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Introduction:
The word 'Anointed has become arguably the most overused and overworked term in the Pentecostal and Charismatic arenas. In fact, it would be difficult to find a charismatic/evangelical service/program/tract/book that is not liberally sprinkled with the term. However, not only is it overused, but it is also the most misunderstood, misinterpreted word used in the modern church.
At various times charismatic preachers claim to be 'under' the Anointing, can 'feel' the anointing come over them, 'feel' the anointing in the room, and often issues stern warnings to their critics to "touch not the Lord's anointed.” Many Charismatics describe this 'Anointing' as closely akin to feeling heat or electricity. Virtually all the references to the anointing place it in the category of a commodity... something that not all Christians possess and that the ministers can bestow on others (Usually after money has changed hands).
According to D.J. Lett, an IBM saleswoman from Marietta GA, who has attended Greflo Dollar's World Changers church for seven years ... [Emphasis Added]
People are not allowed to touch Dollar during services, she said, simply because "the anointing is flowing at that point." [1]
However there is no precise definition as to what this "Anointing" is and no uniformity of belief as to how it can be acquired or imparted. According to many evangelicals anything can be 'anointed', including services, speakers, preachers, music, television programs, prayer cloths, swords, web sites, oil, cornmeal, red thread, and Christmas stars. Benny Hinn, taking this one step further, claims to be able to throw or blow the anointing at people, who then proceed to physically fall over. [See Slain in What Spirit?] He tells macabre tales of visiting the graves of the late faith healers Kathryn Kuhlman and Aimee Semple McPherson, where he is said to have felt an "incredible" anointing. In fact Benny Hinn has more versions of the "anointing" than Baskin-Robbins has ice cream.
The million dollar question is how we are supposed to know who is "anointed". Do we take their word for it, or rely on what their followers say about them? If so, we would have to accept the claims of virtually all cult leaders, many of whom, by the way, also perform signs and wonders (as do the antichrist and False Prophet). [See The Four Most Dangerous Mistakes Any Christian Can Make].
So, since the word "anointed" is used so liberally today, perhaps it is a good idea to take an in-depth look at what the word means according to Scripture... how the word is used in both Old and New Testaments, and who the anointed ones in the Bible were. Only after we are armed with this knowledge, are we in a position to make a decision as to whether so many modern day Charismatics have built their concepts purely on some combination of subjective experience and what they have heard others say, or whether their teachings rest securely on a Scriptural foundation.
Definition of 'Anoint' in Eastons Bible Dictionary.
Anoint: The practice of anointing with perfumed oil was common among the Hebrews. [All Emphasis Added]
(1.) The act of anointing was consecration to a holy or sacred use; hence the anointing of the high priest (Exodus 29:29; Leviticus 4:3) and of the sacred vessels (Exodus 30:26). The high priest and the king are thus called the "anointed" (Leviticus 4:3, Leviticus 4:5, Leviticus 4:16; Leviticus 6:20; Psalm 132:10). Anointing a king was equivalent to crowning him (1 Samuel 16:13; 2 Samuel 2:4, etc.). Prophets were also anointed (1 Kings 19:16; 1 Chronicles 16:22; Psalm 105:15). The expression, "anoint the shield" (Isaiah 21:5), refers to the custom of rubbing oil on the leather of the shield so as to make it supple and fit for use in war.
(2.) Anointing was also an act of hospitality (Luke 7:38, Luke 7:46). It was the custom of the Jews in like manner to anoint themselves with oil, as a means of refreshing or invigorating their bodies (Deuteronomy 28:40; Ruth 3:3; 2 Samuel 14:2; Psalm 104:15, etc.). This custom is continued among the Arabs to the present day.
(3.) Oil was used also for medicinal purposes. It was applied to the sick, and also to wounds (Isaiah 1:6; Mark 6:13; James 5:14).
(4.) The bodies of the dead were sometimes anointed (Mark 14:8; Luke 23:56).
(5.) The promised Deliverer is twice called the “Anointed” or Messiah (Psalm 2:2; Daniel 9:25, Daniel 9:26), because he was anointed with the Holy Ghost (Isaiah 61:1), figuratively styled the "oil of gladness" (Psalm 45:7; Hebrews 1:9). Jesus of Nazareth is this anointed One (John 1:41; Acts 9:22; Acts 17:2, Acts 17:3; Acts 18:5, Acts 18:28), the Messiah of the Old Testament.
The Old Testament
There are three related Hebrew Words that have been variously translated into the English Anoint, Anointed or Anointing. They are...
Mashach (H4886) which means to rub with oil... by implication to consecrate, is translated into the English verb 'to anoint', is found 71 times in the Old Testament.
Mashiyach (H4899) which means an anointed or consecrated person or thing, is translated into the English adjective 'anointed'. It is found 39 times in the Old Testament.
Mishchah (H4888) derived from mashach above, is usually translated into the English 'anointing oil' or 'ointment'. It is found 24 times in the Old Testament.
Who and what was anointed in the Old Testament is summarized by the following. [For a full list of all OT occurrences of the three words listed above, See Footnote I].
Jacob's pillar, at Bethel [Genesis 28:18; 31:8; 31:13; 35:14]
Consecration Of High Priests... Aarons and his Sons [Exodus 28:41; Exodus 29:7; Exodus 29:29; Exodus 30:30; Exodus 40:13-15; Leviticus 6:20; Leviticus 8:12; Numbers 3:3.
High Priests: Leviticus 16:32; Numbers 35:25;
Priests: Leviticus 4:3;
The Tabernacle: Wafers [Exodus 29:2], The altar [Exodus 29:36, 30:26-28; 40:10; Leviticus 8:11; Numbers 7:1], the tent of meeting, and the ark of the testimony [Exodus 30:26], the furniture of the tabernacle [Exodus 40:9; Leviticus 8:10; Numbers 7:1], the laver and its base [Exodus 40:11], Vessels of The Tabernacle; [Exodus 30:27-28, 40:9-10; Leviticus 8:10-11; Numbers 7:1 etc.]
Various kings (General references)
Judges 9:8; 9:15
Saul: 1 Samuel 9:16; 10:1; 15:1
David: 1 Samuel 16:3; 16:12-13; 2 Samuel 2:4; 5:3; 12:7; 19:21; 1 Chronicles 11:3; Psalm 18:50; Psalm 89:20-23
Solomon: 1 Kings 1:39; 1 Chronicles 29:22
Jehu: 1 Kings 19:16; 2 Kings 9:1-3; 9:6; 9:12
Hazael: 1 Kings 19:15
Joash: 2 Kings 11:12; 2 Chronicles 23:11
Jehoahaz: 2 Kings 23:30
Zedekiah: Lamentations 4:20
Cyrus: Isaiah 45:1
The Patriarchs
Psalm 105:15
The Prophet Elisha: 1 Kings 19:16
The New Testament
Four Greek words, used in slightly different ways, have been translated into the English anoint.
