Jesus Empowered by the Holy Spirit

JESUS WAS RESTED ON BY THE HOLY SPIRIT
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
Isaiah11:2 The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him,
The spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spiritof
counsel and strength, The spirit of knowledge and the
fear of the LORD.
PRECEPTAUSTIN RESOURCES
Isaiah11:2 The Spirit of the LORD will reston Him, The spirit of wisdomand
understanding, The spirit of counseland strength, The spirit of knowledge
and the fear of the LORD.
Spirit: Isa 42:1 59:21 61:1 Nu 11:25,26 Mt3:16 Jn 1:32,33 3:34 Ac 10:38
wisdom: Dt 34:9 Jn 14:17 15:26 16:13 1Co 1:30 Eph 1:17,18 Col1:8,9 Col
2:2,3 2Ti1:7 Jas 3:17,18
THE HOLY SPIRIT
RESTING ON THE MESSIAH
In these succeeding passages the Branch is now personalizedas a Ruler
("Judge")which speaks of the establishment of His Millennial Kingdom at
His SecondComing.
The Spirit of the LORD - A clearOT reference to the ministry of the Holy
Spirit. Mostobservers see a "six fold" ("sevenfold" if one includes "Spirit of

the LORD")aspectto the Spirit resting on the Messiah- (1) Wisdom, (2)
Understanding, (3) Counsel, (4) Strength, (5) Knowledge, and (6) Fear.
Compare to the seven-fold aspectofthe Holy Spirit in Revelation1:4-note.
Compare also Rev 4:5-note and Rev 5:6-note. Whether six fold or sevenfold,
these attributes would seemto indicate the fullness of the Holy Spirit.
RelatedResource:See the "Example of Jesus" - His dependence on the Spirit
leaving us an example to follow (1 Cor 11:1-note).
Guzik comments that "The sevencharacteristicsdescribe the nature of the
Spirit of the Lord. They also describe the nature of Jesus. There is no
difference betweenthe nature of Jesus and the nature of the Holy Spirit.
When we see Jesus, we see the Father(John 14:9). When we see the Spirit of
the Lord at work, it should look like the ministry and the nature of Jesus.
It is notable that the Isaiah referred to the Holy Spirit more than any other
Old Testamentprophet (Isaiah 11:2; 30:1; 32:15; 34:16;40:13; 42:1; 44:3;
48:16;59:21; 61:1; 63:10, 11, 14).
Will rest (05117)(nuach/nuah) means to restor pause and as noted from the
many ways it is translated(see list of words below), nuach has many uses in
the OT. Nuachessentiallyconveys a basic sense of absence ofmovement and
of being settled in a particular place with overtones of finality. The first use in
Ge 2:15 describes how God "put" Adam in the Garden. The next use
describes a physical setting down of something (Ge 8:4, cp 2Sa 21:10, Ex
10:14, Josh3:13).
Bakersummarizes the meanings of nuach Its main uses are summarized here:
(1) to rest, to settle, to settle down, e.g., of the ark (Gen. 8:4); of locusts on the
crops (Ex. 10:14);of a spirit on a person (2 Ki. 2:15); of the Lord's Spirit
(Num. 11:25, 26); of birds (2 Sam. 21:10); of the hand of the Lord on
something (Isa. 25:10); of wisdom which rests in one's heart (Prov. 14:33).
(2) It means to repose, to pause for restafter laboring (Ex. 20:11;23:12; Deut.
5:14); freedom, respite from one's enemies (Esth. 9:16).

(3) It means to leave something as it is, at rest: the nations (Num. 32:15;Judg.
2:23; 3:1; Jer. 27:11); to leave something behind (Gen. 42:33; 2 Sam. 16:21).
(4) It canhave the sense ofdeparting from a position (Eccl. 10:4); or of God's
abandoning a person (Ps. 119:121;Jer. 14:9).
(5) It canmean to leave alone, to let be, to not bother (Ex. 32:10; Hos. 4:17).
(6) It has the sense ofpermit, to let a person do something (Judg. 16:26). (7) It
may mean, in its causative senses:(a) to cause to rest, to give rest to: to rest
one's hands (Ex. 17:11); to give satisfactionto one's spirit, especiallyGod's
Spirit (Zech. 6:8); to calm someone (Prov. 29:17);it is used figuratively of
letting a blessing rest, come down on a person, house, or family (Ezek. 44:30).
(b) To lay something down, to deposit it somewhere, suchas stones (Josh. 4:3,
8); the ark (1 Sam. 6:18); man, Adam (Gen. 2:15). In one passive usage, it is
negated(lōʾ) and refers to those who are given no respite (Lam 5:5).
(Complete Word Study Dictionary – Old Testament)
Vine notes that "To rest sometimes indicates a complete envelopment and
thus permeation, as in the spirit of Elijah “resting” onElisha (2Ki 2:15), the
hand of God “resting” on the mountain (Isa 25:10), and when Wisdom “rests
in the heart of him that hath understanding” (Pr. 14:33)."
Gilbrant on nuach -
The literal and figurative scope of what it means to "rest" is broad. In its most
generaland literal sense, the verb means "to settle down" in a place or to be
at rest. In this aspect, it refers to the rest of humans (Deut. 5:14; Est. 9:22)
and animals (2 Sam. 21:10). The Bible says that insects rest (Exo. 10:14), as do
cattle, slaves and even the Lord after a time of labor (Exo. 23:12;Deut. 5:14;
and Exo. 20:11 respectively).
In some passages, nûachmeans "to settle down and remain" upon something.
Metaphorically, Aram is said to have "settleddown upon Ephraim" (Isa. 7:2)
and the ark Noahbuilt came to reston Ararat (Gen. 8:4). Similarly, the Spirit
of Yahweh that settled upon the Tent also came to reston the seventy elders of

