What Are the Seven Spirits Before God’s Throne?

Ai-generated

by Leonard V Johnson

Surely, this question can be among our Think About This… series. Have you ever wondered WHO or WHAT the seven Spirits are? They are spoken of in the 1st chapter of the Book of Revealing. Here, after a series of visions, John was told by our Lord Jesus Himself, ‘Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.’ Our beloved Apostle John wrote ──

“John, to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is and was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, 5) and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the FIRSTBORN FROM THE DEAD, and the Ruler over the kings of the earth.” – Revelation 1:4-5.

The Jamieson Fausset and Brown Commentary, a Protestant viewpoint, doesn’t have much to say about Revelation 1:4 ──

“The Holy Spirit in His sevenfold (i.e., perfect, complete, and universal) energy. Corresponding to ‘the seven churches.’ One in His own essence, manifold in His gracious influences. The seven eyes resting on the stone laid by Jehovah (ch. 5:6). … seven the number of God’s revelation in the world.” 1

Matthew Henry’s Bible Commentary online, another Protestant viewpoint, concerning Revelation 1:4-8 ──

“There can be no true peace, where there is not true grace; and where grace goeth before, peace will follow. This blessing is in the name of God, of the Holy Trinity, it is an act of adoration. The Father is first named; he is described as the Jehovah who is, and who was, and who is to come, eternal, unchangeable. The Holy Spirit is called the seven spirits, the perfect Spirit of God, in whom there is a diversity of gifts and operations. The Lord Jesus Christ was from eternity, a Witness to all the counsels of God.” 2

Well … as usual, they are wrong.

The overall majority of biblical scholars see the seven Spirits as representing the Holy Spirit’s complete attributes ── like wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, and fear of the Lord. They claim that it’s like God has this full toolkit of spiritual power right there at the center of everything. And what I have noticed is that most Protestant sources just continue down this path.

Now, regarding the “Him who is and who was and who is to come,” the overall majority of biblical scholars contribute this to God the Father. Notice this source ──

“God is called ‘He that is, and was, and is to come’, … That title is here given to the Father alone.” 3

And here’s another Protestant source pointing out that the seven Spirits represent the Holy Spirit ──

“The source of grace and peace is the entire Trinity, Grace and peace come from the seven Spirits, that is, from the sevenfold Spirit on the Messiah …” 4

However, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, identifies Himself * as the “Him who is and who was and who is to come” in verse 8 ──

“’ I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, … who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.’”

In truth, the seven Spirits are angelic and thus DO NOT represent any so-called seven attributes of the Holy Spirit.

Yes… sadly, if you’re just sitting there among the pews in your Sunday-going Catholic or Protestant church, and you’re listening to this minister read to you whatever interpretation he wants to provide to you and you don’t open up your Bible and research it yourself… then… yes, you’re gonna go right along with the crowd.

The LORD God reminds us ──

“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.” – 1 Peter 3:15, KJV.

Brethren, are you able to do this using our Lord Jesus’ own words, or do you rely on man’s?

Now to be fair, there are some Protestant sources that don’t believe that the seven Spirits are the attributes of the Holy Spirit, e.g., ──

“And from the seven spirits which are before His throne] This fact that they are "before," or in the presence of, God's Throne, shows that they occupy the position of servants (see 1 Kings 1-:8), and of created beings (4:5, 10; 7:9, 15; 8:2; 11:4, 16; 12:10; 14:3, 5, 10; 20:12). …

angels are constantly represented as occupying this position.” 5

Again, our Lord Jesus Christ, Himself answers WHO and WHAT the seven Spirits are ──

“’ The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches.’” – Revelation 1:20.

This divine knowledge even flew over the head of AI when I tried explaining this to it. It responded ──

“AH! That’s an interesting angle! So, you’re seeing these angels as vessels of God’s spirit, which is why they’re called spirits? That’s a pretty cool interpretation!” 6

The seven stars are angels as our Lord Jesus clearly states; the seven Spirits are angels. There are not seven separate “attributes” to the Holy Spirit, nor are there seven Holy Spirits. There are 91 separate verses in the New King James Version that has the expression “THE Holy Spirit.” The New Testament speaks of “the Holy Spirit” in a singular term.

