A Revelation Invitation

“And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.’” (Revelation 3:1a ESV)

The prophet Ezekiel famously received a vision in which he was set in the middle of a valley full of dry bones (Ezekiel 37:1-14). Those bones represented Israel in Babylonian exile. The Lord commanded Ezekiel to prophesy to the bones that the Lord would make breath enter them. When he did, the bones came together, tendons and flesh appeared on them, skin covered the flesh and at Ezekiel’s command breath entered them. Before his eyes a vast army came to life. This vision of revival was intended to give hope to Israel of their return from exile in a foreign country to resettle their own land.

The church in Sardis was barely alive—Jesus actually called them dead. He could have approached this church in anger, but instead introduced himself as “him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.” Having the seven spirits of God, that is, the Holy Spirit, Jesus presents himself as he who brings the breath of life to the churches. By holding the seven stars, he claims to hold the life of the churches in his hand (N.T. Wright). Jesus has both the desire and the power to bring this dead church back to life.

“The seven spirits of God” seems to us an odd way to describe the Holy Spirit. However, the number seven, symbolizing completeness, implies that the Holy Spirit brings fullness and perfection to his work in the churches. This phrase may also play off of the Septuagint version of Isaiah 11:2-3 which reads: “and the Spirit of God will rest upon him—a spirit of wisdom and understanding; a spirit of counsel and majesty; a spirit of knowledge and piety—by this spirit he will be filled with the fear of God” (emphasis mine). Jesus possesses these seven qualities in his spirit equipping him through the life-giving Spirit of God to bless his churches. He can bring a dead church back to life.

The seven spirits of God is the source of grace and peace to God’s people (Revelation 1:4), a real comfort for anyone who realizes that they are dying on the vine. The one who himself rose from the dead, has the power to work that miracle in us. If Jesus can bring a dead church back to life, he can bring me back to life.

Dear Lord, you are the source of life. Please bring revival to my life as you have repeatedly in your churches. I thank you for your assurance of grace and peace through the Holy Spirit. May the grace and peace by which you have transformed my life be obvious to all who know me. Amen.