TABLE OF CONTENTS |
Part
I
Who Are the Seven Spirits?
Seven Spirits and Seven Stars
The Golden Candlestick
"After This"
The Twenty-Four Elders
Seven Torches of Fire
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Part
III
"Glory and Honor to Him"
"Twenty-Four Elders Fall Down"
"Who Is Worthy?"
A Lamb as Though Slain
The Lamb Takes the Scroll |
Part
II
Four Living Creatures:
Lion
Ox
Man
Eagle
Each of Them Six Wings
"For My Name's Sake"
Seraphims
|
Part
IV
The Seven Spirits of God
Seven Spirits—Messages—Angels
What Are the Seven Spirits?
Seven Promises of the Spirit |
Part IV
"The Seven Spirits of
God"
We notice the evolution regarding these "seven Spirits."
—First they are described as "seven lamps of fire" burning
before
God’s throne.
—Then they are said to be "the seven Spirits [or teachings]
of
God," although not yet sent forth from the throne.
—Then in Revelation 5 we see the slain "Lamb" standing before the
throne, with "seven horns" and "seven eyes."
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Then we are told these
"are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth,"
Revelation
5:6.
Suddenly there is motion and the "seven Spirits" are sent
forth. |
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Why aren’t they sent to the saints of
the "seven churches"?
Because the saints need to be called out of the world first. When they
accept the call and consecrate, then the "seven Spirits" will speak to them.
Hence, these "seven Spirits" of God and of the Lamb begin calling the saints
while they are still in the world during each stage of the church.
We believe chapters 2 and 3 were written after chapters 5-7
were seen. In other words, Jesus, the "worthy Lamb," opens the seals before
writing to the "seven churches."
Supposing Revelation 2 and 3 were written before Jesus read the
messages and the information of each seal. How unfortunate it would be, because it would
mean he wrote the "angels of the churches" before he had clear knowledge and
information of each period. That is unthinkable. Hence, we see Revelation is not written
always in the sequence that we might suppose.
We know Jesus had the "seven Spirits of God" when he wrote to
Sardis in Revelation 3:1, for he says: "And unto the angel of the church in Sardis
write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven
stars." This proves that Jesus saw Revelation 5 through 8:1 before he sent his
messages to the "angels of the seven churches."
We believe Jesus saw and interpreted the scroll sealed with
"seven seals" after which he wrote to the "angels of the seven
churches." Jesus is the one to open the scrolls and seals. He, therefore, saw what
would transpire during each period of the church. Upon being imbued with such
knowledge, he then wrote with great illumination to the "angel" of each church.
Does that make sense?
We see that Revelation was written to conceal from the many what it
reveals to the saintly few. That is why sign language is employed and why sometimes
sequences are transposed.
Are the "Seven Spirits of
God" the
"Seven Messages" to the "Seven Angels"?
Very often we hear explanations that deal with these "seven
Spirits of God" which associate these "seven Spirits" with the seven
messages to the "seven angels of the seven churches."
We think there is merit to this application, but it does not get to the
core of the matter. It approximates the answer, but is not the real essence of it.
When we look at the messages to the "seven churches,"
there is both rebuke and praise. In the first four "seals" we are shown
"a horse" riding forth.
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The first "horse" identifies the conditions of
Ephesus
—
a
"white" horse, picturing doctrinal purity.
The second "horse" identifies the conditions of
Smyrna
—
a
"red" horse, picturing heretical and sinful doctrines going forth in
this time frame.
The third "horse" identifies the conditions of Pergamos
— a "black" horse, representing dark creeds supplanting the truth.
The fourth "horse" identifies the conditions of
Thyatira —
a "pale" horse, lifeless or without spiritual life, wherein the
antichrist went as far as it could go in corrupting the truth of God’s Word.
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We see the deteriorating conditions facing the first
four stages of the church. Obviously, the "seven Spirits" of God and of the Lamb
were not for the apostate elements within the church. Apostates have been in all seven
stages of the true church throughout the Gospel age. They are the planting of Satan in the
church. Satan’s purpose was to either destroy or to apostatize the church of God.
The point we are making here is, there are many within these
"seven churches" for which the "seven Spirits" of God and Christ would
have no message. God's messages in all seven stages of the church are ultimately to the
overcoming saints. It is to these saints that the "seven Spirits" of God and
Christ are addressed.
What Are These Seven Spirits
of God and Christ?
We believe the "seven Spirits" of God are
contained within the seven messages to the seven churches. Notice how Jesus sends forth
his message to the seven churches. Jesus does not tell John to write to the church of
Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.
John is told to write to the "ANGEL" or MESSENGER of each
church. Without exception, the message is sent to the "ANGEL" of each church.
Jesus held these seven messengers in his right hand, Revelation 1:20, and he does not
ignore or bypass them.
7 Stars Represent the
7 Angels or Messengers
to the 7 Churches
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Like a big corporation which has many departments
with department heads, we see there is organization to the New Creation. Christ does not
speak to the churches directly. He does so through the "angel" of each church.
This tells us something. Instead of expecting Christ to deal with us
directly, we must be prepared to receive his instructions through his appointed
messengers. This may sound parochial and old fashioned to some. Some may even chafe at the
idea that Christ would chose a chain of command employing apostles, messengers, teachers,
pastors, evangelists, and prophets to represent him before the church.
However it may sound, it is the very word of the Lord. (See Ephesians
4:11, 12; Revelation 1:20.) We not only need to have total dedication to the Word of the
Lord, but we need to have a meek and subordinate spirit. In the quest for individualism
and self-expression, we are in danger of losing the true spirit of humility and
subordination.
If God and Christ chose to deal with us using various levels of
servants, why should this cause us such disquietude?
There is danger that a cavalier spirit of insubordination may be at
work among the Lord’s people. It irks some to think that God and Christ could use
anyone else in a higher capacity. However, this is how God and Christ have chosen to deal
with the church in all seven stages. Let us not resist the holy Spirit.
It is humbling to accept that others have been chosen above us. More
people have been offended with God’s method than any other single factor. If God and
Christ chose to deal with everyone on an equal basis, there would be millions upon
millions that would respond. Yes, they would live and die for Christ, if only he would use
them and speak through them directly. But this is nothing more than pride. God has chosen
the best method to develop the New Creation. Let us not resist the holy Spirit.
Charles Taze Russell
7th Angel to the Laodicean Church
If Bro. Russell was not the "angel" of the Laodicean
church, we should not rest day or night until we found out who was the "angel"
of Laodicea. Then we should park on that messenger's doorstep trying to learn all that we
could from him.
Fortunately, most of us believe we know the "angel" of
Laodicea. Therefore, we should continue using the Six
Volumes and Tabernacle Shadows as
Christ’s meat in due season. Does this seem oppressive? Clearly, the very word of the
Lord places such constraints upon us.
At Last the "Seven Spirits of
God"
Once more we ask who are these "seven Spirits of God"?
This time we shall give you our answer. Let us look again at the
messages to the "seven churches" of this Gospel age. Let us bypass the general
exchange given to each church with its commendations and criticisms.
You will notice at the end of each message given to the
"angel" of each church that there is an exceeding great and precious promise
given by the Spirit to the churches. Here is where God and Christ speak directly to
you and to me and to all the members of the body of Christ. Nothing stands between you and
the Spirit’s exceeding great and precious promise. Well, maybe that is not exactly
true. There is one small matter that limits these seven promises. That is the matter of
"OVERCOMING."
Seven Promises of the Spirit
to the "Overcomers"