Israel(Num. 11:25f). When Elijah was taken up to heaven, the prophets of
Jericho remarkedthat the spirit of Elijah now rested upon Elisha (2 Ki. 2:15).
In addition, when the hand of the Lord restedon Mount Zion, Israelhad
victory (Isa. 25:10). In like fashion, Proverbs says that wisdom finds repose in
the heart of a discerning person(14:33), but one who strays from the path of
understanding will find rest in the company of the dead (21:16).
A majority of the OT occurrencesofnûach occurin the Hiphil, indicating
active, causative action. Forexample, Exo. 17:11 says that when Moses
allowedhis upraised hands to lower ("rest"), the men of Israelled by Joshua
would begin to lose their battle againstthe Amalekites. In other passages, God
gives rest to those He loves (Deut. 25:19;Isa 14:3), but He also causeshis fury
to rest on the disobedient (Ezek. 24:13). (Complete Biblical Library Hebrew-
English Dictionary)
The Lxx translates restin this passagewith the verb anapauo in the sense of
"to settle on an object" as exemplified by the Spirit resting on believers who
are reviled (1Pe 4:14-note).
Nuah - 140v- abandon(2), allays(1), allow(1), appease(1), appeased(1), beenat
rest(1), calm(1), came to rest(1), camped(1), castdown(1), cast...down(1),
deposit(3), deposited(1), down(1), enter into rest(1), find...rest(1), forsake(1),
free(1), free space(2), give comfort(1), give rest(17), givenrest(3), gives rest(1),
had rest(1), idle*(1), laid(2), lay(8), lay down(1), laying(1), leave(8), left(7), let
alone(4), let go*(1), permitted(2), place(2), placed(4), put(6), put it aside(1),
put down(1), put aside(1), remain(3), resides(1), rest(14), rested(6), resting(1),
rests(2), rid themselves(2), satisfy(1), set(4), setdown(3), settle(2), settled(1),
space*(1), spent(1), stationed(2), waitquietly(1), waited(1).
Gen. 2:15; Gen. 8:4; Gen. 19:16;Gen. 39:16;Gen. 42:33;Exod. 10:14;Exod.
16:23;Exod. 16:24; Exod. 16:33;Exod. 16:34;Exod. 17:11; Exod. 20:11;
Exod. 23:12;Exod. 32:10; Exod. 33:14; Lev. 7:15; Lev. 16:23;Lev. 24:12;
Num. 10:36;Num. 11:25;Num. 11:26; Num. 15:34; Num. 17:4; Num. 17:7;
Num. 19:9; Num. 32:15;Deut. 3:20; Deut. 5:14; Deut. 12:10;Deut. 14:28;
Deut. 25:19;Deut. 26:4; Deut. 26:10;Jos. 1:13; Jos. 1:15;Jos. 3:13;Jos. 4:3;
Jos. 4:8; Jos. 6:23;Jos. 21:44;Jos. 22:4; Jos. 23:1;Jdg. 2:23; Jdg. 3:1; Jdg.

