{"id":12931,"date":"2024-06-22T16:22:49","date_gmt":"2024-06-22T19:22:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shreveministries.org\/wp2\/?p=12931"},"modified":"2024-07-11T17:51:43","modified_gmt":"2024-07-11T20:51:43","slug":"7-categories-of-the-anointed-of-the-lord","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shreveministries.org\/wp2\/2024\/06\/7-categories-of-the-anointed-of-the-lord\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Categories of the Anointed of the Lord"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The Lord is the strength of His people, and He is the saving strength of His anointed.<\/strong> (Ps. 28:8 KJV).<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

To be anointed<\/strong> means to be chosen by God and endued with a measure of his Spirit to fulfill a specific ordained purpose. Our title-scripture reveals that God supernaturally strengthens and protects such blessed individuals. Consider a few classic examples\u2014David conquering Goliath, Daniel surviving the lion\u2019s den, Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego emerging from the furnace of fire. In all of these cases and many others, God was the \u201csaving strength\u201d of His chosen representatives and by His Spirit, they supernaturally overcame impossible situations.<\/p>\n

But what about those who were martyred, who lost their lives serving God\u2014like Stephen, Peter or Paul? Did something go wrong? No, these consecrated persons fulfilled their appointed time on earth and when the greatest adversary of all appeared\u2014death\u2014they still emerged victorious. God\u2019s \u201csaving strength\u201d enabled them to overcome what no human being can overcome on his own. Instead of death being a grievous end, for such anointed ones, it became a glorious beginning\u2014a portal into a God-filled, eternal existence in a celestial sphere.<\/p>\n

Concerning the patriarchs of old, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, God adamantly declared, \u201cDo not touch my anointed ones, and do no harm to my prophets\u201d (1 Chronicles 16:22). As they passed through this world\u2014often shunned, disregarded, opposed, persecuted, or outnumbered\u2014still they were under God\u2019s oversight, and received His provision and protection. Not only did they survive; they thrived, in what they were sent to accomplish\u2014and often they faced, what seemed to be, impossible odds.<\/p>\n

Under the Old Covenant, certain choice leaders, endued with God\u2019s Spirit, were primarily those referred to as \u201cthe anointed.\u201d They can be divided up into seven main categories:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Patriarchs<\/strong>\u2014(Psalms 105:15)<\/li>\n
  2. Judges<\/strong>\u2014(Judges 2:18)<\/li>\n
  3. Kings<\/strong>\u2014(1 Samuel 2:10)<\/li>\n
  4. Governors<\/strong>\u2014(Zechariah 4:14)<\/li>\n
  5. Prophets<\/strong>\u2014(1 Kings 19:16)<\/li>\n
  6. Priests<\/strong>\u2014(Exodus 30:30)<\/li>\n
  7. Soldiers<\/strong> (supernaturally empowered in battle)\u2014(Judges 6:34)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    These exceptional individuals received the unction of God\u2019s Spirit to be His representatives in this world and to champion His cause of ushering in the kingdom of God.<\/p>\n

    The entrance of the Messiah<\/strong><\/h6>\n

    Then the Messiah came (at this point, imagine the Hallelujah chorus playing in the background). That title \u201cMessiah\u201d comes from the Hebrew mashiyach<\/em> which means \u201cthe anointed One\u201d). The \u201coil of gladness\u201d (also called \u201cthe oil of joy\u201d\u2014the supernatural oil of the anointing) rested upon Him in an unprecedented, unsurpassed way (Psalms 45:7, Isaiah 61:3). When He announced His ministry in the synagogue at Nazareth, He quoted from the prophet Isaiah\u2019s writings:<\/p>\n

    \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cThe Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me<\/strong> to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord\u201d (Luke 4:18-19, original prophecy Isaiah 61:1-2).<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    He was the epitome, the most excellent expression, of all seven categories of \u201canointed ones\u201d under the Old Covenant\u2014for He was, is, and ever will be: the Supreme Patriarch (the Ancient of Days), the Judge of all the earth, the King of kings, the Governor among the nations, the Great Prophet, the Great High Priest, and the Captain of our Salvation (the exemplary soldier in this ongoing conflict with the kingdom of darkness). All seven \u201canointed\u201d roles were fulfilled to perfection on the highest spiritual level in just one person: the only begotten Son of God. In the New Testament He is called \u201cthe Christ\u201d (from the Greek word Christos<\/em>, that also means the \u201canointed One\u201d).<\/p>\n

    Peter explained \u201chow God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power\u201d and as a result, He \u201cwent about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil for God was with Him\u201d (Acts 10:38). That\u2019s probably the most concise way of describing the God-given purpose of all who are anointed in this era for the continuation of God\u2019s work. All born-again believers are now among \u201cthe anointed,\u201d for we have received the indwelling of His Spirit. Therefore, like Jesus, we \u201cpreach the Gospel,\u201d \u201cheal the brokenhearted\u201d and go about \u201cdoing good\u201d\u2014delivering those who are oppressed by satanic influences in this world.<\/p>\n

    What \u201canointed ones\u201d should expect<\/strong><\/h6>\n

    This may be a dangerous and deception-filled world, but the anointed can have absolute confidence. In his first epistle John encouraged New Testament believers with the following exhortation:<\/p>\n

    \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him. (1 John 2:27).<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    Three primary promises are given to \u201canointed ones\u201d in this passage:<\/p>\n