What Is the Anointing? What Does It Mean to Be Anointed?
The Bible uses the language of anointing to describe God’s appointment, empowerment, and consecration of people to specific roles. In Scripture, the anointing signifies God setting someone apart, marking them as chosen, granting them authority, and equipping them with the Spirit for a particular task. While the practice began as a literal act of pouring or rubbing oil on a person, anointing developed into a deeply spiritual concept tied to divine calling, sacred office, and God’s presence. Understanding what the anointing is and what it means to be anointed requires tracing this theme from the Old Testament through the New Testament, where it reaches its fullest expression in Christ, the Anointed One.
The Basic Meaning of Anointing in the Bible
At its most basic level, anointing means to smear, pour, or rub oil or perfume on a person or object. This simple act, however, carried far more significance than a physical gesture.
A Sign of Dedication to God
In biblical practice, anointing indicated that someone or something was set apart for God’s purposes. Objects in the tabernacle were anointed to make them holy (Exodus 30:26–29). Priests were anointed to serve in God’s presence (Exodus 29:7). Kings were anointed to rule under God’s authority (1 Samuel 10:1).
Anointing therefore conveyed:
Divine appointment
Sacred status
A call to service
A special relationship with God
God’s Election and Preparation
To be anointed in the Bible meant that God himself chose the person for a task. Oil symbolized God’s initiative: he calls, prepares, and empowers. The act of anointing did not simply mark someone—it transformed their identity and commissioned them for holy work.
This is why the anointing carries weight. It is not a human invention but a response to God’s decision to set someone apart.
Anointing in the Old Testament: Priests, Kings, Prophets, and the Spirit
The Old Testament roots the anointing in the life of Israel’s worship and leadership. Those who stood before the people as representatives of God were marked with oil as a sign of their sacred role.
Priests and Sacred Service
Aaron and his sons were anointed as priests to minister in the tabernacle (Leviticus 8:12). Their anointing:
Marked them as holy
Granted them authority to offer sacrifices
Identified them as mediators between God and Israel
This sacred status required purity and faithfulness. The anointing signaled that their work was not normal labor but divine service.
Kings and Divine Authority
Israel’s kings were chosen and anointed by God. Samuel anointed both Saul and David (1 Samuel 10:1; 16:13). Anointing gave a king:
God’s authorization to rule
Public recognition of divine choice
A special relationship with the Lord
David refused to kill Saul because he was “the Lord’s anointed” (1 Samuel 24:6). The anointing placed a protective boundary around God’s appointed leader.
Prophets and the Spirit
Prophets were not always anointed with oil, but they were anointed metaphorically through the Spirit. Elijah, for example, was commanded to anoint Elisha as his successor (1 Kings 19:16). The prophetic anointing meant God’s word rested upon a person and that the Spirit empowered their ministry.
The Spirit and the Anointing
Over time, the anointing became associated directly with the Spirit of the Lord. When David was anointed, “the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon him from that day forward” (1 Samuel 16:13). Isaiah speaks of the Spirit-anointed servant, saying, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me” (Isaiah 61:1).
This connection shows that the anointing is not merely symbolic—it represents God placing his Spirit on someone for mission, authority, and service.
The Coming Anointed One: The Messiah
The Old Testament points forward to a uniquely anointed figure. The Hebrew word māšîaḥ (Messiah) means “anointed one.” Israel’s hope centered on a future king from David’s line who would be anointed not only with oil but with the Holy Spirit without limit.
The Messiah’s Unique Anointing
The coming king would embody:
Divine appointment as ruler
Divine relation as God’s chosen son
Divine empowerment through the Spirit
Isaiah describes him as one who brings good news, heals the brokenhearted, and proclaims liberty (Isaiah 61:1–3). This figure would lead God’s people, bring righteousness, and establish God’s kingdom.
The anointing therefore becomes eschatological—pointing toward restoration, justice, and the renewal of creation.
Anointing in the New Testament: Christ and the Spirit
The New Testament reveals that Jesus is this promised Messiah. His very title, “Christ,” means “Anointed One.” Jesus is anointed not merely with oil but with the Holy Spirit and power.
Jesus the Anointed One
In Luke 4:18–21, Jesus quotes Isaiah 61 and applies it to himself: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me.” This announcement declares:
Jesus is the fulfillment of the messianic hope
His ministry flows from the Spirit’s anointing
He embodies divine appointment and authority
His works reveal God’s kingdom breaking into history
Throughout the Gospels, Jesus heals, restores, teaches, and forgives because he is empowered by the Spirit.
The Bearer of the Spirit
Jesus not only receives the Spirit; he gives the Spirit to his people. The New Testament links the believer’s anointing directly to Christ’s own anointing. Believers share in his life, his Spirit, and his mission.
What It Means for Believers to Be Anointed
In the New Testament, the anointing is not limited to priests, kings, or prophets. Everyone who belongs to Jesus participates in his anointing through the Holy Spirit.
Anointed by the Spirit
1 John 2:20 says, “You have been anointed by the Holy One.” This means that believers:
Receive the Holy Spirit
Are set apart for God’s purposes
Are empowered for service
Are given spiritual understanding
Participate in the mission of Christ
The oil of the Old Testament becomes the Spirit in the New. To be anointed now means to be filled with God’s presence and equipped for ministry, holiness, and endurance.
Anointing and Calling
The Christian’s anointing is not vague spirituality. It reflects concrete divine calling:
God appoints each believer with unique gifts (1 Corinthians 12:4–11)
The Spirit empowers obedience, witness, and perseverance
Believers serve as a “royal priesthood” (1 Peter 2:9)
This mirrors Old Testament themes but expands them to encompass the entire people of God.
Anointing and the Gospel
The Gospel reveals Christ as the Spirit-anointed King who inaugurates the new creation. Believers, united to him, share in his life and Spirit. The anointing therefore connects the individual Christian to the larger redemptive story: the restoration of humanity, the advance of God’s kingdom, and the hope of the world to come.
Conclusion
The anointing in Scripture is a rich theological theme describing God’s act of choosing, calling, consecrating, and empowering. To be anointed means to belong to God’s service, receive his Spirit, and participate in his mission. The Old Testament practice of anointing priests, kings, and prophets points forward to the Messiah, the Anointed One. Jesus fulfills these expectations, embodying divine appointment and carrying the Spirit without limit. In him, believers become anointed people—set apart, empowered, and sustained by the Holy Spirit. The anointing reveals not only God’s call on individuals but also his work in forming a Spirit-filled community that reflects the life of the kingdom.
Bible Verses Related to the Anointing
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me” (Luke 4:18).
“You have been anointed by the Holy One” (1 John 2:20).
“He poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron’s head” (Leviticus 8:12).
“Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him” (1 Samuel 16:13).
“You love righteousness and hate wickedness” (Psalm 45:7).
“The Lord is the strength of his people, the saving refuge of his anointed” (Psalm 28:8).
“He has anointed me to bring good news” (Isaiah 61:1).
“God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power” (Acts 10:38).
“You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood” (1 Peter 2:9).
“It is God who establishes us… and has anointed us” (2 Corinthians 1:21).
