The Anointed Shaddai: Cherubim, Elohim, and the Empowerment of Divine Beings
The testimony of Scripture reveals a profound reality: the Deity has not worked alone in the execution of His purpose but has manifested Himself through a host of mighty ones—styled in the Hebrew text as Shaddai, Cherubim, and Elohim. These titles, though various in form, are essentially synonymous, pointing to a class of beings who are consecrated, empowered, and set apart for divine service. Just as Christ was anointed with the Holy Spirit to fulfill his mission, so too must these heavenly beings be empowered by that same Spirit to accomplish the will of the Deity. Furthermore, this anointing foreshadows the future glorification of resurrected believers, who will likewise be made equal to the angels, clothed in immortality, and endowed with the divine Spirit for eternity.
Shaddai: The Mighty Ones
The title Shaddai appears in the divine name El Shaddai, translated as “the Almighty.” Yet Shaddai itself is plural in form, deriving from the root shadad, “to be strong” or “to prevail.” Thus Shaddai denotes not one, but a plurality of mighty or powerful ones. This plurality is vividly displayed in Genesis 18, when Abraham was visited by three heavenly beings, who spoke and acted with divine authority. These were Shaddai—mighty ones who condescended to eat with Abraham and who later unleashed destructive power upon Sodom and Gomorrah.
The force by which the Shaddai act is not self-originating. Their might is derived from El, the supreme Power, the Deity who possesses heaven and earth. Thus the compound name El-Shaddai may rightly be rendered “the Strength of the Mighty Ones.” These heavenly ministers are representatives of the Most High, manifesting His will and executing His decrees in both judgment and blessing.
Cherubim: The Anointed Guardians
Closely connected with the Shaddai are the Cherubim, described in Scripture as composite, symbolic beings who guard the throne and presence of the Deity. In Ezekiel’s visions, the cherubim are bearers of divine glory, moving at the impulse of the Spirit (Ezekiel 1:12, 20). Most striking is the testimony of Ezekiel 28:14, which refers to the “anointed cherub that covereth.” The language of anointing (mashiach) is here explicitly applied to a celestial being.
This description indicates consecration by the Spirit, parallel to how Israel’s kings, priests, and prophets were anointed with holy oil as symbols of empowerment. Just as Aaron became “most holy” through anointing with the sacred oil (Exodus 29:7; Leviticus 8:12), so too the cherubim, as heavenly guardians, are described as “anointed.” They do not operate independently but in the strength conferred by the Eternal Spirit.
The principle of “One in Many” is therefore embodied in the cherubim. They are diverse in form and function, yet animated by one Spirit. Their consecration prefigures the greater reality of God-manifestation: one Spirit in a multitude of representatives.
Elohim: The Manifested Mighty Ones
The third synonymous title is Elohim, often rendered “God” in English Bibles. But the Hebrew word is a plural noun meaning “mighty ones” or “powers.” The peculiarity lies in its consistent use with singular verbs, as in Genesis 1:1: “In the beginning Elohim [mighty ones] he created [singular] the heavens and the earth.” The unity of action amidst plurality of persons reveals a corporate manifestation of one divine Power.
Elohim is applied variously in Scripture: to angels (Psalm 8:5, compared with Hebrews 2:7), to judges of Israel (Exodus 22:8-9), to Christ himself (Psalm 45:6; Hebrews 1:8), and supremely to the Deity. It is a family name, denoting a body of beings in whom the One Eternal Spirit is manifested. Thus, Shaddai, Cherubim, and Elohim are not separate categories but overlapping designations of the same class of divine representatives.
The Logical Necessity of Anointing
If angels are Shaddai, Cherubim, and Elohim—mighty representatives of the Deity—how do they carry out their extraordinary tasks? The answer is found in the empowering work of the Spirit. Psalm 103:20 declares:
“Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.”
Angels excel in strength, but this strength is not inherent; it is derivative. They act by the Spirit of the Deity. Likewise, Psalm 104:4 testifies:
“He maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire.”
Here angels are described as being made spirits by the will of the Deity. They are Spirit-empowered beings, flaming fires of divine energy, not by their own independent nature but by anointing with holy Spirit.
Thus, the logic is clear: for angels to execute the judgments on Sodom, to deliver messages to prophets, to protect the heirs of salvation, or to stand in the presence of the Deity, they must be consecrated, empowered, and energized by the Spirit. Without this anointing, they could not act as Elohim, Shaddai, or Cherubim.
Christ: The Anointed Son Above Angels
The supreme example of divine anointing is Christ himself. Acts 10:38 declares:
“God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power.”
This anointing distinguished him not only from men but also from angels. For a little while he was made lower than the angels, sharing mortal flesh and blood, yet through anointing with the Spirit he overcame sin and death. After his resurrection he was exalted above the angels, seated at the right hand of Power.
Christ’s anointing is therefore both unique and paradigmatic. It reveals the pattern by which the Deity empowers His representatives: by filling them with Spirit. As angels are consecrated to serve, so Christ was anointed to be the ultimate manifestation of the Father.
Future Anointing of the Saints
The hope of believers is to share in this same Spirit-anointing. Jesus himself declared that in the resurrection the faithful will be made “equal unto the angels” (Luke 20:36). Paul confirms that the mortal body will put on immortality (1 Corinthians 15:53-54). This transformation is not a natural possession but a divine gift, an anointing with Spirit that clothes the faithful with incorruption.
At the judgment seat of Christ, those approved will be fashioned like unto his glorious body (Philippians 3:21). They will be made mighty ones—Elohim, Shaddai, Cherubim—in whom the Deity’s power and character will be fully revealed. As immortal Spirit-bearers, they will reign with Christ as kings and priests, manifesting the glory of the Deity throughout the earth.
The Purpose of God in Manifestation
All of this—the anointing of angels, the empowerment of Christ, the glorification of the saints—serves one overarching purpose: that the Deity might be all in all (1 Corinthians 15:28). The principle of manifestation runs through the entirety of Scripture. The Deity reveals Himself through representatives, so that His name, character, and power might fill creation.
Thus, the plural titles—Shaddai, Elohim, Cherubim—are not evidence of competing gods but of the one Eternal Spirit operating in a multitude. The “we” of Genesis 1:26, the angelic visitations to the patriarchs, the prophetic visions of glory, the incarnation of the Word in Jesus, and the promised immortality of the saints all testify to this divine purpose.
Conclusion
Divine beings are indeed anointed. The cherub in Ezekiel 28:14 is called “the anointed cherub.” The angels excel in strength because they are empowered by Spirit. The Elohim create and govern as manifestations of the one Power. Christ himself was anointed above all, and the saints shall one day share that same anointing when they are made equal to the angels.
Shaddai, Cherubim, and Elohim are therefore synonymous titles for the consecrated, Spirit-filled representatives of the Deity. The Spirit that empowered them will also transform resurrected believers, clothing them in immortality, so that they too may serve as Elohim. The ultimate goal is the manifestation of the Deity in a countless host, until the whole earth is filled with His glory and He is truly all in all.
Would you like me to expand this into a scripture-by-scripture commentary (verse-by-verse) showing the anointing of angels and the future anointing of saints? That way each proof text—like Ezekiel 28, Psalms 103–104, Luke 20:36, and 1 Corinthians 15—gets detailed analysis.
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