6:18; Jdg. 6:20; 1 Sam. 6:18; 1 Sam. 10:25;1 Sam. 25:9; 2 Sam. 7:1; 2 Sam.
7:11; 2 Sam. 16:11;2 Sam. 16:21;2 Sam. 20:3; 2 Sam. 21:10;1 Ki. 5:4; 1 Ki.
7:47; 1 Ki. 8:9; 1 Ki. 13:29;1 Ki. 13:30;1 Ki. 13:31; 1 Ki. 19:3; 2 Ki. 2:15; 2
Ki. 17:29; 2 Ki. 23:18;1 Chr. 16:21;1 Chr. 22:9; 1 Chr. 22:18; 1 Chr. 23:25; 2
Chr. 1:14; 2 Chr. 4:8; 2 Chr. 6:41; 2 Chr. 9:25; 2 Chr. 14:6; 2 Chr. 14:7; 2
Chr. 15:15;2 Chr. 20:30; Neh. 9:28; Est. 3:8; Est. 9:16; Est. 9:17; Est. 9:18;
Est. 9:22; Job 3:13; Job 3:17; Job 3:26; Ps. 17:14;Ps. 105:14;Ps. 119:121;Ps.
125:3;Prov. 14:33; Prov. 21:16; Prov. 29:17;Eccl. 2:18; Eccl. 5:12;Eccl. 7:9;
Eccl. 7:18; Eccl. 10:4;Eccl. 11:6; Isa. 7:2; Isa. 7:19; Isa. 11:2; Isa. 14:1; Isa.
14:3; Isa. 14:7; Isa. 23:12;Isa. 25:10; Isa. 28:2; Isa. 28:12; Isa. 30:32;Isa.
46:7; Isa. 57:2; Isa. 63:14;Isa. 65:15; Jer. 14:9; Jer. 27:11; Jer. 43:6; Lam.
5:5; Ezek. 5:13; Ezek. 16:39;Ezek. 16:42;Ezek. 21:17;Ezek. 22:20; Ezek.
24:13;Ezek. 37:1; Ezek. 37:14; Ezek. 40:2;Ezek. 40:42; Ezek. 41:9; Ezek.
41:11;Ezek. 42:13; Ezek. 42:14;Ezek. 44:19;Ezek. 44:30;Dan. 12:13;Hos.
4:17; Amos 5:7; Hab. 3:16; Zech. 5:11; Zech. 6:8
Will rest on Him - Like David (1Sa 16:13), this king will be energized by the
Lord’s Spirit. The Holy Spirit will reston the Messiah(permanently; not
temporarily come upon, e.g., Nu 11:25, 26), a prophecy that was fulfilled at
His first coming but will also be fulfilled at His SecondComing. This is a
fascinating and somewhatmysterious statementin view of the unity of the
Trinity. And yet the Gospels speak ofthe role of the Holy Spirit in the life of
Jesus. Beloved, while this is indeed a greatmystery, Jesus'dependence on the
Holy Spirit to controland empowerministry during His time on earth should
also be a greatencouragementto all believers and a strong motivation for us
to seek to learn to walk by the Spirit (Gal 5:16-note, cp Ep 5:18-note)…
After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water;and behold,
the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove
and lighting on Him, (Mt 3:16, cp Lk 3:22)
And John bore witness saying, "I have beheld the Spirit descending as a dove
out of heaven, and He remained (meno = abide, stay, persist, continue to live)
upon Him. (Jn 1:32)

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the
devil. (Mt 4:1, cp Mk 1:12)
Jesus, full of (which equates wit controlledby) the Holy Spirit, returned from
the Jordanand was led around by the Spirit in the wilderness (Lk 4:1).
And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power (dunamis = power to accomplish
supernatural work) of the Spirit, and news about Him spreadthrough all the
surrounding district. (Lk 4:14)
For He (Jesus)Whom God (The Father) has sent speaks the words of God, for
He gives the Spirit without measure (Which assures the truth of Jesus'words.
The Spirit came upon OT prophets but only for limited times and purposes.
Believers today are permanently indwelt by the same Spirit that gave Jesus
the words of God to speak!We don't have any excuses forunwholesome
words!). (Jn 3:34)
You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit
and with power, and how He went about doing goodand healing all who were
oppressedby the devil, for God was with Him. (Acts 10:38)
Other passagesin Isaiahalso emphasize the role of the Holy Spirit in the life
of the Messiah…
Behold, My (God the Father) Servant(Messiah), whom I uphold; My chosen
One in Whom My soul delights. I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring
forth justice to the nations. (Is 42:1).
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me (Messiahspeaking), becausethe Lord
has anointed Me to bring goodnews (The Septuagint - Lxx translates the
Hebrew with euaggelizo/euangelizo = preach the Gospel)to the afflicted; He
has sentme to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives and
freedom to prisoners; (Is 61:1, quoted by Jesus in Luke 4:18)
Spirit of Wisdom - (1Co 1:30; Col2:3).
And Jesus keptincreasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and
men. (Lk 2:52)

