779. Since 'oil' is here named among the holy things of worship, and signifies celestial good, something will be said here of the' oil of anointing' that was in use with the ancients and was afterwards commanded for the sons of Israel. That in ancient times they anointed stones erected as pillars is plain from Gen. xxviii 18, 19, 22. That they also anointed the arms of war, oval shields and round shields (scuta et clypeos) (2 Sam. i 21; Isa. xxi 5). That it was commanded that they should prepare the 'oil of holiness' with which they should anoint all the holy things of the Church; that with it they anointed the altar and all its vessels, also the tabernacle and all the things thereof (Exod. xxx 22-33; xl 9-11; Lev. viii 10-12; Num. vii 1). That with it they anointed those who should exercise the priestly office, also their garments (Exod. xxix 7, 29; xxx 30; xl 13-15; Lev. viii 12; Ps. cxxxiii 1-3.) That with it they anointed the prophets (1 Kings xix 15, 16). That they anointed the kings with it, and that the kings were therefore termed 'the anointed of Jehovah' (1 Sam. x 1; xv 1; xvi 3, 6, 12, 13; xxiv 6, 10 [H.B. 7, 11]; xxvi 9, 11, 16, 23; 2 Sam. i 16; ii 4, 7; v 3, 17; xix 21 [H.B. 22]; 1 Kings i 34, 35; xix 15, 16; 2 Kings ix 3; xi 12; xxiii 30; Lam. iv 20; Hab. iii 13; Ps. ii 2, 6; xx 6; xxviii 8; xlv 7 [H.B. 8]; lxxxiv 9; lxxxix 20, 38, 51 [H.B. 21, 39, 52]; cxxxii 17. [2] Anointing with (per) the 'oil of holiness' was commanded because the oil used to signify the good of love and to represent the Lord, Who as to His Human is the Very and Only Anointed of Jehovah, anointed not with oil but with the very Divine Good of Divine Love. For this reason He was named 'the Messiah' in the Old Testament and 'the Christ' in the New (John i 41; iv 25), and 'Messiah' and 'Christ' mean 'the Anointed'. This is why the priests, the kings, and all the things of the Church were anointed, and when anointed were termed holy; not that they were holy in themselves, but because through this they were representing the Lord as to the Divine Human. It was consequently sacrilege to harm the king, because he was 'the anointed of Jehovah' (1 Sam. xxiv 6, 10 [H.B. 7, 11]; xxvi 9; 2 Sam. i 16; xix 21 [H.B. 22]. [3] Moreover, it was an accepted custom to anoint themselves and others to testify of gladness of mind and benevolence, but with a common oil or another noble oil but not with the oil of holiness (Matt. Vi 17; Mark vi 13; Luke vii 46; Isa. lxi 3; Amos vi 6; Micah vi 15; Ps. xcii 10 [H.B. 11]; civ 15; Dan. x 3; Deut. xxviii 40). That it was not permitted to anoint themselves or others with the oil of holiness (Exod. xxx 32, 33).