REVELATION 1:4

Revelation 1:4

Revelation 1:4 John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne,

·        John greets the 7 churches that are in Minor Asia.

·        He greets in the name of God of Trinity.

·        “Who is, who was and who is to come” these words refer to God Almighty.

·        “The seven spirits “refer the seven characteristics of one Holy Spirit.

  The Number Seven

The number seven is the most commonly used number in the Bible. The meaning of the number seven is “complete” or “perfection”.  We can tell the number seven is the key number of the Bible.

Some examples:

• ·        The World was created in 7 days (including the Day of rest).
• ·        Jacob worked 7 years for Leah & 7 years for Rachel.
• ·        Passover.
• ·        Moses turned water into blood for seven days.
• ·         When Joshua and team went to capture Jericho   they  involved 7 priest, 7 trumpet,7days.
• ·        Joseph 7 years plenty of food growth and 7 years famine.
• ·         The last 7 words Jesus told on cross from mathew 24.

·        Genesis 7:4 For in seven days I will send rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and every living thing that I have made I will blot out from the face of the ground."

·        Genesis 7:10 And after seven days the waters of the flood came upon the earth.

In Revelation also there are plenty of situations where number 7 is used

• ·        Rev.1:4,3:1,4:5,5:6 – 7 Spirits
• ·        Rev. 1:4, 20 – 7 Churches
• ·        Rev. 1:12 – 7 Golden lamp stands
• ·        Rev.1:16 – 7 Stars
• ·        Rev.5:1  - 7 Seals
• ·        Rev.5:6 – 7 Eyes of Lamb
• ·        Rev. 8:2 - 7 Angels with 7 trumpets
• ·        Rev.10:3 - 7 Thunders
• ·        Rev.12:3 - 7 Heads  of the dragon
• ·        Rev. 13:1 – 7 Heads of  the beast
• ·        Rev.15:1 – 7 Angels having 7 plagues
• ·        Rev.15:7 - 7 Golden bowls full of the wrath of God
• ·        Rev.17:9 – 7 Mountains, 7 kings

The seven Spirits of God are mentioned four times in the Book of Revelation:

Rev 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;

Rev 3:1 

- "And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: 'The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars." I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead.

Rev 4:5 -

 And From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God,

Rev 5:6 -

 And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.

The seven Spirits do not mean seven different Spirits, but the seven characteristics of the One HOLY SPIRIT.

1st Corinthians 12:4,11 There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the Spirit is the same.

7 Spirits are 7 personalities/attributes/Operation

We can divide the Holy Spirit into 3 major parts-

·        Fruits of the Holy Spirit -

  Galatians 5:22 (NKJV) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness ( altogether 7)

·        Gifts of the Holy Spirit 

– 1 COR 12:8-10 wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, working of miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, kinds of tongues, interpretation of tongues (altogether 9)

·        Roles of the Holy Spirit

A common teaching on the seven Spirits is that Book of Isaiah 11:2. "The "seven Spirits" likely represent the sevenfold ministry of the Spirit as depicted in Isaiah 11:2."

Isaiah 11:2 reads, "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."

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 — and the Spirit of the fear of the LORD.

The thing which we should understand clearly is, these characteristics are not limited to HIS role in heaven.