"That Person Is So Anointed"
Imagine that you are sitting in church enjoying the vocal styling of a gifted songstress. As she sings your favorite worship song, your soul soars with every sound and word. The music is uplifting, yet soothing, and every note is hit with musical precision, and the words are inspiring, which leaves your skin riddled with tingly goosebumps. Then someone next to you leans in close and joyfully whispers, "Mmm, mmm, mmm! Praise the Lord! That girl is so anointed!" Have you ever experienced such a scene, or have you ever thought, or said something similar? I have. Well, just what did that person, or you, really mean when you said that? Did you mean the singer was very gifted, or that when that person sings you feel the presence of the Lord, or did you mean both? When ever I heard someone say that about a singer, or a speaker, it always left me puzzled as to what they meant when they said that. After much thought and soul searching I finally have the answer to that question, that has eluded me, until now. Dear reader, please allow me to share what I have learned regarding this very thing, and while I'm at it, clear up some things concerning the word "anointed" as it is over used and altogether misused these days. This Scriptural word does have a proper biblical meaning, and should be used in its proper biblical context. In these last days, we must not check our brains at the door of our churches, we must use them to guard our hearts. All I ever ask of people is to think about what has been said, and line it up with our plumb line of Christian living, the Bible. We should always, like the Bereans, turn to the Scripture [the O.T. in particular], to see if what they say is so.
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The Definition of "Anoint"
As always, when making a case for proper biblical exegesis, I like to start with definitions. That way, it is my hope that in doing so, we will all be on the same page. I always desire to understand the Bible on its terms, and how certain words are employed within its pages. I not only want to understand how words are used in the text where they are found, but also how the context is used throughout all of Scripture. But before I go to the Lexicon and Webster's dictionary, I would like to first draw your attention to the series of pictures to the upper left of this page. At the top we see Moses, anointing Aaron for his priestly duties he would carry out until his death. Then in the middle, we see a very young David, being anointed by Samuel the prophet, to be the future king of Israel, and in the midst are his rejected older brothers. And finally, at the bottom, we see the prophet Elijah passing on his anointed mantle of office to his understudy, Elisha, who I might add, received a "double anointing!" All of these pictures demonstrate a form of Old Testament "anointing."
As I have said many times here on The Whittier Housewife, but bears repeating: if something ain't in the Old Testament, then it won't be in the New Testament. So it is there, in the Old Testament, where I will start my critique. It is in the Old Testament where we will be provided with the foundation of the meaning and implications behind the words: "anoint", "anointed", and "anointing." First I will follow in my usual fashion and begin by defining these words, first from a Bible Lexicon, and then with the Webster's dictionary. The Bible Lexicon I use in on Blueletterbible.com.
As I have said many times here on The Whittier Housewife, but bears repeating: if something ain't in the Old Testament, then it won't be in the New Testament. So it is there, in the Old Testament, where I will start my critique. It is in the Old Testament where we will be provided with the foundation of the meaning and implications behind the words: "anoint", "anointed", and "anointing." First I will follow in my usual fashion and begin by defining these words, first from a Bible Lexicon, and then with the Webster's dictionary. The Bible Lexicon I use in on Blueletterbible.com.
There are five Hebrew words that directly translate as "anoint", "anointing", and "anointed", with three other words that are in some way related to the act or idea of anointing. I will only deal with the directly translated words for "anoint" and its other forms.
mashach - verb. to smear, anoint (as consecration), spread a liquid, to be anointed
cuwk - verb. to anoint [oneself, or another ] , pour in anointing, to be poured
mimshach - masculine noun. anointed, expansion [as in the wingspan of a cherub]
mishchah - feminine noun. consecrated portion, anointing oil, portion, ointment, anointing
portion. Ointment (used to consecrate by anointing). Anointing portion.