Aleipho (G218) means to anoint and is translated into the English verb 'to anoint'. It is found 9 times in the New Testament and is used as a general term used for various kinds of anointing, primarily as a physical action, albeit with a deeper significance.
For example, in Matthew 6:17 a person fasting should anoint themselves so as to avoid putting on an outward show of hardship (In speaking of the blessings of the Lord, Psalm 104:15 says "And wine that maketh glad the heart of man, And oil to make his face to shine, And bread that strengthens man's heart.") In Luke 7:38 a woman anoints Jesus' feet, an incident that is probably referred to in John 11:2. In John 12:3 Mary anoints the feet of Jesus. In Mark 6:13 the disciples anointed those that were sick (Also see Isaiah 1:6 and Luke 10:34). James instructed those who were sick to call for the elders of the church, who would then pray over the sick person and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord: (James 5:14). In Mark 16:1 Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, brought spices to anoint Jesus' body.
Chrio (G5548) means to smear or rub with oil, that is, (by implication) to consecrate to an office or religious service: to Anoint. Chrio is more limited in use than Aleipho, being confined to sacred or symbolical anointing. It is used 5 times in the New Testament, four times in regard to Jesus' anointing and once in regard to all Christians as being consecrated, or set apart to the service of God by the Holy Spirit.
Luke 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
Acts 4:27 for of a truth in this city against thy holy Servant Jesus, whom thou didst anoint, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, were gathered together,
Acts 10:38 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. even Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed him 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.
2 Corinthians 1:21 Now he that establisheth us with you in Christ, and anointed us, is God;
Hebrews 1:9 Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; Therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
Chrisma (G5545) also means smearing (but with a special endowment. It is found only 3 times in the New Testament, both instances in the first epistle of John
And ye have an anointing from the Holy One, and ye know all the things. And as for you, the anointing which ye received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any one teach you; but as his anointing teacheth you; concerning all things, and is true, and is no lie, and even as it taught you, ye abide in him. [1John 2:20, 27]
Epichrio (G2025) also means to anoint and. It is only used twice in the New Testament in John 9:6 and 11
When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, [John 9:6]
He answered and said, A man that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said unto me, Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash: and I went and washed, and I received sight. [John 9:11]
Summary
If you have thoroughly read how the Bible uses anointing, and who or what was anointed, perhaps you have noticed that some very vital facts. To summarize...
What The Anointing Is
1) Anointing is the act of being consecrated or set aside, not the "power of God".
2) in the Old Testament the 'anointed ones' were the Priests, Prophets and Kings. The High Priest and the king were sometimes called "the anointed" (Leviticus 4:3, 5, 16; 6:20; Psalms 132:10). Prophets were also anointed (1 Kings 19:16; 1 Chronicles 16:22; Psalms 105:15). Anointing a king was equivalent to crowning him, in fact in Israel a crown was not required (1 Samuel 16:13; 2 Samuel 2:4, etc.). Thus David was anointed as king by the prophet Samuel: In this regard Jesus was also anointed as High Priest
Psalm 45:7 Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated wickedness: Therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee With the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
Isaiah 61:1 The Spirit of the Lord Jehovah is upon me; because Jehovah hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
Daniel 9:24 Seventy weeks are decreed upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy.
Acts 4:27 for of a truth in this city against thy holy Servant Jesus, whom thou didst anoint, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, were gathered together,
Acts 10:38 even Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed him 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.
Hebrews 1:9 Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; Therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee With the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
3) In the New Testament All believers are said to be anointed. As a believer you have the anointing, as a nonbeliever you do not. In other words, it is Not a few special persons who are anointed, which effectively eliminates the idea that those that have the anointing are more gifted than other believers, or have special 'powers' that other believers do not have.
Now he that establisheth us with you in Christ, and anointed us, is God; [2 Corinthians 1:21]
And ye have an anointing from the Holy One, and ye know all the things. [1 John 2:20]
And as for you, the anointing which ye received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any one teach you; but as his anointing teacheth you; concerning all things, and is true, and is no lie, and even as it taught you, ye abide in him. [1 John 2:27]
4) Although Charismatic teachers have made the anointing a separate power that God bestows on people, the Bible connects the anointing and the presence of the Spirit, which mean you cannot have one without the other. Simple as that. Read very carefully what the apostle John told his readers
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 teaches 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]
According to John, the "anointing" which they received of God dwelt in them and was teaching them all things. Only living intelligent being can "teach"... impersonal "powers" can not do so. Therefore the only way it is possible for the "anointing" to teach a person anything is if this "anointing" is the person of the Holy Spirit, as is shown in the next two verses.
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, [Luke 4:18]
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]
What The Anointing Is Not
1) The Bible never once says, or even implies, that the anointing is a supernatural power given to human by which they are able to perform miracles.
2)The Bible never once says, or even implies, that there is any such thing as a double or triple portion of the anointing.
[Elisha did not ask for a double portion of Elijah's anointing, but for a double portion of his spirit. The words are totally different in Hebrew. As Deuteronomy 21:17 shows, a double portion was the right of the first born, therefore Elisha’s request was, quite possibly, to be heir to Elijah's office and gifts.]
3) The Bible never once says, or even implies, that anyone can transmit the anointing by any means, including the laying on of hands.
[Acts 19 tells us that when Paul laid hands on some believers from Ephesus the Spirit came (epi) upon them. It does not say a word about The Spirit coming through Paul’s hands. It came upon them... from above.]
4) The Bible never once refers to anyone getting, keeping, increasing, or losing the anointing.
5) The Bible never has Jesus or any of the apostles teaching anyone how to obtain the anointing.
Where then do these self-styled so-called prophets find not only general anointing, but a astonishing variety of anointings, including Swimming anointings, TV anointings, Explosive anointings, Hurricane anointings, Prophetic anointings, anointed telecasts and trinkets.. even a Rambo anointing. [For more detailed list of these abominations See The New Anointing. http://www.letusreason.org/Pent40.htm]
Not only are none of these “anointings” derived from Scripture, but proponents of these, and other, aberrations from Biblical Christianity apparently consider themselves infallible.... beyond reproach and instruction. Any attempt to compare what they preach and teach with what the Bible says often results in a barrage of insults, threats and yet one more misquoting and misrepresenting Scripture. In this case the catch-phrase is....
"Touch Not Mine Anointed"
Not only do so many of today's preachers and teachers claim to be "anointed" in flagrant denial of what the Bible says on the subject, but since they regard themselves as having a unique calling from God who has supplied them with extraordinary gifts and powers, they are entitled to unconditional authority. Often citing Psalm 105:15, which says
"Touch not mine anointed ones, and do my prophets no harm",
... they regularly issue 'warnings' to those who oppose their unscriptural doctrines and practices.
They claim that their critics are but "Pharisees" and "heresy hunters", who's criticisms can carry grave consequences to themselves, and possibly even their families. For example...
