5 Anointing Oil Ingredients & Their Symbolic Meaning

When we speak of mantles, we are speaking of the anointing of God over our life.

In other words, when we are mantled by the Lord, there will be an anointing that will empower us for service. This is why Elisha received the mantle of Elijah. It was saturated with the anointing that the prophet had walked in. In receiving the mantle, he received the anointing of God over his life. We see the anointing being spoken of in Exodus 30:22-33 and the anointing oil used.

Let’s take a look at five ingredients mentioned.

Myrrh

The first mentioned is myrrh. The word myrrh means “bitter” in the Hebrew. It was one of the principal things used for embalming. It speaks of these bitter places in life where death to self occurs. We all walk through these places. In these places we must find the grace of God. Otherwise, the bitter places will make us bitter people. Hebrews 12:15 lets us know that we must discover God’s grace in these times of bitterness.

Looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled.

Grace discovered in places of bitterness will not allow us to become bitter. If we allow a root of bitterness to develop, it will poison every other thing, even other people. However, if we allow the healing grace of Jesus to help us and restore our souls, we will receive His anointing from that grace. The grace received in this place of healing will result in new dimensions of His anointing and mantling. Pray this prayer from the Courts of Heaven.

As I stand before Your Courts, Lord Jesus, I bring all my wounds, hurts, and disappointments before You. I repent for allowing them to flavor my life. I am sorry for allowing these things that have caused me pain to make me angry, bitter, and even hateful. I surrender to You and ask for Your blood to cleanse this away. May Your grace work in my life in the midst of bitterness and hurt. I receive this from Your gracious hand right now. I forgive any and all who have hurt and harmed me. I release them into Your grace. May this be recorded before Your Courts that this is my heart and desire. May it speaks before Your there and allow me to move into the new mantling of the Lord. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

Cinnamon

The second ingredient of the anointing oil is sweet smelling cinnamon. One of the attributes of cinnamon is that it accents other flavors present. This is what the anointing does. It will empower and embellish the present gifting we already have. Things we already carry will be greatly influenced. An example of this is the rod of Moses that became the Rod of God. This was a stick that Moses had picked up on his journey. He probably never dreamed it would be used to bring God’s people from captivity. Somewhere along the way, Moses had discovered this stick. He thought it would be a good tool to help shepherd the sheep of his father-in-law. He picked it up and began to use it for that purpose. Exodus 4:1-5 chronicles the encounter where this rod transitioned to the Rod of God.

Then Moses answered and said, “But suppose they will not believe me or listen to my voice; suppose they say, ‘The Lord has not appeared to you.’”

So the Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?”

He said, “A rod.”

And He said, “Cast it on the ground.” So he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Reach out your hand and take it by the tail” (and he reached out his hand and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand), “that they may believe that the Lord God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.”

In other words, the rod he was carrying already was greatly impacted in the presence and the glory of the Lord. With this rod he would divide the Red Sea (see Exodus 14:16). With is rod he would release judgments against Egypt (see Exodus 7:19). He would do many other things with this rod in hand. It would become known as the Rod of God. Exodus 4:20 shows that what had been only a stick in Moses’ hand, under the anointing, became the Rod of God.

Then Moses took his wife and his sons and set them on a donkey, and he returned to the land of Egypt. And Moses took the rod of God in his hand.

This is a good picture of what can happen under the anointing. What is insignificant can become greatly empowered. This is because the anointing takes our natural and adds super to it. It becomes the supernatural of God. This is what cinnamon speaks of in the anointing oil. Here is a prayer to pray to accent what we are already carrying from the mantles we receive.

As I come before Your Courts, I ask that the mantling of the Lord would now come on my life. May this mantling release and accent the gifts and abilities I already carry. May they become greatly empowered from the mantles I am receiving from You and Your Courts this day. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

Sweet-Smelling Cane

The next ingredient mentioned is sweet-smelling cane. Cane speaks of the authority of God. The reason cane is about authority is recorded in Revelation 12:5.

She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne.

Cane and a rod are the same thing. When scripture speaks of rods, it is talking of authority that has been imparted are granted. Notice that it is sweet-smelling cane. Sometimes we picture authority as an evil thing. However, the authority that is in the anointing is a sweet thing. Paul realized this. He knew his authority he carried was to be for edification and not destruction. This is according to Second Corinthians 10:8.

For even if I should boast somewhat more about our authority, which the Lord gave us for edification and not for your destruction, I shall not be ashamed.

Quite often I have watched those who have authority operate more in a destructive way than an edifying way. Anyone who has been entrusted with the anointing/mantle from the Lord must use the authority associated with it rightly. Otherwise, that authority will not only bring destruction to others, it will ultimately destroy them as well. Jesus speaks of this in Luke 12:43-46.

Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has. But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.

Anyone granted and entrusted authority who misuses it will be punished by the ultimate authority Himself. If they abuse others from the authority given, live fleshly and sensual lives, they will be punished greatly. It says they will be given a portion with the unbelievers. We must guard our hearts that the authority we are walking in is sweet! We must use it to bless others, not oppress them. This is a part of the mantling of the Lord we have received.

Cassia

The next ingredient of the anointing oil is cassia. Cassia in the Hebrew means “to shrivel, to bend the neck in deference.” Clearly this is a reference to humility. However, it is not just a humility toward the Lord but toward others as well. When you defer to someone else, you are honoring and setting them before yourself. This is the spirit in which the Lord Himself walked. Philippians 2:1-5 describes the way Jesus walked and the way we are to walk as well.

Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.

We are to esteem other better than ourselves. We are to look out not only for our own interests, but also for the interests of others. This was the mind that was in Jesus. This is deference described. This is one of the ingredients of the anointing oil. Jesus and John the Baptist exemplified this. When Jesus came to be baptized by John, John sought to resist Him. John knew by the Spirit who Jesus was. He was esteemed to be the greater. We see this dialogue in Matthew 3:13-17.

Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?”

But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him.

When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

Jesus and John argued over who would get to be the least. When was the last time you saw this happen? Usually people are jockeying for position. Usually they are trying to climb over each other to the top. Yet Jesus and John, at the least, had a conversation over who was going to take the lower place. This would not be the case later on with Jesus’ disciples. They would literally contend with each other about who was the greatest. Mark 9:33-35 shows Jesus confronting this spirit of exaltation that was in His disciples.

Then He came to Capernaum. And when He was in the house He asked them, “What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?” But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest. And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.”

Jesus was seeking to get them to understand the need to have a servant’s heart. He knew that to accomplish what He would leave them to do, they would have to learn to serve. They would have to walk in the spirit of deferring to each other. When Jesus and John walked in this spirit, the heavens opened. The Holy Spirit descended on Jesus. This is because the Spirit of God honors this heart of deference and servanthood. It wasn’t until the disciples came to this place of surrender to God and before each other that the Holy Spirit manifested in power. Acts 2:1-2 shows that as they were together in unity and love for each other, the Spirit suddenly came.

When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.

The word for one accord in the Greek is homothumadon. These words together mean violent unity. The disciples were no longer disputing over who would get to be the greatest. Something had happened in that upper room in those ten days between Jesus’ ascension and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. They had come to a place of genuine care, love, and deference to each other. They no longer were seeking to take the highest place for themselves. They were just tolerating each other. They had come to a place of laying aside ego and even their own interests. They had begun to esteem others better than themselves. Just like when Jesus was baptized, the power of the Holy Spirit came into that house. They were all gloriously baptized in His presence and glory. This one quality seems to be something the Spirit of God is drawn to. If we desire the mantle of the Holy Spirit on our lives, we must let this deference be worked into our lives. Whoever will be great must become the servant of all! Let’s pray this prayer.

As I come before Your Courts, Lord, let it be known that I desire to walk in humility before You and in deference with other people. I am sorry for the places I have insisted on my own rights, desires, and selfish ambitions. Today, let it be recorded that I lay this aside and prefer Your will and the desires of others ahead of myself. Let this same spirit and mind that is in You, Lord, be in me. I ask that this might be known before You and Your Courts. Lord, allow the mantle and anointing of the Holy Spirit to now come on me as it did Jesus and the disciples. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Olive Oil

The last ingredient to be mentioned in the making of the anointing oil is olive oil. The making of olive oil requires the crushing of the olive to extract the oil. If we are to be mantled with the anointing of God, we must allow the breaking of the Lord to occur in our life. Anyone who carries the mantle of the Lord will do so because they have been reduced to weakness. We think God is drawn to our strength. The reality is, God is drawn to our weakness and brokenness before Him. Anyone who stands in power in public will have been broken in private. This is why Paul spoke of weakness. Second Corinthians 12:9-10 shows the apostle Paul glorying in his weakness. He explained that his weakness allowed a greater realm of power to rest on him.

And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

What a statement. Paul was explaining that when he was crushed and broken, it allowed a great realm of power to manifest. Anyone who operates in the power, glory, and anointing of the Lord will have been broken in the inner places. This brokenness allows the grace and power of Jesus to be seen. First Corinthians 2:3-4 also shows this principle at work.

I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.

Notice that Paul in the flesh had no confidence. He was in a place of absolute dependence on the Lord. Therefore, the ministry flowed forth not with man’s wisdom, but in the power of God. If we are to be mantled of the Lord, we must allow the breaking of God to bring us to this place. This doesn’t mean bad things are going to happen to us. It means that in His presence all stubbornness and self-will are consumed. We come to a position of surrender in the depths of our spirit. This is what happened to Moses. Moses understood he was to be a deliverer of his people from Egypt. However, he tried to do it from his own strength. In Acts 7:23-25 Stephen, in speaking before the Jewish leaders, cited Moses and his efforts in the flesh to deliver God’s people.

Now when he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren, the children of Israel. And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended and avenged him who was oppressed, and struck down the Egyptian. For he supposed that his brethren would have understood that God would deliver them by his hand, but they did not understand.

Moses then spent the next 40 years exiled in the backside of the desert. God emptied him of self in this time. Then He appeared to him and commissioned him from His strength. This is a process we all must go through. If we are to be mantled by God, we will first be brought to a weakness. We will have no confidence in the flesh, but know that only through His power can we see His work done. Let’s petition the Courts of Heaven for this.

As I come before Your Courts, Lord, I surrender all my own efforts, power, and abilities. I yield to You and proclaim that only by Your empowerment can the work be done. I need You! Let me have no confidence in the flesh, but only in Your Spirit. I declare I am weak, but You are strong. I draw from Your strength even in the midst of my weakness. I learn to take pleasure in weakness, for in this place I discover Your strength. Would You allow this to be known before Your Courts? Would You let it be recorded and allow the mantle of God to now come in me in this place of weakness? In Jesus’ Name, amen.