mashiyach - masculine noun. Anointed, anointed one. a) of the Messiah, Messianic prince
b) of the king of Israel c) of the high priest of Israel d) of Cyrus king of Persia
e) of the patriarchs as anointed kings
cuwk - verb. to anoint [oneself, or another ] , pour in anointing, to be poured
mimshach - masculine noun. anointed, expansion [as in the wingspan of a cherub]
mishchah - feminine noun. consecrated portion, anointing oil, portion, ointment, anointing
portion. Ointment (used to consecrate by anointing). Anointing portion.
mashiyach - masculine noun. Anointed, anointed one. a) of the Messiah, Messianic prince
b) of the king of Israel c) of the high priest of Israel d) of Cyrus king of Persia
e) of the patriarchs as anointed kings
Now I will give the English definition of "anoint":
Anoint - transitive verb.
1: to smear or rub with oil or an oily substance
2 a: to apply oil to as a sacred rite especially for consecration
b: to choose by or as if by divine election; also : to designate as if by a ritual anointment
This word can also bear a metaphorical meaning, which can be used as an appointment to office by election or a bestowing of another honor, such as: He was anointed by his colleagues as "king for a day."
In English, as I understand it [members of the grammar police, please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong], a transitive verb like anoint, requires either a direct object, or a prepositional phrase in order for the action word, or verb, to make grammatical sense. After someone says something that leaves you asking a question like: who, what, where, when, and why, chances are that they have used a transitive verb in an incomplete statement. For instance, if I say, "I like to bounce" you would immediately want to know what I like to bounce, or I would need to give more information in the form of a prepositional phrase such as: "for joy after hearing good news.", to complete my statement. The object, or noun phrase: a ball, would also help complete the sentence and information I had meant to convey. So the word, "anoint", is such a verb, as it requires the use of a direct object, or a prepositional phrase to make grammatical sense. And that is my problem with the misuse and abuse of this word in the biblical sense, it usually goes uncompleted in a sentence, or even when used as a metaphor. So when someone says, "He is so anointed" I want them to qualify that statement by saying what they are anointed for, by whom, and why.
Anoint - transitive verb.
1: to smear or rub with oil or an oily substance
2 a: to apply oil to as a sacred rite especially for consecration
b: to choose by or as if by divine election; also : to designate as if by a ritual anointment
This word can also bear a metaphorical meaning, which can be used as an appointment to office by election or a bestowing of another honor, such as: He was anointed by his colleagues as "king for a day."
In English, as I understand it [members of the grammar police, please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong], a transitive verb like anoint, requires either a direct object, or a prepositional phrase in order for the action word, or verb, to make grammatical sense. After someone says something that leaves you asking a question like: who, what, where, when, and why, chances are that they have used a transitive verb in an incomplete statement. For instance, if I say, "I like to bounce" you would immediately want to know what I like to bounce, or I would need to give more information in the form of a prepositional phrase such as: "for joy after hearing good news.", to complete my statement. The object, or noun phrase: a ball, would also help complete the sentence and information I had meant to convey. So the word, "anoint", is such a verb, as it requires the use of a direct object, or a prepositional phrase to make grammatical sense. And that is my problem with the misuse and abuse of this word in the biblical sense, it usually goes uncompleted in a sentence, or even when used as a metaphor. So when someone says, "He is so anointed" I want them to qualify that statement by saying what they are anointed for, by whom, and why.
Different Kinds of Anointing
Within the pages of the Old Testament, we see that the act of anointing someone could be carried out for the purpose of an official appointment, such as the case with a prophet, priest, and king. This ceremony was usually performed by a prophet, or priest, and ordained by God for the appointment of another prophet, or priest. After the Children of Israel rejected God as their king, eventually a human king was anointed into public service by a prophet. In the New Testament, Jesus was anointed in the river Jordan by the prophet John the Baptist, and by his Father via the Holy Spirit vision, which only John saw [John 1:32-33], to do the work of saving the world from sin. Jesus' anointing as Messiah was proven by his teaching sound doctrine and his miracles, even by being raised from the dead.
