The Seven Spirits of God: The Holy Spirit or the Angels of the Presence

Abstract

The “seven spirits” encountered in Revelation (1:4; 3:1; 4:5; 5:6) have most often been identified with the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity. A notable minority of scholars understand them to constitute a high-ranking circle of angelic beings, often akin to the “angels of the Presence” known from other Second Temple period literature. This paper surveys and evaluates arguments in favor of (and against) both positions. It problematizes the former position as one that has often been embraced too quickly and uncritically, given interpreters’ familiarity with the category of “Trinity” on this side of centuries of Christian commitment to the same, while seeking to establish through positive argument that, though certainty is not possible, the second option has greater merit and is more worthy of careful consideration than it often receives.