Anointed

The apostles and many others were anointed with holy spirit in the first century. But then the anointing with holy spirit ended, along with the powers it enabled. (1Co 14:26-32)

(1 Corinthians 13:8) Love never fails. But if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away with; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away with.

Do you ask: "But didn't Jesus say that the remnant of anointed ones alive at Armageddon will be gathered to him?" No, that is just how the Governing Body (GB) portray it. Here is what he actually said:

(Matthew 24:31) And he will send out his angels with a great trumpet sound, and they will gather his chosen ones together from the four winds, from one extremity of the heavens to their other extremity.

Jesus said that he would gather "his chosen ones", not his anointed ones. Do you ask, "But isn't that the same thing?" No. Nowhere does the Bible refer to anyone being anointed during the last days. It only refers to "chosen ones". (Mt 22:14; Re 17:14)

(Matthew 24:24) For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will perform great signs and wonders so as to mislead, if possible, even the chosen ones.

(Mark 13:22) For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will perform signs and wonders to lead astray, if possible, the chosen ones.

(Mark 13:27) And then he will send out the angels and will gather his chosen ones together from the four winds, from earth’s extremity to heaven’s extremity.

(Luke 18:7) Certainly, then, will not God cause justice to be done for his chosen ones who cry out to him day and night, while he is patient toward them?

So if the chosen ones are not anointed, when do they get anointed? We find that out in Revelation:

(Revelation 7:2-4) And I saw another angel ascending from the sunrise, having a seal of the living God; and he called with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, ³ saying: “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until after we have sealed the slaves of our God in their foreheads.” ⁴ And I heard the number of those who were sealed, 144,000, sealed out of every tribe of the sons of Israel:

Do you say: "But that doesn't say anything about being anointed." You are correct, but that is what being sealed means.

(2 Corinthians 1:22) He has also put his seal on us and has given us the token of what is to come, that is, the spirit, in our hearts.

(Ephesians 1:13) But you also hoped in him after you heard the word of truth, the good news about your salvation. After you believed, you were sealed by means of him with the promised holy spirit,

(Ephesians 4:30) Also, do not be grieving God’s holy spirit, with which you have been sealed for a day of releasing by ransom.

As you can see from those verses the chosen ones in the first century were sealed by being anointed with holy spirit. What about today? When does that sealing of the chosen ones take place? Revelation gives us that timeline. Just before they are sealed the last verse in Revelation chapter 6 tells us that "the great day of their wrath (Armageddon) has come". Then the first 3 verses in chapter 7 tell us that four angels hold back that destruction until the chosen ones are sealed.

This is also when John is shown the great crowd which survived the great tribulation. (Re 7:9, 14) So the chosen ones are anointed after the conclusion of the great tribulation, which is just before the final seal is opened and Armageddon occurs. (Re 8:1) (see my article "Revelation Abbreviated")

And when the chosen ones get anointed there will be no doubt as to who they are. It will be as apparent as if they wore it on their "foreheads". (Re 7:3; Ex 13:9)

The GB tell you not to question anyone who claims to be anointed (since they also claim to be anointed), but if someone tells you that they are anointed and yet do not display the evident signs that come with being anointed, do not believe them. (Lu 21:8; 1Co 14:26-32)

(Acts 1:8a) But you will receive power when the holy spirit comes upon you,

(Acts 2:4) and they all became filled with holy spirit and started to speak in different languages, just as the spirit enabled them to speak.

(Acts 10:44-46) While Peter was still speaking about these matters, the holy spirit came upon all those hearing the word. ⁴⁵ And the circumcised believers who had come with Peter were amazed, because the free gift of the holy spirit was being poured out also on people of the nations. ⁴⁶ For they heard them speaking in foreign languages and magnifying God.

(Acts 19:6) And when Paul laid his hands on them, the holy spirit came upon them, and they began speaking in foreign languages and prophesying.

And just because someone is a "chosen one" it doesn't mean that they are certain to be sealed with the holy spirit by being anointed. In the following verse Paul says that he wants the "chosen ones" to also obtain salvation.

(2 Timothy 2:10) For this reason I go on enduring all things for the sake of the chosen ones, so that they too may obtain the salvation that is through Christ Jesus, along with everlasting glory.

Remember, too, that the word "Christ" means "anointed one". So when Jesus warned us about "false Christs", he was not warning us about imposters who claim to be the Son of God. He was warning us about those who falsely claim to be anointed:

(Matthew 24:24) For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will perform great signs and wonders so as to mislead, if possible, even the chosen ones.

(Mark 13:22) For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will perform signs and wonders to lead astray, if possible, the chosen ones.

They are also "false prophets" because they make prophecies that fail to come true, so heed Jesus' words:

(Matthew 24:25) Look! I have forewarned you.

(see my article "Are You Worshiping Jehovah Acceptably?")

What do you think?

yb

:^)
Dave

da.getmyip@gmail.com       http://da.getmyip.com/PDF/Ramblings      

Last edited 03-08-2024 (date created 03-04-2024)