Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD, and He will delight in the fear of the LORD. Isaiah 11:1-3.
Today your LORD (יהוה) God (אלהים) says:
To walk in the Spirit you must know what you have in the Spirit. We just had Life Lessons on the nine spiritual gifts (grace endowments) that My Spirit distributes among the faithful to profit all. These gifts give an extra boost and accelerate up to a whole new level what is already yours in Jesus. They empower you to do My works in the world with My power and My faith added to yours.
Today I want to talk about the “seven eyes” or “seven spirits” that you see in the throne room of Heaven and spoken of by My prophet Zechariah.
Now listen, Joshua the high priest, you and your friends who are sitting in front of you—indeed they are men who are a symbol, for behold, I am going to bring in My servant the Branch. For behold, the stone that I have set before Joshua; on one stone are seven eyes. Behold, I will engrave an inscription on it,’ declares the LORD of hosts, ‘and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day. Zechariah 3:8-9.
The branch foretold by Zechariah is Jesus, the word in Hebrew translated “branch” in this passage is “tsemach (צֶמַח),” which means a sprout, growth, a shoot. My prophet Isaiah also uses that kind of terminology about Jesus as the suffering servant that bore all your sins and ills, “Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of parched ground.” Isaiah 1:1-3.
Zechariah was a prophet at the time of Haggai when Zerubbabel, a descendant of David, was the governor of Jerusalem, and Joshua was the High Priest. They had returned from the seventy year captivity in Babylon with funds from the pagan king to rebuild My house. And they were not progressing very fast. But I sent My prophets Haggai and Zechariah to get the momentum going in the Spirit. I had given them the cornerstone on which to build in the Spirit and that is Jesus.
Then he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel saying, ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the LORD of hosts. What are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become a plain; and he will bring forth the chief stone with shouts of “Grace, grace to it!”’ Zechariah 4:6-7.
Jesus later identified Himself as the cornerstone, that is, as the stone rejected by the builders that has become the cornerstone, the solid rock foundation on which everything that will not be shaken is built. The Lamb slain since the foundation of the world. And He is its foundation of all, for He is My Word.
And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For this is contained in Scripture: “Behold, I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious corner stone, and he who believes in Him will not be disappointed.” 1 Peter 2:4-6; Isaiah 28:16.
And as you see in the prophecy I gave to Zechariah about the rebuilding of My house (temple), you will find that the cornerstone has seven eyes. What are those?
The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house, and his hands will finish it. Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you. For who has despised the day of small beginnings? But these seven will be glad when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel—these are the eyes of the LORD which range to and fro throughout the earth.” Zechariah 4:9-10.
You are in My image and according to My likeness, you physically have two eyes, so you know seven eyes are spiritual eyes. You find them again in the revelation to John on Patmos of My throne in Heaven.
And I saw in the midst of the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth. Revelation 5:6.
So now you know where to find the seven eyes and they are explained in a prophecy I gave Isaiah of the “branch” again:
Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD, and He will delight in the fear of the LORD. Isaiah 11:1-3.
In these Words that I entrusted to My prophet Isaiah you find the explanation of what John saw in the Spirit the day he baptized Jesus at the Jordan River.
John testified saying, “I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, ‘He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.’ John 1:32-33.
Jesus is My gift to you and to the world. And in Jesus I give you the gift of the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit comes with a multitude of gifts. I have blessed you with every spiritual blessing in Heaven in Christ and I deliver them to you by My Spirit. And through Jesus I give you access to Me by the Holy Spirit.
And in today’s Life Lesson we begin a study of the sevenfold ministry, i.e. the “Seven Spirits” of the Holy Spirit.
My Spirit gives nine gifts, seven spirits (sevenfold ministry), and produces nine manifestations of the fruit produced in you when your spirit and My Spirit join as one. Jesus also told you other attributes of My Spirit—He leads you in the way you should go and He guides you to all truth. He teaches you all things and reminds you of all I have said. He tells you of the things to come and makes sure you have just what you need just when you need it. He testifies to you and shares My thoughts with you and tells you what I have freely given you. He gives you answers in persecution and trials. And He keeps you from evil.
