Anointing

By NII ARMAAH MARTEI - OLLETEY

It was Kathryn Kuhlman, the anointed woman of God who said that the anointing is heaven's treasure. Anyone who carries the anointing himself or herself becomes a treasure of heaven. This is to show you that the anointing is not to be treated as a common thing.
In this book, I have thrown a little light on the most valuable thing on earth: the anointing. It is the colour of life, the status changer, the most efficient and effective publicity agent and holds solutions to all dimensions of life. Value it, pursue it and lay hold on it.
Pay the price for the most valuable treasure and you will forever be cherished by heaven and earth.

• Language: English
• Publisher: NII ARMAAH MARTEI - OLLETEY
• Release date: Dec 16, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201149987

Book preview

INTRODUCTION

Anointing is the ritual act of pouring aromatic oil over a person's head or entire body. By extension, the term is also applied to related acts of sprinkling, dousing, or smearing a person or object with any perfumed oil, milk, butter, or other fat. (Source Wikipedia) Anointing is an act that started centuries ago. This book will focus extensively on the spiritual aspect of anointing, but we will briefly look at the history and other areas where anointing was applied.

The Anointing is so precious because grace flows from the Head to the Body by means of the anointing. The function of the anointing is to maintain the link between the Head and the Body, as well as the link between all the other members. The anointing is the operation of the Holy Spirit within man.

The relationship between the Holy Spirit, Christ, and the church can be compared to the nerves in the human body. The nerves direct and coordinate all the members of the body. Likewise, in the spiritual Body the Holy Spirit carries the thoughts of the Head to all the other members. As members of the Body of Christ, we have to yield to the authority of the Holy Spirit. When we yield to the authority of the Holy Spirit, we are yielding to the Head. When we grieve the Spirit, we frustrate our relationship with the Head. We hold the Head by simply yielding to the Spirit.

CHAPTER ONE

WHAT IS THE ANOINTING

Anointing was a common ancient cultural practice. Shepherds often poured oil on the heads of their sheep in order to protect them from insects that would burrow in their ears and kill them, contributing to anointing becoming symbolic of blessing, protection, and empowerment. The Jewish people anointed the altar when making sacrifices. Spiritually, anointing was related to the idea of strength or blessing. Priests were anointed with oil, later followed by Samuel anointing both Saul and later David as kings of Israel. This anointing signified a person as a chosen one among other people. Anointing served a number of purposes back in ancient times and it still serves.

Early History

The indigenous Australians believed that the virtues of a dead person could be transferred to survivors if they rubbed themselves with his or her intestinal-fat. Similarly, the Arabs of East Africa anointed themselves with lion's fat in order to gain courage. Human fat was considered to be a powerful charm all over the world. The fat was often thought to be the vehicle and seat of life, second only to the blood. This, in addition to the pleasing odour produced, resulted in the fat of a sacrificial animal victim being smeared on a sacred altar to honour the deity. According to some beliefs, the qualities of divinity can, by anointing, be transferred into men as well.

In Greek mythology the sea nymph, Thetis, anointed her mortal child Achilles with ambrosia in order to make him immortal. (In a variant of the myth, Thetis dipped him in the waters of the River Styx but failed to dip the heel by which she held him). Among the Jews, as among the Egyptians and other peoples, kings were anointed with olive oil in token of God's blessing upon them. Butter is often used for anointing in the Hindu religion. A newly- built house is smeared with it; so for those believed to be suffering from demonic possession, care was taken to smear the latter downwards from head to foot. Anointments are also part of certain Hindu monarchies' enthronement rituals, when blood can also be used.

Health-wise, anointing was used in conjunction with bathing, anointment with oil closes pores. It was regarded as counteracting the influence of the sun, reducing sweating. Aromatic oils naturally masked body and other offensive odours, and other forms of fat could be combined with perfumes. Applications of oils and fats are also used as traditional medicines. The Bible records olive oil being applied to the sick and poured into wounds (Ps. 109:18; Isa. 1:6; Mark 6:13; James 5:14). Known sources date from times, when anointment already served a religious function; therefore, anointing was also used to combat the supposed malicious influence of demons in Persia, Armenia, and Greece. It was more recently used in traditional Indian medicine to remove illness, bad luck, and demonic possession.

Anointing was also understood to seal in goodness and resist corruption, probably via analogy with the use of a top layer of oil to preserve wine in ancient amphora; it’s spoiling, usually being credited to demonic influence. For sanitary and religious reasons, the bodies of the dead are sometimes anointed. In medieval and early modern Christianity, the practice was particularly associated with protection against vampires and ghouls who might otherwise take possession of the corpse.

The Old Testament Hebrew words for anoint are masah and mosah which means to be spread, be anointed; to be anointed; usually referring to pouring or smearing sacred oil on a person in a ceremony dedication, possibly symbolizing divine empowering to accomplish the task or office. The New Testament Greek words for anoint" are chrio, which means to smear or rub with oil and, by implication, to consecrate for office or religious service; and aleipho, which means to anoint. (Source; Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance). In Bible times, people were anointed with oil to signify God’s blessing or call on that person’s life (Exodus 29:7; Exodus 40:9; 2 Kings 9:6; Ecclesiastes 9:8; James 5:14). A person was anointed for a special purpose—to be a king, to be a prophet, to be a builder, etc. There is nothing wrong with anointing a person with oil today. We just have to make sure that the purpose of anointing is in agreement with Scripture. Anointing should not be viewed as a magic potion. The oil itself does not have any power. It is only God who can anoint a person for a specific purpose. If we use oil, it