Strength for the Weak

Grace and peace to you … from the seven spirits before his throne….
-- Rev 1:4 NIV

Later in Revelation 4:5, the seven spirits are equated with seven lamps which burn continually before the throne of God, and those seven lamps are an allusion to Zechariah 4:2 ff. After the return from Babylonian captivity, Zerubbabel and the people of Judah had been struggling to rebuild the temple, and they just didn't seem to have the power or strength to accomplish the task. In their distress, God assured Zerubbabel that just as he had laid the foundation of the temple, so he would set the final capstone in place when it was finished. All obstacles would be removed before him, and the task would be finished "'not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the Lord Almighty." Again, this greeting would be especially welcome to the Christians in Asia Minor, who seemed so weak and powerless against the powers of Rome. The Spirit would give them success for success depends not on their strength but on the Spirit of the Living God.