Look back at the prophecy I spoke through Isaiah. Notice it is My Spirit rests upon Him, the One Spirit, but He brings with Him seven employees who are workers He brings to help you build your life. But here I would like to look at how I worked out things in the life of Esther, a single young orphan who saved My people Israel, the line of the Messiah according to the flesh.
So consider the story of Esther. She was a prisoner of war taken captive by the enemy, an orphan and a peasant. But in the land of her captivity, when the king sought to choose a queen from among the maidens of the nation, her uncle Mordecai, from the tribe of Benjamin who was raising her, presented her for consideration and she was chosen with other young women to be prepared to go before the king. The king’s right hand man, Hegai, who was given charge of the maidens, gave favor to Esther when she submitted herself to his judgment rather than seeking her own way. He gave her seven choice maids from the king’s palace to make her royal in bearing and speech and altogether lovely with the oil of myrrh and with spices in preparing her for the king. Esther 2:5-12.
I, your LORD, do the same for you. I clothe you in Christ, Galatians 3:27, and I anointed Christ with the oil of joy and all His garments are myrrh and aloes and cassia. Psalm 45:7-8. And I give you the Holy Spirit to be your counselor, John 14:16-17, and, when you submit to His direction rather than seeking your own way, He transforms you into My image from glory to glory, 2 Corinthians 3:18, and partners with you in running your inner business to make you fruitful as you continue on your journey to the Kingdom, your eternal destiny. Romans 8:14; John 14:26; Galatians 5:22-23; 1 Peter 5:10; Hebrews 11:16.
And just as Hegai gave Esther seven wonderful maids from the king’s place to make her royal in bearing and speech, so the Holy Spirit brings you seven beautiful workers who serve you to do a perfect work in you. Do you know them? You will love them—the Spirit of wisdom and the Spirit of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and the Spirit of strength, the Spirit of knowledge and the Spirit of the fear of the LORD, and the Spirit of delight in the fear of the LORD. Isaiah 11:1-3. And all these come to you in the anointing of the Holy Spirit. And in My Word the Spirit of Wisdom is shown as a lovely woman, better than silver or gold, and always leading you in right paths, right decisions and keeping you from sin. Proverbs 3:13-18; Proverbs 4:5-9; Proverbs 2:2-15. A most wondrous teacher and companion whom I tell you to call your sister. Proverbs 7:4. She is that dear to you.
And after her months of preparation Esther went in to the king. And the king loved Esther and she found favor and kindness with him, so that he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen. Esther 2:17. Then the king gave a great banquet, Esther’s banquet, for all his princes and his servants; he also made a holiday for the provinces and gave gifts according to the king’s bounty. Esther 2:18.
And that is how it is with you and Me, your King who has espoused you to Myself forever in faithfulness and love. Hosea 2:21-22 (19-20). I, God the Father, have raised you up with Christ and seated you with Him on His throne in Heaven. Ephesians 2:6; Revelation 3:20-21. Jesus, the King of kings Himself rewards you with your crown of His righteousness, 2 Timothy 4:8, and seats you at the wedding feast, as a bride adorned with her jewels. Revelation 19:9; Isaiah 61:10. The angels of Heaven rejoice over your salvation. Luke 15:10. And even the stones cry out with joy. Luke 19:40. And there is a great cloud of witnesses to cheer you on. Hebrews 12:1. Have you never read: “The King’s daughter is all glorious within; her clothing is interwoven with gold. She will be led to the King in embroidered work; the virgins, her companions who follow her, will be brought to You. They will be led forth with gladness and rejoicing; they will enter into the King’s palace. Psalm 45:13-15.
I love you. And that is why I, your King, spouse, lover, friend, and Father give you so many gifts and showers of blessings. Believe and receive.
Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you. 2 Peter 1:2-4, 10-11.