Also in the Old Testament, there was the self-anointing process that took place usually after a bath as a means of personal care. In arid countries, olive oil and other fragrant oils, were smeared on the body as a means of personal care, as it gives a cooling sensation to the skin, and of course it is a natural moisturizer. That is all anointing really is, a smearing, covering, pouring, or coating someone or something in oil, be it the special recipe of holy oil, or an everyday run of the mill olive oil. Oh and yes, the physical pouring of holy anointed oil does symbolize the anointing of the Holy Spirit.
But leave it to the spooky hyper-spiritual weirdo out there, who uses the word "anointed", or "anointing" as some sort of spiritual designation, or sign of spiritual superiority, or as God's stamp of proof that a person's gifting is solely from the Almighty. Well, I have some news for those holy rollers out there that just might shock the socks off them. News tidbit number one: Lucifer, who is now Satan, was an anointed cherub, and since God's gifts are not repealed, that means he still is [Rev. 17:8]. News tidbit number two: Satan can anoint people with gifts for his purposes just as God does [Rev. 13:4]. Do people honestly think that all the singers on the Contemporary "Christian" Music Charts are really devoted to the Almighty? If you do, then you are in for a very rude awakening. Research the hand gestures they make during concerts, dig a little into why they have certain symbols, or assume certain poses on their album covers. Research where rock-n-roll came from, and what it's purpose is. Then try to justify for me "Christian" rock music, if you can. Moving on...
Also in the Old Testament, there was the self-anointing process that took place usually after a bath as a means of personal care. In arid countries, olive oil and other fragrant oils, were smeared on the body as a means of personal care, as it gives a cooling sensation to the skin, and of course it is a natural moisturizer. That is all anointing really is, a smearing, covering, pouring, or coating someone or something in oil, be it the special recipe of holy oil, or an everyday run of the mill olive oil. Oh and yes, the physical pouring of holy anointed oil does symbolize the anointing of the Holy Spirit.
But leave it to the spooky hyper-spiritual weirdo out there, who uses the word "anointed", or "anointing" as some sort of spiritual designation, or sign of spiritual superiority, or as God's stamp of proof that a person's gifting is solely from the Almighty. Well, I have some news for those holy rollers out there that just might shock the socks off them. News tidbit number one: Lucifer, who is now Satan, was an anointed cherub, and since God's gifts are not repealed, that means he still is [Rev. 17:8]. News tidbit number two: Satan can anoint people with gifts for his purposes just as God does [Rev. 13:4]. Do people honestly think that all the singers on the Contemporary "Christian" Music Charts are really devoted to the Almighty? If you do, then you are in for a very rude awakening. Research the hand gestures they make during concerts, dig a little into why they have certain symbols, or assume certain poses on their album covers. Research where rock-n-roll came from, and what it's purpose is. Then try to justify for me "Christian" rock music, if you can. Moving on...
"You [Are] The Anointed Cherub Who Covers"
In Scripture, not only are people anointed by God for office, but angels are also anointed. God gives us little glimpses of our adversary, Satan, in Scripture and we would do well to take heed to what he has to say about him. In this illustration, it appears that Satan is observing, or sizing up his prey - Eve. If you will notice, he is in his proper angelic form, not as a scaly snake like so many illustrations portray him when artists take God's metaphor literally.
Scripture does indeed place Satan in the garden of God, the Garden of Eden, in Ezekiel 28:13. The Almighty says of him, that he's the anointed cherub who covers. I found this verse very interesting and I'll tell you why. I've always wondered why Satan was hanging around the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. What was Satan really doing there? Was he just waiting around until he saw an opportune time to trick them into eating its fruit? Sure, but to me there seems to have been another, or a "legal" reason for him to be there. Genesis 3 does indeed refer to the serpent, which is God's defamatory reference to Satan [Rev. 12:9], while Adam and Eve are there. Anyway, when you do a lexicon word searches for the word, "serpent," the verb root of that word is "nachash", and means hissing, or the whispering of soothsayers. A soothsayer is someone who is supposedly able to tell the future by using mystical means. From time to time in Scripture, rather than using someone's name, God uses an epithet, or a descriptive term or phrase that expresses a quality or characteristic of the person or thing mentioned in the text. This is such a time.