Guzik - Jesus is perfectly wise in all things. He showedit among us during his
earthly ministry, and He shows it now in His ministry towards us in heaven. 1
Corinthians 1:30 says that Jesus became forus wisdom from God. It isn’t just
that Jesus has wisdom; He is wisdom!
Understanding - Jesus clearlymanifested this attribute in His first coming…
But Jesus perceivedtheir malice, and said, “Why are you testing Me, you
hypocrites? (Mt 22:18)
He did not need anyone to testify concerning man, for He Himself knew what
was in man. (Jn 2:25)
Guzik - Jesus understands all things, and He understands us perfectly. He is
perfectly suited to be our sympathetic High Priestin heaven(Hebrews 4:15-
16). Understanding in Hebrew has the idea of a sharp sense ofsmell. Trapp
says it describes Jesus’“Sharpnessofjudgment in smelling out a hypocrite…
His sharp nose easilydiscerns and is offended with the stinking breath of the
hypocrite’s rotten lungs, though his words be never so scentedand perfumed
with shows of holiness."
The spirit of counseland strength - The NetBible Note explains that this
constructionis a hendiadys; the point is that he will have the strength/ability
to execute the plans/strategieshe devises. This ability will enable him to
suppress oppressors and implement just policies (Isa 11:4).
Guzik…
The Spirit of counselis upon Jesus. He has perfect counselto give us at all
times. He has both the wisdomand the understanding to be a perfect
counselor!
The Spirit of… strength is upon Jesus. He has the powerto do what He
desires to do. Many would help us if they could, but are powerless. Others
may have the power to help us, but don’t care about us. Jesus has both the
love and the might to help us.

The Spirit of knowledge is upon Jesus. He knows everything. He knows our
hearts, He knows all the facts. Many times we have made decisions that
seemedstrange or wrong to others because they didn’t have the knowledge
that we have. Jesus has knowledge thatwe don’t have, so it shouldn’t surprise
us that sometimes His decisions seemstrange or wrong to others.
The Spirit of knowledge - Knowledge (da'ath) expresses knowledgegainedin
various ways by the senses.It is “experiential active knowing”.
Guzik…
The Spirit of knowledge is upon Jesus. He knows everything. He knows our
hearts, He knows all the facts. Many times we have made decisions that
seemedstrange or wrong to others because they didn’t have the knowledge
that we have. Jesus has knowledge that we don’t have, so it shouldn’t surprise
us that sometimes His decisions seemstrange or wrong to others.
Fearof the LORD - reverential, obedient fear which is the first stepto true
knowledge (Job28:28;Ps 111:10). The fear of Jehovahcauses one respond to
Him in awe, trust, obedience, and worship. Jesus willingly submitted Himself
with a sense ofrespectand honor to His Father.
Martin notes that "BecauseofHis wisdom, understanding, counsel, and
knowledge He is the Wonderful Counselor(Isa. 9:6)."
Harry Ironside - Here we have the One who is presented in the Apocalypse
(The Book ofthe Revelation)as having the seven spirits of God: that is, the
Holy Spirit in the sevenfold plenitude of His power. Coming by virgin birth
through David’s line He is the Branch out of the root of Jesse,the father of
David. Upon Him rests “the Spirit of Jehovah,” one;the Spirit of wisdom,
two; and of understanding, three; the Spirit of counsel, four; and of might,
five; the Spirit of knowledge, six;and of the fear of Jehovah, seven. The fear
of Jehovahis the spirit of reverence. We are told in John that the Father
giveth not the Spirit by measure to His beloved Son (Jn 3:34). From the
moment of His birth the Lord Jesus was under the controlling powerof the
Holy Spirit, for as Man on earth, He chose notto actin His own omnipotence
but as the Servant of the Godhead. After His baptism in the Jordan, the Spirit

was seendescending upon Him as a dove. This was the anointing of which the
Apostle Peterspoke, in preparation for His gracious public ministry. Never
for one moment was He out of harmony with the Spirit. It was this that made
it possible for Him to grow in wisdom as He grew in stature, and in favor with
God and man. Confessedly, this mystery is great:that the Eternal Wisdom
should have so limited Himself as Man in all perfection that He grew in
wisdom and knowledge from childhood to physical maturity as under the
tutelage of the Father, who by the Spirit revealedHis will to Jesus from day to
day, so that He could say, “I speak not Mine own words but the words of Him
that sent Me.” And as to the works He wrought, He attributed them all to the
Spirit of GodWho dwelt in Him in all His fullness. (Isaiah11 & 12 - When
God's Anointed TakesOver)
EXPOSITORYNOTESON THE PROPHET ISAIAH
by
Harry A. Ironside, Litt.D.
Copyright @ 1952
ISAIAH CHAPTERS ELEVEN AND TWELVE WHEN GOD’S ANOINTED
TAKES OVER
THERE is a very close connectionwith that which now comes before us and
that which we have seenin the last chapter. After the Assyrian is destroyed
and Israelwill have been delivered from all her enemies, we have the peaceful

