What are the seven spirits of God?

Quasar92

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The "seven spirits of God" are mentioned in Revelation 1:4; 3:1; 4:5; and 5:6. The seven spirits of God are not specifically identified, so it’s impossible to be dogmatic. Revelation 1:4 mentions that the seven spirits are before God's throne. Revelation 3:1 indicates that Jesus Christ "holds" the seven spirits of God. Revelation 4:5 links the seven spirits of God with seven burning lamps that are before God's throne. Revelation 5:6 identifies the seven spirits with the "seven eyes" of the Lamb and states that they are "sent out into all the earth."

There are at least three possible interpretations of the seven spirits of God. The first is that the seven spirits of God are symbolic of the Holy Spirit. The Bible, and especially the Book of Revelation, uses the number seven to refer to perfection and completion. If that is the meaning of the seven in the "seven spirits" then it is not referring to seven different spirits of God, but rather the perfect and complete Holy Spirit. The second view is that the seven spirits of God refer to seven angelic beings, possibly the seraphim, the cherubim. This would fit with the numerous others angelic beings that are described in the Book of Revelation [Revelation 4:6-9; 5:6-14; 19:4-5].

A third possibility is based on Isaiah 11:2 which says, “The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him — the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.” This could possibly explain the seven spirits of God…(1) Spirit of the LORD, (2) Spirit of wisdom, (3) Spirit of understanding, (4) Spirit of counsel, (5) Spirit of power, (6) Spirit of knowledge, (7) Spirit of the fear of the Lord. The Bible doesn’t tell us specifically who/what the seven spirits are, but the first interpretation that they are the Holy Spirit seems the most likely.


Quasar92
 

LorPro

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Or they are the seven classical planets, the celestial objects visible from Earth each of which is spherical and like an eye: Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn They are sent to the world as the seven days of the week which in Latin (the known world was under Roman rule) follow the order I have just given. French and Spanish retain the order: dimanche, lundi, mardi, mercredi, jeudi, vendredi, samedi. The world was created in seven days. It ties in with the seven stars held by the Alpha and the Omega and because a day marks time completes 'As was, is and shall be'... Last Sunday, today, next Sunday.... John even references the 'Lord's day' as the day he had his 'vision'. There is a celestial maiden with a crown of 12 stars in Rev 12.... There is certainly a connection with astronomy.

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Here's from a study I did a coulpa years ago ....
Revelation 1:4
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,
Revelation 1:14
His head and his hair were white as white wool, white as snow; his eyes were like a flame of fire,
Revelation 4:4
Around the throne are twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones are twenty-four elders, dressed in white robes, with golden crowns on their heads.
Revelation 5:6
Then I saw between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders a Lamb standing as if it had been slaughtered, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.​

One lampstand but seven functions. The Spirit of God has intensified sevenfold to accomplish God's work on earth shown by the repeated emphasis on the Spirit speaking in Revelation 2:7,11,17,29; Revelation 3:6,13,22; Revelation 14:13; Revelation 22:17
Grace and peace had eminated from the Father and Son in earlier epistles but now the Spirit is included to impart grace and peace to the churches.

Song of Songs 5:2 Christ's eyes are the expression of love but here they are like a flame of fire that observes and searches so that He can exercise enlightened judgements. His seeing with seven eyes is the complete picture because seven is the number of completion.
Daniel 10:6

The elders in the picture of Revelation 4 are not the elders of the church but the elders of the angels, because here, before the Lord's second coming, they are sitting on thrones already Matthew 19:28; Revelation 20:4. Among God's creation the angels are the most ancient ones. Their elders are the elders of the whole creation of God. That they sit on thrones with golden crowns on their heads indicates that they must be the ones who rule the universe until the millennial kingdom, when the authority to rule the earth will be given to the overcoming saints Hebrews 2:5-9; Revelation 2:26-27; Revelation 20:4. That they are clothed in white garments and have a harp and golden bowls full of incense Revelation 5:8 indicates that now they are also priests before God; in the millennial kingdom, however, the reigning overcomers will be the priests of God and of Christ Revelation 20:6. The elders' golden crowns indicate that they are also ruling ones. Therefore, they are priests serving God and kings reigning over His creation.

Seven lamps show the enlightenment of the Spirit of God for God's building, Exodus 25:37, Zechariah 4:2 (building and rebuilding of the temple) but here the seven lamps of judgment will also issue in God's building; for the building of the New Jerusalem.

Zechariah 3:9
For here is the stone that I have set before Joshua - upon one stone are seven eyes. I will engrave its engraving, declares Jehovah of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.
Zechariah 4:7
Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become a plain, and he will bring forth the topstone with shouts of Grace, grace to it.
Zechariah 4:10
10 For who has despised the day of small things? For these seven rejoice when they see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel; they are the eyes of Jehovah running to and fro on the whole earth.

Here's a quote from Barnes on Revelation 5:6

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible
....
Which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. Cmt. on Revelation 1:4. That is, which represent the seven Spirits of God; or the manifold operations of the one Divine Spirit. As the eye is the symbol of intelligence--outward objects being made visible to us by that--so it may well represent an all-pervading spirit that surveys and sees all things. The eye, in this view, among the Egyptians was an emblem of the Deity. By the "Seven Spirits" here the same thing is doubtless intended as in Re 1:4; and if, as there supposed, the reference is to the Holy Spirit considered with respect to his manifold operations, the meaning here is, that the operations of that Spirit are to be regarded as connected with the work of the Redeemer. Thus, all the operations of the Spirit are connected with, and are a part of, the work of redemption. The expression "sent forth into all the earth," refers to the fact that that Spirit pervades all things. The Spirit of God is often represented as sent or poured out; and the meaning here is, that his operations are as if he was sent out to survey all things and to operate everywhere. Compare 1 Corithians 12:6-11. "seven eyes" Zechariah 4:10​


But I think there's still so much more to it. Zechariah 4 is particularily interesting.