Remember that it is Moses who is recounting the story of the fall of man in Genesis 3, as after the fact, so when God is calling Satan the serpent [definite article "the" used after singular noun "serpent"] it is because God is saying that Satan silently slithers into peoples lives and hisses, or whispers his lies to his victims, injecting his poison into their minds. All of these activities are effectively illustrated via the "serpent" epithet. So the Bible puts Satan at that tree, not as having possessed a literal snake in which to speak through, but rather as a magnificent, beautiful and beguiling anointed guarding angel. Truly, it doesn't seem likely that Eve would have been so hair brained as to be all that impressed with a talking snake rather than a gorgeous anointed angel, you know? After all, we humans are highly influenced by beautiful people and things, not slithering and slimy looking snakes, even if they did talk.
Scripture does indeed place Satan in the garden of God, the Garden of Eden, in Ezekiel 28:13. The Almighty says of him, that he's the anointed cherub who covers. I found this verse very interesting and I'll tell you why. I've always wondered why Satan was hanging around the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. What was Satan really doing there? Was he just waiting around until he saw an opportune time to trick them into eating its fruit? Sure, but to me there seems to have been another, or a "legal" reason for him to be there. Genesis 3 does indeed refer to the serpent, which is God's defamatory reference to Satan [Rev. 12:9], while Adam and Eve are there. Anyway, when you do a lexicon word searches for the word, "serpent," the verb root of that word is "nachash", and means hissing, or the whispering of soothsayers. A soothsayer is someone who is supposedly able to tell the future by using mystical means. From time to time in Scripture, rather than using someone's name, God uses an epithet, or a descriptive term or phrase that expresses a quality or characteristic of the person or thing mentioned in the text. This is such a time.
Remember that it is Moses who is recounting the story of the fall of man in Genesis 3, as after the fact, so when God is calling Satan the serpent [definite article "the" used after singular noun "serpent"] it is because God is saying that Satan silently slithers into peoples lives and hisses, or whispers his lies to his victims, injecting his poison into their minds. All of these activities are effectively illustrated via the "serpent" epithet. So the Bible puts Satan at that tree, not as having possessed a literal snake in which to speak through, but rather as a magnificent, beautiful and beguiling anointed guarding angel. Truly, it doesn't seem likely that Eve would have been so hair brained as to be all that impressed with a talking snake rather than a gorgeous anointed angel, you know? After all, we humans are highly influenced by beautiful people and things, not slithering and slimy looking snakes, even if they did talk.
Now, my thesis will no doubt be highly controversial to many, but here it is. The temptation of Eve in garden of Eden, could very well have been the time that the anointed Lucifer fell and became Satan. If you read and compare the verses in Genesis 3:14-15 and Ezekiel 28:13, and Isaiah 14:12, perhaps you will see what I saw. I got the picture that it was Lucifer's job to "cover" or "guard" the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Since Satan, a.k.a. Lucifer, before his fall, is a designated as a covering cherub according to Scripture. That means he guards, covers, and protects whatever God assigns to him. And apparently, God assigned him to the Garden of Eden while he was still perfect and beautiful. So what was he supposed to cover or guard if not the tree of the knowledge of good and evil? That was the only tree Adam and Eve were instructed to not eat from. How wonderful of God to set a guard over the very tree he told them not to eat from, right? How very evil of that anointed guard to betray his post and God's loyalty. As I have said many times, and the Bible supports this, that great evil is often disguised behind great beauty.
