Seven Spirits Before the Throne
REVELATION Number 18
Seven Spirits Before the Throne
Revelation 1:4–5a (NASB 2020)
“John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.”
For a third time, we will examine this same passage. This time, I want to help us see what is meant by John’s statement that there are seven spirits before the Father’s throne.
Seven is the number of complete perfection. It represents totality. As we noticed earlier in our study, God created the heavens and the earth in seven days. In this passage we read that the message John is about to share is for the seven churches in Asia. Obviously, there were more than seven churches in Asia. John is making a clear statement that this message is for the complete, or whole, or entire, Church.
He says that the message is from God the Father, the one who is, and who was, and who is to come. He says that the message is from the “seven spirits” who are before the Father’s throne, and from Jesus Christ. Father, Spirit, and Son are all pictured here.
While some propose that these seven spirits may be seven angels, or messengers, I do not see where scripture allows that view. If this message is from God, then obviously all three persons of the Godhead are involved. If this message is from the Father and the Son, then it seems very odd that the seven spirits (if they are angels) should be given preeminence over the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Greek here is no real help because it says clearly “seven spirits.” The Revelation is a symbolic book. Remembering this and remembering that when we find Bible passages difficult to understand even in their proper context, we are well advised to use scripture itself to bring clarity.
Isaiah 11:1–2 is such a passage.
“Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch from his roots will bear fruit.”
1) “The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him,
2) The spirit of wisdom
3) and understanding,
4) The spirit of counsel
5) and strength,
6) The spirit of knowledge
7) and the fear of the LORD.”
(NASB 2020)
In verse two we see the Spirit of God who will rest on the Messiah characterized in His completeness by seven descriptive phrases. This has sometimes been called “the sevenfold Spirit of God.” I think that’s an apt phrase. Holy Spirit is co-equal with the Father and the Son. Holy Spirit is just as righteous, holy, and perfect as each of the other two persons of the godhead. So true is this that there exists only One God.
Rightly then, John refers to the Spirit as seven, or complete. He is the totality of perfection, just as God the Father and God the Son are the totality of perfection. Later in The Revelation we will see the Lamb depicted as having seven eyes for a similar reason—He is all seeing or all-knowing.