Benny Hinn: “Be careful! Your little ones may suffer because of your stupidity. Now I’m pointing my finger today, with the mighty power of God on me, and I speak. ... And your children will suffer. If you care for your kids, stop attacking Benny Hinn” (World Charismatic Conference, Aug. 7, 1992).
You cannot win attacking the servants of the Lord, no matter who they are or what they've done ...if the anointing ever comes upon a man, don't touch that man, even if he turns away from God, and serves the devil, Don't touch him. You are in deep, serious danger.”
Kenneth Copeland: Several people that I know had criticized and called that faith bunch out of Tulsa a cult. And some of ’em are dead right today in an early grave because of it, and there's more than one of them got cancer (“Why All Are Not Healed,” tape #01-4001).
Paul Crouch: “I refuse to argue any longer with any of you out there. Don't even call me if you want to argue doctrine, if you want to straighten somebody out over here. ... I think they [i.e., those he labels as heresy hunters'] are damned and on their way to hell and I don't think there is any redemption for them. I say, 'To hell with you.’ I say, 'Get out of God's way, quit blocking God's bridges or God is going to shoot you if I don't (TBN’s “Praise-A-Thon,” April 2, 1991). [See More In Footnote II]
Creflo Dollar's wife Taffi certainly endorses this view. According to D.J. Lett, an IBM saleswoman from Marietta GA, who has attended Greflo Dollar's World Changers church for seven years ...
Dollar’s wife, Taffi, introduces her husband as one who talks “face to face with God, like Moses.” She warns that “every tongue that rises up against” her husband will “be struck down.” [1]
This mind set has spilled over to their followers, who have been brainwashed into believing that questioning the man behind the pulpit would bring the wrath of Almighty God hurtling down on their heads. In their never ending anthems of praise and loyalty to these wolves that have risen among us, they too never seem to tire of warning detractors 'Not to touch God's anointed'. I have actually read someone defending Eddie Long's shenanigans with the words "despite our personal opinions we must remember Psalm 105:15..." [2]
All the purveyors of false doctrine have to do is quote a particular text of Scripture, and their flock will swallow it hook, line and sinker, without realizing that the verse has been quoted so completely out of context, that the interpretation bears no resemblance to the original meaning. Sadly, they will never even take the time to open their Bibles and read the context for themselves, or check if what the critics are saying have any Biblical validity. Their minds are made up and are going to stay that way, regardless of what the Bible says.
But is Psalm 105:15 applicable to modern day preachers, or is it just one more in a long line of flagrant manipulations of Scripture.
Sadly we have to vote for the latter... for several reasons..
1) Preachers and Teachers were not "Anointed".
As shown there were many anointed objects in the Old Testament. Remember that this means that these objects were consecrated or set apart for the service of the Lord. However, when speaking of the 'Lord's anointed' in terms of people, the Bible only refers to the priests and High Priests of the temple, several kings of Israel (usually the royal line descended from David) and at least one prophet, who were also consecrated or set apart for the service of the Lord..
Glaringly absent from this list is any mention of preachers and teachers being "anointed".
2) Psalm 105 was talking about the Patriarchs.
Psalm 105 is a recap of God's dealings with Abraham and his posterity, until they reached and settled in the promised land. This psalm recounts God's covenant with Abraham, and his confirmation of that covenant to Isaac and Jacob. It tells of His providence towards Joseph in Egypt and the deliverance of the Israelites out of Egypt. Also How God led and supported the the nation in the wilderness, and brought them into the land of Canaan.
Verse 15 can not be wrenched from it's context and applied to anyone, in any period of history, but has to be read as part of the story being narrated. The anointed ones in this case were the Patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who were obviously 'set aside' for a specific purpose. Therefore God protected them in their wanderings and kept them from danger, even reproving kings for their sakes. [See Genesis 12:17-20, and the whole of chapter 20]. Also note that God called Abraham a prophet in Genesis 20:7.
While it is best to read the whole of Psalm 105, At least read verses 9-15
105:9 The covenant which he made with Abraham, And his oath unto Isaac,
105:10 And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a statute, To Israel for an everlasting covenant,
105:11 Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, The lot of your inheritance;
105:12 When they were but a few men in number, Yea, very few, and sojourners in it.
105:13 And they went about from nation to nation, From one kingdom to another people.
105:14 He suffered no man to do them wrong; Yea, he reproved kings for their sakes,
105:15 Saying, Touch not mine anointed ones, And do my prophets no harm.
3) The Word "Touch" means Physical Contact.
The word translated touch is the Hebrew nâga. Strong's defines it as
properly to touch by implication to reach (figuratively to arrive, acquire); that is, lay the hand upon, to strike, beat , smite etc.
If one were to read all 150 uses of nâga in the Old Testament, it is clear that apart from the occasional use of the word as reach or arrive....
And he dreamed. And behold, a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached (nâga) to heaven. And behold, the angels of God ascending and descending on it. [Genesis 28:12]
While they were yet talking with him, came (nâga) the king's chamberlains, and hasted to bring Haman unto the banquet that Esther had prepared. [Esther 6:14]
....all other uses indicate physical contact, NOT verbal opposition
but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch (nâga) it, lest ye die. [Genesis 3:3]
And God said unto him in the dream, Yea, I know that in the integrity of thy heart thou has done this, and I also withheld thee from sinning against me. Therefore suffered I thee not to touch (nâga) her. [Genesis 20:6]
Of their flesh ye shall not eat, and their carcasses ye shall not touch (nâga) ; they are unclean unto you. [Leviticus 11:8]
And when Aaron and his sons have made an end of covering the sanctuary, and all the furniture of the sanctuary, as the camp is set forward; after that, the sons of Kohath shall come to bear it: but they shall not touch (nâga) the sanctuary, lest they die. These things are the burden of the sons of Kohath in the tent of meeting. [Numbers 4:15]
And David said on that day, Whosoever smiteth (nâga) the Jebusites, let him get up to the watercourse, and smite the lame and the blind, that are hated of David's soul. Wherefore they say, There are the blind and the lame; he cannot come into the house. [2 Samuel 5:8]
And, behold, one in the likeness of the sons of men touched (nâga) my lips: then I opened my mouth, and spake and said unto him that stood before me, O my lord, by reason of the vision my sorrows are turned upon me, and I retain no strength. [Daniel 10:16]
4) The Lord's Anointed Were Often Rebuked By Others.
Saul was anointed by God as king over the people.. [See 1 Samuel 9:16, 10:1 and 15:1]
To-morrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the land of Benjamin, and thou shalt anoint him to be prince over my people Israel; and he shall save my people out of the hand of the Philistines: for I have looked upon my people, because their cry is come unto me. [1 Samuel 9:16]
Then Samuel took the vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not that Jehovah hath anointed thee to be prince over his inheritance? [1 Samuel 10:1]
.And Samuel said unto Saul, Jehovah sent me to anoint thee to be king over his people, over Israel: now therefore hearken thou unto the voice of the words of Jehovah. [1 Samuel 15:1]
Yet, when told Saul to "Smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not...” (1 Samuel 15:3) and Saul disobeyed by sparing "the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the Lord...” (1 Samuel 15:15), Samuel wasted no time in publicly denouncing Saul's disobedience, telling him that "rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft". (1 Samuel 15:23), and that God had rejected him as king.
