In the biblical tradition, anointing with oil is a significant ritual symbolizing consecration, empowerment, and the setting apart of individuals for divine service. Among those who received sacred anointing were the prophets, who played a crucial role in conveying God's messages to His people. The act of anointing prophets underscored their divine appointment and the authority of their mission.

Elisha: One of the most notable instances of a prophet being anointed is found in the account of Elisha. Following God's command, the prophet Elijah was instructed to anoint Elisha as his successor. In 1 Kings 19:16 , the Lord tells Elijah, "You are to anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel-meholah to succeed you as prophet." This anointing signified the transfer of prophetic authority and the continuation of God's work through Elisha.

Isaiah: While the Bible does not explicitly describe the anointing of Isaiah, his calling and commissioning as a prophet are marked by a divine encounter. In Isaiah 6, the prophet experiences a vision of the Lord, where he is purified and set apart for his prophetic mission. Although not anointed with oil in the narrative, Isaiah's commissioning reflects the spiritual anointing and empowerment characteristic of prophetic ministry.

Jeremiah: Similar to Isaiah, Jeremiah's prophetic calling is not accompanied by a physical anointing with oil, but rather by a divine appointment. In Jeremiah 1:5 , God declares, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as a prophet to the nations." This setting apart is akin to an anointing, emphasizing Jeremiah's consecration for his prophetic role.

Ezekiel: The prophet Ezekiel also experienced a divine commissioning that parallels the concept of anointing. In Ezekiel 2:3-4 , God appoints him to speak to the rebellious house of Israel, empowering him with the Spirit to fulfill his mission. While the text does not mention oil, the empowerment by the Spirit serves as a spiritual anointing for his prophetic duties.

Symbolism and Significance: The anointing of prophets, whether through oil or divine commissioning, symbolizes their sanctification and the bestowal of the Holy Spirit. This act signifies their authority to speak on behalf of God and their role as intermediaries between the divine and the people. Anointing marks the prophets as chosen vessels, equipped to deliver God's messages and guide His people according to His will.

Throughout the Scriptures, the anointing of prophets underscores the sacred nature of their office and the divine origin of their authority. It serves as a reminder of God's active involvement in the lives of His chosen messengers and His commitment to guiding His people through their words and actions.1 Kings 19:16
And Jehu the son of Nimshi shall you anoint to be king over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah shall you anoint to be prophet in your room.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Isaiah 61:1
The Spirit of the Lord GOD is on me; because the LORD has anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
Torrey's Topical Textbook

The Name Jesus and Also the Name Christ were Known from the ...
... For they also bore in their own persons types of ... prophets themselves became, by the
act of anointing, Christs in ... earth with the truly august and sacred name of ...
/.../pamphilius/church history/chapter iii the name jesus and.htm

Faustus States his Objections to the Morality of the Law and the ...
... Paul, gave up to Satan himself the wicked persons of whom ... brightness, and became
the enemies of sacred light. ... like God, but even to have received a commandment ...
/.../faustus states his objections to.htm

Joy Born at Bethlehem
... joy in the human heart wherever it is received. ... joy which is spoken of; next, the
persons to whom ... the unction upon Aaron's head, the sacred anointing of the ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 17 1871/joy born at bethlehem.htm

The Internal Witness of the Holy Spirit
... teach you; but as the same anointing teacheth you ... The Papists reply, "Many persons
boast of the revelation of ... God, which is comprehended in the sacred books of ...
/.../arminius/the works of james arminius vol 1/9 the internal witness of.htm

Catechetical Instruction.
... to give him Baptism, "performed the sacred ceremonies in ... seems to have been no such
anointing until immediately ... Persons who had been thus admitted to the class ...
/.../cyril/lectures of s cyril of jerusalem/chapter ii catechetical instruction.htm

Institutions of Jesus.
... of religious communion, which is not risked with persons of a ... by the imposition of
hands, or by the anointing with oil ... of the infant sect to produce sacred books ...
/.../renan/the life of jesus/chapter xviii institutions of jesus.htm

The Benefits of Christ Made Available to us by the Secret ...
... us, that if the shedding of his sacred blood is ... to what was said in the last Book
concerning his anointing. ... because, as pilgrims in the world, and persons in a ...
/.../calvin/the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 1 the benefits of.htm

The Historical Books.
... an account of the selection, anointing, and inauguration ... that in this respect the
sacred narratives of ... titles, particularly if they were persons of distinction ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter xx the historical books.htm

To Eulalius, Bishop of Persian Armenia.
... these instances not as though anointing your piety ... prohibited from partaking of the
sacred mysteries, not ... systematic discipline as to the persons taught, there ...
/.../the ecclesiastical history of theodoret/lxxvii to eulalius bishop of.htm

Matt. Ix. 27-30.
... many as have put away diseases by anointing themselves with ... a great and admirable
sort of persons through these ... the early writers attribute to the sacred oil in ...
/.../homilies on the gospel of saint matthew/homily xxxii matt ix 27-30.htm

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