Part One

For some time I had wanted to study the subject of anointing to find out how it was used and what it was for in the Bible. In so doing, I discovered that the application and use of the words "anoint", "anointing" and "anointed" today seemed to be often used outside of the context of the Bible and in an extra-biblical way. The best way to discern the false is to know the true, so I attempted to lay aside my own personal understanding and mindset of what anointing was from teachings I had heard and read, in order to more clearly see what the Biblical meaning was and to allow the Anointed One to teach me Himself.

The anointing as portrayed by many today is usually made out to be something that makes you feel good. The anointing will indeed bring joy and gladness, but it can also bring tears. Will the truth of God sometimes make you feel uncomfortable and convicted? Without a doubt! The Truth of God is anointed for that! Let the righteous man smite and correct me - it is a kindness. Oil so choice, let not my head refuse or discourage... Psalm 141:5. It is only when we comprehend the truth of how holy God is and how sinful we are, that we can truly repent and be personally revived and breathed on by the Holy Spirit (breath) of God!

“The issue of anointing is the issue of truth - the issue of authentic relationship with God, because if we are not authentically related to Him in truth moment by moment, how can we relate to men? And if we’re not authentic with ourselves, with those of the same race, same religious persuasion, what shall we be expressing to those who are outside of our orbit and to whom we need to bring a greater reality? The challenge is to bring to them a greater reality than what they themselves know and esteem and you cannot fabricate that. There’s something about the nature of that which is holy, that if it’s not jealously guarded, and watched over, becomes the cruelest of deceptions and cliches. It becomes the introversion, the negation of what is holy - it becomes, in a word, “religion”. Something is profoundly amiss. It raises some very serious questions about truth, integrity, righteousness, our relationship with the Lord. What we have been exaggerating and building up in a kind of phraseological Christianity in key words that evoke certain responses, is in fact not truth; and God is the God of Truth and the Spirit is the Spirit of Truth before He’s the Spirit of power. And so we need to return to reality - to a God who is truth and in truth or we’re going to find ourselves painfully deceived.” (Art Katz)

We are not told to seek after the anointing anywhere in the Bible but to seek Christ, THE Anointed! We are simply told that As for you, the anointing which you RECEIVED (past tense) from Him ABIDES in you; so then you have no need that anyone should instruct you. But just as His anointing teaches you concerning everything and is TRUE and is no falsehood, so you must abide, live in and never depart from Him, being rooted in Him and knit to Him just as His anointing has taught you to do. 1 John 2:27. This true anointing will always teach you to remain vitally united to the source of anointing, Jesus the Christ!

The first time anointing with oil is mentioned in the Old Testament is where Jacob poured oil on the stone that he’d been using as a pillow to dedicate it. And Jacob rose early in the morning and took the stone he had put under his head and he set it up as a pillar and he poured oil on its top in dedication. And he named that place Bethel (the house of God). Genesis 28:18,19. He anointed the pillar or stones in dedication, naming the place the house of God. The house of God, where He lives, is US - we are the temples and houses of the Holy Spirit so this may have been symbolically speaking of The Anointed One (the Rock) and His anointed ones (living stones) as we are being built together into the living house of God.

Light for Revelation

The oil in the Old Testament was symbolic of the Holy Spirit. However there were TWO uses of oil in the temple, oil for the anointing oil and oil for light. The priest shall have charge of the oil for the light... and the anointing oil. Numbers 4:16.

The anointing oil, I believe, is symbolic of He who has it’s name, Mashiach, Messiah which means, Anointed One. It represented Christ. But oil was used not only for anointing in the temple but also for light and illumination and THIS is the Holy Spirit’s specialty: When He, the Spirit of Truth comes, He will guide you into all truth, the whole, full truth... John 16:13. HE is the One who guides us into all truth, who reveals His Word (Christ) to us. The truth is hidden, it is a mystery until the Holy Spirit shines His Light, revealing and illuminating Truth to us. The entrance and unfolding of Your words give light; their unfolding gives understanding, discernment and comprehension to the simple. Psalm 119:130.

The lampstand in the temple had to have a continual supply of oil, the light was not allowed to go out (Exodus 27:20). We too must be filled continually with the Holy Spirit. Especially in these days, it is absolutely vital that we KNOW God! If we don’t know Truth, we will easily believe the false because we will have no standard of truth, no point from which to discern the false.

I believe this is one interpretation of the oil that the ten virgins accumulated in their lamps - the Holy Spirit. To have just the Word and not the Spirit, is like having the lamp with no oil in it or like trying to read and understand the Bible in a room with no light on! The foolish virgins had not stored up the revealed Word of God in their hearts, it had not been revealed and illuminated by the Spirit to them and so their oil was not sufficient to last the distance. The wise virgins or bridesmaids had allowed the Holy Spirit to illuminate and reveal the Word, His teaching had become a vital part of their lives. They had stored up the Word, but perhaps they had stored it as head knowledge rather than knowing Him in their heart as a Person. They knew Christ as the Groom but He was not THEIR Groom, they didn’t LIVE or dwell with Him in intimate relationship after the wedding where He would be their Life.  The person that is hidden in this parable is the Bride. There would be no Groom or Wedding or Bridesmaids without the Bride and we are called to be His Bride, not bridesmaids (for more on this read: Parables... but not as we've known them).

Then he said to me, this addition of the bowl to the candlestick, causing it to yield a ceaseless supply of oil is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit (of Whom the oil is a symbol), says the Lord of Hosts. Zechariah 4:6. These are symbols to give us insight into what their function ought to be in our lives. He is the Spirit of Truth and when He shines the Light for illumination, we may not like what we see revealed that was previously hidden and out of sight in the darkness. This is why Truth is often rejected, Truth is absolutely essential and yet often rejected (John 3:19-21).

We need the Light in order to see, otherwise our eyes are of little use in the dark! Sometimes when the Light shines on someone, it is so bright and revealing that they tightly close their eyes in order NOT to see. Jesus spoke in parables and mysteries so that man would not rely on natural knowledge and perception but rely on Him for spiritual illumination and unveiling (Matthew 13:13-15).

Deception leads to blindness, we cannot or often DO NOT want to see Truth. For you say, I am rich; I have prospered and grown wealthy and I am in need of nothing; and you do not realise and understand that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. Therefore I counsel you to PURCHASE FROM ME gold refined and tested by fire, that you may be truly wealthy, and white clothes to clothe you and to keep the shame of your nudity form being seen, and salve (anointing) to put on your eyes, that you may see. Revelation 3:17,18. This anointing or healing salve we are told to PURCHASE from Him so we can see; it comes with a cost. To admit Truth is to see Him as He is and to see ourselves as we really are and repent. Dying to ourselves and our desires and being wholly dedicated to Him is costly, but very, very precious...

Go to Part 2 - Perfumed Oil & Consecration