F.E. Marsh :: 360. Seven Spirits

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REVELATION 4:5

WE have a sevenfold description of the power of the Holy Spirit in Isaiah 11:2-3.

1. “The Spirit of Jehovah” is the Holy Spirit in relation to God the Father, in His immutability and power resting upon Christ, to enable Him, as Man, to fulfil the offices of Prophet, Priest, and King. Thus, we have in this verse the three Persons of the Godhead.
2. “The Spirit of wisdom” reminds us of the power that will enable Christ to act in a becoming manner, as when He rested upon the makers of the tabernacle, and directed them how to make the tabernacle (Exodus 31:3; 28:3; 35:30 to 36:2). Wisdom is the right application of knowledge.
3. “The Spirit of understanding.” The Hebrew word translated here “understanding,” really means “Power to distinguish, so as to separate between good and evil.” The Holy Spirit had to chide the Hebrews because they were but children in the spiritual life, when they should have been full-grown (Heb. 5:14).
4. “The Spirit of counsel.” That is, Christ has power to impart counsel, as well as being the Counselled One, for His name is “Counsellor” (Isaiah 9:6), and this, because as Man, the Holy Spirit counselled Him. Does He not intend to convey this truth to us in the words of John 10:15: “As the Father knoweth Me, even so know I the Father, and I lay down My life for the sheep?” He thus acquaints His hearers with the fact that His knowledge of His Father’s holiness, justice, demands, love, grace, mercy, was a perfect knowledge; that He knew precisely what man needed, and He therefore “laid down His life for the sheep.” How very comforting and assuring to know this!
5. “The Spirit of might.” Power characterized Christ’s words and work. His word was with authority (Luke 4:32), and His work was in power (Luke 4:36), even the power of the Holy Spirit, as He Himself confessed (Matt 12:28).
6. “The Spirit of knowledge.” We have abundant evidence of Christ’s all-knowledge. He saw Nathaniel under the fig tree worshipping; and He knew the shallowness and unreality of certain who professed to believe on Him (John 1:48; 2:24-25).
7. “The Spirit of the fear of the Lord.” “He was heard in that He feared” (Heb. 5:7), is the comment of the Holy Spirit, in relation to Christ’s action and attitude as Man in relation to God.