The Seven Spirits of God
I didn't notice this phrase appearing a few times in Revelation, but when I did, I had questions!
I’ve read the Bible — chapters, the whole thing beginning to end, verses, stories — for decades, and am reading N.T. Wright’s books on Revelation closely, but I’d never noticed the phrase “seven spirits of God” before. How’d I miss it?! Maybe because it appears only in Revelation? Maybe because Wright in his discussion, and the study notes in my apps, barely mention it? Why did Wright not give it the attention it requires?
Note: I’m following N.T. Wright’s Revelation: 22 Studies for Individuals and Groups and his newest book 20th Anniversary Edition with Study Guide, Revelation for Everyone. See my post Prepare for Revelation for suggested materials.
First Mention: Revelation Chapter 1, Verse 4
“John, to the seven churches in Asia: grace to you and peace from He Who Is and Who Was and Who Is To Come, and from the seven spirits that are before his throne” Rev 1:4.
Here, it sounds like seven spirits are worshipping God or standing before God, not that they are part of God. Maybe that’s why I didn’t notice Wright had not included them in his explanation of chapter 1, verses 1 to 8.
Second Mention: Revelation Chapter 3, Verse 1
“Write this to the angel of the church in Sardis: These are the words of the one who has the seven spirits of God, and the seven stars.” Rev 3:1.
This phraseology sounds like the speaker is holding or has possession of the seven spirits. Does that mean the spirits are separate from God like chapter 1 implies? Or that the holder, Jesus, is one with God and so the seven spirits in front of the throne and being held are both one and individual?
Wright alludes to his interpretation of these seven spirits by saying, “The Jesus who holds the life of the churches — their angels, and the seven spirits of God which bring the churches to life (see 1.4; 4.5; 5.6) — will come.” In other words, Wright seems to be saying that the seven spirits animate the seven churches. (The phrase “seven spirits” also appears in the verse references Wright wrote in brackets.) To complicate understanding, the one who speaks to John explains in chapter 1, verse 20, that the seven stars are the angels of the churches. The seven golden lampstands, also mentioned in the first chapter, are the seven churches themselves.
Some interpreters suggest the seven spirits are angels, but this chapter makes it clear they’re not, otherwise why distinguish between angels and spirits? In any case, I don’t think any writer has suggested angels as being spirits, only humans and God are (and maybe demons, but then they’re also considered fallen angels…).
Third Mention: Chapter 4, Verse 5
Of course, it ain’t as simple as spirits are the lampstands, either. It’s Revelation after all!
In chapter 4, (another?) seven lampstands stand in front of the throne where God is sitting. So is Jesus standing in the midst of one set of “seven golden lampstands” and God is sitting before another set of “seven lampstands”? Is the omission of golden significant in the description of the ones before God?
In any case, in chapter 4, verse 5, the narrator tells John that the “seven lampstands, which are the seven spirits of God, were burning with fire.” Spirits are usually associated with fire, but lampstands don’t always contain flames. So earlier we had the seven golden lampstands being described as the seven churches among which Jesus is standing (no fire or blaze mentioned), and here we have the seven lampstands that are blazing are God’s seven spirits. How can the latter be just the animating breath (fire?) of the churches?
“Flashes of lightning, rumblings and thunderclaps were coming from the throne, and in front of the throne, seven lampstands, which are the seven spirits of God, were burning with fire.” Rev 4:5.
These lampstands — seven spirits — light the golden lampstands — seven churches — but next we read the spirits are sent out to all the earth. So not just animating the churches.
Fourth Mention: Chapter 5, Verse 6
Lastly, Jesus as the lamb is described as having the seven spirits of God.
“The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.” Rev 5:6.
Wright explains the horns and eyes mean Jesus is all-powerful and all-seeing. Is Wright saying the seven spirits are all-powerful and all-seeing aspects of God when he earlier said that the spirits animated the seven churches? That doesn’t make sense since how can two attributes (power, sight) breathe or blaze (animate life)?
What Do Online Commenters Say?
I decided to search the internet even if Google is becoming useless and annoying.
I came across a discussion on Strong using the word “pneuma” for both singular spirit and plural spirits; they compared it to translations of the original Greek. I looked again at my Blueletter Bible app and used Google translate. I copied the Greek word to Google translate and confirmed what the discussion had said. Although the same word, the singular form, “pneuma” is used for both Holy Spirit and seven spirits, the original Greek actually differentiates between the singular and plural.
