Seven Spirits of God
Encyclopedia
The seven Spirits of God are referenced several times in the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
, primarily in the Book of Revelation
Book of Revelation
The Book of Revelation is the final book of the New Testament. The title came into usage from the first word of the book in Koine Greek: apokalupsis, meaning "unveiling" or "revelation"...
. The meaning of this term has been interpreted in multiple ways.
The Seven Spirits of God
The seven Spirits of God are mentioned four times in the Book of Revelation:- Rev 1:4 - John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;
- Rev 3:1 - And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.
- Rev 4:5 - And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.
- Rev 5:6 - And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.
Sevenfold Ministry of the Spirit
A common teaching on the seven Spirits is that Book of IsaiahBook of Isaiah
The Book of Isaiah is the first of the Latter Prophets in the Hebrew Bible, preceding the books of Ezekiel, Jeremiah and the Book of the Twelve...
11:2 supports the symbolic interpretation of the seven Spirits. Charles Caldwell Ryrie
Charles Caldwell Ryrie
Charles Caldwell Ryrie is a Christian writer and theologian who served as professor of systematic theology and dean of doctoral studies at Dallas Theological Seminary and as president and professor at what is now Philadelphia Biblical University...
writes in his commentary on Revelation, "The "seven Spirits" likely represent the sevenfold ministry of the Spirit as depicted in Isaiah 11:2." (Revelation - Everyman's Bible Commentary, p. 14)
Isaiah 11:2 reads, "The Spirit of the Lord 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 the Lord."
- 1 — the Spirit of the Lord;
- 2 — the Spirit of wisdom;
- 3 — the Spirit of understanding;
- 4 — the Spirit of counsel;
- 5 — the Spirit of might;
- 6 — the Spirit of knowledge;
- 7 — and the Spirit of the fear of the LORD.
Character
The Seven Spirits of God can also be thought to be the Sevenfold Redeeming Character of God reflected through Christ as we see in 2 Peter 1:5 -11. These seven fold characters are seen in the Spiritual body of Christ. They were manifested down through history in each of the seven Church Ages giving a peculiar manifestation to the Spiritual body of Christ in that age.Other interpretations
The seven Spirits might also correspond to the seven Virtues (Dunamis), or the seven Potencies of God: Courage, Fortitude, Temperance, Justice, Hope, Faith, Charity. In the New Testament, the term "Dunamis" (translated as Virtues) suggests a class of exalted spiritual beings; the same perhaps parallel to the "chief Princes" (Sar rishown) in the Old Testament, of which Michael is stated to be one (Daniel 10:13).The "seven spirits of God" (Rev 5:6) have been understood by some to mean the Holy Spirit anointing on seven men who have been used by God to direct the Church throughout its history. This understanding is supported by the reference to the "seven spirits" as "seven lamps" (Rev 4:5 - and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.). The ministry of John the Baptist was also likened to a lamp (John 5:35 NKJV - John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you chose for a time to enjoy his light.)