The Seven Spirits

The Seven Spirits
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In our last issue we began the subject of guidance and discussed how we, as believers, are to be led by the Holy Spirit. We also learned that the Holy Spirit is able to guide us because He not only knows yesterday and today, but He also knows tomorrow . In this issue we are going to examine the various ministries of the Holy Spirit.

There are several scriptures in the book of Revelation which reveal these ministries. In Revelation 1:4, the author, John, says, "John, to the 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."

Then in Revelation 4:5, he says, "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."

Finally in Revelation 5:6, John tells us, "And I beheld, and 10, 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."

In each of these three verses we find a reference to the seven Spirits of God. Among other things, the fact that the word Spirit is capitalized all three timesleads us to believe that this is a reference to the Holy Spirit. Although seven Spirits are mentioned, this does not mean that there are seven Holy Spirits, or does it mean that the Holy Spirit has six brothers. Rather, this is a reference to the seven ministries of the Holy Spirit. He is one Holy Spirit with seven different manifestations or ministries. Furthermore, in these verses there are three aspects of the seven ministries of the Holy Spirit. These are referred to as seven lamps, seven horns, and seven eyes.

If you will look back to Revelation 4:5, which we quoted earlier, you will find the Holy Spirit compared to lamps of fire. This comparison to a lamp suggests the Holy Spirit's ability to illuminate, to show and to reveal. Thus, one of the first ministries of the Holy Spirit is to reveal to you areas of your life which need aligned with God's Word. We find a similar analogy in Psalm 119:105, which says, God's Word "'... is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."

This idea of illuminating and revealing hidden things in our lives brings to mind an attic - the age-old storage place for things we no longer use. Have you ever gone up to your attic and,without even turning on a light, shoved in some things and closed the door hoping that the junk would go away so that you wouldn't have to deal with it again? However, when you finally do go up there with a light, you find not only the few things you remembered were there, but also a whole lot of junk you thought you had gotten rid of years ago. Why can you see it now when you didn't before? You turned on a light!

Likewise, the Holy Spirit focuses His light on the things in your character you thought you had gotten rid of years ago. These things had been pushed back and hidden until the light was turned on. For example, maybe someone rubs you the wrong way and some old feelings that had not risen up in a long time begin to surface. The Holy Spirit is illuminating these feelings so that you can correct them and get them in line with God's Word.

Thus, the Holy Spirit is referred to as a lamp of fire because one of His ministries is to illuminate.

The next comparison that we found was in Revelation 5:6 where the Holy Spirit was compared to seven horns. In the Bible horns are metaphorical for the ability to rule. For example, in both Daniel and Revelation, horns are symbolic of the ten nations that rise up and form a confederacy. Also, out of this one confederacy comes the "little horn" which is symbolic of the antichrist.

While the horns still speak of ruling power in Revelation 5:6, they are a reference to the ruling power of the Holy Spirit. This is important to believers' because when we were born again, this ruling power was transferred to us. The Holy Spirit living in us gives us the ability to rule and reign in life over circumstances, over the devil, and over all the trouble that comes our way. Thus, you are a ruler; you are a king in this life because of the Holy Spirit, the horn, in you.

The final comparison is also found in the verse we quoted earlier, Revelation 5:6. Here the Holy Spirit is compared to eyes. In the natural eyes allow us to see, but with the Holy Spirit in us, we have vision beyond the natural. The Holy Spirit in us can see things coming which cannot be seen with the natural eye.

Let me make a point here. The Holy Spirit can reveal the future to us all by Himself. He does not need to use a person to give us a personal prophecy. So, when you are seeking guidance, don't go running around seeking "a word" from someone else, No one has a monopoly on the Holy Spirit. The same Holy Spirit that lives in me, or in your pastor, or any other man of God also lives in you, You are not natural; you are supernatural!

Often we think that we are rarely led by the Holy Spirit, but what we don't realize is that even seemingly unimportant decisions are Spirit-led. For example, have you ever had a prompting to go to the store by a different route? That could have been the eyes of the Holy Spirit seeing something up ahead and urging you to go a different way. When we get to heaven we'll find out all the times the Holy Spirit turned us away from trouble.

In Revelation 5:6, we learned about the seven horns and the seven eyes. Now let's take a look at the verse just prior to it, Revelation 5:5, Here we learn that "... the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof," We find the identity of the Root of David in Revelation 22:16, "I, Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star."

Now that we have established Jesus as being the Root of David, we are going to look at Isaiah 11:1, "And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse ,and a Branch shall grow out of his roots." The word rod used in this verse is more exactly translated as "root"or "rootshoot". Notice that the rod (root) does not come forth out of Jesse; rather, it comes forth out of the stem of Jesse. The stem of Jesse is a reference to his son, David. Thus, out of David (the stem ) came the root that is shot forth, the Lord Jesus Christ. As we read in Revelation, the One who is worthy to open the seals is the
Root of David that has come.

Now that we know that Jesus, the Root of David, is the same person as the rod (root) that comes forth out of the stem of Jesse, let's continue in Isaiah 11:1, "... and a Branch shall grow out of his roots." This Branch that grows out of the root (Jesus) is the church.

This information becomes powerful as we look at the next verse, 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."

The "him" mentioned in this verse refers back to the subject of verse one, the rod or root. Therefore, "him" is Jesus. The significance of this verse is found in the fact that anything that rests upon the root will also rest upon the branches! Take a look at what we as believers have resting upon us,

1. the spirit of the Lord

2. the spirit of wisdom

3. the spirit of understanding

4. the spirit of counsel

5. the spirit of might

6. the spirit of knowledge

7. the fear of the Lord

This verse encompasses the seven ministries of the Holy Spirit. This means that we are anointed with the same sevenfold ministry of the Holy Spirit with which Jesus was anointed.

Furthermore, we (as the branches) are capable of bearing fruit and we can do this because of the Holy Spirit living in us. He can illuminateuson the inside and show us the areas with which we need to deal. He is also the eyes of our understanding reaching out into the future to lead us and to guide us in everyday life.

Bob Yandian

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