The seven spirits of God are plural (Rev 4:5), not the singular spirit of the Holy Spirit (Matt 1:18):
Here is the original Greek for spirits in Revelation:
Seven Spirits as Seven Aspects of God or the Holy Spirit
In my searches for what others said about the seven spirits, the consensus was that they represented aspects of God’s spirit.
Does Isaiah Give Context?
According to one site, Isaiah refers to the seven spirits:
“The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the LORD—” Isa 11:2.
That is, the seven is God’s spirit plus six attributes in spirit form.
One writer challenged the idea of seven different spirits as that contradicts the Trinity. But later he notes that the original Christians didn’t have the concept of three: God the father, son, and holy spirit.
Seven Spirits: One or Individuals?
“Now it is important for us to note that the creedal formulation of the doctrine of the Holy Trinity came sometime after the New Testament. We cannot anachronistically read back into the text a mode of thinking and understanding which was never theirs. I can confidently say that neither John nor any of the early Christians thought in terms of the Trinity, at least not in the way we popularly understand it. As N.T. Wright points out in his book, “Scripture and the Authority of God”, many of these theological terms are short hands for a larger and a bigger concept.” Kwadwo Obeng, a lay Christian.
He goes on to write that the “seven spirits of God appear in a book where analytical reasoning does not help much.”
Revelation weaves metaphors and imagery, defying rational analytics.
That’s why my brain hurts after only 15 minutes of reading it! Without the passage from Isaiah, we’d assume it’s just Revelation creating another challenging vision of God’s Holy Spirit. But Isaiah listing three Spirits, with two attributes each, starting with a fourth Spirit, the one of the Lord, casts another angle of light on the “seven spirits.”
Seven Equals Perfect and Complete
Many writers, including Wright, point out that seven represents perfection and completion. Seven days to create the universe in Genesis. Seven spirits, seven stars, seven churches — the churches “stand for all churches in the world, all place and all times,” as Wright says about Revelation chapter 1, verses 9 to 20. Taken together with Isaiah 11:2, the phrase “seven spirits” conveys both literal and metaphorical meaning, which makes it rather challenging to understand. No wonder Wright barely touched it!
But I think we need to try and scrape away the surface assumptions and seek a little understanding — but also try not to conflate a little understanding with absolute knowledge.
Seven Spirits: Attributes Only?
As Obeng points out, the spirits in Isaiah don’t belong to only one category: “The spirit of the Lord and the fear of the Lord do not fit with the other designations in a sevenfold understanding of the Spirit. ‘Lord’ is not a virtue and fear is not an attribute of God.”
Holy Spirit Is Not Unidimensional
Jesus gave his Holy Spirit to his followers, and the Holy Spirit isn’t a one-note being but more like a fully realized being more complete and perfect than any human being. Isaiah describes this Holy Spirit as belonging to the Lord, with attributes and an attitude towards God that, in verse 3, Isaiah says he will delight in. “Fear of the Lord” doesn’t mean afraid but in awe, joy, and terrified at the overwhelming love beyond any human-level experience.
“Then John gave this testimony: ‘I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him’” John 1:32. Spirit = πνεῦμα = singular neuter noun.
John goes on to say that this Jesus is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.
Obeng concludes that we don’t need to identify individually each of the seven spirits; Wright reduces them down to that which animated the churches but also equates them to all-powerful and all-seeing; other writers state that they represent the Holy Spirit’s perfection and completion. But why wouldn’t the Holy Spirit have all the dimensions of a human being at the very least: personality, attributes, attitudes, and so on? Or, as Don Stewart writing for the Blueletter Bible put it, they are the seven ministries of the Holy Spirit.
I turn now to The Gathas. Yeah, you knew I would, eh!
Does The Gathas: Hymns in Praise of Wisdom Provide Insight?
Facets, aspects, virtues, attitudes, powers: all these words humans use to describe the seven spirits of God. Piloo Nanavutty writes in The Gathas that Ahura Mazda guides the universe and all within it through the six Powers that emanate from Him. Like with Isaiah, you could see the seventh is the Lord/God/Ahura Mazda:
Asha: Vedic Rta. Cosmic order, truth, justice.
Vohu Mana: The Good Mind.
Khashathra: Vedic Kshatra. Sovereignty, power, kingdom.
Armaiti: Vedic Aramati. Devotion, love, piety, zeal.
Haurvatat: Vedic Sarvatat. Health, well-being, perfection.
Ameretat. Vedic Amrutatat. Immortality.
