An unusual method of consecration by which Almighty God sets apart for His own use a special class of Christians conformed to the image of Jesus Christ, His only Begotten Son, is the Anointing of the Holy Spirit. It is not intended for every Christian – be he a bishop, pastor, teacher, evangelist or deacon. Jesus Christ received it, and only those called to be apostles, the first class of Christians, are given the grace to receive it. The holy or anointing oil of ancient Israel prescribed by God for the consecration of priests, kings and prophets, was a type of the anointing of the Holy Spirit.
The construction of the tabernacle as prescribed by God brought about the institution of the priesthood or ministry of Aaron. God commanded Moses to take his brother, Aaron, and his sons, that they might minister unto Him in the priest’s office. In obedience to God, Moses separated Aaron and his sons; Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, for the services of the sanctuary as priests. However, Aaron was appointed the High Priest. For their consecration, God ordered the compounding of the holy or anointing oil, and there was the restriction that whoever compounded a similar oil should be cut off. Exod. 30:22-25.
Said God to Moses: “And thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate them, that they may minister unto Me in the priest’s office. And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying. This shall be an holy anointing oil unto Me. throughout your generations. Upon man’s flesh shall it not be poured, neither shall ye make any other like it after the composition of it: it is holy, and it shall be holy unto you. Whosoever compoundeth any like it, or whosoever putteth any of it upon a stranger, shall even be cut off from its people.”- Exod. 30:30-33.
Since then kings and prophets had also be anointed with the holy oil. David was anointed king in Israel. As it is written: “Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward.” (1 Sam. 16:13) David was described as the “anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel.” (2 Sam. 23:1) Of Solomon it is written “And Zadok the priest took an horn of oil out of the tabernacle, and anointed Solomon. And they blew the trumpet; and all the people said, God save King Solomon.” (1 Kings 1:39) God said to Elijah the prophet: “And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel, and Elisha the son of Shaphet of Abdmebolah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room.”- 1 Kings 19:16.
Under the new covenant it behoves Jesus Christ, the High Priest of his ministry or priesthood, which is of the order of Melchizedek, to be first to receive the Anointing of the Holy Spirit the antitypical of the “holy anointing oil.” So it was that at his baptism in Jordan River, God the Father in heaven sent down the Holy Spirit which alighted upon him, and He declared: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Matt. 3:16,17) Jesus Christ needed this consecration not only to fulfil prophecy and be fitted for his mission but also to set the pace for his footstep followers – the apostles and those of their class.
At Nazareth he, on one occasion, went into the synagogue and received from the minister the book of the prophet Isaiah and found where it was written, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me. because He has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent me to heal the broken hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised; to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” He closed the book, and as all eyes were focused him he said, “This day is this scripture 4:16-21. fulfilled in your ears.”-Luke 4:16-21.
That Jesus Christ was anointed of the Holy Spirit, St. Peter gave this vigorous testimony: “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit 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.
For the fact that Jesus Christ knew that his apostles who were to take over from him needed the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, he just before his ascension to heaven, confirmed his promise to them: “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in all Judae, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) Earlier, before his crucifixion, he had promised his apostles, thus: “But the comforter, which is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” – John 14:26; see also 15:26.
On the day of Pentecost, ten days after the ascension of Jesus Christ, when the apostles (Matthias having replaced Judas Iscariot, the traitor) were assembled with other disciples in an upper room in Jerusalem, Jesus made good his promise and sent the Holy Spirit which the apostles received. Here is the record: “And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” (Acts 2:1-4) Only the 12 apostles received it; and there was no woman among them. Those who mocked said, “These men are full of new wine.” But in response to what people said, it is stated: “But Peter, standing up with the eleven” defended their cause and explained that it was the fulfillment of the prophecy of Joel. (Joel 2:28-30).
Though all true Christians receive the Spirit of God but not all are anointed of the Holy Spirit. The anointing of the Holy Spirit is the highest part of the Spirit that can be given to men. It is described as the “first fruits of the Spirit” (Rom 8:23) by reason of which the recipients are taught by God in Spirit., sanctified and capable of falling into a trance to see visions of God. They do not need to attend theological institutions to be taught by men. Concerning it, it is written: “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” – 1 John 2:27.
St. Paul is a typical example of one who was anointed of the Holy Spirit. He was notorious for his stiff opposition to the Christian faith. But when Jesus called him to be his apostle and was anointed he, without meeting any of those who were apostles before him, went about preaching the gospel. He stated: “But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man, for I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.” He went “For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God and wasted it; and profited in the Jews’ religion above many my equals in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers. But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by His grace, to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me.” – Gal. 1:11-17…
The anointing of the Holy Spirit makes a lot of difference between those who receive it and other Christians. Most remarkable is not only their outstanding knowledge of the Bible but also the truth of the word of God they dispense without adulteration. This is the fruit by which such ones can be identified.
They constitute the “Little Flock” (Luke 12:32), the 12 apostles chosen by Jesus Christ, being the foundation members, and the “Church of the firstborn which are written in heaven”. (Eph. 2:20, Heb. 12:22) They only are kings and priests and Jesus Christ gave them a promise thus: “Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations. And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; that ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” (Luke 22:28-30) And because John the apostle was one of them he stated that Jesus Christ “hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father, to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.” (Rev. 1:5,6; 5:10) They shall reign with Christ over the earth.
Considering the predictions of Jesus Christ and his early apostles about this end-time, it is no surprise to see the influx of false apostles and prophets claiming not only to be the Lord’s anointed but also that they too have power to anoint others with the Holy Spirit. False doctrines or teachings, deceit, pretentions and immoral tendencies are their stock-in-trade. Fundamental Christian doctrines are perverted. Pastors resort to jargons while pretending to speak in tongues. Miracles are used to exploit the people. “Our God is not a poor God,” “Come for your miracles,” “Come for deliverance” “Come and your barrenness is over” and so on, are the catch words of these deceivers. Those known to have confessed to wizardry or witchcraft and to have been expelled from their villages become apostles of miracles pulling large followership in urban cities. Some carry high sounding appellations such as senior, superior apostles and so on. And St. Paul declared: “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 Cor. 11:13-15.
In some church denominations members are promoted to be apostles, and they anoint people with olive oil or “holy water” purported to have been specially imported from Jerusalem. Some who have fallen victims of evil spirits still claim to be chosen by God and anointed of the Holy Spirit. They are filthy and usually refrain from having bath for several days or months. They keep their hairs unkempt, and are always slovenly dressed with the result that unsavory odours emit from them. This certainly is evidence of evil spirits at work. St. Paul referred to them as “seducing spirits” responsible for doctrines of devils. (1 Tim 4:1) John the apostle warned: “BELOVED, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they. are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.”-1 John 4:1 God, and God alone, through Jesus calls His apostles, and anoints them with the Holy Spirit. Said St. Paul: “Now He which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.”-2 Cor. 1:21,22
The anointing of the Holy Spirit cannot be purchased or acquired. It is given by God through Jesus Christ only to the chosen few.