Of all the books in the Bible, few, if any, have managed to capture the imagination and curiosity of humanity, like John’s Revelation. The Book is full of spectacular and horrific images that many believe could tell of times to come. In the Book’s opening chapters, John talks about seven Spirits who are before the through 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
Aside from this instance, the seven spirits are mentioned about four more times in the text.
- Revelation 3:1 “To the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God . . .”
- Revelation 4:5 “To the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God . . .”
- Revelation 5:6 “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.”
As is typical with interpretations of Revelation, there is some debate over who the seven spirits are. Opinions tend to fall into one of two camps. On one side, you have those who think they represent the Holy Spirit. On the other side, you have those who believe they are special angels or spirits tasked with watching over the church.
The Seven Spirits are the Holy Spirt
This first and most popular possibility argues that the seven spirits are the Holy Spirit itself. This idea is predominantly based on the context of Revelation 1:5, other Biblical descriptions of the Spirit, and the cultural significance of the number seven.
Like the number three, seven is loaded down with Biblical and theological significance. Some good examples can be seen in the seven-day creation of the world or Israel’s seven marches around the walls of Jericho.
The number often, if not always, is used as a representation of perfection or completeness. Consequently, many suggest that the “seven spirits” is a roundabout way of describing the Holy Spirit.
Another piece of evidence for this position can be found in the passage’s immediate context. John 1:5 is located in the middle of the greeting portion of the letter. In this section, the churches are greeted by the Father, the Son, and the Seven Spirits. Including the Spirits in the opening portion of the letter strongly indicates that the Trinity is greeting the churches.
The Seven Works of The Spirit
This is also not the first time in scripture the Holy Spirit is described as a set of seven. In Isaiah 11, the writer prophesies about the Spirit like this.
“There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse,
and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.
And 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 the fear of the Lord.”
Isaiah 11:1-3
The writer says the Spirit of the Lord will descend upon an individual from the line of Jesse. He then goes on to brake up the Holy Spirit into six of its attributes. All of these attributes can be seen working on their own in different parts of the Old Testament.
- The Spirit of The Lord
- The Spirit of Wisdom
- The Spirit of Understanding
- The Spirit of Counsel
- The Spirit of Might
- The Spirit of Knowledge
- The Spirit of The Fear of The Lord
The Seven Graces of The Spirit
In the New Testament, Paul breaks the Gifts of the Spirit into seven categories.
“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 12:4-8
The image of the seven Spirits in Revelation could be a reference to these passages and the tradition of describing the one Spirit as a collection of seven.
The Zechariah Connection
Others have also pointed out that the description of the seven spirits in Revelation 5:6 shares many similarities with the description of the Holy Spirit in Zechariah 4:1-6.
“I said, “I have seen, and behold, a lamp stand all of gold, with its bowl on the top of it, and its seven lamps on it; there are seven pipes to each of the lamps, which are on the top of it…… Then he answered and spoke to me, saying, “This is Yahweh’s word to Zerubbabel, saying, ‘Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says Yahweh of Armies.”
The Seven Spirits are Angels
The second perspective argues that the seven spirits are seven spiritual beings or angels who watch over the Churches of Asia minor. This idea is connected to passages like Daniel 10 and Jesus’ statement in Matthew 18, which talk about angels or spirits who watch over nations and people.
But the prince [Spirit] of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me [an angel], because I was detained there with the king of Persia.
Daniel 10:13
“See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.
Matthew 18:10
Although this is a well-known interpretation of the vision, there isn’t a lot of direct supporting evidence in the text. Proponents often suggest that the spirits connect to the seven angels in Revelation 8:2
“And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them.”
Revelations 8:2
The arguments supporting this perspective are broad in variety and are often somewhat complex. For example, in an article written by fellowshipwithgod.org, the writer breaks halfway through the piece to encourage the assumed perplexed reader.
“If this is confusing to you, please continue reading.”
The author does a good job fleshing out their point in a clear way; the arguments for this position just tend to get complicated.
It’s common for people to lean on the non-canonical text 1 Enock, which talks about seven angels watching over the earth. If you search this topic on YouTube, you are bound to find many video essays that rely heavily on passages from 1 Enock.
Final Thought
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” have not forgotten them.
