of anointing is vain.

Everything we need to perform the work of God is given to us by the Holy Spirit. Jesus is proof of this. In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit descended on and ascended off men.

We see both happen to Jesus, as He is the gateway and link between the two Testaments. In the New Testament, the Holy Spirit not only descends on, but dwells within.

 

Anointing: Dispelling Myths

Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm. Psalms 105:15

I hope this is easy to understand at this point. The anointed and the prophets were the Children of Israel. This verse applied to all of God's people, not just those who call themselves ‘anointed'. We now understand all are. Even if this verse, which applied to them, applied to us today, it would still be the same. All of God's people are anointed, not just leaders. So we should always love and never seek to harm one another.

 


 

And the LORD came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the spirit that was upon him, and gave it unto the seventy elders: and it came to pass, that, when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease. Numbers 11:25

The anointing cannot be transferred! Nor can you have someone anointing. God took His, not Moses' spirit and put it on the elders. The verse below is proof…

And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the LORD'S people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his spirit upon them! Numbers 11:29

You see? Moses himself told Joshua it is the Lord's Spirit!

He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan; And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the LORD God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over. 2 Kings 2:13-14

Elijah never ‘transferred' his anointing to Elisha. The anointing was not Elijah's to transfer. The mantle (cloak or coat) was a point of contact, giving Elisha the faith to believe God granted his request, not Elijah! If anything is transferred from one person to another, it is NOT of God because we all have the anointing and He, the Holy Ghost, gives us power according to the will of God.

 


 

Another time, I heard a Pastor say, “Distractions can destroy the anointing…” Dear readers, nothing can destroy the anointing, because we understand the anointing is of the Holy Ghost. Such phrases are spoken to manipulate and control others. Other phrases like, “I can feel the anointing…“, or “The anointing is heavy in this place!“, “The anointing is here…!“, are all due to a lack of understanding.

 


 

As the Holy Spirit is in every Christian, the anointing is present wherever we are! And He does not need to be ‘felt' to be present. The evidence of the Holy Spirit is a regenerated and transformed life, which causes on to obey and walk according to God's Word! Demonstrations are not the evidence! That can cause grave deception!

For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works. 2 Corinthians 11:13-15

So don't concern yourself with those who boast about or talk about others who are ‘so anointed'. Because if you are God's child, so are you.