The verses of Revelation 1:4 has an identification to the 7 spirits. Revelation 1:12-13 explains that what is described as being there is Christ and 7 lampstands. What's that describing but the Menorah from the Holiest place which is always applied to the light of the Holy Spirit.

Revelation 1:4
John to the seven bchurches which are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is coming, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne,
Rev 1:12-13a
And I turned to see the voice that spoke with me; and when I turned, I saw seven golden lampstands,
And in the midst of the lampstands One like the Son of Man....​

me·nor·ah
noun
a sacred candelabrum with seven branches used in the Temple in Jerusalem, originally that made by the craftsman Bezalel and placed in the sanctuary of the Tabernacle Exodus 37:17–24

The seven spirits are also described as being the eyes of the lamb, so the lamb and the light are included in one.

Revelation 21:23
And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
Revelation 22:3
And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: And they shall see his face [which shines as the sun, Revelation 1:16]; and his name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.
John 1:1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.​

Which brings us to Zechariah 4 where an angel is speaking yet does not identify that as being a part of it's order but identifies the Spirit

Zechariah 4
The Gold Lampstand and the Two Olive Trees

1 Then the angel who talked with me returned and woke me up, like someone awakened from
2 He asked me, “What do you see?”
I answered, “I see a solid gold lampstand with a bowl at the top and seven lamps on it, with seven channels to the lamps.
3 Also there are two olive trees by it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left.”
4 I asked the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?”
5 He answered, “Do you not know what these are?”
“No, my lord,” I replied.
6 So he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.
7 “What are you, mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground. Then he will bring out the capstone to shouts of ‘God bless it! God bless it!’”
8 Then the word of the Lord came to me:
9 “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple; his hands will also complete it. Then you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you.
10 “Who dares despise the day of small things, since the seven eyes of the Lord that range throughout the earth will rejoice when they see the chosen capstone in the hand of Zerubbabel?”
11 Then I asked the angel, “What are these two olive trees on the right and the left of the lampstand?”
12 Again I asked him, “What are these two olive branches beside the two gold pipes that pour out golden oil?”
13 He replied, “Do you not know what these are?”
“No, my lord,” I said.
14 So he said, “These are the two who are anointed to serve the Lord of all the earth.”

The 2 witnesses could be OC and NC​
 
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joshua 1 9

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A third possibility is based on Isaiah 11:2 which says, “The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him — the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.” This could possibly explain the seven spirits of God…(1) Spirit of the LORD, (2) Spirit of wisdom, (3) Spirit of understanding, (4) Spirit of counsel, (5) Spirit of power, (6) Spirit of knowledge, (7) Spirit of the fear of the Lord. The Bible doesn’t tell us specifically who/what the seven spirits are, but the first interpretation that they are the Holy Spirit seems the most likely.
There are 9 fruits and 9 gifts of the Spirit. In the OT the Spirit would "rest" on people. In Acts we see that they were filled with the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 11:11 "Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he."
 
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Quasar92 said in post #1:

This could possibly explain the seven spirits of God…(1) Spirit of the LORD, (2) Spirit of wisdom, (3) Spirit of understanding, (4) Spirit of counsel, (5) Spirit of power, (6) Spirit of knowledge, (7) Spirit of the fear of the Lord. The Bible doesn’t tell us specifically who/what the seven spirits are, but the first interpretation that they are the Holy Spirit seems the most likely.

Note that the 1st and 3rd interpretations you listed are not mutually exclusive.

That is, just as the one God is at the same time 3 Persons (Matthew 28:19), so the one Holy Spirit of God could at the same time be 7 Spirits of God (Revelation 1:4, Revelation 3:1, Revelation 4:5, Revelation 5:6). And these could be 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, and the Spirit of the fear of the Lord (Isaiah 11:2).

Someone might ask: "So there are 7 Holy Spirits?". The answer would be no, just as there aren't 3 Gods. Instead, just as the 3 Persons of the Trinity are one God, so the 7 Spirits of God could be the one Holy Spirit. Just as the Father is the one God (Ephesians 4:6), and the Son is the one God (Hebrews 1:8), and the Holy Spirit is the one God (Acts 5:3-4), so the Spirit of the Lord (Isaiah 11:2) would be the one Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:17), and the Spirit of wisdom (Isaiah 11:2) would be the one Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:8), and the Spirit of understanding (Isaiah 11:2) would be the one Holy Spirit (Exodus 31:3), and the Spirit of counsel (Isaiah 11:2) would be the one Holy Spirit (Isaiah 30:1), and the Spirit of might (Isaiah 11:2) would be the one Holy Spirit (Ephesians 3:16), and the Spirit of knowledge (Isaiah 11:2) would be the one Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:8), and the Spirit of the fear of the Lord (Isaiah 11:2) would be the one Holy Spirit (Acts 9:31).
 
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Lucian Hodoboc said in post #2:

Why is The Bible so mysterious, ambiguous and seemingly incomplete?

Note that the Bible isn't any of those things.

Instead, it is all that a Christian needs in order to become perfect in doctrine and practice. For:

2 Timothy 3:15 . . . from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

2 Timothy 4:1 ¶I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;
2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
 
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