So, It would seem then that Lucifer betrayed his post and position by tricking Eve into believing him, the guarding anointed cherub, rather than their master and creator, The Almighty. She ended up honoring the messenger over The One who sent him. I can't say as I blame her, he must have been quite a sight to behold; going by the description of him in the Bible. Couple that with his perverted wisdom and what the Bible calls: the abundance of trading, or merchandising, and you have a recipe for both the fall of mankind, and a high ranking angelic dignitary. That phrase has an underhanded or sinister connotation attached to it, and is also linked to tale bearing, or telling confidential information to those who shouldn't be hearing it. My theory and reasoning are based on Scripture, and my knowledge of linguistics, as limited as that knowledge is. God's accounting of the Garden of Eden incident through Moses is told via anthropomorphism, that of equating Satan/Lucifer to an actual serpent, rather than giving him his anointed cherub form, so that means God must have been really cheesed off at him. We have all heard the terms: snake in the grass, and low down dirty dog, to describe a bad person. This is what God is doing here, calling Satan, who was Lucifer: the serpent.
Why do I say all this? Well, I want us to understand just how devious and cleaver Satan is, and that he was and is in fact an "anointed" cherub. He is very wise and cunning, but his wisdom was corrupted, and now he uses it for evil. He is also still very much an angel of light. He has not fully lost his anointing God gave him, not yet anyway. So he can appear to anyone at anytime as a light bearing cherub, or angel. The fallen angels, and his human agents also mimic his ability to hide their true evil "facades" under good "facades." As a high ranking ruler of spiritual wickedness in high places, he is not to be trifled with, nor is he to be slandered. If you go toe to toe with him, then he will mess you up, that is if you face him without Jesus. Even so, Jesus didn't go looking for a fight, but Satan came to him instead, and only at opportune times, when he felt Jesus was at his weakest, but was soundly defeated every time with Scripture! That's important. Jesus overcame Satan, so we need not fear him, we need to fear God, because Jesus is greater. I don't mean fear The Almighty as a devoted evildoer fears the law, but fear him as you would fear a loving yet just father. If you love him, you will want to obey him, but when you do disobey him, you know that it will cost the seat of your pants much pain!
Anyway, my point is that Satan can "anoint" anyone he chooses to do his bidding, such as musicians, singers, artists, writers, theologians, and yes, even would be pastors that use sensual devices, faulty reasoning, and vain imaginings to lead many sheep astray. And that my dear reader, is one of his many devices: using the senses to deceive! He even "protects" or "covers" them while they are useful to him. That is unless God over rules Satan's power and chooses to take out Satan's minion, when it serves his own higher purposes. Satan, like a pirate, will only keep his side of any covenant or bargain if it serves his purposes, and he gives pleasure with much pain. Just ask any of the superstars who have made a deal with him, or just listen to the lyrics of their chart busing songs, they'll tell you all about it. But not to worry, Satan is a temporary, or vassal ruler, he isn't the head honcho. Satan is a created being, he isn't the Creator.
Yes dear reader, what many people mean, without realizing it, when they say a certain preacher, teacher, singer, or musician who has come to there church and delivered their 'anointed' message, or song, is that their senses have been gratified, or titillated. Thus they believe they "feel" the Lord's presence. And with the help of these wolves, the feelings of the sheep are reinforced by their claim that their "anointing" is of the Lord and so that means he is present. I have heard this myself, they say things like: "Can you just "feel" him?" Yet we Christians are instructed to not walk after the flesh, meaning our senses, but that we are to walk by our faith. Faith can't see what is up ahead, faith can't "feel" God's presence, faith simply takes God as his word which says, "I will never leave you nor forsake you, even unto the end of this age." Now amazingly, some wolves, such as Kenneth Copeland, do point this very thing out, to their credit.
