Purpose Six : To Anoint the Most Holy Home


"(Heb. mashiah), in all the thirty-nine instances of its occurring in the Old Testament, is rendered by the LXX. "Christos." It means anointed. Thus priests (Ex. 28:41; 40:15; Num. 3:3), prophets (1 Kings 19:16), and kings (1 Sam. 9:16; 16:3; 2 Sam. 12:7) were anointed with oil, and so consecrated to their respective offices. The great Messiah is anointed "above his fellows" (Ps. 45:7); i.e., he embraces in himself all the three offices."
-Easton's Bible Dictionary, 1897

As Easton's Dictionary points out, Messiah in Hebrew literally means "the anointed one." In reference to this purpose, Whitcomb points out that "in this context, 'to anoint' means to officially inaugurate into public ministry." Pg. 131 (JOHN C. WHITCOMB - Daniel)

Before starting His public ministry, according to Jewish laws, Jesus would have to be anointed for service. The second to last event before starting His public ministry was His baptism. It was here that He was anointed. Jesus convinced John to baptism Him, by stating "it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness." (cf. Matthew 3:15)

"As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, 'This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.'" (Matthew 3:16-17)

During Jesus' baptism the Holy Spirit fell upon Him, and He became the anointed one. After His Baptism He both claimed to be the Messiah (cf. John 4:25), and was declared by others to be the Messiah. "He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, 'We have found the Messiah'" (John 1:41)

When it comes to this purpose, dispensationalist greatly vary on how it is fulfilled. Greene states at His baptism "Jesus was anointed by the Holy Ghost." PG. 367-368 (Oliver B. Greene - Daniel) Walvoord contends "there is really no ground for dogmatism here as there is a possibility that any of these views[held by dispensationalist] might be correct." pg. 223 (John Walvoord - The Blessed Hope)

The Alternate View
"This refers to the Millennial Temple, which Daniel assumes his readers were familiar with on the basis of Joel 3:18, Isaiah 60:7, Jeremiah 33:20-22, Ezekiel 37:26-28, and 40:1 –48:35." Pg. 131 (JOHN C. WHITCOMB - Daniel) - John C. Whitcomb

Those that believe that this purpose is not fulfilled in Christ, believe as Whitcomb, that this is speaking of a future Millennial Temple that will be anointed. This obviously does not need much attention, because if you believe that all purposes must be fulfilled inside the seventy weeks, then this view is out. Any way you spin it, this anointing would occur during the Millennium, and therefore after the seventy weeks have come to a completion. That is of course, unless there is yet another "gap" of time is found in this prophecy, in which I have not yet heard about.