Do You Know the 7 Spirits of God?

Do the 7 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 7 Spirits of God, anyway?”

Primary Verse—Isaiah 11:1-3

“Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. And He will delight in the fear of the LORD, and He will not judge by what His eyes see, nor make a decision 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 7 Spirits of God

“To the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of Him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.”  Revelation 3:1

“From the throne came flashes of lightning rumblings and peals of thunder, Before the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven Spirits of God.” Revelation 4:5

“Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it has been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. He has seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth.”  Revelation 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 – 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 ways of designating the Holy Spirit.”

From John Wesley – Church Planter and Theologian – 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 – 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 7 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.

“He has seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth.” Revelation 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 7’s: 7 Spirits, 7 Golden Lampstands, and 7 Stars

“The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the seven angels of the seven churches and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.” Revelation 1:20

“These are the words of Him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.” Revelation 3:1

“Before the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven Spirits of God. Revelation 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

7 Spirits and 7 Spheres of Culture (or 7 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:

1. Family
2. Government
3. Education
4. Economy
5. Church / Religion
6. Arts and Entertainment
7. 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 7 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.

Growing in the Spirit of Revelation,

James W. Goll

This material is taken in part from the God Encounters Today book by James W. with Michal Ann Goll. It is also available at a discount as part of the God Encounters Today Bundle when paired with the Understanding God Encounters 4 Message Set.