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However, they do perform a switcheroo of sorts by elevating faith to the point of making it the object of their focus. They even go so far as to say that The Almighty is subject to faith. That is where they error BIG time! The Almighty sees all, hence his divine attributes of omniscience, and omnipresence are exclusive to him, therefore he doesn't need faith, he supersedes it. By making God subject to faith, they are able to make you believe that you too can be like the most high, and you can live Satan's dream of being, "I AM!" The burden is the Christian to judge where a certain persons "anointing" comes from, either from the Lord Jesus, or Satan. And we can do this with the word of God. The Almighty told the Children of Israel in Deuteronomy 13 that if a prophet's word came true, but said: Let's go and serve a foreign god", then they were to know that God was testing them to see if they would do it. Yes, God will allow false prophets to do this. Why? To see if you really love him and if you will be loyal to his word that says, "Don't bow to any other God but me." Will you believe what your senses tell you regarding a supposedly "anointed" person, or will you live by your faith in what God says, knowing that he won't contradict what is in his written word. This is perfectly illustrated for us in 1 Kings 13 regarding the account of the man of God and the old prophet. Let's read and examine what went on it this biblical account shall we?
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The Message of the Man of God
A man of God was sent on a mission to Jeroboam, the apostate king of the 10 tribes of Israel, who was about to offer idolatrous sacrifices on his idolatrous altar. The LORD's message prophesied through the man of god was of a king by the name of Josiah who would be born, and this righteous king would destroy all of Jeroboam's idolatrous priests by burning them on the illegal idolatrous altar he set up in Bethel, which made a mockery of what Bethel means: house of God. Then the man of God gave a powerful sign that the altar Jeroboam was offering his idolatrous sacrifices on would split in two and the ashes would spill out. Naturally, this prophecy didn't please the pagan king of Israel, so he thrust out his hand and ordered the man of God to be arrested. God overruled his spoken command by withering the king's hand, which immediately got his attention, especially when right after that, the pagan altar split apart and spilled its ashes, just as the man of God prophesied it would. Jeroboam wisely asked the man of God to entreat the LORD through prayer to restore his hand. God restored his hand after the man of God's prayer, then Jeroboam asked the man of God to come to his house to refresh himself and to receive a reward. But the man of God said,
"If you were to give me half your house, I would not go in with you; nor would I
eat bread nor drink water in this place. For so it was commanded me by the word
of the LORD, saying, 'You shall not eat bread, nor drink water, nor return by the same
way you came.'"
Now please keep in mind that this word came directly to the man of God from God himself, and not through another "anointed" prophet, or angel. Now enters the old prophet living in idolatrous Bethel. When he had heard what had happened from his sons who were apparently there and saw the whole thing, the old prophet ordered his sons to saddle his donkey. When he had caught up to the man of God, the old prophet did something odd, he tried to get the man of God to come back with him and eat bread and drink water in Bethel, they very thing God directly forbade the man of God to do. When the man of God refused and reiterated what God had told him directly, the old prophet did something even more strange, he lied! He told the man of God that he too was a prophet and that an angel came to him with the word of the LORD, saying that he must go back with him and eat bread and drink water. What do you think happened? I'll tell you what happened- the man of God obeyed the old prophet instead of God! As a result the man of God met his doom on the way home, by the prophecy from the old prophet, which came directly from God, saying because the man of God disobeyed a direct order, he would not make it home, he would die. And die he did, because a lion met him on the road and killed him, but it didn't eat him. When the old prophet heard what had happened, he retrieved the man of God's corpse and buried it in his own tomb, then ordered his son's to bury him with the man of God when he died. Strange story, so what should we take away from it?
When God gives a direct command, it is never cancelled out, or contradicted by another command from a lesser messenger such as an angel, or other 'anointed' prophet. Remember, just as there are godly prophets, there are also ungodly prophets, which God will use to test our love and loyalty for him [Deut. 13], and don't forget that there are good angels, and bad angels which bring messages from their respective masters. The point is that the man of God did't even test the word that the old prophet claimed he got from an angel. Apparently, he just figured since they were in the same business, that his message was legitimate, even though it contradicted the direct command from the LORD himself. Just as Adam disobeyed the direct order from God himself forbidding them to eat from the tree in the midst of the garden, by allowing his wife to be deceived by a beautiful anointed guarding angel, even so, people today allow themselves to let their flesh tell them someone is anointed of God. They will listen to an "anointed" prophet that gives them goose bumps, or what they claim is a word for the LORD, rather than listen to the very sure words of God in Scripture.