The fifth and sixth ones are twins: perfection and immortality who dwell in Ahura Mazda’s wisdom. Through knowledge of the divine, a human can attain these two. Truth (Asha) and Sovereignty (Khashathra) spread Zarathustra’s teachings and knowledge of Ahura Mazda throughout the world. Personally, I think any power that emanates from God will spread throughout the universe, reaching even the tiniest, most hidden crack.
Asha
Ahura Mazda emanates Asha, Cosmic Order, Justice, Truth to humans “for our choice, the support of our faith, and the destruction of wickedness,” page 47. Before the Muslim conquest a millenium ago, Zoroastrianism was an evangelical faith so it makes sense that Ahura Mazda gave Truth to spread the word.
Ahura Mazda dwells on Truth’s straight paths, and Zarathustra walked along them. Truth also fosters human life (boy could we unpack this!). This reminds me of Jesus saying that he is the way, the truth, and the life. (John 14:6). Jesus being the path of truth makes sense that no one goes to God except through him. Asha affirms Jesus and the Holy Spirit’s life in us. What are your thoughts?
Pondering this idea of Truth and Jesus, I saw Charlotte Elisabeth’s father and either her or Bailey argue, debate, conflict with him over Truth versus Jesus being the truth, the way, and the life. I’ll put this in novel 2…I think…or could be novel 3. What I wrote in the previous paragraph is a first take and not my last thought on it.
Vohu Mana
Vohu Mana is the Good Mind — Ahura Mazda’s mind. Along with Asha (Truth), the Good Mind helps humans choose the right and just actions. Good thoughts, good words, good deeds — these inform every aspect of a good Zoroastrian’s life. One must challenge one’s thoughts so as to channel them towards the good, for good thoughts lead to good words and good deeds.
You cannot have good deeds in the presence of bad thoughts.
The Good Mind provides knowledge, works with Truth to reveal lies, leads to enlightenment by encouraging asking deep and searching questions. Maybe this is why Zoroastrians are highly intellectual in their approach, questioning everything (or interrogating as someone-who-shall-not-be-named repeatedly objects when I ask questions until I pushed back).
Even though there’s a tradition of Christians simply accepting their church’s doctrine and not questioning, Jesus was always goading his followers to think. He spoke in parables but didn’t explain them often. He asked his followers questions and expected them to figure out the answers. He got impatient with his disciples’ slowness. The entire Sermon on the Mount was about thinking differently and not living superficially by hidebound rules that contain no compassion, mercy, and love.
Nanavutty claims there’s no equivalent to the Good Mind in any other revealed religion. The Good Mind is seen as the one who sends protection (a Saviour), who through it, humans will establish a peaceful and happy co-existence, and with whom humans will dwell when “the prosperity of the wicked” is destroyed. Under the possession of the Good Mind, Zarathustra realised who Ahura Mazda was and asks penetrating questions that leads to his enlightenment. I don’t know, this sounds like the Holy Spirit to me. What do you think?
Some say the Holy Spirit confers protection. Christians believe the Holy Spirit guides Jesus’s followers, opens their eyes to the truth, connects people (like when you receive a nudge out of the blue to call someone and you learn they needed a call), provides power and strength and understanding that one can’t explain.
Brain Power Fading
Unfortunately, my healed-but-still-injured brain has died on this vine lowering me down into the vast caverns of seeking understanding the seven spirits.
It’s one thing to read and summarize and write on what others say; it’s another to synthesize it all.
Key Thought
I think, for me, the key is in Revelation chapter 5, verse 6: “…the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.”
Sent out is what Jesus did with the apostles — they were the human messengers sent to tell all the earth about Jesus, God, and the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit sent Jesus into the desert, sent the early Christians out of Jerusalem, sends modern Christians to new geographical, spiritual, mental places. The seven spirits being sent is like the Holy Spirit’s work. And don’t we bring different aspects, talents, values, traits, spirits of ourselves into our work? Spirits like laughter, joy, love, persistence, endurance?
What is God telling us? Is God not telling us what was written in Isaiah? What Jesus told us in the Sermon on the Mount? What The Gathas share? What Paul writes about what love is, which God’s endless love lights in us?
I will have to summarize or list these as I prepare to write novels 2 and 3 of The Q’Zam’Ta Trilogy. God is relationship — the Trinity is relationship, not each individual thinking, speaking, acting on their own separate from the others. So it makes sense that the seven spirits are united yet different, in relationship as one yet representing different spirits — emotions, elements, and characteristics — of God and of relationships — of how humans are supposed to be like with each other including with oneself.