David was anointed king of Israel. When Saul went in pursuit of him with a company of three thousand men, David sent out spies, and found where Saul had pitched camp, and along with two other men sneaked into Saul's camp at night. One of the men, obviously seeing this as quite an opportunity, asked to strike Saul with a spear as he felt God had delivered Saul into David's hand. But David turned him down with the words, “Who can stretch out his hand against the Lord’s anointed, and be guiltless?” (I Samuel 26: 9). However David took with him Saul's spear, and the cruse of water that was at his head, (1 Samuel 26:4-12). He then went to the opposite hill; woke Abner, captain of Saul's host, chiding him for being so careless of his masters life.
Additionally, when an Amalakite messenger came from battle and informed David that the Philistines had routed the Israelites, Saul and his sons were slain, and that he himself had killed Saul, David asked him how he had the audacity to destroy the Lord's anointed. He then orders the Amalekite to be slain (2 Samuel 1:13-16).
And David said unto him, How wast thou not afraid to put forth thy hand to destroy Jehovah's anointed? And David called one of the young men, and said, Go near, and fall upon him. And he smote him, so that he died. And David said unto him, Thy blood be upon thy head; for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I have slain Jehovah's anointed. And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son [2 Samuel 1:14-17]
When David, had Uriah the Hittite killed so that he could marry Bathsheba, Uriah's wife with whom he had had an affair, the prophet Nathan had no qualms reproving David and pronouncing God's judgment on the king. (See 2 Samuel 12).
In the New Testament...
Apollos who was called a man " mighty in the scriptures" [Acts 18:24] was obviously off base in some respects, being only familiar with John's baptism. Verse 26 says "when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more accurately". [Emphasis Added].
Peter was the apostle to whom the keys to the kingdom were given [Matthew 16:19], yet Paul did not hesitate to confront him to his face when he was clearly in the wrong. [Galatians 2:11-21]
None of the men mentioned above set themselves on pedestals of untouchability, nor did they curse those who endeavored to correct them, leave alone threaten their children. It is a tragedy that this generation has seen so many that have forgotten James' warnings, when he said
Be not many of you teachers, my brethren, knowing that we shall receive heavier judgment. [James 3:1]
Paul applauded the Bereans and called them “noble” for checking Scripture to see if what they were being taught was true.
In Conclusion.. taking all the above facts into consideration it is clear that Psalm 105:15 is talking about God protecting the patriarchs from bodily harm, and has absolutely nothing to do with questioning or opposing the teachings of any modern day minister.
No Christian has unquestionable authority, and such an exclusive calling that they are above having their doctrines, teachings or actions questioned.
Do Not Grieve, or Blaspheme against the Holy Spirit of God
The verses that admonish us not to grieve or blaspheme against the Spirit of God have absolutely nothing to do with examining the doctrines and teachings of any Christian leader.
Grieve:
The context of Ephesians 4 makes it clear what actions on our part grieve the Holy Spirit. Read it in context [All Emphasis Added]
[4:25] Wherefore, putting away falsehood, speak ye truth each one with his neighbor: for we are members one of another.
[4:26] Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
[4:27] neither give place to the devil.
[4:28] Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing that is good, that he may have whereof to give to him that hath need.
[4:29] Let no corrupt speech proceed out of your mouth, but such as is good for edifying as the need may be, that it may give grace to them that hear.
[4:30] And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, in whom ye were sealed unto the day of redemption.
[4:31] Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and railing, be put away from you, with all malice
Blaspheme:
In Matthew 12: 31-32, Jesus talks of the 'unforgivable sin', calling it "blasphemy against the Spirit"
Therefore I say unto you, Every sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men; but the blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven. And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him; but whosoever shall speak against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, nor in that which is to come.
But we cannot possibly know what this unforgivable sin is unless we examine the context.
The story starts in verse 22 when a demon possessed man who was both blind and dumb, was brought to Jesus, who instantly healed him. Upon which, the Pharisees accused Jesus of casting out demons "by Beelzebub the prince of the demons" (V. 24). Jesus response to them was to state that a house divided against itself could not stand, and if "Satan casteth out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then shall his kingdom stand".
The Pharisees were attempting to discredit Jesus by "charging him with being in league with the devil and working his miracles, not by the spirit or power of God, but by the aid of the prince of the devils." [Barnes]. And, it was this accusation that Jesus called "blasphemy against the Spirit". Simply because it was by the Holy Spirit that Jesus had been anointed to be the Great High priest of His people, the one that stood between God and man... The Messiah.
The anointing, or oil poured over the heads of the High Priests of the Old Testament, was a symbol, or a type, of the Spirit descending upon the Great High Priest at His baptism.
And he poured of the anointing oil upon Aaron's head, and anointed him, to sanctify him. [Leviticus 8:12]
Then shalt thou take the anointing oil, and pour it upon his head, and anoint him. [Exodus 29:7]
And Jesus when he was baptized, went up straightway from the water: and lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon him; [Matthew 3:16]
The claim that Jesus was casting out demons by the power of Satan was unforgivable because it struck at the very heart of Jesus' mission on earth, It attempted to undermine His testimony, and teaching and very Messiahship.
In closing many of today's so called "Christian" leaders will tell you that you need not bother with doctrine, since all the evidence you need is to be found in your experiences (or theirs). This too is in flagrant denial of what the Bible says on the subject.
“Whosoever transgresses and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, HATH NOT GOD. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son” (2 John 1:9)
If you are going to abide in the "doctrine of Christ", you have to know what that doctrine is. It's just that simple.
Also See The Four Most Dangerous Mistakes Any Christian Can Make
1) Believe that we, or our pastor/denomination/spiritual leader cannot be fooled, 2) Attribute every personal testimony and “sign” as being of or from God, 3) Take Bible verses out of context and 4) believe that we, as Christians, are not to judge anything or any one. Not necessarily in that order.
But the question remains as to why in recent days there seems to be an explosion of preachers running around calling themselves "anointed". There is an answer.. and it is not a very palatable one...
Signs of the Times
Jesus' Prophecy
Consider this... in Matthew 24, on the Mount Of Olives, the disciples came to the Lord privately saying “Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” Jesus’ first words in answer to them were “Take heed that no man lead you astray” (v.4) and then He went on to say “ For many shall come in my name, saying, I am the Christ; and shall lead many astray”. (Emphasis added)
For as long as one can remember there has been the odd lunatic who called himself "The Christ", or even "Jesus Christ", most of whom were nutty as a fruitcake and certainly didn't gather much of a following.