So the next time you hear someone say, "He is so anointed! ", don't just sit there and agree with them. Instead, make that person qualify that statement with reasons why they think that person is so anointed. Is it because they look good to the eyes and give people chills, goose bumps, liver quivers, lightening, or tingly sensations when they speak, or sing, which they mistakenly take as a sign of the LORD's presence? If so, then the presumed anointed messenger, or singer is most likely not anointed of the LORD; that means Christians are no longer relying on faith, but rather on the flesh. The realm of the fleshly senses is a realm where Satan [that anointed cherub] effectively works his influential enchantments. We must be more discerning, especially in these last days! Amen.
"If you were to give me half your house, I would not go in with you; nor would I
eat bread nor drink water in this place. For so it was commanded me by the word
of the LORD, saying, 'You shall not eat bread, nor drink water, nor return by the same
way you came.'"
Now please keep in mind that this word came directly to the man of God from God himself, and not through another "anointed" prophet, or angel. Now enters the old prophet living in idolatrous Bethel. When he had heard what had happened from his sons who were apparently there and saw the whole thing, the old prophet ordered his sons to saddle his donkey. When he had caught up to the man of God, the old prophet did something odd, he tried to get the man of God to come back with him and eat bread and drink water in Bethel, they very thing God directly forbade the man of God to do. When the man of God refused and reiterated what God had told him directly, the old prophet did something even more strange, he lied! He told the man of God that he too was a prophet and that an angel came to him with the word of the LORD, saying that he must go back with him and eat bread and drink water. What do you think happened? I'll tell you what happened- the man of God obeyed the old prophet instead of God! As a result the man of God met his doom on the way home, by the prophecy from the old prophet, which came directly from God, saying because the man of God disobeyed a direct order, he would not make it home, he would die. And die he did, because a lion met him on the road and killed him, but it didn't eat him. When the old prophet heard what had happened, he retrieved the man of God's corpse and buried it in his own tomb, then ordered his son's to bury him with the man of God when he died. Strange story, so what should we take away from it?
When God gives a direct command, it is never cancelled out, or contradicted by another command from a lesser messenger such as an angel, or other 'anointed' prophet. Remember, just as there are godly prophets, there are also ungodly prophets, which God will use to test our love and loyalty for him [Deut. 13], and don't forget that there are good angels, and bad angels which bring messages from their respective masters. The point is that the man of God did't even test the word that the old prophet claimed he got from an angel. Apparently, he just figured since they were in the same business, that his message was legitimate, even though it contradicted the direct command from the LORD himself. Just as Adam disobeyed the direct order from God himself forbidding them to eat from the tree in the midst of the garden, by allowing his wife to be deceived by a beautiful anointed guarding angel, even so, people today allow themselves to let their flesh tell them someone is anointed of God. They will listen to an "anointed" prophet that gives them goose bumps, or what they claim is a word for the LORD, rather than listen to the very sure words of God in Scripture.
So the next time you hear someone say, "He is so anointed! ", don't just sit there and agree with them. Instead, make that person qualify that statement with reasons why they think that person is so anointed. Is it because they look good to the eyes and give people chills, goose bumps, liver quivers, lightening, or tingly sensations when they speak, or sing, which they mistakenly take as a sign of the LORD's presence? If so, then the presumed anointed messenger, or singer is most likely not anointed of the LORD; that means Christians are no longer relying on faith, but rather on the flesh. The realm of the fleshly senses is a realm where Satan [that anointed cherub] effectively works his influential enchantments. We must be more discerning, especially in these last days! Amen.
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