What's The Fuss About 'The Anointing?'

"Oh, they are SO anointed!"

"Did you sense the anointing in that place?"

'The anointing on their life is SO strong!"

Anybody who has gone to church for any length of time has heard a lot of things about 'the anointing' and 'the anointed.'

If you are a newcomer, or a new convert/member in your church, you may have a lot of questions about 'the anointing.

If you have been listening to your pastor, prophet, apostle, bishop or any one of your favorite preachers, the anointing, more or less, is made out to be this supernatural force that represents the Holy Ghost.  Or, at the very least, is presented as if its 'sensed' to be in a person, group or place, or even music or writings, then they are said that those works, people or things are 'anointed.

Before I get into my beliefs, let's see what the Word of GOD says about 'the anointing' and 'the anointed:'

The anointed served several purposes in the Old Testament:


1)  Things, places and priests were anointed/consecrated for God's service -
      Exodus 29: 2, Lev. 2:4,  Lev. 4:16,    Lev. 6:20, Exod. 29:29, Numbers 7:10

2)  To hold office as kings, governors, princes -
      2 Chron. 23:11, 1 Chron. 14:8, 1 kings 1:39, 1 Sam 1:10, 1 Sam 2:10, Isaiah 45:1

3)  God's people were anointed -
     Lev. 7:36, 1 Sam 2:10, 1 Chron. 16:22, 2 Chron. 28:15, Psalms 28:8, Psalms 105:15, Lam 4:20,  Hab.  
     3:13

4)  God anointed folks to administer judgment -
     2 Chron. 22:7, 2 Sam 19:10, Ezekiel 28:14, Zechariah 4:14

In the New Testament, the anointed only were used:

1)  To administer healing -
     John 9:6, Mark 6:13, John 9:11,

2)  To moisturize -
     2 Sam 12:20, Luke 7:46

3)  Jesus was anointed by God -
     Isaiah 61:1, Luke 4:18, Acts 4:27, John 11:2, Acts 10:38

4)  As a form of worship -
      Luke 7:38, Luke 7:46, John 11:2, John 12:3

5)  We are anointed -
      2 Corin. 1:21, Heb 1:9

The ANOINTING is mostly mentioned in the Old Testament as ANOINTING OIL.

The only place I see a different use of THE ANOINTING is in probably the most MISUSED, MISAPPLIED scripture regarding the anointing ever used.....

Isaiah 10:27:

"And it shall come to pass in that day that his burden should be taken from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from  off his neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing."

MANY Charismatics teach this scripture TOTALLY out of context...they wrench this scripture apart from the rest of chapter 10 and twist it, interpret it to mean what they want.

If you read the ENTIRE chapter 10 of Isaiah, you will see that the Hebrew word used for anointing there is 'shemen,' which literally means 'fatness.'

In Isaiah 10, God is pronouncing judgment on evil leaders and those who oppress the Israelites.  Its a prophetic scripture that speaks about the oppression of the Assyrians, which are modern day Iranians and Syrians!  God will send deliverance to the Israelites there, but the leaders (Syrians) will boast that the deliverance came by their hand, and NOT the by the Hand of God.

It is prophesied that only a few Israelites will return to serve the one and living True God, a remnant.  The Assyrians (Syrians and Iranians) will come against the Israelites real hard...to get them to surrender.  God promises that He will deliver by His Spirit (the scriptures denote by a supernatural act of some kind).

THAT'S how the yoke is destroyed.

Charismatics took this out of context...thinking He was speaking to modern day 'believers...'  And they have used this scripture for YEARS to justify peddling a power and dominion gospel that cannot be founded on scripture.

They are power hungry, money seeking groups of people who don't trust God but their ability to perform miraculous acts and to make it appear they are 'powerful.'  They conclude that wherever the 'power' is, God is there with them, too.

And that is simply NOT the case.

We can say the magicians who mimicked the signs and wonders of God at the hand of Moses when they laid down their rods before Pharaoh to show God is powerful.

How long was it before the temple magicians' were able to mimic those miracles, signs and wonders with their own 'signs, tricks, miracles, wonders?'

So from a scriptural standpoint, everything and everyone that is anointed is not always for GOOD.  God uses it...YES.  But just because something or someone is anointed does NOT mean they are right with God...or that they are even ANOINTED BY GOD!!!

In a few of those above scriptures, the PEOPLE actually anointed some kings, such as Saul, but were NOT anointed-or chosen by God.

The prince of Tyre was another who was anointed for office in Ezekiel 28...but then God speaks about another that was anointed and fell into the trap of pride....Lucifer.

He was called 'the anointed cherub.'

Lucifer probably was the most gifted, talented, most beautiful creature God ever created!  Read the entire chapter 28.  Beyonce or Rihanna was not made up as beautiful as Lucifer!

Only Lucifer and King David are mentioned in the bible as being 'anointed' and affiliated with music in some fashion.

And in both cases, we know how these 'anointed' ministrels ended up.

One was damned forever to eternal torment...hell bent (pun intended) on taking as many folks with him as he can.

The other was as anointed as all get-out, but his family was so jacked up, his own son tried to kill him and he had to have him killed and his other son raped his sister!!!!!

Hmmmmmm!

So with all of this in mind...I again ask you.....what is all the fuss about 'the anointing?'

Too many in the church world elevate the anointing to be something so awesome and powerful...when God requires of us not so much that we are anointed, but that we are OBEDIENT!

There are talents, gifts...and then there is the anointing.

What is the purpose of the anointing?

To preach good tidings to the meek
To bind up the brokenhearted
To proclaim liberty to the captives
To open the prison to them that are bound

To preach the Kingdom of GOD....ultimately.

One more thing...

The last two verses in the bible that speaks of the anointing speaks of it in terms of as how it applies to ALL who are born again.

In 1 John 2:20 and 2:27, the anointing is mentioned as 'an unction.'

But you have an unction from the Holy One, and you know ALL things....

The anointing which you have received of Him abides IN you, and you need not that ANY man shall teach you.  The same anointing teaches you all things, and is TRUTH, and is NO LIE....and you shall abide IN HIM.  

What we need to understand about 'the anointing' as believers is that WE who are born again HAVE the anointing.  And why?  So we can do all the things I listed above....and to teach US how to do those things.  To help us discern good from evil.  TO help us RIGHTFULLY divide the Word.

The anointing is NOT some magical force that we yield when we get good and ready, to our bidding...to perform all kinds of neat, church tricks to wow one another.

The anointing is NOT that thing that gets you to cut a rug, do a dance, hoop, holler, not even that which makes us shudder when we hear a jolting word or a powerful, talented singer.

The anointing is NOT something we use like a witch does her sorceries to lord over people...to prove to people how 'powerful' we are.

The anointing is NOT something that is supposed to move us into emotional frenzies, tears, holy groanings and moanings....tongues, or to take over our wills.

THAT is another spirit in operation that is moving you to do all of that!