The problem is that we tend to read these sayings of our Lord (and virtually all other Biblical prophecies) without giving them a modicum of thought.
Jesus said many would come in His name claiming to be the Christ.
Was Jesus a false prophet or are we overlooking something here.
I vote for the latter.
What's In a Title?
Let step back into the Old Testament for a moment.
The English word "Messiah" is not a translation, but a transliteration (using the same word in the alphabet of another language) of the Hebrew word ...
Mâshach, is translated into the English verb anoint (or anointed) and is used some 71 times in the Old Testament. It is defined by Strong's Hebrew and Greek lexicon as a primitive root; to rub with oil, that is, to anoint; by implication to consecrate;
Mâshîyach means an anointed or consecrated person or thing.
The Septuagint... or the Hebrew Bible translated into Greek long before the time of Jesus, translated mâshach into the Greek word Christos, This is a literal translation, since Christós in classical Greek usage can mean covered in oil, or anointed. In other words..
"Christ" was not Jesus' last name, but a title. See Matthew 1:16
In the Old Testament, anointing with oil was used in consecrating a person to the service of God, and was considered as symbolic of the gifts and grace of the Holy Spirit. In John 3:34, God gave Jesus the Spirit without measure. He was anointed, or set apart, by God to carry out what He came to earth to do which is why, in Luke 4:18, when Jesus quoted from Isaiah 61:1-2, He said He was "anointed" to do certain things. (Note that, in his prophecy, Isaiah uses the word mâshach, but when Jesus quotes these words in Luke 4:18, He uses the Greek word chrio, which is the root of Christos. The Hebrew word mâshach and the Greek Christos mean exactly the same thing, and are used interchangeably).
The Spirit of the Lord Jehovah is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed (mâshach) me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; [Isaiah 61:1]
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, Because he anointed (chrio) me to preach good tidings to the poor: He hath sent me to proclaim release to the captives, And recovering of sight to the blind, To set at liberty them that are bruised, [Luke 4:18]
The author of Hebrews said
but of the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever; And the sceptre of uprightness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; Therefore God, thy God, hath anointed (Greek chrio) thee With the oil of gladness above thy fellows. [Hebrews 1:8-9]
Also, by using the Hebrew term Messias (that is.... Mâshîyach an anointed or consecrated person or thing), Andrews was giving his brother Peter the startling news that they had found the long awaited Messiah, or "The Christ" ... the Anointed One.
One of the two that heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He findeth first his own brother Simon, and said to him, We have found the Messiah (Hebrew Messias), which is, being interpreted, Christ (Greek Christos). [John 1:40-41]
Over and over again Paul showed from the Scriptures that Jesus was 'The Christ'.. the Anointed One... the promised Messiah.
and Paul, as his custom was, went in unto them, and for three sabbath days reasoned with them from the Scriptures, opening and alleging that it behooved the Christ to suffer, and to rise again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom, said he, I proclaim unto you, is the Christ. [Acts 17:2-3]
But when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul was constrained by the word, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. [Acts 18:5]
for he powerfully confuted the Jews, and that publicly, showing by the scriptures that Jesus was the Christ. [Acts 18:28]
Jesus' Prophecy Fulfilled.... A Signs Of The Times
Jesus said many would come in His name, saying they are the Christ (Greek Christos) and shall lead many astray.
Since there haven't been enough people running around claiming to be Jesus to fulfill the many part of His prophecy, and w can be sure that Jesus knew what He was talking about, we have to look at this another way...
Since 'Christ' means 'anointed', one part of Jesus' answer to a direct question about the signs that would herald the end of the world was a warning that many would come in His name claiming they were "anointed".
That prophecy has been well and truly fulfilled with 'Christian' celebrities by the score claiming to be "anointed", and issuing strong warnings to their critics to not touch 'the Lord's Anointed'.
Here we are at the end of days...
End Notes
[1] Dollar and the Gospel By John Blake. Atlanta Journal-Constitution/March 5, 2000.
http://www.rickross.com/reference/tv_preachers/tv_preachers16.html OR John Mark Ministries... http://jmm.aaa.net.au/articles/12789.htm
[2] http://ugospel.com/sherri-shepherd-outraged-on-bishop-eddie-long-settling-out-of-court/
Footnote I... Anoint/Anointed in the Old Testament
Mashach, which means to rub with oil... by implication to consecrate, is translated into the English verb 'to anoint', is found 71 times in the Old Testament.
[Genesis 31:8] I am the God of Beth-el, where thou anointedst a pillar, where thou vowedst a vow unto me: now arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy nativity.
[Exodus 28:41] And thou shalt put them upon Aaron thy brother, and upon his sons with him, and shalt anoint them, and consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office.
[Exodus 29:2] and unleavened bread, and cakes unleavened mingled with oil, and wafers unleavened anointed with oil: of fine wheaten flour shalt thou make them.
[Exodus 29:7] Then shalt thou take the anointing oil, and pour it upon his head, and anoint him.
[Exodus 29:29] And the holy garments of Aaron shall be for his sons after him, to be anointed in them, and to be consecrated in them.
[Exodus 29:36] And every day shalt thou offer the bullock of sin-offering for atonement: and thou shalt cleanse the altar, when thou makest atonement for it; and thou shalt anoint it, to sanctify it.
[Exodus 30:26] And thou shalt anoint therewith the tent of meeting, and the ark of the testimony,
[Exodus 30:30] And thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons, and sanctify them, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office.
[Exodus 40:9] And thou shalt take the anointing oil, and anoint the tabernacle, and all that is therein, and shalt hallow it, and all the furniture thereof: and it shall be holy.
[Exodus 40:10] And thou shalt anoint the altar of burnt-offering, and all its vessels, and sanctify the altar: and the altar shall be most holy.
[Exodus 40:11] And thou shalt anoint the laver and its base, and sanctify it.
[Exodus 40:13] And thou shalt put upon Aaron the holy garments; and thou shalt anoint him, and sanctify him, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office.
[Exodus 40:15] and thou shalt anoint them, as thou didst anoint their father, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office: and their anointing shall be to them for an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations.
[Leviticus 2:4] And when thou offerest an oblation of a meal-offering baken in the oven, it shall be unleavened cakes of fine flour mingled with oil, or unleavened wafers anointed with oil.
[Leviticus 6:20] This is the oblation of Aaron and of his sons, which they shall offer unto Jehovah in the day when he is anointed: the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a meal-offering perpetually, half of it in the morning, and half thereof in the evening.
[Leviticus 7:12] If he offer it for a thanksgiving, then he shall offer with the sacrifice of thanksgiving unleavened cakes mingled with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil, and cakes mingled with oil, of fine flour soaked.
[Leviticus 7:36] which Jehovah commanded to be given them of the children of Israel, in the day that he anointed them. It is their portion for ever throughout their generations.
[Leviticus 8:10] And Moses took the anointing oil, and anointed the tabernacle and all that was therein, and sanctified them.
