The Seven Spirits are a group of very mysterious beings in John’s Revelation. Though they have a surprisingly prominent place in the story, their identity is not directly revealed in the book. Consequently, there is some debate regarding who or what the Seven are. Over the centuries, many theories have been presented. However, today, the two most popular opinions identify them as either the Holy Spirit or a group of angelic/ spiritual guardians.
The Seven Spirits in Revelation
The seven spirits appear four times in John’s Apocalypse. Though unnamed, the text depicts them in several revealing ways. For example, they greet the church alongside the Father and Son. Later, they become the eyes and horns of the slain lamb (Jesus). In chapters 3 through 4, they are portrayed as the menorah lampstand and resting in the hand of God.
John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne,
Revelation 1:4
“To the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.
Revelation 3:1
From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. In front of the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God.
Revelations 4:5
Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.
Revelation 5:6
The Holy Spirit Perspective
The Holy Spirit view argues that the seven are a representation of the Holy Spirit. As strange as this might sound, proponents of this view argue that it is the most natural and biblically coherent reading.
The Number Seven in The Bible
As with numbers like 3 and 12, seven has symbolic significance in the Bible. In the text, it often represents completeness or fullness. This association is not accidental either. In ancient Hebrew, “seven” and “complete” are spelled the same way. (“seven” שבע, “complete/full” שבע.)
There are also a number of examples where seven is connected with the completion of a task. God created the world in seven days, Naaman was cured after seven dips in the Jordan, the walls of Jericho fell after Israel marched around them seven times, and Jesus said you should forgive your brother seven times seventy-seven, just to name a few.
The Holy Spirit and Seven
The Old and New Testaments also connect the number seven to the Holy Spirit. In the Book of Isaiah, the prophet describes The Spirit of God as a group of seven attributes. Together, they make up the one complete Holy Spirit. (Isaiah 11:2)
- The Spirit of the Lord
- The Spirit of Wisdom
- The Spirit of Understanding
- The Spirit of Counsel
- The Spirit of Strength
- The Spirit of Knowledge
- The Spirit of the fear of the Lord
The apostle Paul plays on this idea Isaiah presents when he talks about the seven graces of the Holy Spirit.
We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.
Romans 12:6-8
The Seven Spirits and Theology
From a theological perspective, imagery of the seven spirits parallels the concept of the Trinity and other Biblical notions regarding the function of the Holy Spirit.
In Rev. 1:4, God and Jesus greet the seven churches alongside the seven spirits. This picture fits neatly into the Trinitarian concept of God. Some even argue that because revelation is a letter from God to the church, it wouldn’t make sense for anyone other than God to be in the greeting.
Similar things can be done with the other passages as well. For example, in the Epistles, the Holy Spirit is often called the “Spirit of Christ.” This fits well with Revelations 5:6, which describes the Seven as the eyes and horns of the lamb (Jesus). Likewise, John 15:26 says that God sends The Holy Spirit, which could be why God holds them in 3:1.
Zechariah’s Menorah
A connection may also appear in a possible illustration of the Holy Spirit in the Prophets. Like John, Zachariah saw a lampstand with seven lamps (Rev. 4:5) during one of his visions. Confused by the image, he asks an angel for an explanation.
“But these seven will rejoice when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel—they [the seven lamps] are the eyes of the Lord roaming throughout the earth.”
Zachariah 4:10
There is some debate about whether this passage specifically refers to the Holy Spirit. Some will argue that it is merely an illustration of God’s omniscience, while others will say it also references his Spirit. It all depends on how “the eyes of the Lord roaming throughout the earth” is understood.
If God’s eyes roam the earth from Heaven, then it’s about the general concept of omniscience. However, if the eyes are on the earth, it’s likely a reference to the Holy Spirit. It all depends on how the eyes are “roaming throughout the earth.”
The Spiritual Bings Perspective
The spirit’s perspective suggests seven unnamed spiritual beings watch over the church. This view comes from a rather blunt, non-symbolic reading of Revelation. Its proponents suggest that only beings with a specific interest in the churches would appear in the greeting. Consequently, they argue the seven look after the church in some way. This view is often criticized for its hyper-literal reading of a categorically symbolic text.
The Seven Archangels Perspective
Much like the above perspective, the angel view argues that the seven are spiritual beings. However, this position connects them to the seven angels mentioned in the Apocrypha (Deuterocanonical) tradition.
In the book of Tobit, the angel Raphael identifies himself as one of the seven archangels.
“I am Raphael, one of the seven angels who stand in the glorious presence of the Lord, ready to serve him.”
Tobit 12:15
The seven archangels seem to make a direct appearance in Revelations 8:2.
“I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them.”
Proponents of this view notice that the seven angels “stand before God,” much like the seven spirits in 1:4
“Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne,”
The two verses are considered to be symbolically equivalent. In other words, the angels are suggested to be the spirits because they are both described as standing before God.
Final Thoughts
In a book like the Revelation of John, it’s easy to get lost in the details or get so focused on a small piece that you forget about the message of the Book. The meaning of the images is almost never directly stated, so it’s easy to find yourself lost in a maze of interpretations and possibilities. Consequently, I believe it’s important to remember God is using these images as a conduit for his message to the churches. In the case of chapter one, verse five, he reminds the church that the power of heaven knows their pain and that God, Jesus, and the “Seven Spirits” (whomever they may be) have not forgotten them.
