The Seven Spirits before the Throne
Bible Text: Revelation 1:4-8
"John,
To the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father--to him be glory and power forever and ever! Amen. Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen. "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty."
The Book of Revelation begins with these words:
"The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place." Revelation 1:1
This introduction sets forth two primary purposes for studying this book. First, the book is a revelation of Jesus Christ. Both his person and work are described. He is described as lord of history – past, present and future. There is great value in reading the Book of Revelation as a quest to better know our Lord and learn more about his work.
Second, the book is about the future. Though there are many different interpretations about the various symbols and metaphors found throughout the book, this should not deter us from exploring their meaning.
One very important thing to keep in mind as you read this book is that many of the things about which you read first appear in the Old Testament. By studying the Old Testament counterpart, you can learn a great deal about what is being said. Such is the case with reference to “the seven spirits before his throne”.
The author of the Book of Revelation was the apostle John. At first he was a disciple of John the Baptist (John 1:35), and later was one of the first six disciples called by Jesus in His early ministry in Judea (John 1:37-51). We find later that he had a home in Jerusalem and it was to that home he took Mary, the mother of Jesus. At his death, Jesus entrusted his mother to his care (John 19:26,27). John is referred to as "the disciple whom Jesus loved" (John 13:23; 19:26; 20:2; 21:7,20). He became known as the “apostle of love” which is most clearly seen by reading the epistles he wrote.
Roman authorities exiled John to the island of Patmos in the Aegean Sea. It was here that he received the message of the Book of Revelation. His testimony about how this happened is important. He said:
"I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, which said: "Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea." Revelation 1:9-11
I do not know of any Christian who cannot relate to John’s experience of suffering in some way or another. As an exile John would have known the pain of separation from his loved ones and his church. Banishment of this type is not easy to overcome and demanded, as he put it, “patient endurance”.
In the midst of his sorrow came the “revelation of Jesus Christ”. Jesus is always the answer to human suffering.
The revelation came during a remarkable occurrence. John was “in the Spirit”. This was not a trance or a stupor resulting from anguish, it was a deep and intense spiritual experience.
Some Christians believe that the Book of Revelation is too difficult to understand. They see it as a mystery that cannot be known more than a “revelation” that can be known. There is, I believe, a need for us to recognize the privilege that God gives to all believers to understand things that transcend the limited scope of human intellect. There is a level of knowledge and understanding available to all believers as a result of “being in the Spirit”. The Bible shows this state as being something more than a remarkable occurrence in the life of a great apostle. Note the following scriptures:
"for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." Romans 14:17
"But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His." Romans 8:9.
"I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. Galatians 5:16
…in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit." Ephesians 2:22
"…praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints--" Ephesians 6:18
The idea of being “in the Spirit” should not be foreign to us. Rather, as believers in Christ, it should be seen as our “state of existence.” Since this is where we dwell, the revelation that John received is intended for us as well.
The message of the Book of Revelation is one that comes equally from the three persons in the trinity. They are: “He who was and is to come” , “the seven Spirits before the throne” and “Jesus Christ, the faithful and true witness, the first born from the dead and the ruler of the kings of the earth” Father, Spirit and Son sent us the message.
The place of issuance is very important. It came from “before the throne”. It is therefore more than a message of comfort that we need in situations about which we can do little to change. It is a decree from he who is the “ruler of the kings of the earth”. It is about authority, about the right to rule and about the power that will bring that rule to pass. This throne is not just any throne. It is the central throne of all of existence itself. It is a federal throne in the most absolute sense. Most wonderfully, the power that emanates from that throne, though it has everything to do with the future, it also has a lot to do with the here and now – right where you and I live – right in the midst of the trials and dilemmas of life. It has to do with the power of God available now to every believer in Christ.
To understand the meaning of “the seven Spirits before the throne” we need to look at the Old Testament. In Isaiah we read about the anointing of the Holy Spirit that would be on Jesus Christ.:
"A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him- the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD - and he will delight in the fear of the LORD . He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears;
but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist." Isaiah 11:1-5.
At the time that Isaiah wrote these words the nation of Israel was under the cruel tyranny of the Assyrians. God promised a deliverer. The person would be a descendent of Jessie, the father of David, Israel’s greatest king. The image of a root coming from a stump depicts the fallen and broken condition of the nation. The great tree Israel had been cut down to the point that all that remained was a seemingly worthless stump. However, from this fallen and shameful state would come a king much greater than David. This person was Jesus Christ whose anointing for service would be absolute. It would be seven-fold.
1. Jesus was anointed with the Spirit of the Lord
Jesus said:
"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed," Luke 4:18
The word “Christian”, though it was a designation given to followers of Christ by non-believers, literally means “Christ’s anointed ones”. The same Holy Spirit who indwelled Jesus also indwells us.
2. Jesus was anointed with the Spirit of Wisdom
Paul prayed that that same anointing would be upon the church. He wrote:
"For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light." Colossians 1:9-12
3. Jesus was anointed with the Spirit of Understanding
The Psalmist prayed for this:
"Teach me, O LORD , to follow your decrees; then I will keep them to the end."
"Give me understanding, and I will keep your law and obey it with all my heart." Psalm 119:33-34
"How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path."
Psalm 119:103-104
4. Jesus was anointed with the Spirit of Counsel
In Isaiah 9:6 Jesus is called the “Wonderful Counselor” Jesus said this anointing would be for the church too.
"But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you."
John 16:7
5. Jesus was anointed with the Spirit of Power
After his baptism followed by forty days in the wilderness, the Bible says Jesus returned filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. (Luke 4:14). Just before his ascension, Jesus told his disciples that the Holy Spirit would be their divine enabler as well. He said:
"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Acts:1:8
6. The Spirit of Knowledge
The Bible speaks about the importance of knowledge in many places. One instance is this:
"my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. "Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children." Hosea 4:6
The Bible is God’s book. Through it the Holy Spirit imparts to us knowledge that is divine, knowledge that man could not discover on his own, knowledge that only God could give. The Holy Spirit also imparts knowledge to us about our personal situations and shows us what we should do. This is one reason why prayer is so important.
7. The Spirit of the fear of the Lord
Jesus had an absolute respect for his Father and always sought his will. We too need this kind of reverential awe. This kind of fear does not cause us to turn away from God in a state of trepidation but rather it causes us to draw close to him in the wonder of his love and grace. The Bible says:
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline." Proverbs 1:7
The seven Spirits before the throne that John saw in Revelation are the seven-fold anointing that we see on Jesus Christ, our Lord. So absolute was each anointing that John saw each of them as distinct from one another. I’m sure John was not mistaken when he reported seeing seven Spirits, God wanted him to see his Spirit in this manner. To explain this is beyond the scope of any mortal man. We can only bow, as John did, in reverential awe at the wonder of God’s love for us and the gifts he gives us.
Amen!
Sermon preached by Bruce Morrison
at Emmanuel English Church,
Hong Kong, September 14, 2003
(All scripture quotes are from the NIV)