reign of Him who is the Rod out of Jesse’s stem, the Branch of the Lord who is
to bring all things into subjection to God and rule with the iron rod of
inflexible righteousness.
Of Him we read:
“And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branchshall
grow out of his roots: and the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit
of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counseland might, the spirit of
knowledge and of the fear of the Lord; and shall make him of quick
understanding in the fear of the Lord: and he shall not judge after the sight of
his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:but with righteousness
shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth:
and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of
his lips shall he slaythe wicked. And righteousness shallbe the girdle of his
loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins” (verses 1-5).
Here we have the One who is presentedin the Book of the Revelationas
having the sevenspirits of God: that is, the Holy Spirit in the sevenfold
plenitude of His power. Coming by virgin birth through David’s line He is the
Branch out of the root of Jesse,the father of David. Upon Him rests “the
Spirit of the Lord,”
- The Spirit of wisdom, - And of understanding, - The Spirit of counsel, - And
of might, - The Spirit of knowledge, - And of the fearof the Lord, - The fearof
the Lord is the spirit of reverence.
We are told in John that the Fathergiveth not the Spirit by measure to His
beloved Son (3:34).

From the moment of His birth the Lord Jesus was under the controlling
powerof the Holy Spirit, for as Man on earth, He chose not to actin His own
omnipotence but as the Servant of the Godhead.
After His baptism in the Jordan, the Spirit was seendescending upon Him as
a dove. This was the anointing of which the Apostle Peter spoke, in
preparation for His gracious public ministry. Neverfor one moment was He
out of harmony with the Spirit. It was this that made it possible for Him to
grow in wisdom as He grew in stature, and in favor with God and man.
Confessedly, this mystery is great:that the Eternal Wisdom should have so
limited Himself as Man in all perfectionthat He grew in wisdom and
knowledge from childhood to physical maturity as under the tutelage of the
Father, who by the Spirit revealed His will to Jesus from day to day, so that
He could say, “I speak not mine own words but the words of Him that sent
Me.”
And as to the works He wrought, He attributed them all to the Spirit of God
who dwelt in Him in all His fullness. Scripture guards carefully the truth of
the perfectManhood of our Lord, as also that of His true Deity. We see Him
here as the Servant of the Lord speaking and acting according to the Father’s
will. So His judgment was inerrant and His understanding perfect.
When in God’s due time He takes overthe reins of the government of this
world, all will be equally right and just at last. David’s prophetic words will
be fulfilled when there shall be “He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling
in the fear of God” (II Samuel23:3). Earth’s long centuries of selfish misrule
will have come to an end, and Israeland the nations will enjoy the blessings of
Messiah’s gracious andfaithful sway; then all wickednesswill be dealt with in
unsparing judgment and the meek of the earth will be protectedand enter

into undisturbed blessedness. In that day the curse will be lifted from the
lowercreationand the very nature of the beasts of the earth will be changed.
“The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with
the kid; and the calfand the young lion and the fatling together;and a little
child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones
shall lie down together:and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the
sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weanedchild shall put
his hand on the cockatrice’den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy
mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge ofthe Lord, as the
waters coverthe sea” (verses 6-9).
Those who attempt to spiritualize all these expressions must needs take the
beasts here to representviolent and savage men whose hearts will be changed
by regeneration. But the prophet gives no hint of such an application of his
words. He very definitely speaks ofthat which God will do for the animal
kingdom in the day when the curse will be lifted. There is no hint that the
prophet was speaking allegoricallyorthat his language is to be interpreted
other than in strict literality. It seems evident that when the SecondMan, the
Last Adam, is set over this lower universe, that ideal conditions will prevail on
earth, such as characterizedthe world before sin came in to mar God’s fair
creationwith its sad entail of violence and rapine on the part of the beasts of
the earth and the evil effects upon the bodies of men and women, resulting in
sicknessand death.
All this will be undone in the day when Christ shall come as the Restorerof
all things spokenby the prophets, and “the earth shall be filled with the
knowledge ofthe Lord as the waters coverthe sea.”

