The Seven Spirits of God
The interpretation of the "seven Spirits" in the book of Revelation is a reference to the Holy Spirit. John refers to the "seven Spirits" in Revelation 1:4; 3:1; 4:5 and 5:6. The Jews "talked of the seven angels of the presence," 1 Enoch 90:21. John refers to seven angels of the seven churches (1:20). The reference to the "seven Spirits" is a reference to seven holy angels before the throne of God. Since seven is often used as a number of completion, or perfection, in the Bible (and in the book of Revelation in particular) it is thought that the "seven" churches are representative of all churches, each of which has a share in God's Holy Spirit in order to carry out its ministry to the world.Isaiah 11:2. The Greek translation of this verse in the Septuagint 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 piety; by this spirit He shall be filled with the fear of God." In this view, the "seven Spirits" of Revelation refer to this sevenfold ministry of the Holy Spirit, particularly evidenced in the life of Jesus.
The Seven Archangels In postbiblical Judaism -- especially in apocalyptic literature, which describes God's dramatic intervention in history -- seven angels, sometimes called archangels, lead the heavenly hosts that in the Talmud (an authoritative compendium of Jewish law, lore, and commentary) are viewed as countless. These seven, noted in the noncanonical First Book of Enoch (chapter 20), are: Uriel (leader of the heavenly hosts and guardian of sheol, the underworld); Raphael (guardian of human spirits); Raguel (avenger of God against the world of lights); Michael (guardian of Israel); Sariel (avenger of the spirits, "who sin in the spirit"); Gabriel (ruler of paradise, the seraphim, and the cherubim); and Remiel, also called Jeremiel (guardian of the souls in sheol). Of these, two (Michael and Gabriel) are mentioned in the Old Testament and two others (Raphael and Uriel) in the Apocrypha, a collection of noncanonical works...
REVELATIONS 8:1 WHEN THE LAMB BROKE OPEN THE SEVENTH SEAL THERE WAS SILENCE IN HEAVEN FOR ABOUT HALF AN HOUR. THEN I SAW THE SEVEN ANGELS WHO STAND BEFORE GOD, AND THEY WERE GIVEN SEVEN TRUMPETS.
THE SEVEN SORROWS OF MARY (PROVERBS: 9;1 WISDOM HAS BUILT HER HOUSE, SHE HAS HEWN OUT HER SEVEN PILLARS;
REVELATIONS 1:20 "AS FOR THE MYSTERY OF THE SEVEN STARS WHICH YOU SAW IN MY RIGHT HAND, AND THE SEVEN GOLDEN LAMPSTANDS: THE SEVEN STARS ARE THE SEVEN ANGELS OF THE SEVEN CHURCHES, AND THE SEEN LAMPSTANDS ARE THE SEVEN CHURCHES.
Revelation 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;
5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the
first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the
earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in
his own blood,
6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to
him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
Revelation 3:1 And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars;
Revelation 4:2 And immediately I was in the spirit: and,
behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.
3 And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine
stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight
like unto an emerald.
4 And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and
upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in
white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.
5 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.
Revelation 5:6 And I beheld, and, lo, 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.
SEVENTH HEAVEN AND THE SANCTUARY
THE SEVEN WONDERS
THE MUSICAL ALPHABET
SEVEN SEAS
THE MUSIC OF THE SPHERES
LUKE 17:4 "AND IF HE SINS AGAINST YOU SEVEN TIMES A DAY AND RETURNS TO YOU SEVEN TIMES, SAYING, 'I REPENT,' FORGIVE HIM."
evens abound in the Bible and throughout Jewish life. The world
was created in seven days, and marriage is a seven days a week
act of creation. There are also seven wedding blessings. The
seven wedding blessings or 'sheva b'rachot' mention the
beginning of time in Eden, when life was wholeness, and the end
of days when that wholeness will be restored. Since Eden the
world has been in exile from the experience of unfragmented
existence, an exile that extends from earth to heaven. The
Garden was lost, the Temple destroyed, even God was not whole.
Shekhinah, God's feminine self, wanders the earth, cut off,
bereaved. God and Shekinah are reunited on Sabbath, the day that
offers a taste of paradise, as bridegroom and bride. Both heaven
and earth long for redemption from this exile, a restoration to
Edenic harmony to the whole of creation. Since Judaism has no
concept of individual redemption, the wedding provides the whole
community with a glimpse into the blessing of the wholeness that
was once and is to come again. DANCE OF THE SEVEN VEILS.
