What are the seven spirits of God?

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True Bible Answers · Accepted Answer

The phrase "the seven spirits of God" appears four times in Revelation (1:4; 3:1; 4:5; 5:6) and has its Old Testament root in Isaiah 11:2. It does not refer to seven separate spirits, but to the one Holy Spirit in the completeness and perfection of His power — seven being Scripture's number of divine fulness. The key is the seven-branched golden lampstand in the tabernacle: one central stem with six branches proceeding from it. L. M. Grant makes this connection explicitly: Compare Isaiah 11:2 where the Spirit of the Lord is said to be "the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord." The lampstand in the tabernacle represents this, the central stem being "the Spirit of the Lord" and the other six stemming from this. L. M. Grant Each occurrence in Revelation presents the Spirit in a distinct connection: As seven lamps of fire before the throne (Rev. 4:5), the Spirit is seen as the searching, holy energy of God's judgment-throne. F. W. Grant writes: They are the sevenfold energy of the Spirit of God, who ever works out the divine purpose in the creature, whether it be in creation as at the beginning — when He brooded over the waters, or in sanctification — when we are new born of the Spirit, or in resurrection — when the work of grace ends in glory. And these seven spirits rest upon the Branch of Jesse when the government of the earth is put into His hand; "the Spirit of Jehovah shall rest upon Him; the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of Jehovah." As seven lamps of fire before the throne As seven eyes of the Lamb (Rev. 5:6), the Spirit provides perfect intelligence for governing the earth. An article in the Christian Friend (1889) puts it clearly: The number seven characterizes the Holy Spirit in this book (see Rev. 1:4, Rev. 3:1, Rev. 5:6), symbolic, that is, of the fulness or plenitude of the Spirit's power in the connection indicated. In the next chapter, the Lamb is said to have "seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth" — a figure expressive of perfect intelligence in the government of the earth according to God. But here it is seven lamps of fire burning, not on the earth, but before the throne. Fire expresses, as constantly, the holiness of God in judgment. As seven eyes of the Lamb What is especially striking is how different this presentation of the Spirit is from the way we know Him today. Edward Dennett draws this out: "The seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God," are in strict keeping with the earthly character of the book: for it is not the Holy Ghost as one Spirit dwelling in the Church, as we get in Ephesians, but rather the manifold operations of God's Spirit through creation. Edward Dennett G. V. Wigram makes the same contrast even more pointedly: "The seven spirits which are before the throne." How different from the titles of the Spirit, the Unction, Life-giving, the Seal, the Earnest, and Comforter, as we know Him! G. V. Wigram In the address to Sardis (Rev. 3:1), Christ presents Himself as the One "who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars." J. N. Darby explains: The "seven spirits" shew fulness of action; the "seven stars" are fulness of power in government. Whilst going through the experience of our weakness, we ought not to forget that there is, even now, in Christ, all that is needed in order to work with blessing and effect. Sardis W. T. P. Wolston adds: It was He that had the seven spirits of God in the complete manifestation of spiritual power; it was He that had "the seven stars." All constituted authority in the Church was under the direction of Christ to begin with. W. T. P. Wolston In summary, the "seven spirits of God" is the one Holy Spirit viewed in the perfection of His energy and operation — not as the Comforter indwelling the Church (John 14–16), but in His governmental and judicial character as connected with God's throne and with the Lamb who executes God's purposes in all the earth. Isaiah 11:2 gives the key: one Spirit described seven-fold — wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, and the fear of the LORD — resting in all His fulness upon Christ, who alone has the power to search, judge, and govern perfectly.

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