...Should It
Still Be Used Today?
A few New Testament passages refer to the practice of anointing with oil, and none of them offer an explanation for its use. We can draw our conclusions from context. In Matthew 6:17 Jesus mentions the everyday practice of anointing oneself with oil. In Mark 6:13 the disciples anoint the sick and heal them. In all four Gospels, a woman anoints Jesus as a sacrificial act of worship (Matthew 26:6–13; Mark 14:3–9; Luke 7:36–50; John 12:1–8). In James 5:14 the church elders anoint the sick with oil for healing. In Hebrews 1:8–9 God says to Christ as He returns triumphantly to heaven, “Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever,” and God anoints Jesus “with the oil of gladness.”
Should Christians use anointing oil today? There is nothing in Scripture that commands or even suggests that we should use similar oil today, but neither is there anything to forbid it. Oil is often used as a symbol for the Holy Spirit in the Bible as in the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins (Matthew 25:1-13). Christians have the Spirit who leads us into all truth and “anoints” us continually with His grace and comfort. “But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth” (1 John 2:20). (Source: gotquestions.org)
15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. Revelation 13:15
Revelation 13:15 describes a future moment when the False Prophet, under God’s permission, animates an image of the Antichrist, compelling worship and punishing those who refuse.
Context and Overview
Revelation 13:15 occurs within the vision of the two beasts during the end times. The first beast represents the Antichrist, a political and worldly power, while the second beast, often called the False Prophet, exercises religious authority and deception under divine allowance (Revelation 13:11-14) to promote idolatry and enforce allegiance to the first beast (Bible Hub) . The verse emphasizes that even evil operates within the boundaries God permits, highlighting His ultimate sovereignty (Job 1:12; Luke 22:31) .
The Speaking Image
The verse states that the second beast is allowed “to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak.” This imagery reflects a counterfeit of God’s life-giving power (Genesis 2:7), where a lifeless image is animated to deceive humanity. The speaking image symbolizes miraculous or supernatural deception, convincing people that the Antichrist possesses divine authority (Revelation 17:8) . Historically, this echoes Daniel 3, where idolatrous statues demanded worship, showing a pattern of human susceptibility to false religious authority (Bible Hub) .
Enforcement and Consequences
Revelation 13:15 also describes the deadly consequences for those who refuse to worship the image. The False Prophet, through the animated image, enforces idolatry and punishes dissenters, illustrating the extreme spiritual and physical pressures during the Tribulation (God's Blessing) . This serves as a warning about the cost of faithful witness and the importance of steadfast loyalty to God in the face of global deception (Bible Repository) .
Spiritual and Theological Significance
- Divine Sovereignty: God permits the events but remains in control, showing that evil cannot act beyond His will (Bible Hub) .
- Satanic Deception: The speaking image represents Satan’s counterfeit miracles and manipulations to lead people away from truth (Bible Hub) .
- Call to Faithfulness: Believers are urged to resist idolatry and remain faithful, even under threat of persecution (Bible Repository) .
In summary, Revelation 13:15 portrays a literal and prophetic scenario where the False Prophet animates an image of the Antichrist, compelling worship and punishing noncompliance. The verse underscores God’s control over evil, the deceptive tactics of Satan, and the spiritual challenge for believers to remain faithful during the Tribulation.
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