Anyone reading a non-Hebrew text of Psalm 29 will wonder why it was chosen to celebrate a "Sabbath Queen." Yet if read in Hebrew it is evident that the entire purpose of the psalm is to lead to and rejoice in a final resting place/time -- "YHWH on the flood sits and sits YHVH king forever." In Jewish mysticism the repetition of "sits and sits" (yashab ve-yesheb) deepens and stretches out this sense of completion. In addition YHVH is here named as "king" and therefore the king's "resting forever" is interpreted as His partner and queen. In the Kabbalist book called ZOHAR (The Book of Enlightenment), which was first distributed in Spain in the late 13th century, there is a hymn called "The Secret of Sabbath" which helps to further identify the Sabbath rest as goddess and queen.
The Secret of Sabbath: She is Sabbath! United in the secret of One to draw down upon Her the secret of One. The prayer for the entrance of Sabbath: The holy Throne of Glory is united in the secret of One, prepared for the High Holy King to rest upon Her. When Sabbath enters She is alone, separated from the Other Side, all judgments removed from Her. Basking in the oneness of holy light, She is crowned over and over to face the Holy King. All powers of wrath and masters of judgment flee from Her. Her face shines with a light from beyond; She is crowned below by the holy people, and all of them are crowned with new souls. Then the beginning of prayer to bless Her with joy and beaming faces: Barekbu ET YHVH* ha-Mevorakh, "Bless ET YHVH, the-Blessed One," ET YHVH, blessing Her first.
Revelation talks about the seven Spirits of God in four places. These are found in Rev.1:4, 3:1, 4:5, and in 5:6. One of the places it speaks of the Seven Spirits is in the 4th Chapter the 5th verse. tells us that the seven lamps of fire burning before the throne are the seven Spirits of God. Then in the 5th chapter the 6th verse the seven horns and seven eyes on Jesus, who is portrayed as a lamb, are the seven Spirits of God.
God is referred to as a Spirit many times in the Old Testament. The power of God to replicate himself as Seven Spirits or Eyes that "go forth into the Earth" as stated in Rev 5:6 (the last mention of the 7 Spirits) comes straight from the Book of Zechariah ...
"This is The Word of the LORD to Zerub'babel ... Not by might, nor by Power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of Hosts ... These Seven are the Eyes of the LORD, which range through the whole earth" (Zech 4:6,10). Seven spirits = seven lamps = seven eyes. The only other biblical text where seven lamps, seven eyes and the Spirit are connected is Zechariah 4! Revelation 11 provides evidence that John knows this passage and has appropriated the symbolism of the two olive trees. This strengthens the consideration that John might be alluding to Zechariah 4 when he mentions the seven spirits. What is John's description of the Holy Spirit as seven spirits trying to tell us? First of all, seven is the number of fullness in Scripture. Thus, John may be referring to the fullness of the Spirit at work. But he actually wants to say more than that. He wants to lead his readers to consider Zechariah 4 as the proper context for the understanding of their current situation. Zechariah 4 is well-known to many readers because of the famous quote: "not by might, nor by power but by my Spirit" (v. 6).
7 GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
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;
Isaiah 11:2 - Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit: Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety and Fear of the Lord.
1st Cor 12:8 - Wisdom, Knowledge, Faith, Healing, Miraculous Powers, Prophecy, Discernment, Tongues and Interpretation of Tongues.
Proverbs 8:12 I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions.
13 The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.
14 Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom: I am understanding; I have strength.
15 By me kings reign, and princes decree justice.
16 By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth.
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;
3 And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:
4 But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth: with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.
other biblical references also include : the spirit of grace, the spirit of supplications, the spirit of judgment, the spirit of holiness, the Spirit of adoption, the spirit of meekness, the spirit of faith, the spirit of power, the spirit of love, the spirit of a sound mind, the spirit of glory, the spirit of truth, the spirit of prophecy.
These are the seven facets or manifestations of the Holy Spirit in the believer's life:
1. The Spirit of Justification: "...you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God." We are all justified because of God's grace and by our faith, and it is the Spirit of God who draws us and empowers us to acknowledge Jesus as our Lord and Savior (1 Corinthians 12:3). This is the first work of the Spirit when one is born again.
2. The Spirit of Sanctification: 2 Thessalonians 2:13, "...God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth." Sanctification is the process of God's grace by which the believer is separated from sin, purified by life lived in the Spirit. (Galatians 5:16, 25 and Romans 8:1-14) The fruit of the Spirit will begin to manifest as we yield to the process of sanctification.
3. The Spirit of Life: Romans 8:2, "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death." This is the Spirit of adoption (Romans 8:15) which makes us the sons of God (Romans 8:16-19). We can now live in the resurrection power of Christ where the operation of the gifts of the Spirit cause our lives to become supernatural. The Spirit will give life to our mortal bodies. Healing and strength will come into our bodies of flesh (Romans 8:11) as well as giving us a glorified body in that day.
4. The Spirit of Truth: John 14:17 "The Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you." The truth will set us free. The truth will bring revelation knowledge as we are taught by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of truth will reveal Jesus to us (John 15:26). Vision will be given to lead us into all truth and reveal the kingdom to us. Deception will be removed, and the lies destroyed.
5. The Spirit of Wisdom: Ephesians 1:17, "That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him." Not only will the Spirit give us a knowledge of Jesus, but it will give us insight into His mind and what He is doing (1 Corinthians 2:6-16). The Holy Spirit is our teacher (John 14:26).
6. The Spirit of Deliverance: Matthew 12:28 "But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you." It is by the power of the Holy Spirit that we are delivered from sin and by that same Spirit demons are cast out and the powers of darkness are defeated.
7. The Spirit of Prayer: Romans 8:26, "Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered." Ephesians 6:18 tells us that all prayer should be done in the Spirit.
Seven Spirits of the Lord – Expressions of the Anointing Isaiah 11 1There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots. 2The 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. A branch shall grow out of his roots. Spirit of the Lord (1) Spirit of wisdom (2) and understanding (3) Spirit of counsel (4) and might (5) Spirit of knowledge (6) and fear of the Lord (7) 7 Spirits of God: Revelation 1 4 John, to the seven churches which 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... Revelation 4 5And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. These seven spirits of God describe the different kinds of expression of the anointing. We as believers, who have the anointing upon us by the Spirit of God, should be expressing that anointing in all of these ways. As described in John 7:38, there are different rivers of the anointing that flow out from us, represented by the spirits of God which flow out from the throne of God. We need to let each of these expressions flow out of our lives to others: Spirit of the LORD The breath of life of the LORD. Represents the total authority and rule of God, and the very life of God, the essence of who God is. We need to express God and pour out the life of God by the anointing, with the authority he has given us Wisdom An ability to discern by the Spirit of God. An understanding of the right course of action. Skill in carrying that action out. We can discern the ways of God and the actions He desires and perform them with His skill. Understanding A thorough acquaintance with the ways of God. Expertness in the practice of God’s works. We can be totally familiar with the way God operates and be able to cooperate expertly in that operation because we know it and are familiar with it. Counsel Having consulted with God, knowing His plan of action, and having the ability to give right advice to others concerning it. We can, by the anointing, be so thoroughly understanding of God’s character and ways, that we can correctly instruct and advise others on plans of action. We also can receive God’s counsel on issues in our own lives. Might Strength, boldness, intensity, energy. The power, authority, and resources of God. Also, skill in battle. Believers by the anointing have as a tool of the Spirit the might of God to accomplish God’s desires. The Holy Ghost is a man of war, and believers can be skilful in spiritual battle, exercising the might of the Spirit. Knowledge Knowledge, perception, skill. Knowing God and His ways with familiarity gained through experience. We as anointed believers can know the things and secrets of God. We can have an intimate, familiar knowing of Him through His word and by His Spirit. Fear of the LORD Awesome respect and reverence of the person of God. We as believers by the anointing will develop a profound adoring awed respect for God, and instill that in others through the expression of the anointing Make him of quick understanding Isaiah 11: 3And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: 4But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth: with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. A. Quickens the mind by the anointing By the anointing our minds are made sharp and discerning B. Not judge after eyes By the anointing we will be able to rightly judge and discern with God’s wisdom, even when the facts are difficult or deceptive. C. Not reproving after