That is, they are more than simple metaphor. However, there is no indication that these seven spirits of God do not exist. These descriptions are mysterious and heavy with symbolic meaning, as is much of the Book of Revelation. They are also said to be "sent out into all the earth" and they are equated with the "seven eyes" of the Lamb of God. We know from the references that mention the seven spirits that they are "held" by Jesus Christ, and that they are likened to seven lamps burning near, or in front of, God's throne. It is not possible to say with complete certainty what or who the Bible is referring to when it describes the "seven spirits of God" which are before God's throne (Revelation 1:4 3:1 4:5 5:6). The “seven spirits of God” in the book of Revelation are thus a reference to the Holy Spirit in the perfection of His manifold ministry.The seven spirits of God – Who or what are they? Isaiah 11:2 also references the Holy Spirit using a seven-fold description: “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.” The prophecy is that the Messiah would be empowered not by seven individual spirits but by the One Spirit, described seven ways: John’s vision includes a picture of the perfect and complete Holy Spirit. Once we identify the “seven spirits” as the Holy Spirit, the question remains, why are there “seven” of Him? The Bible, and especially the book of Revelation, uses the number seven to refer to perfection and completion. In Revelation 5:6 the seven spirits are the “seven eyes” of the Lamb, and they are “sent out into all the earth.” The seven eyes speak of the Spirit’s (and the Lamb’s) omniscience, and the fact that He is sent into all the earth speaks of His omnipresence. with a bowl at the top and seven lamps on it” (Zechariah 4:2). This picture agrees with Zechariah’s vision in which he sees the Holy Spirit symbolized as “a solid gold lampstand. In Revelation 4:5 the seven spirits of God are symbolized as seven burning lamps that are before God’s throne. Both passages suggest the superordinate role of the Son and the subordinate role of the Spirit. In John 15:26, Jesus “sends” the Holy Spirit from the Father. In Revelation 3:1 Jesus “holds” the seven spirits of God. This is a depiction of the Trinity: grace and peace are given by the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, the three co-equal Persons of the Godhead. John says that “grace and peace” are coming to the churches from three sources: “him who is, and who was, and who is to come” (verse 4), “the seven spirits before the throne” (verse 4), and “Jesus Christ” (verse 5). The “seven spirits” cannot be seven angelic beings such as seraphim or cherubim because of the context of Revelation 1:4. The identity of “the seven spirits” is not explicit in these passages, but arriving at the proper interpretation is fairly straightforward. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.” Revelation 5:6, “Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders.In front of the throne, seven lamps were blazing.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |