The term “the seven spirits of God” is found four times in the book of Revelation (Revelation 1:4; Revelation 3:1; Revelation 4:5; Revelation 5:6).

Who or what are the “seven spirits”?

This term is a metaphor describing the ONE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD, and His complete and perfect work in the salvation of sinners. He is not seven different spirits. He is ONE SPIRIT Who accomplishes a perfect and complete work, as indicated by the number “seven.” In the Bible, “seven” is the number God uses to indicate a perfect and complete work. God made the world in six days, and, having completed the work, He rested on the seventh day. The sabbath in the Old Testament was a day of rest for the people after having finished their work for the time allotted. The greatest example of “seven” is the completed, perfect, and finished work of the LORD Jesus Christ when He accomplished the full redemption of His people to save us from our sins (Matthew 3:15; John 19:30; Romans 10:4; Hebrews 4:9-11; Hebrews 10:10-14; Hebrews 12:2). When the Holy Spirit gives us spiritual life in the new birth, He brings us to rest in Christ and His finished work for our whole salvation.

So, what is this perfect and compete work of the Holy Spirit?

It is His office as He is sent forth from the Father and the Son to sovereignly, powerfully, and invincibly apply spiritual life to all whom the Father chose before the world began and all for whom the Son lived, died, and arose again (John 6:37-45; 2nd Thessalonians 2:13-14). His complete work is to bring us under the Gospel truth, give us new birth from above (John 3:3-7), and bring us to faith in Christ and repentance of dead works. He continually indwells us to keep us faithful and persevering, by God’s grace and power, in the life of faith and obedience. He guides us by God’s Word, and He motivates us by grace, love, and gratitude (Romans 6:17-18; Romans 7:4-6). He continually inspires us in the spiritual warfare against our sinful flesh, bringing us to “godly sorrow” and a continual “repentance not to be repented of” (2nd Corinthians 7:9-11). He keeps us focused and fixed on Christ and His righteousness as our one and only ground of salvation. He keeps us trusting in and following Christ, and even though we may stray for a while, He will not let us totally apostatize (fall away) from Christ and from our God-given faith in Him (1st John 3:9). He will keep us unto glory where Christ receives us unto Himself, and we will dwell with Him forever and ever. This is the Holy Spirit’s complete work, and it is all to the praise of God’s glory in and by the Lord Jesus Christ.

W. Parker