The Spirit of the Lord prompts and teaches that on whom it abides. He points out that there is righteousness, how to preserve and increase it: “You do not need someone to teach you. But this anointing itself teaches you ... ”The word“ anointed one ”is very often found in the Bible. Throughout the history of mankind, various nations have had many of God's anointed. These were mentors, leaders, leaders, kings. So who is God’s anointed ? This is a deep philosophical question that we will have to deal with today.
Who is the anointed of the Lord?
The Lord's anointed is God's chosen one, who is best suited for governing an Orthodox country out of many other people by divine foresight. He is the chosen servant of God, the Lord gives him his grace and gives gifts to help manage the country through church ceremonies of anointing the kingdom. Thus, the Great Anointed One has a task before the Lord that consists in such a government that helps the whole people to save their souls from perdition faster and easier, to become closer to the kingdom of heaven by faithful and sacrificial service to the king, that is, the anointed of God.
Grace of the sovereign
The anointed of God (the king ) has the grace to comprehend the goals, ways of solving modern life issues, as well as those that brighten the distant future of the camp. Not always the vital issues of the people coincide with the requirements of the Orthodox state, the purpose of which is the salvation of souls, both now and in the future. Sometimes the needs of the present and the distant future are opposite, in this case only the monarch, the anointed of God, can solve this problem in the best way. And for the good of all. This is the grace of the sovereign and the offerings of the Lord to God's anointed.
Proof of this truth
If God is Virtuous, he cares for the welfare of the people; if God is omniscient, he predicts which of the people can rule the country in the best way; if the Lord is Almighty, he makes sure that the person whom he has chosen, and his descendants, are the most suitable for rule at all times and in any case. In affirming the dynasty of kings, God provides her with help and guardianship, directing the monarch in difficult times to make the right decisions. Thus, the Lord knows that the faithful service of His anointed will give positive results, improve the quality of life of the people, create good conditions for the salvation of the souls of each of the Orthodox people. The Orthodox Church teaches us that the Lord is Virtue, he is omniscient and omnipotent. Therefore, it is he who chooses the anointed one who will rule the state.
Bible anointing
Anointing the kingdom is a ritual in which the monarch, who enters the throne, is anointed with oil (olive oil) and the world (aromatic oil from several herbs) in order to offer him the gifts of the Lord for the proper administration of the state. The first example from the Bible is the story of Aaron when he was elevated to the rank of high priest. Many times in this book there are indications of the anointing of monarchs, so later, when the king ascended the throne, the ceremony of anointing the kingdom was always carried out when the monarch received the blessing of heaven .
Anointing in Orthodoxy
In Orthodoxy, this rite was carried out by the patriarch, senior bishop. When they anointed the Russian monarchs, they used a vessel that, according to legend, belonged to the emperor Octavin Augustus and was lost in 1917. Anointing the kingdom in Orthodoxy is not one of the seven sacraments of the church.
Characteristics of Anointing
Anointing is the blessing of heaven . It is given not for one’s own needs, but for serving the Almighty. This is the power that is given for a change for the better, for the ability to bear spiritual fruit. The fetus, that is, the end result, is of great importance. Anointing is given to “ripen the fetus”. A reward from above will be granted only for the fruits, and not for the anointing itself. Regardless of the size of the anointing, the reward will be rewarded for the percentage of the fruit brought, so whoever was given a lot of anointing will be asked a lot. And the anointed one should bring all 100% of the positive result.
Monarch and church
The minister of the church, the patriarch, cannot rule the nations of the state. If he proclaims himself king, he will defile the purity of faith, as he recognizes the right of those who falsely believe in the Lord to save souls. Therefore, the sovereign is higher than the patriarch, Orthodox canons give him the power to appoint and remove the patriarch and bishops. The anointed one is responsible to God; he is not subject to human judgment.
Russian Orthodox Tsar
After the rite of anointing, when the holy spirit presents the gifts of the Lord to the sovereign, the Russian Orthodox Tsar becomes the so-called husband of his people, and the people figuratively become his wife. For this reason, the coronation is called the "wedding of the kingdom." Thus, between the tsar and his subjects, “marital relations” arise, which in Orthodoxy must proceed strictly according to the commandments. This means that in God there must be both a monarch and a people. Neither a king can exist without a people, nor a people without a king in the Lord. So, we see the construction of a line of power from the Almighty to the people through the anointed - the monarch. The king can save his people from sin by directing its vector on itself, if the will of God, the consent of the sovereign and the absence of such sin on the monarch himself.
People and the Lord
God does not deny the existence of a different source of power, different from himself, power from the people as a result of their free choice. The Lord will not resist if a person chooses life and power without the Most High. That is why not all power is given from God. The unity of the Lord and man always goes through the anointed, whose absence makes it impossible to receive grace. If the holy spirit has not touched the anointed, the Almighty leaves the people to their fate, without their support.
The truth of the royal authority of the anointed of God
The Anointed of God is the personification of Jesus on earth, given by God the Savior Messiah. With his hands, the Almighty saves the chosen people and the earthly Church from extermination by Satan, both spiritual and physical. He personifies a living instrument in the hands of the Lord. It is with the hands of the king that God protects his inheritance from enemies that kill the body and soul, and restrains from sins, using both the power of the word and the power of the sword. The church says that we need to pray for the anointed king, since this is the Christian duty of all people. If we reject the lawful anointed of God, then there will be no way to complete the act of faith in rejecting Satan. The absence of prayer for the chosen one of the Lord is the path to the Antichrist. Anyone who rejects the anointed of God falls into the clutches of Satan, who with his own hands will create a parody of the Ecumenical Orthodox Empire, that is, the kingdom of Antichrist. That state and its people, who believed and accepted their king, is destined for the resurrection and victory over all enemies.
Thus, the anointed of God is the king of the people chosen by the Most High. He is ascended to the throne of the state, whose people the Lord has chosen, and represents the Head of the militant Church of Christ. The Orthodox Tsar is the father of the people, his boss, well-wisher and protector. Where there is a head of state, there is order, and because of his loss, there are often troubles. And just as a family cannot have more than one father, so a state cannot have more than one ruler.