While the millennium is not to be confounded with the new heavens and the
new earth, it will nevertheless be a period of wonderful blessing for all who
shall dwell in the world when in the administration of the fullness of the
seasons, Godshallhead up all things in Christ.
“And in that day there shall be a rootof Jesse, whichshall stand for an ensign
of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek:and his rest shall be glorious. And it
shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand againthe
secondtime to recoverthe remnant of his people, which shall be left, from
Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam,
and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. And he
shall setup an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts ofIsrael,
and gathertogetherthe dispersedof Judah from the four corners of the earth.
The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries ofJudah shall be
cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim”
(verses 10-13).
It is when Jesus returns in glory and as the Rootof Jessefulfills the promises
made to David that all these things shall come to pass. Then Jacob’s prophecy,
as given in Genesis 49:10, willhave its glorious fulfillment, “Unto Him shall
the gathering of the people be.”
In that day we are told God will not only magnify Him in the eyes of Israel,
but also unto Him shall the Gentiles seek.
His own earthly people, scatteredfor so long among the nations, will be
gatheredback to their ownland. Many have thought that the promises of
their restorationwere fulfilled long ago when a remnant returned in the days
of Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah. But here we are informed definitely,
“The Lord shall set His hand againthe secondtime to recoverthe remnant of

His people”;and we learn that they will return - not limply from Babylon as
before - but from all the lands where they have been dispersedthroughout the
long centuries of their sorrow and suffering. Israeland Judah, no longer
divided, will be drawn to the Lord Himself - the Ensign to be setup in that
day - and shall flow togetherto the land of their fathers, no longer as rival
nations but as one people in glad subjection to their King and their God.
The closing verses ofthe chapter give further details as to the manner of their
return, assistedby the nations that were once their enemies.
“But they shall lay upon the shoulders of the Philistines toward the west; they
shall spoil them of the easttogether:they shall lay their hand upon Edom and
Moab; and the children of Ammon shall obey them. And the Lord shall
utterly destroythe tongue of the Egyptian sea;and with his mighty wind shall
he shake his hand over the river, and shall smite it in the seven streams, and
make men go over dryshod. And there shall be an highway for the remnant of
his people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to Israelin the day
that he came up out of the land of Egypt” (verses 14-16).
Certain geographicaland geologicalchangesare indicated here which no
doubt will be effectedat the time when the feet of our Lord shall stand again
upon the Mount of Olives, and there shall be a greatearthquake with far-
reaching results, as foretold in Zechariah 14.
The twelfth chapter gives us the song of joy and triumph which will rise
exultantly from the hearts of the redeemed of the Lord as in the days when the
people sang of old on the shore of the Red Sea after all their enemies had been
destroyed.

“And in that day thou shalt say, O Lord, I will praise thee: though thou wast
angry with me, thine angeris turned away, and thou comfortedstme. Behold,
God is my salvation;I w1ll trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord is my
strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. Therefore with joy
shall ye draw waterout of the wells of salvation. And in that day shall ye say,
Praise the Lord, callupon his name, declare his doings among the people,
make mention that his name is exalted. Sing unto the Lord; for he hath done
excellentthings: this is knownin all the earth. Cry out and shout, thou
inhabitant of Zion: for greatis the Holy One of Israelin the midst of thee”
(verses 1-6).
It is a blessedand precious experience when the heart is fixed upon the Lord
Himself and when the soul realizes the gladness ofreconciliationto the One
againstwhom it had sinned, so as to be able to say, “ThoughThou wastangry
with me, Thine angeris turned away, and Thou comfortedst me.”
It means much to know God as the One through whom deliverance has been
wrought and who is Himself “salvation.” This is the end of all worry and
anxiety. And so we hear the remnant saying, “I will trust, and not be afraid.”
Faith is the antidote to fear. As we learn to look to God in confidence all
anxiety disappears, for we know that He who savedus will stand betweenus
and every foe. He does not leave His people to fight their battles in their own
power, but He is the Strength of all who restupon His Word.
From the wells of salvation, so long spurned by the self-righteous Jew, seeking
to save himself by his own efforts, the returned remnant draw the water of life
as they call upon His name and bear witness before all the world to the
salvationHe has wrought.

The psalm, for it is a psalm, ends with a callto praise and adore the God of
Israel, who will dwell in the midst of His redeemedpeople in that day of His
manifested glory. Even now those who come to Him in faith can make this
song their own as they know the reality of His saving grace.
BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
Pulpit Commentary Homiletics
Christ's Enduements By The Spirit
Isaiah11:2
R. Tuck
The prophetic conceptionof Messiahis of a man, speciallyendowed and fitted
for his mission by God's Spirit. The figures that help prophetic vision are
David, endowedwith the spirit of rule and of song;and Solomon, endowed
with the spirit of wisdom. And the New Testamentbids us think of Christ as
having the Spirit, not by measure, but without measure - the fullness of God
dwelling in him (Colossians1:19;Colossians2:9). Compare the beginning of
our Lord's sermon at Nazareth: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me" (Luke
4:18). The point suggestedis that God's enduements are always in precise
adaptation to a man's work. Here, in relation to Christ, the "qualities are
arrangedin three pairs, but all spring from one Source, the Spirit of Jehovah,
which rests permanently upon him. They are
(1) moral and intellectualclearness ofperception;
(2) the wisdom and bravery which befit a ruler;
(3) a knowledge ofthe requirements of Jehovah, and the will to actagreeably
to this knowledge"(Cheyne).