Let us notice again verse 8 of Revelation 1 ──

“’ I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, … who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.’”

Here we see that our Savior, High Priest, and Advocate refers to Himself as the One “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” So, letting God’s living word interpret itself, brethren, this also helps show us that verse 4 is not referring to our Heavenly Father.

Turning in our Bibles to chapter 5 of the Book of Revelation, notice verse 6 ──

“And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the FOUR LIVING CREATURES, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having SEVEN HORNS AND SEVEN EYES, which are THE SEVEN SPIRITS OF GOD sent out into all the earth.” – Revelation 5:6.

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Notice also Revelation 4 ──

“Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne. 3) And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald. 4) Around the throne were twenty-four elders sitting clothed in white robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads. 5) And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices. SEVEN LAMPS OF FIRE were burning before the throne, which are THE SEVEN SPIRITS OF GOD.” – Revelation 4:2-5.

Returning again to The Book of Destiny, the Roman Catholics, while claiming that the seven Spirits is the Holy Spirit, they also claim ──

“These seven spirits are the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit according to Isaias (XI.2). They symbolically represent the union of the Holy Spirit with the Lamb.” 7

There is a problem with that interpretation, however. Let’s notice God’s living word regarding this ──

“There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots. 2) 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.

It’s important to note that each time the word “Spirit” appears here, including with multiple attributes, IT IS SINGULAR. The list that comes after “the Spirit of the LORD” is basically describing attributes of God the Father.

Notice the glorious attributes of the Holy Spirit ──

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23) gentleness, self-control. …” – Galatians 5:22, 23.

Here are 9 separate attributes.

Notice also, when the glorious gifts of the Holy Spirit is spoken of, they too add up to 9 ──

“There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5) There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. 6) And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. 7) But the manifestations of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all. 8) for to one is given THE WORD OF WISDOM through the Spirit, to another THE WORD OF KNOWLEDGE through the same Spirit, 9) to another FAITH by the same Spirit, to another GIFTS OF HEALINGS by the same Spirit, 10) to another THE WORKING OF MIRACLES, to another PROPHECY, to another DISCERNING OF SPIRITS, to another DIFFERENT KINDS OF [LANGUAGES], to another THE INTERPRETATION OF [LANGUAGES]. 11) But one and the same spirit works all these things, …” – 1 Corinthians 12:4-10, 11.

So, not only do they not add up to seven, but there is “ONE AND THE SAME SPIRIT.” So, not only are the Protestants wrong, so too is the Roman Catholics.

Our Lord and Savior’s Church ── it’s His Church; He founded it (Matthew 6:18), is consistent with the living word of the Eternal One.

The seven Spirits, and the seven lamps of fire, are symbolic of angelic beings. □

Bibliography & Notes:

1 Jamieson, R., Fausset, A.R., Brown, D., Jamieson Fausset and Brown Commentary of the Whole Bible, Zondervan Publishing House, 1982, pp. 1527.

2 Matthew Henry’s Bible Commentary (concise), Revelation 1, www.christianity.com. Retrieved 16 June 2026.

3 Kramer, Herman Bernard F. Leonard, The book of destiny : an open statement of the authentic and inspired prophecies of the Old and New Testament, Tan Books and Publishers, Rockford, Ill., 1975, pg. 43.

4 Horton, M., S., The Ultimate Victory: An Exposition of the Book of Revelation, Gospel Publishing House, Springfield, MO., 1991, pg. 26.

5 Bullinger, E.W., D.D., The Apocalypse or the Day of the Lord, Second Edion (Revised and Corrected), E2 b2, i- -4,5-, 1909, pg. 68.

6 Amazon.com, 16 June 2026.

7 ibid. 3, pg. 139.

* Yes, I have been wrong in this biblical understanding. I, too, have stated and written before that the "Him who is and who was and who is to come: is speaking of God the Father, e.g., Revelation - A Book of the Past and the Future (Part I). I stand corrected in the sight of the Lord.