Who are the Seven Spirits Before the Throne of God?

Introduction

Who are the Seven Spirits before the Throne of God? This is a question that generates different interpretations in Christian circles. Some associate these spirits with the Holy Spirit, while others view them as angels or divine manifestations. To understand their true identity, I will analyze the biblical context, exploring passages from Revelation and other Scripture that can shed light on this mystery. Throughout this study, I will compare the main interpretations and determine which one makes the most sense in light of the Bible.

Possible Interpretations

In Revelation 4:5, we find a description of “seven spirits of God” who were before the throne. In Christian circles, some interpretations explain who the “seven spirits” mentioned in this passage. Today’s study aims to analyze the identity of the “seven spirits“.

First, I would like to briefly present the existing interpretations. They are:

1. They represent the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity: The number 7 in Scripture is a symbol of perfection and completeness. Many interpret the “seven spirits” as a symbolic reference to the Holy Spirit. Here, many Trinitarians understand this account as referring to the third person of the Trinity. John would have seen the Holy Spirit before the throne.

2. They represent the Holy Spirit of God: Another interpretation is similar to the one presented above. The difference, however, is that here the Holy Spirit is not seen as the third person of the Trinity, but rather as the manifestation of the Spirit of God. Some people who do not believe in the Trinity follow this interpretation.

3. These are the seven spirits mentioned in Isaiah 11:2: Some people relate these seven spirits to the seven characteristics (or spirits) presented in Isaiah 11:2.

4. They are seven angels of God: Another interpretation is that these spirits are seven angels before the throne.

Who are the 7 Spirits?

But after all, who are these “seven spirits” that Revelation 4:5 mentions? To discover the correct interpretation, we need to consider the context of the chapter and the other visions present in the book of Revelation. Let’s begin by reading the context of this passage:

Revelation 4:2-6 – “And immediately I was in the Spirit, and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. And he who sat was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and a rainbow was around the throne, and its appearance was like an emerald. And around the throne were twenty-four thrones; and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white robes, and they had crowns of gold on their heads. And out of the throne came lightnings, and thunders, and rumblings; and before the throne were burning seven lamps of fire, which are the seven Spirits of God. And before the throne was a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes, before and behind“

What relevant information can we extract from this brief context?

There was a main throne, and the Most High God sat on it.
That throne was in heaven.
Around the throne were 24 other thrones, and on them sat 24 elders.
Before the throne were seven lamps of fire, which are the seven spirits of God.
Before the throne was a sea of glass, like crystal.
Around the throne of God there were also four animals.

In the Bible, What Beings Are Mentioned as Being Spirits?

The vision presents the “seven spirits” as “fire lamps“. These “seven spirits” remain “before the throne“, which also has a “sea of glass” before it. From this, we can conclude that the “seven spirits” are on the “sea of glass“. There are also 24 elders and 4 living creatures near the throne. We can infer that these “seven spirits” are visible entities (beings), as John describes them alongside the 24 elders and the 4 living creatures before the throne. John describes them as “fire lamps“. In the Bible, there are two associations made with fire: one for the Holy Spirit and another for angels.

Acts 2:3,4 – “And there appeared unto them cloven tongues, as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost …“
Hebrews 1:7 – “And truly concerning the angels he says: Who makes his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire“
Contradictory Interpretation
Based on these passages, we have the interpretations of numbers 1, 2, and 4. However, the interpretation of number 1 as being the third person of the Trinity presents some contradictions with the Trinitarian doctrine itself. For those who believe in this doctrine, God sent the Holy Spirit to Earth to comfort Christ’s disciples and all who believed in Him.

The presence of the Holy Spirit on Earth justifies the fact that John never saw Him in his visions (some people also believe that the Holy Spirit does not have a corporeal form and, therefore, John could not see Him). Following this line of thought, if the Holy Spirit is on Earth as a Comforter, then the “seven spirits” could not be a vision of His person. This explanation would contradict other answers given to some questions about the presence of the Holy Spirit in John’s visions.

7 Spirits As Being the Spirit of God

On the other hand, the interpretation of number 2, which assumes it to be the Holy Spirit of God and does not regard it as a person, understands that the “seven spirits” are simply a manifestation of God before His own throne. Later, within the same vision, John mentions the Lamb:

Revelation 5:6 – “And I looked, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, 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“

The “Lamb” is a symbol of Jesus. At this point in the vision, Jesus enters the scene. The symbol of Jesus presents the Lamb with “seven horns and seven eyes“. John then explains that these symbols represent the “seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth“. This passage demonstrates that Jesus is in possession of the “seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth“. For interpretation number 2, Jesus possesses the Holy Spirit of God. That is why the “seven spirits” would be the representation of the Holy Spirit. On the other hand, regarding this passage, interpretation 4 also understands that Jesus has dominion over all the angels and sends them to the entire earth.

