The Seven Spirits of God

This is a special revelation to us for these last days, both for the ministry of "grace and peace" to the saved, and also for sustaining "the testimony of Jesus" to the unsaved.

We have both these services to our God in the precious book of Revelation; and it is in this book only that we have brought before us "the seven Spirits of God"; that is to say, the seven-fold mighty power of the Spirit.  It is not so much the tender sympathies of the Spirit—these we have in Rom. viii. 26 ; nor is He seen here even as "the Holy Spirit," or "the Spirit of Truth"—these are in John xiv. 17, 26; but here our attention is fixed on the fullness of the Spirit, and the all-sufficiency of His mighty power.

The truth of a Divine One dwelling in us, as believers, often perhaps breaks in upon our thoughts and our hearts with a solemnity and a freshness that is very sanctifying to us, and very blessed. Then the believer's soul that has been toiling on in some dullness awakes from its weariness and apathy as if with Jacob's words upon its lips—"Surely the Lord is in this place, and I knew it not"; or, as in Solomon's Song, "Or ever I was aware, my soul made me like the chariots of Amminadab" (chap. vi. 12).  This inward refreshing tells of the still unwearied love of the Spirit, and of His undiminished power.  But the same grace and power of the Spirit is at hand for the saint in his Gospel testimony to Jesus among the unsaved.

Some of the most definite and blessed actings of the Spirit of God in the earliest days of the newly-formed church of God were seen in its Gospel work to the unsaved.  What a breathing it was of the mighty Spirit, for instance, with the preached Word, on the Day of Pentecost, when three thousand Jews passed from death unto life!  Nor less so when all the Gentiles assembled in Cornelius the centurion's house not only believed unto eternal life, but were also endowed with the miraculous gifts of the Spirit, even before they were baptized.  And what a distinct Presence and voice of the Spirit that was which said in the midst of the Antioch church—"Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them" (Acts xiii. 2); and the "beautiful feet" of the Gospel, then began over all these European parts, which have continued bearing such precious fruit to God's glory to this day.

But in John's days this simple "testimony of Jesus" was as much waning in the churches as all other fruit of the Spirit was; and in John's own case, where it still continued, the faithful preacher was banished to the isle of Patmos for maintaining it (see Rev. i. 9).  The Word of God, however, could not be bound, neither could the blessed Spirit be banished, nor His power be weakened.  Nay, the Spirit's original, Divine, eternal power, co-equal with that of God and of Jesus Christ, is emphatically before us in the threefold benediction in Rev. i. 4, 5; and, as if further and yet more especially to strengthen and encourage both the work of caring for the weak and weary saints, and "the testimony of Jesus" in the Gospel, He is again and again called in this book by the title of "The seven Spirits of God."

Thus the mightiest things of the Spirit's power seem specially unfolded to cheer us in these last days.  Just as in Zech. iv., Zerubbabel was cheered with Zechariah's vision of the lamp of Divinely-revived testimony, kept burning by a golden bowl of oil, which fed the precious flame by seven golden pipes.  What encouragement to Joshua, the son of Josedech and Zerubbabel, and the remnant of that day was this, added to Haggai's testimony—"My Spirit remaineth with you; fear ye not."

May the sevenfold power of the Spirit of our God be found now sustaining our beloved ones who are gone out by two and two witnessing for Christ in distant lands as well as those who in these parts are seeking to serve Him.