hearing of the ears By the anointing we can lovingly correct, not being judgmental or critical from what we’ve heard from others, but knowing God’s heart for each person. D. With righteousness shall he judge the poor By the anointing we will have a right attitude toward those experiencing hardship. E. Reprove with equity By the anointing we will be able to discern and act according to God’s law of justice, free from bias or favoritism of the flesh – judging rightly with the mind of God. D. Seeing and Hearing by the Spirit John 5 30I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me. Jesus did not go by what he heard and saw in the natural (Isaiah 11:3). He was motivated and supplied by the anointing to know what God desired to do, desire to do it, and carry out that work effectively in the power of God. He heard and saw what God wanted to do, and did it. So should we. We need to exercise the seeing of the Spirit, and the hearing of the Spirit, in our lives. We can hear from God, know what He wants to do, know how He wants us to do it, and be confident to carry it out. E. Feeling the Anointing John 8 48 Then the Jews answered and said to Him, "Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?" These Jews had no feeling for the anointing – they could not even tell the difference between the Spirit of God and the devil. We can feel after the anointing, and know and discern the presence and the direction of God. As a result of the anointing: Isaiah 11 5Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins, and faithfulness the belt of His waist. As a result of the anointing, we will live lives that are right before God. We will be faithful to all His desires and ways. We will be Spirit-filled and Spirit-taught! We can express the anointing of God in every one of these areas!
The Seven Healings We hear in the Gospels about many healings, indeed, of crowds of the sick and needy gathering to receive Jesus' healing touch or glance.(2) Only with Mary Magdalene do we hear of seven demons ejected from one person. Usually people have concluded, "She sinned more deeply, so she had more demons to eject." We have a different point of view. The number seven gives the clue. Since ancient times, spiritual science has understood that human beings have seven energy centers through the body. These "wheels of energy" are called "chakras" in Sanskrit. One can trace this understanding from the earliest teachings in India, into the cultures of Babylon and Assyria, then into the culture of Egypt. From thence, it came through the traditions of the Hebrews -- one can see many references to the seven-fold structure of spiritual worlds in Hebrew scriptures and thought, which they picked up from their captivities in Babylon and Egypt.(3) "Wisdom (Sophia) has built her house; she has hewn her seven pillars" (Proverbs 9) refers directly to the seven-fold foundations of our being. Today this awareness is the focus of the spiritual science of various healers who work with the seven chakras and seven levels.(4) You can see this notion of the seven levels in the Hebrew menorah, where the six arms of the candle-holders come up and around the central light of spirit. The fact that Mary Magdalene was released of seven devils makes her unique in Christian lore. Yet, how was this fact dealt with? With suspicion, fear, and scorn. The stigmata of her past -- having had seven devils in her -- became more important than her cleansed state. And she seemed to gather up the sins of other women named in the Bible, i.e., Luke's 'sinner' and the woman accused of adultery. Around the year 600, Pope Gregory "the Great" declared that Mary Magdalene was the same as the unnamed prostitute in the Bible, therefore one ought to hold her as the penitent whore. In his Homily 33, similar to the Executive Orders used by Presidents to define policy, he stated: She whom Luke calls the sinful woman, whom John calls Mary, we believe to be the Mary from whom seven devils were ejected according to Mark. And what did these seven devils signify, if not all the vices?... It is clear, brothers, that the woman previously used the unguent to perfume her flesh in forbidden acts.(5) In this he designated Mary Magdalene the whore, which he amended to become the "penitent whore," the woman in tears seeking forgiveness for her sins. This designation has shrouded her in a cloak of shame, and kept her wisdom hidden from us. However, a strong case can be made about the value her "repentance" has had through the centuries in inspiring women (and men) to find hope when they were truly down and out. Note that the Greek word interpreted as "sinner" in this Gospel was "harmartolos". It can be translated to mean one who has transgressed or placed herself outside the law-or quite simply, one who was not Jewish. And it was used in that manner elsewhere in the scriptures. The word itself does not imply a street walker or a prostitute. One of the first big realizations to occur when researching this story is that there is no direct reference anywhere in the Bible to Magdalene as a prostitute. Only in 1969 did the Catholic Church officially repeal Gregory's labeling as "whore," admitting their error, though Mary Magdalene as the penitent whore has remained in public teachings of all Christian sects. Like a small error notice in the back pages of a newspaper, the Church's correction goes unnoticed, while the initial and incorrect article continues to influence the readers. But let us remember that she was healed by Jesus Christ of the seven demons, the aspects that cloud our vision and energy at each of our seven centers. Presumably, she no longer had the seven deadly sins -- pride, lust, envy, anger, covetousness, gluttony, and sloth. In their place she had the corresponding virtues.(6) She had cleared the way for "the seven virgins of light."(7) This purification makes her the most thoroughly sanctified person mentioned in the New Testament. Imagine this for a moment: completely cleansed of prejudice and old grudges, fogs of illusion, hereditary obstacles to health, all desires.... If she had tears after these healings it was because she could now truly see the spiritual truth that worked in all things. She could see the barbarity of other human beings, as well as the transcendent beauty of Jesus Christ's healings and teachings. In modern terms, her "heart was open." Mary's elevated state may explain why she took on such a strong role in the early century texts of the Nag Hammadi library, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and the Pistis Sophia. The latter text was found in Egypt, where the secret teachings of Mary Magdalene took refuge from the political decisions being made about the form of the Christian Church. According to that doctrine, in the forty-days teaching after the resurrection, Magdalene took the lead in the conversations with the risen Christ. Indeed, at one point, she alone follows Christ's questions, while the others have fallen into a stupor, overwhelmed by the power of the spiritual teachings being given. There exists a remarkable similarity between Ancient Egyptian theology and the text of the Pistis Sophia. Perhaps there is more to the mystery of her identity than meets the eye. The alabaster jar and the anointing of Jesus' head and feet "As he sat at table, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke it open and poured the perfume on his head." (Mark 14:3) Our naïve reporter would look at this scene and might wonder, "How is it that someone whose audience is sought by so many lets this woman into his presence? What is she doing? Oh well, he teaches about sinning, so let's go on to the next words of Jesus." Yet in this act, Mary Magdalene shows much about her identity. The first key has to do with the substance alabaster. These vessels were carved from a soft form of calcium carbonate from old ocean deposits. Typically white and partly translucent, these jars were costly, as it takes time to carve the interior of a stone jar. They were used in the funerary rites of Egypt for hundreds of years to carry unguents as well as the organs of the high priests and royalty. The Gospel of Thomas supplements that of Mark to help fill in some of the blanks. Jesus Christ makes it very clear that, in this act of anointing, Mary Magdalene "helps prepare me for my burial."(8) From this we begin to see a pattern emerge -- an integration with the funerary practices that had become highly developed in Egypt, especially in the mystery centers of Heliopolis and Alexandria, which were quite active at the time of Jesus Christ. [Recall he had spent his childhood in Egypt, and some say he studied in Heliopolis.(9)] There was then a science of anointing with special substances to assist the spirits of true kings to pass through the seven veils of death to the Father-Ground. Indeed, these included seven (and sometimes fourteen, or twice seven) ointments to assist in this transition. In the case of Mary Magdalene, we see in the surviving gospels only two of these, once at Simeon's house and also what she carries to the tomb on the morning of Resurrection. How can it be that Christians have ignored the fact that the word "Christ" means "anointed one," and have pushed the female minister of this rite into a dark corner? Interestingly, in Mark 14:9, Jesus remarks, "Verily I say unto you, wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, what she has done here will be told in remembrance of her." How is it that all Christians do not hold and revere this memorial, so clearly marked by their Teacher? Why do most people know her as the reformed prostitute, rather than for her deep understanding of the thresholds of the spirit world? And the following question must also rise to the surface: By what authority did she have the right to anoint him? Modern Christians will find it strange to consider that Mary Magdalene may have acted within the tradition of the priestesses of Isis, who for centuries had assisted in the passages from spirit into life through birth and back into spirit through death. Might the gold, frankincense, and myrrh brought to Jesus' birth have come from this tradition? Might the spikenard have been one of these substances meant to smooth the transition to death? The Isis tradition was alive and well at this time in Palestine, as was that of the Hebrew forms of the divine feminine, in the form of Asherah and Ishtar.(10) Look also at the importance of healing oil in modern Christian practice, which picks up on the older traditions which have funneled through it. Jesus Christ taught how to make and use these oils, and this continues today in various denominations of Christianity.(11) Oils are well known to receive and carry the impress of special aromas, and, in the case of healing oils, the impress of healing thoughts