Sevenfold Spirits of God – Part 1

This is the first of a nine part series on the sevenfold Spirits of God. This series will present an overview of this topic and will be geared towards the practical as much as possible.

Revelation 1:4 (New International Version)

   John,

   To the seven churches in the province of Asia:

   Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits^[a] before his throne,

Footnotes (NIV):

                 a. That is, the sevenfold Spirit

When it says in Revelation 1:4 “…the seven spirits…” it doesn’t mean there are seven different Holy Spirits, it means there is one Holy Spirit with a sevenfold manifested ministry. In writing of the Messiah, Isaiah enumerates and defines the ministry of the Holy Spirit in this way:

Isaiah 11:2 (NIV)

² The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him—
   the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
   the Spirit of counsel and of might,
   the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the LORD—

These are the ministries then of the Holy Spirit: (1) the Spirit of the LORD upon; (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; and (7) the Spirit of fear of the LORD. Note the pairing of ministries 2 through 6. This pairing is because these ministries are synergic: wisdom/understanding, counsel/might, and knowledge/fear of the LORD.

1. The Spirit of the LORD upon

This phrase speaks of the Lord resting upon us and covering us with His Holy presence. When the Lord’s transfiguration occurred it was accompanied by God’s holy Presence, see Mark 9:2-7. From Galatians 3:27 we learn that we are to be clothed with His presence. In Acts 10:38, we see how God anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit and with power, and that God was with him (e.g., the Holy Spirit upon him.)

2. The Spirit of Wisdom

This second ministry of the Holy Spirit is creative ability to do the impossible; it’s ability beyond our own ability. It’s also God’s thoughts and ideas in action – his blueprints for what he wants to accomplish and his patterns for our lives.

3. The Spirit of Understanding

The Spirit of understanding partners with wisdom to help us understand how to mobilize and implement heavenly blueprints and patterns. It also helps us to articulate the revelation of His Word that we have been shown. In Ephesians 1:17-19 Paul explains what a partnership of wisdom and understanding does.

4. The Spirit of Counsel

The Spirit of counsel engages us with God so we can listen for and heed His counsel. As we build by His heavenly plans, God releases fresh flows of His counsel, His thoughts, and the intents of His heart.

5. The Spirit of Might

The Spirit of counsel then releases the might of God to impart power, strength, and the anointing to see that His divine plans are accomplished. The might of God can be thought of as His arm – unlimited power and strength! God’s might and power are always associated with counsel. The prophet Isaiah called Him Wonderful, Counselor, and Mighty God. We never experience God’s might or power without His wonderful counsel.

6. The Spirit of Knowledge

The Spirit of knowledge of the Lord is when we come into that place of the deep thoughts of God. It is a place of intimately knowing Him. As we grow in His knowledge, peace and grace multiply, as does our humility. With the increase in our knowledge of His vastness, His depth, His greatness, His awesomeness, we sever limitations, and the impossible becomes possible, and the ordinary, extraordinary.

7. The Spirit of Fear of the LORD

With intimate knowledge of the Lord comes a deep reverent fear of the Lord. Knowledge of who He really is brings us to a holy fear that takes us to a completely new spiritual level.

Without the sevenfold Spirits of God operating in our lives, we succumb to our natural limitations. God offers us supernatural abilities and power to fulfill our destinies and His plans for us with unlimited resources. We will explore each of the sevenfold Spirits of God in future postings.

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Should you seek to know more about the sevenfold Spirits of God and how they work in our lives I suggest: Surrender to the Spirit, by Keith Miller, Destiny Image Publishers, Inc., Shippensburg, PA, 2006