So far, the passages we have read only open up a range of interpretations for us and do not provide anything definitive to determine the exact meaning of the “seven spirits“. To do this, we need to complement the analysis with other passages to reduce the margin of error and get closer to the correct interpretation.

The 7 Spirits of the Lord

Let us read the basis of the interpretation of number 3, Isaiah 11:2:

Isaiah 11:2 – “And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord“

Some interpret the “seven spirits” of Revelation 4:5 as the seven spirits presented in Isaiah 11:2. When we also read verse 1 of this chapter, we understand that it is in a prophetic context, being applied to the Messiah. He would receive these seven spirits. In this case, these seven spirits involve personal characteristics and gifts. The context of this passage is completely different from that presented in Revelation 4:5. The first is prophetic and applies to the first coming of the Messiah. These are gifts that Jesus would have when He came to this earth. The second presents the seven spirits as being before the throne of God. They are visible entities, unlike those presented by Isaiah. It makes no sense to relate these passages. Having understood this, we can exclude interpretation 3 from our list.

The Greeting in the Book of Revelation

Now, let’s continue our analysis by reading some other verses from Revelation:

Revelation 1:4-5 – “John to the seven churches in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood“

The first chapter introduces the greeting of 3 entities:

of God, the Almighty
of the seven spirits before the throne
of Jesus Christ

Taking this passage into consideration, we can reinforce the analysis we made regarding interpretation 3. Here, the “seven spirits” greet the “seven churches“. This could not happen if the “seven spirits” were literally the “seven spirits” of Isaiah 11:2, for “characteristics” and “gifts” cannot greet anyone! We have another point to consider as well. The entities that are in heaven perform the greeting. The “seven spirits” remained before the throne, but, according to interpretation 1, God had already sent the Comforter, the third person of the Trinity, to be with the disciples. They cannot be the same thing. The idea that the “seven spirits” would be just something symbolic of the “person of the Holy Spirit” also ceases to be true, since if it were something merely symbolic, it could not perform greetings! Only a person can give greetings!

Who Stood in Front of the Throne?

Let’s continue the study by reading Revelation 8:2.

Revelation 8:2 – “And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and they were given seven trumpets“

John continues the vision, and in chapter 8, he mentions “seven angels” who are before the throne of God. Interesting! Here we find the same number of “spirits” seen in Revelation 4, and also in the same place, “before the throne of God“!

Do you remember all the beings that were seen and reported in Revelation 4? At no point did John report “seven angels“! But in Revelation 8:2, John reports that the “seven angels, who stood before God“, received “seven trumpets“. At no point in chapters 4 through 8 are “seven angels” mentioned. John never reported anything like “and seven angels appeared“. He simply says, “And I saw the seven angels“; that’s because they were already there!

Hebrews 1:7,14 – “And of the angels he saith truly, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire. … Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?“

Angels Are Ministering Spirits

In the Bible, angels are identified as being “spirits“. It is evident from the passage in Revelation 8:2 that the “seven spirits” who were before the throne are “seven angels” who serve God with special tasks. They were given the “seven trumpets” to blow. Later, these same angels receive the “seven golden bowls“, which represent the outpouring of the last “seven plagues” on Earth. Let’s see:

Revelation 15:1, 6-8 – “And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels having the seven last plagues: for in them the wrath of God is completed. … And the seven angels who had the seven plagues came out of the temple, clothed in clean, bright linen, and girded with golden sashes across their chests. And one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who lives forever and ever. And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power: and no man could enter into the temple, until the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed“.

Those “seven angels” received “seven golden bowls” from one of the “four living creatures“. Who was with the “four living creatures” in Revelation 4? Only the “seven spirits” and the “24 elders” with them. Once again, it is evident that the “seven spirits” are the “seven angels” of God who are before the throne. These angels are special! They have special functions. They are the ones who blow the trumpets and pour out the cup of God’s wrath. They are described as wearing robes “of pure, bright linen, and girded with golden sashes across their chests“, unlike other angels who are seen wearing only “garments of pure, bright linen” throughout the Bible. These also have “gold belts across their breasts“.