Christ was a Teacher, Healer, Example, Savior, Head of a spiritual kingdom.
As fitting him for these positions and offices, he was endued with -
I. WISDOM. The specialgifts of the ruler, as calledto judge difficult, complex
cases. In its highest form implying comprehensionof the secretthings of God.
II. UNDERSTANDING. Orkeen, quick discernment; the sagacitywhich
discovers the right thing to do, and the right word to say, in all human
relationships.
III. COUNSEL. The powerto form wise plans; the clearpurpose which fits a
king for the exercise ofsovereignty. "He shall know how to administer the
affairs of his spiritual kingdom in all the branches of it, so as effectuallyto
answerthe two greatends of it - the glory of God, and the welfare of the
children of men."
IV. MIGHT. The ability to carry plans into execution. With men we often find
a divorce betweenthe skill to plan and the power to execute.
V. FEAR OF GOD. The dispositionwhich keeps us ever anxiously watching
for, and resolvedto do, God's will. The reverence and faith which is the
beginning of all wisdom. Illustrations of eachmay readily be found in the life
of the Lord Jesus;and it may be urged that all these enduements brought him
the powerthat lies in righteousness -the power
(1) to wither all evil;
(2) to nourish all good. - R.T.

Biblical Illustrator
And the spirit of the Lord shall restupon Him.
Isaiah11:2-5
The Spirit of the Lord
F. Delitzsch.
‫ר‬ ‫ַח‬ ‫ה‬ is the Divine Spirit as the bearer of the whole fulness Divine powers.
Then follow in three pairs the six spirits comprehended by ‫ַוה‬ ‫ר‬ , the first pair
of which relate to the intellectual life, the second to the practicallife, and the
third to the direct relationship to God.
(F. Delitzsch.)
The Spirit of God
F. Delitzsch.
is absolutely the heart of all; it corresponds to the shaft of the seven-flamed
candlestick, andthe three pairs to the arms that stretchedout from it.
(F. Delitzsch.)
The greatPreacher
E. P. Marvin.

Here it is distinctly prophesiedthat our Saviour, when He should come into
the world, would be peculiarly endowedby the Holy Spirit, with wisdom,
discernment, and might in speech, such as should make Him a remarkable
preacher.
I. WHAT A CONSUMMATE MASTERJESUS WAS OF REAL
ELOQUENCE. Ofcourse I do not refer to the petty arts and studied rules of
the professionaloratorand actor. He needed none of these to aid Him; He was
infinitely above them all. His whole demeanour was perfectly simple and
natural, though earnest, discriminating, and impressive, as the pure love and
complete appreciation of truth could make one. Aside from earnestnessand
naturalness, His greatpower of eloquence consisted —
1. In the clearnessand completenessofHis views.
2. In His perfectcommand, through language, ofall the powers and passions
of the human soul
II. HOW PLAINLY AND FORCIBLYOUR SAVIOUR PREACHED THE
GREAT DOCTRINESOR FUNDAMENTALFACTS OF THE GOSPEL
SYSTEM.
III. THE PECULIAR MANNER AND AMAZING POWER OF THE
SAVIOUR'S PREACHING.
(E. P. Marvin.)
The Spirit of Whitsuntide
C. Kingsley, M. A.
This is Isaiah's description of the Spirit of Whitsuntide; the royal Spirit which
was to descend, and did descendwithout measure, on the ideal and perfect
King. Let us considerwhat that Spirit is.
1. He is the Spirit of love. God is love; and He is the Spirit of God.

