What Are the Seven Spirits of God?
By Jonathan Mitchell

In the symbolic NT book, Revelation (or: Unveiling), we find this apocalyptic statement in 3:1,

"Next, to (or: in; for) the agent which is (or: messenger from; person with the message of, or pertaining to) the called-out community within Sardis, write:'The One continuously holding (or: having) the seven Breath-effects (Spirits; attitudes) of, from, and which are, God - and (or: even) the seven stars..."

In Rev. 1:16, the Risen Christ was holding (having) in His hand "seven stars," which He then references in 3:1. In 1:20, along with the "seven stars" (which are the agents of the seven called-out communities), He speaks of "the seven lampstands" (which represent the seven communities, which are addressed in Rev. 2 and 3). We saw living lampstands on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:3). If the figure of a lampstand is an allusion to the source of light in the holy place of the tabernacle/temple (the lampstand, there, had seven lamps), is this setting the stage for the figure of the Temple Throne Room, pictured in the next chapter?

And so, we find in Rev. 4:

"Furthermore, [there were] seven shining ones (or: lamps; lights; torches) of Fire, which are the Seven Spirits of God (or: God's seven Breath-effects; or: the seven attitudes from, and which are, God; [cf Rev. 5:6]), being continuously caused to burn before the throne." (Rev. 4:7b) [cf Rev. 1:12, 20b; Ex. 37:23; 40:1-5; Zech. 4:2-14]

No explanation is given about these Seven Spirits, along with the alternate parenthetical rendering on offer, beyond this verbal picture of their being represented as "shining ones," or, "lamps," "torches," or "lights." The number seven is almost a signature number for Revelation, and this may be a way of tying the throne scene of Rev. 4 to this central thread of symbolism in the book. The fact that they are "shining ones of Fire" calls to mind Heb. 12:29,

"for you see, 'even our God [is] a continuously all-consuming Fire (or: our God [is] also a progressively fully-devouring fire).'" [Deut. 4:24; 9:3; Isa. 33:14; cf Rev. 19:20]

In Rev. 5:6, we are instructed that the little, slain Lamb - which is within the midst of the throne - has both seven horns and seven eyes:

"a little Lamb standing, as one having been slaughtered [cf Rev. 13:8; Isa. 53:7; Jn. 1:29; 1 Pet. 1:19] having seven horns and seven eyes - which are the Seven Spirits of God (or: God's seven Breath-effects; or: the seven attitudes from, and which are, God; [cf Rev.4:5; Zech. 3:8-9; 4:10]): the Ones having been, and still being, sent forth as envoys (representatives) into all the Land (or: territory; or: earth)."

In this verse, the Greek syntax is not certain: either the horns and the eyes together comprise the Seven Spirits, or just the seven eyes are the Seven Spirits. We suggest that it is the former, the horns representing the seven aspects, and the completeness, of the little Lamb's power, ability and means of influence. The slain Lamb is far from powerless. The "lamps" of 4:7b and the "eyes" of 5:6 call to mind the symbolic picture of the Risen Christ, in Rev. 1:14,

"Now His head and hairs [are] white, as white wool - as snow - and His eyes as a flame of Fire."

The inference, from Fire being part of the description, is that this Figure (both in 1:14 and 5:6) represents God, or it tells us that It is filled with God or has the character of God.

The phrase "the Seven Spirits of God" is often seen as an allusion to Isa. 11:1-2,

"Then a Twig will come forth from the set slip of Jesse, and a Scion, it shall be fruitful from his roots. And the spirit of Yahweh will rest upon Him, a spirit of wisdom and understanding, a spirit of counsel and mastery, a spirit of knowledge and fear of Yahweh" (Concordant Version of the OT).

These "spirits," in Isa. 11:2, were seen to be the qualities, character and attitude of the anticipated Messiah, and, here in a Revelation, we see these applied to the symbols which represent the Risen Christ.

"The seven Spirits of God (the shining ones, the torches) correspond to the seven lamps (flames of fire) of the lampstand in the Holy Place. The worship and praise which the 24 elders offer to God in Rev. 4:9-11, corresponds to the altar of incense. The table of the bread of the presence, having one loaf for each tribe, represented Israel, God's people, and corresponds to the 24 elders (a figure of the combined 12 patriarchs & the 12 apostles; God's universal called out group, the "church" of the old covenant joined to the "church" of the new). The rainbow around the throne is represented in the colors woven into the veil. The sea of glass can figure
1) the brazen sea which Solomon made -- 1 Chron. 18:8, and speak of the washing of the water by the Word, the cleansing aspect of the work of Christ;
2) a host of mankind -- the sea being often a figure of people -- having been calmed (no longer raging - Jude 13) by the sacrifice of the Lamb being slain (Who we meet in Rev. 5) at the brazen altar. 'Read through [Rev.] chapters 4 and 5 in one sitting and you will see that what John saw was what Moses saw' (Malcolm Smith; brackets added)." (excerpt from: The End of the Old and the Beginning of the New, Comments on Revelation)

We are given another piece of the puzzle in Heb. 1:

7. And then, on the one hand, to the agents (face to face with these messengers and folks with the message) He is saying (or: proceeds in laying it out),"He is the One making His agents (messengers; folks with the message) spirits (or: Breath-effects), and His public servants a flame of fire." [Ps. 104:4]

[comment: this is an example of Hebrew parallelism - the second line being a restatement of the first, but in a different figure; the figure is a reference both to the priests, as "public servants," and to the called-out community, figured as the lampstand in the Tabernacle, in Rev. 1:20, and referencing Acts 2:3 - there being "tongues as if of fire" burning on the lamps in the one case, and upon the people in the second case; the agents speak a message of words that are "spirit," the effect of the Breath]

In conclusion, we understand that "the Seven Spirits of God," or, "the Seven Breath-effects from, and which are, God," are simply an apocalyptic, visionary picture which shows God's Spirit in association with His Kingdom rule and influence, and they are the same as the Seven Horns and Seven eyes, these latter being "sent forth as envoys (representatives) into all the Land (or: territory; or: earth)." These represent God's involvement within His creation.

Jonathan

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