[Leviticus 8:11] And he sprinkled thereof upon the altar seven times, and anointed the altar and all its vessels, and the laver and its base, to sanctify them.
[Leviticus 8:12] And he poured of the anointing oil upon Aaron's head, and anointed him, to sanctify him.
[Leviticus 16:32] And the priest, who shall be anointed and who shall be consecrated to be priest in his father's stead, shall make the atonement, and shall put on the linen garments, even the holy garments:
[Numbers 3:3] These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the priests that were anointed, whom he consecrated to minister in the priest's office.
[Numbers 6:15] and a basket of unleavened bread, cakes of fine flour mingled with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil, and their meal-offering, and their drink-offerings.
[Numbers 7:1] And it came to pass on the day that Moses had made an end of setting up the tabernacle, and had anointed it and sanctified it, and all the furniture thereof, and the altar and all the vessels thereof, and had anointed them and sanctified them;
[Numbers 7:10] And the princes offered for the dedication of the altar in the day that it was anointed, even the princes offered their oblation before the altar.
[Numbers 7:84] This was the dedication of the altar, in the day when it was anointed, by the princes of Israel: twelve silver platters, twelve silver bowls, twelve golden spoons;
[Numbers 7:88] and all the oxen for the sacrifice of peace-offerings twenty and four bullocks, the rams sixty, the he-goats sixty, the he-lambs a year old sixty. This was the dedication of the altar, after that it was anointed.
[Numbers 35:25] and the congregation shall deliver the manslayer out of the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to his city of refuge, whither he was fled: and he shall dwell therein until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the holy oil.
[Judges 9:8] The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive-tree, Reign thou over us.
[Judges 9:15] And the bramble said unto the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then come and take refuge in my shade; and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon.
[1 Samuel 9:16] To-morrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the land of Benjamin, and thou shalt anoint him to be prince over my people Israel; and he shall save my people out of the hand of the Philistines: for I have looked upon my people, because their cry is come unto me.
[1 Samuel 10:1] Then Samuel took the vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not that Jehovah hath anointed thee to be prince over his inheritance?
[1 Samuel 15:1] And Samuel said unto Saul, Jehovah sent me to anoint thee to be king over his people, over Israel: now therefore hearken thou unto the voice of the words of Jehovah.
[1 Samuel 15:17] And Samuel said, Though thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel? And Jehovah anointed thee king over Israel;
[1 Samuel 16:3] And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show thee what thou shalt do: and thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I name unto thee.
[1 Samuel 16:12] And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look upon. And Jehovah said, Arise, anoint him; for this is he.
[1 Samuel 16:13] Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of Jehovah came mightily upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.
[2 Samuel 2:4] And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, The men of Jabesh-gilead were they that buried Saul.
[2 Samuel 2:7] Now therefore let your hands be strong, and be ye valiant; for Saul your lord is dead, and also the house of Judah have anointed me king over them.
[2 Samuel 3:39] And I am this day weak, though anointed king; and these men the sons of Zeruiah are too hard for me: Jehovah reward the evil-doer according to his wickedness.
[2 Samuel 5:3] So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and king David made a covenant with them in Hebron before Jehovah: and they anointed David king over Israel.
[2 Samuel 5:17] And when the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, all the Philistines went up to seek David; and David heard of it, and went down to the stronghold.
[2 Samuel 12:7] And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul;
[2 Samuel 19:10] And Absalom, whom we anointed over us, is dead in battle. Now therefore why speak ye not a word of bringing the king back?
[1 Kings 1:34] and let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there king over Israel; and blow ye the trumpet, and say, Long live king Solomon.
[1 Kings 1:39] And Zadok the priest took the horn of oil out of the Tent, and anointed Solomon. And they blew the trumpet; and all the people said, Long live king Solomon.
[1 Kings 1:45] and Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon; and they are come up from thence rejoicing, so that the city rang again. This is the noise that ye have heard.
[1 Kings 5:1] And Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants unto Solomon; for he had heard that they had anointed him king in the room of his father: for Hiram was ever a lover of David.
[1 Kings 19:15] And Jehovah said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, thou shalt anoint Hazael to be king over Syria;
[1 Kings 19:16] and Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel; and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room.
[2 Kings 9:3] Then take the vial of oil, and pour it on his head, and say, Thus saith Jehovah, I have anointed thee king over Israel. Then open the door, and flee, and tarry not.
[2 Kings 9:6] And he arose, and went into the house; and he poured the oil on his head, and said unto him, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, I have anointed thee king over the people of Jehovah, even over Israel.
[2 Kings 9:12] And they said, It is false; tell us now. And he said, Thus and thus spake he to me, saying, Thus saith Jehovah, I have anointed thee king over Israel.
[2 Kings 11:12] Then he brought out the king's son, and put the crown upon him, and gave him the testimony; and they made him king, and anointed him; and they clapped their hands, and said, Long live the king.
[2 Kings 23:30] And his servants carried him in a chariot dead from Megiddo, and brought him to Jerusalem, and buried him in his own sepulchre. And the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and anointed him, and made him king in his father's stead.
[1 Chronicles 11:3] So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and David made a covenant with them in Hebron before Jehovah; and they anointed David king over Israel, according to the word of Jehovah by Samuel.
[1 Chronicles 14:8] And when the Philistines heard that David was anointed king over all Israel, all the Philistines went up to seek David: and David heard of it, and went out against them.
[1 Chronicles 29:22] and did eat and drink before Jehovah on that day with great gladness. And they made Solomon the son of David king the second time, and anointed him unto Jehovah to be prince, and Zadok to be priest.
[2 Chronicles 22:7] Now the destruction of Ahaziah was of God, in that he went unto Joram: for when he was come, he went out with Jehoram against Jehu the son of Nimshi, whom Jehovah had anointed to cut off the house of Ahab.
[2 Chronicles 23:11] Then they brought out the king's son, and put the crown upon him, and gave him the testimony, and made him king: and Jehoiada and his sons anointed him; and they said, Long live the king.
[Psalms 45:7] Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated wickedness: Therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee With the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
[Psalms 89:20] I have found David my servant; With my holy oil have I anointed him:
[Isaiah 21:5] They prepare the table, they set the watch, they eat, they drink: rise up, ye princes, anoint the shield.
[Isaiah 61:1] The Spirit of the Lord Jehovah is upon me; because Jehovah hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
[Jeremiah 22:14] that saith, I will build me a wide house and spacious chambers, and cutteth him out windows; and it is ceiled with cedar, and painted with vermilion.
[Daniel 9:24] Seventy weeks are decreed upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy.
[Amos 6:6] that drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief oils; but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.
Mashiyach, which means an anointed or consecrated person or thing, is translated into the English adjective 'anointed'. It is found 39 times in the Old Testament.
[Leviticus 4:3] if the anointed priest shall sin so as to bring guilt on the people, then let him offer for his sin, which he hath sinned, a young bullock without blemish unto Jehovah for a sin-offering.
