


They are unique angelic creatures, evidently having a distinctive purpose in God’s plan. Revelation 5:6 says they are, “seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.” This helps further identify them.īefore John the Apostle wrote the Book of the Revelation, the Old Testament had already spoken of “seven” special “Spirits.” The capitalization signifies they are not ordinary beings or common angels. Again, the seven Spirits in the Book of Revelation are creatures of some kind, individuals with radiant bodies like burning fire (see angels described as such in Hebrews 1:7 and Psalm 104:4). Such could not be true of wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, and knowledge of the fear of the LORD. They are called “the seven lamps of fire burning before the throne” in Revelation 4:5. They are living entities, beings, not inanimate or nontangible concepts such as the last six “spirits” of Isaiah 11:2. Revelation 1:4 says these seven Spirits send forth a message of grace and peace. There are not seven “Holy Spirits.” Neither Isaiah 11:2 nor the Holy Spirit are under discussion in the Revelation passages. Isaiah 11:2 (quoted earlier) contains one such exception- “the spirit of the LORD” is the Holy Spirit. While it is true that the Holy Spirit is often capitalized in the English Bible (that is, “Spirit”), there are some exceptions. The capitalization in Revelation causes people to conclude that the seven Spirits are actually the Holy Spirit. Revelation 5:6: “And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.”Ī common attempt to identify these seven Spirits is to correlate them with Isaiah 11:2: “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 of the fear of the LORD.” However, great difficulty is encountered when linking Isaiah to Revelation.Revelation 4:5: “And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.”.Revelation 3:1: “And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.”.Revelation 1:4: “John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne ….”.We read about them on four occasions in the Bible, and only in the Book of the Revelation: WHO OR WHAT ARE THE “SEVEN SPIRITS” FOUND IN REVELATION?
