Being anointed by God and being anointed with physical oil are closely connected, but they describe two different dimensions of anointing. Physical anointing is an action performed in the natural world. It may communicate dedication, blessing, restoration, consecration or appointment, depending upon its purpose and the way it is applied. Spiritual anointing, however, originates with God and concerns His presence, authority and empowerment through the Holy Spirit. The relationship between these two dimensions becomes particularly clear in the account of David. Samuel anoints him with physical oil, but Scripture identifies the Spirit of the Lord as the One who comes upon him from that day forward (1 Samuel 16:13). The oil is the visible expression of an appointment that originated with God. It is therefore important to understand the order of this relationship. A prophetic act does not create a spiritual reality through human effort. Rather, it gives visible expression to faith in what God has already established in the spiritual realm. Physical anointing belongs to the natural world, but its prophetic meaning directs our attention towards the work of God, who is Spirit.
Under the New Covenant, every genuine follower of Jesus Christ is welcomed into His royal priesthood and receives the Holy Spirit. Paul declares that God establishes us in Christ, anoints us, seals us and gives us His Spirit as a guarantee (2 Corinthians 1:21--22). Likewise, Ephesians 1:13--14 describes believers as being sealed with the promised Holy Spirit. This spiritual anointing cannot be purchased, manufactured or obtained merely by applying oil to the body. Yet the presence of the Holy Spirit within believers does not make physical anointing meaningless. On the contrary, it allows us to understand more clearly the spiritual reality that anointing oil represents. Just as the golden lampstand depended upon oil to keep its lamps burning, we depend upon the Holy Spirit to shine with the light of Jesus Christ. Physical anointing may serve as a prophetic expression of our faith, but the true anointing is God's own presence and empowerment within us. Our ultimate calling is therefore not simply to possess or use anointing oil. We are called to live as anointed followers of Jesus Christ, continually filled with His Spirit, transformed by His Word and equipped to reveal His light to the world.
House of Anointing