[MeOnTheBeach]

[Me] None of them "retired".

[you] "And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel." - 1 Samuel 8.

"And Zadok the priest took an horn of oil out of the tabernacle, and anointed Solomon. And they blew the trumpet; and all the people said, God save King Solomon." 1 Kings 39 - this occurred before the death of King David.

And you're point is? Samuel was old when his sons became Judges.mmmkay. And God anointed Solomon to be king. So? Surely you're not trying to equate a secular leader with that of being a prophet of God?

[wideawake]

Surely you're not trying to equate a secular leader

The Pope is not a "secular leader."

All bishops are anointed.

[Mrs. Don-o]

I'm not sure that he Bible makes a distinction between "secular" and "sacred." Men were anointed Priest, Prophet or King, --- all of them in a sacred capacity --- as they were to do God's work offering sacrifices, teaching, and ruling God's people.

So yeah, Samuel appointing his sons as prophets in his old age, and David Solopassing on the kingship to Solomon, count as examples of men chosen by God who passed on their leadership to other, younger men at some point before they actually died.