[Leviticus 4:5] And the anointed priest shall take of the blood of the bullock, and bring it to the tent of meeting:
[Leviticus 4:16] And the anointed priest shall bring of the blood of the bullock to the tent of meeting:
[Leviticus 6:22] And the anointed priest that shall be in his stead from among his sons shall offer it: by a statute for ever it shall be wholly burnt unto Jehovah.
[1 Samuel 2:10] They that strive with Jehovah shall be broken to pieces; Against them will he thunder in heaven: Jehovah will judge the ends of the earth; And he will give strength unto his king, And exalt the horn of his anointed.
[1 Samuel 2:35] And I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in my heart and in my mind: and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before mine anointed for ever.
[1 Samuel 12:3] Here I am: witness against me before Jehovah, and before his anointed: whose ox have I taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have I oppressed? or of whose hand have I taken a ransom to blind mine eyes therewith? and I will restore it you.
[1 Samuel 12:5] And he said unto them, Jehovah is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that ye have not found aught in my hand. And they said, He is witness.
[1 Samuel 16:6] And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely Jehovah's anointed is before him.
[1 Samuel 24:6] And he said unto his men, Jehovah forbid that I should do this thing unto my lord, Jehovah's anointed, to put forth my hand against him, seeing he is Jehovah's anointed.
[1 Samuel 24:10] Behold, this day thine eyes have seen how that Jehovah had delivered thee to-day into my hand in the cave: and some bade me kill thee; but mine eye spared thee; and I said, I will not put forth my hand against my lord; for he is Jehovah's anointed.
[1 Samuel 26:9] And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not; for who can put forth his hand against Jehovah's anointed, and be guiltless?
[1 Samuel 26:11] Jehovah forbid that I should put forth my hand against Jehovah's anointed: but now take, I pray thee, the spear that is at his head, and the cruse of water, and let us go.
[1 Samuel 26:16] This thing is not good that thou hast done. As Jehovah liveth, ye are worthy to die, because ye have not kept watch over your lord, Jehovah's anointed. And now see where the king's spear is, and the cruse of water that was at his head.
[1 Samuel 26:23] And Jehovah will render to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness; forasmuch as Jehovah delivered thee into my hand to-day, and I would not put forth my hand against Jehovah's anointed.
[2 Samuel 1:14] And David said unto him, How wast thou not afraid to put forth thy hand to destroy Jehovah's anointed?
[2 Samuel 1:16] And David said unto him, Thy blood be upon thy head; for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I have slain Jehovah's anointed.
[2 Samuel 1:21] Ye mountains of Gilboa, Let there be no dew nor rain upon you, neither fields of offerings: For there the shield of the mighty was vilely cast away, The shield of Saul, not anointed with oil.
[2 Samuel 19:21] But Abishai the son of Zeruiah answered and said, Shall not Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed Jehovah's anointed?
[2 Samuel 22:51] Great deliverance giveth he to his king, And showeth lovingkindness to his anointed, To David and to his seed, for evermore.
[2 Samuel 23:1] Now these are the last words of David. David the son of Jesse saith, And the man who was raised on high saith, The anointed of the God of Jacob, And the sweet psalmist of Israel:
[1 Chronicles 16:22] Saying, Touch not mine anointed ones, And do my prophets no harm.
[2 Chronicles 6:42] O Jehovah God, turn not away the face of thine anointed: remember thy lovingkindnesses to David thy servant.
[Psalms 2:2] The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against Jehovah, and against his anointed, saying,
[Psalms 18:50] Great deliverance giveth he to his king, And showeth lovingkindness to his anointed, To David and to his seed, for evermore.
[Psalms 20:6] Now know I that Jehovah saveth his anointed; He will answer him from his holy heaven With the saving strength of his right hand.
[Psalms 28:8] Jehovah is their strength, And he is a stronghold of salvation to his anointed.
[Psalms 84:9] Behold, O God our shield, And look upon the face of thine anointed.
[Psalms 89:38] But thou hast cast off and rejected, Thou hast been wroth with thine anointed.
[Psalms 89:51] Wherewith thine enemies have reproached, O Jehovah, Wherewith they have reproached the footsteps of thine anointed.
[Psalms 105:15] Saying, Touch not mine anointed ones, And do my prophets no harm.
[Psalms 132:10] For thy servant David's sake Turn not away the face of thine anointed.
[Psalms 132:17] There will I make the horn of David to bud: I have ordained a lamp for mine anointed.
[Isaiah 45:1] Thus saith Jehovah 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 the doors before him, and the gates shall not be shut:
[Lamentations 4:20] The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of Jehovah, was taken in their pits; Of whom we said, Under his shadow we shall live among the nations.
[Daniel 9:25] Know therefore and discern, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the anointed one, the prince, shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: it shall be built again, with street and moat, even in troublous times.
[Daniel 9:26] And after the threescore and two weeks shall the anointed one be cut off, and shall have nothing: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and even unto the end shall be war; desolations are determined.
[Habakkuk 3:13] Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people, For the salvation of thine anointed; Thou woundest the head out of the house of the wicked man, Laying bare the foundation even unto the neck. Selah.
Mishchah, derived from mashach above, is usually translated into the English 'anointing oil' or 'ointment'. It is found 24 times in the Old Testament.
[Exodus 25:6] oil for the light, spices for the anointing oil, and for the sweet incense,
[Exodus 29:7] Then shalt thou take the anointing oil, and pour it upon his head, and anoint him.
[Exodus 29:21] And thou shalt take of the blood that is upon the altar, and of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it upon Aaron, and upon his garments, and upon his sons, and upon the garments of his sons with him: and he shall be hallowed, and his garments, and his sons, and his sons' garments with him.
[Exodus 30:25] And thou shalt make it a holy anointing oil, a perfume compounded after the art of the perfumer: it shall be a holy anointing oil.
[Exodus 30:31] And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, This shall be a holy anointing oil unto me throughout your generations.
[Exodus 31:11] and the anointing oil, and the incense of sweet spices for the holy place: according to all that I have commanded thee shall they do.
[Exodus 35:8] and oil for the light, and spices for the anointing oil, and for the sweet incense,
[Exodus 35:15] and the altar of incense, and its staves, and the anointing oil, and the sweet incense, and the screen for the door, at the door of the tabernacle;
[Exodus 35:28] and the spice, and the oil; for the light, and for the anointing oil, and for the sweet incense.
[Exodus 37:29] And he made the holy anointing oil, and the pure incense of sweet spices, after the art of the perfumer.
[Exodus 39:38] and the golden altar, and the anointing oil, and the sweet incense, and the screen for the door of the Tent;
[Exodus 40:9] And thou shalt take the anointing oil, and anoint the tabernacle, and all that is therein, and shalt hallow it, and all the furniture thereof: and it shall be holy.
