Do the seven spirits of God rest on you? They rested on Jesus. Do you want to walk in a greater fullness of the Holy Spirit? Do you want to see the Great Commission fulfilled? Do you want to see reformation and transformation of society occur? A great reformation and transformation is coming through the body of Christ that will awaken people in every sphere of society and then impact the nations of the earth.
To participate in this unequaled move of God, we must align with the fullness of His Holy Spirit—the same Spirit that rested on Jesus and lives inside of every Spirit-filled believer! I can hear you asking, “So what do you mean by the seven Spirits of God, anyway?“
Primary Verse
Isaiah 11:1-3: “And there shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots. 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 of the fear of the Lord. He shall delight in the fear of the Lord, and he shall not judge by what his eyes see, nor reprove by what his ears hear.”
There are seven distinct expressions of the one Holy Spirit: 1) Spirit of the Lord, 2) spirit of wisdom, 3) spirit of understanding, 4) spirit of counsel, 5) spirit of strength, 6) spirit of knowledge and 7) the spirit of the fear of the Lord. Just as God is one but has three distinct personhoods: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, so the Holy Spirit is One but with seven distinct expressions.
Additional Scriptures on the Seven Spirits of God
“To the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars says these things: I know your works, that you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead’” (Rev. 3:1).
“Lightnings and thunderings and voices proceeded from the throne. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God” (Rev. 4:5).
“I saw a Lamb in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, standing as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth” (Rev. 5:6).
Learning from Others
To grow in our understanding, let’s take a quick glance into the commentaries of several leaders from church history.
From Canon Leon Morris, NT commentator from The Revelation of St. John: “The seven spirits might conceivably refer to a group of angelic beings. But coming between references to the Father and the Son, it is more probable that this is an unusual way of designating the Holy Spirit.”
From John Wesley, church planter and theologian from Notes on the Whole Bible: “He is called the seven spirits, not with regard to His essence, which is one, but with regard to His manifold operations.”
From William Barclay, Bible translator from The Daily Study Bible Series: “The Spirit is one in name but seven-fold in virtues. Some think that (angels) are the seven Spirits mentioned here. But they cannot be; great as the angels were, they were still created beings.”
Visual Illustrations on the Seven Spirits of God
Now that we have taken a look at a few scriptures and quotes from commentators on this subject, let’s go a step further by considering a few typological illustrations found in the Word of God that require some interpretation. Always keep in mind, the God who releases the spirit of revelation will also teach us how to properly interpret and steward these revelatory realms.
“having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth” (Rev. 5:6b)
Interpreting the symbols:
- Seven = Fullness
- Seven Horns = Fullness of Power
- Seven Eyes = Fullness of Insight
Please note that the seven spirits of God do not remain in heaven, but they are sent out into all the earth. This one point alone is very distinct and needs to be highlighted: The seven spirits of God do not remain in heaven, they are sent out into the ends of the earth!
But how are the seven spirits carried into the entire world? This occurs as Spirit-filled believers in Christ Jesus carry the fullness of His radiating presence everywhere they go. That is you and me. This is a vivid illustration for us that demonstrates the omnipresence of God.
More Sevens: Seven Spirits, Seven Golden Lampstands and Seven Stars
“The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven candlesticks which you saw are the seven churches” (Rev. 1:20).
“He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars says these things” (Rev. 3:1a).
“Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God” (Rev. 4:5b).
Notice the interchange between the seven spirits, the seven lampstands and the seven stars. Each church listed in Revelation 2 and 3 has a messenger or angelos assigned to them. The lampstands are the seven churches of Asia Minor. The seven stars are an allegorical typology of the seven angels assigned to each of the seven churches. But the blazing or burning lamps are a representation of the seven spirits of God.
Putting It All Together:
Seven Spirits and Seven Spheres of Culture or Seven Cultural Mountains
Today the Holy Spirit, in all His fullness, is being sent forth into the entire world. Just as there are seven spirits, we also find that there are seven cultural mountains where believers are to carry an impact and influence for Christ Jesus the Lord. As disciples of Jesus are empowered by the Holy Spirit, they in turn are commissioned to “go therefore into all the nations” carrying the light of the world with them. This is another dimension of the seven spirits being sent into all the earth.
Seven Cultural Spheres or Mountains:
- Family
- Government
- Education
- Economy
- Church / Religion
- Arts and Entertainment
- Media
Do the seven spirits of God rest upon your life and ministry? The Holy Spirit wants to make His dwelling place within and upon each believer’s life. Do you want more? I urge you to get to know the seven spirits of God. Ask the Father that the fullness of the seven spirits of God would rest upon you.
Prayer to Grow in the Manifested Presence of God
Father, in Jesus’ name, we call forth the fullness of the Holy Spirit into each of our lives, families and spheres of influence. We want to be burning ones. Send an increase of Your Spirit’s power and manifested presence among us. We welcome the seven spirits of God to be activated in our lives as we consecrate our entire being to You. Amen and Amen!
I believe that as we grow in our revelatory understanding of the seven spirits of God, we will shift into a higher level of power and effectiveness. Receive and release the fullness of the seven spirits of God into every sphere of influence God has called you to. {eoa}
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