[Leviticus 7:35] This is the anointing-portion of Aaron, and the anointing-portion of his sons, out of the offerings of Jehovah made by fire, in the day when he presented them to minister unto Jehovah in the priest's office;
[Leviticus 8:2] Take Aaron and his sons with him, and the garments, and the anointing oil, and the bullock of the sin-offering, and the two rams, and the basket of unleavened bread;
[Leviticus 8:10] And Moses took the anointing oil, and anointed the tabernacle and all that was therein, and sanctified them.
[Leviticus 8:12] And he poured of the anointing oil upon Aaron's head, and anointed him, to sanctify him.
[Leviticus 8:30] And Moses took of the anointing oil, and of the blood which was upon the altar, and sprinkled it upon Aaron, upon his garments, and upon his sons, and upon his sons' garments with him, and sanctified Aaron, his garments, and his sons, and his sons' garments with him.
[Leviticus 10:7] And ye shall not go out from the door of the tent of meeting, lest ye die; for the anointing oil of Jehovah is upon you. And they did according to the word of Moses.
[Leviticus 21:10] And he that is the high priest among his brethren, upon whose head the anointing oil is poured, and that is consecrated to put on the garments, shall not let the hair of his head go loose, nor rend his clothes;
[Leviticus 21:12] neither shall he go out of the sanctuary, nor profane the sanctuary of his God; for the crown of the anointing oil of his God is upon him: I am Jehovah.
[Numbers 4:16] And the charge of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest shall be the oil for the light, and the sweet incense, and the continual meal-offering, and the anointing oil, the charge of all the tabernacle, and of all that therein is, the sanctuary, and the furniture thereof.
[Numbers 18:8] And Jehovah spake unto Aaron, And I, behold, I have given thee the charge of my heave-offerings, even all the hallowed things of the children of Israel; unto thee have I given them by reason of the anointing, and to thy sons, as a portion for ever. [PLACE IN TEXT]
Footnote II
Benny Hinn:
“Those who put us down are a bunch of morons. ... You know, I’ve looked for one verse in the Bible, I just can’t seem to find it. One verse that says, ‘If you don’t like ’em, kill ’em.’ I really wish I could find it. ... Sometimes I wish God would give me a Holy Ghost machine gun — I blow your head off!” (Benny Hinn on TBN’s “Praise-A-Thon,” April 1990).
“Be careful! Your little ones may suffer because of your stupidity. Now I’m pointing my finger today, with the mighty power of God on me, and I speak. ... And your children will suffer. If you care for your kids, stop attacking Benny Hinn” (World Charismatic Conference, Aug. 7, 1992).
"I place a curse on every man and every woman that would stretch his hand against this anointing; I curse that man who dares to speak a word against this ministry... " (Benny Hinn at his July 1999 Denver Miracle Crusade as shown on the Praise the Lord show, Sept. 10, 1999).
I want to tell you why I believe people get sick...In 2 Chronicles 16, verse 10 - and I like to read this - verse 10 and 11 and 12, the Bible says sickness comes when individuals attack preachers..."And Asa in the thirty and ninth year of his reign was diseased in his feet, until his disease was exceeding great: yet in his disease he sought not to the LORD, but to the physicians." The reason this man was struck with sickness is because he had been persecuting God's servant and oppressing the people of God. We see in the Word of God, God declares in His Word, "Touch not mine anointed and do my prophets no harm." Now that was spoken concerning Israel, yet applies to the body of Christ today, and we must be so careful not to attack men of God even when these men of God are not living right. (From Praise The Lord, Trinity Broadcasting Network, June 8, 1998.)
Kenneth Copeland:
“Several people that I know had criticized and called that faith bunch out of Tulsa a cult. And some of ’em are dead right today in an early grave because of it, and there’s more than one of them got cancer” (“Why All Are Not Healed,” tape #01-4001).
Paul Crouch:
"That old rotten Sanhedrin crowd, twice dead, plucked up by the roots ... they're damned and on their way to hell and I don't think there's any redemption for them ... the hypocrites, the heresy hunters that want to find a little mote of illegal doctrine in some Christian's eyes ... when they've got a whole forest in their own lives. ... "I say, `To hell with you! Get out of my life! Get out of the way! Quit blockin' God's bridges! I'm tired of this! ... This is my spirit. Oh, hallelujah!' ... (TBN’s “Praise-A-Thon,” April 2, 1991)
"We gotten so caught up in theology and debating and discussing theology and nit picking on this, and the heretic hunters have smokescreened the whole thing." (The Christian Channel Europe "Praise The Lord" 14/6/98)
I want you all to listen carefully. This is a word - a prophetic word that came to me on September the 25th.... The ministry of TBN is about to explode...... It is time, once and for all, to take your sword in hand, the mighty sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Speak it out. Proclaim defeat to the enemies of God. Stand up, everybody. In the Name of Jesus, we proclaim defeat to the enemies of God. .... The enemies of God are defeated in the Name and by the blood of Jesus Christ. They are under our feet by the victory of Jesus Christ when He said, "Behold, I am He Who was dead, but am alive forevermore, and have the keys of death and of hell." We receive it in Jesus' Name. Take authority over the principalities and powers that dare to threaten this ministry. I have raised it up from infancy for My own purposes, saith the Lord. Just as I commanded Ezekiel to prophesy life to dry bones, and they took on life, so I am commanding you to prophesy death to the threats, challenges, and bondages the enemy has placed on TBN. Command them to cease and desist, and you will see this dilemma die and disappear before your eyes. God, we proclaim death to anything or anyone that will lift a hand against this network and this ministry that belongs to You, God. It is Your work, it is Your idea, it is Your property, it is Your airwaves, it is Your world, and we proclaim death to anything that would stand in the way of God's great voice of proclamation to the whole world. In the Name of Jesus, and all the people said Amen! (Praise The Lord Trinity Broadcasting Network November 7, 1997)
“I have been disturbed by a bunch of, oh I’m just going to say it, a bunch of crap. ... Go ahead and tape it, put it on your slime-ball radio broadcast. You’ll have to pray it through Pastor Phil, but this old German, I’d say sue the bastards” (Praise the Lord show, October 1994, cited in Christian Sentinel, Spring 1995, pg. 9).
“I refuse to argue any longer with any of you out there. Don’t even call me if you want to argue doctrine, if you want to straighten somebody out over here. ... I think they [i.e., those he labels ‘heretic hunters’] are damned and on their way to hell and I don’t think there is any redemption for them. I say, ‘To hell with you.’ I say, ‘Get out of God’s way, quit blocking God’s bridges or God is going to shoot you if I don’t’” (TBN’s “Praise-A-Thon,” April 2, 1991).
Michael Brown: “[Our detractors] continue to oppose Jesus Himself. ... Soon the Lord may say, ... ‘I rebuke you for speaking falsely in My name. Repent while there is still time. My kindness toward you is running thin.’ Are you willing to wager your salvation on the fact that you are correct?” (Let No One Deceive You, pp. 19-20). [PLACE IN TEXT]
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Section 10A 