2. He is the Spirit of wisdom. Now, is the spirit of wisdom the same as the
spirit of love?(1)Sound theology, which is the highest reason, tells us that it
must be so. To suppose that God's wisdom and God's love, or that God's
justice and God's love, are different from eachother, or limit eachother, or
oppose eachother, or are anything but one and the same eternally, is to divide
God's substance;to deny that God is one.(2)But more; experience will show
us that the spirit of love is the same as the spirit of wisdom; that if any man
wishes to be truly wise and prudent, his only way is to be loving and
charitable. The experience of the apostles proves it. They had the most
enormous practicalsuccessthatmen ever had. They, twelve poor men, set out
to convert mankind by loving them: and they succeeded. Remember,
moreover, that the text speaks ofthis Spirit of the Lord being given to One
who was to be a King, a Ruler, a Guide, and a Judge of men; who was to
exercise influence over men for their good. This prophecy was fulfilled first in
the King of kings, our Lord Jesus Christ: but it was fulfilled also in His
apostles, who were, in their own way and measure, kings of men, exercising a
vast influence over them. And how? By the royal Spirit of love. Our own
experience will be the same as the apostles'experience. If we do not
understand our fellow creatures we shall never love them. But it is equally
true that if we do not love them we shall never understand them.
3. Next, this royal Spirit is describedas the "spirit of counseland might," i.e.,
the spirit of prudence and practicalpower the spirit which sees how to deal
with human beings, and has the practicalpower of making them obey. Now
that power, again, can only be got by loving human beings. My experience is
this: that whensoeverin my past life I have been angry and scornful, I have
said or done an unwise thing, I have more or less injured my owncause;
weakenedmy own influence on my fellow men; repelled them instead of
attracting them.
4. And next: this Spirit is "the spirit of knowledge, andof the fear of the
Lord." They both begin and end in love.(1) If you wish for knowledge, you
must begin by loving knowledge forits own sake. And the more knowledge
you gain, the more you will long to know. And if this be true of things earthly
and temporary, how much more of things heavenly and eternal? We must
begin by loving whatsoeverthings are true, whatsoeverthings are just,

whatsoeverthings are pure, honest, and of good report. We must begin by
loving them with a sortof child's love, without understanding them. But as we
go on, as St. Paul bids us, to meditate on them; and "if there be any virtue and
if there be any praise, to think on such things," and feedour minds daily with
purifying, elevating, sobering, humanising, enlightening thoughts: then we
shall get to love goodnesswith "a reasonable and manly love," to see the
beauty of holiness;the strength of self-sacrifice;the glory of justice; the
divineness of love; and in a word — to love Godfor His ownsake, and to give
Him thanks for His greatglory, which is: that He is a goodGod.(2)This Spirit
is also the "spirit of the fear of the Lord." That, too, must be a spirit of love
not only to God, but to our fellow creatures. Forif we but considerthat God
the Fatherloves all; that His mercy is over all His works;and that He hateth
nothing that He has made: then, how dare we hate anything that He has
made, as long as we have any rational fearof Him, awe and respectfor Him,
true faith in His infinite majestyand power? If we but considerthat God the
Son actually came down on earth to die, and to die, too, on the Cross, forall
mankind: then, how dare we hate a human being for whom He died!
(C. Kingsley, M. A.)
Gifts of the Spirit from Christ to His Church
J. Ayre, M. A.
It was as Head of His Church that the Spirit was shed forth upon Him, and
from Him descends upon His members. If we would, then, know what are the
graces we are to expectof this kind, we must inquire what our Lord received.
I. THE GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT UPON CHRIST, FITTING HIM FOR HIS
MEDIATORIAL OFFICE. Three severalbranches ofgrace seemintended:
wisdom, might, intelligent devotion to God's Word.
II. HOW THE GRACES OF SPIRITUAL INFLUENCE FLOW FROM
CHRIST TO HIS PEOPLE.

1. They first descendedon the apostles when, assembledat Jerusalem, they
waited for the promise of the Father.
2. These gifts were not confined to the apostles.Multitudes, through their
preaching, were turned from the idolatry of the Gentiles or the superstition of
the Jews to serve the living God; and on them, too, the Spirit was bestowed.
3. Neitherare these rich streams exhausted. The Saviour still bestows with
liberal hand the spiritual influences we need.
(J. Ayre, M. A.)
The Spirit of the Lord has always beenin human history
J. Parker, D. D.
It accounts for all heroisms, noble darings, self-sacrifices,for all labours
meant, not for the blessednessofthe labourer himself, but for the gratification
and progress ofother ages.
(J. Parker, D. D.)
Spiritual endowments for earthly rulers
F. Platt, B. D.
Modern expositors have often restrictedthis gracious descriptionof royal
enrichment to the ideal King of Israel, the coming Messiah. This application
is, no doubt, its ultimate designation, but there is more than sufficient
evidence to warrant the discrimination of mediaeval teachers, who boldly
selectedthis heroic passageconcerning the seven Spirits of God as a perfect
epitome of the gifts that might be rightly claimed for those, and by those, who
are Divinely calledto wearan earthly crown, and to rule in temporal affairs.
DeanPlumptre has suggestedthat these verses may well representthe
programme which Isaiah himself setbefore his pupil, Hezekiah, on his
accessionto the throne, which his weak predecessorhadsuffered to

degenerate into a vantage ground for abuse of justice and laxity of morals
such as had deterioratedthe faith and moral fibre of his people. And, as Dr.
George Adam Smith points out, in the theology, art, and worship of the
Middle Ages, this text was constantlyand consistentlyassociatedwith the
assumption of royal responsibilities, and with the judicial administration of
magistrates. It was knownas "the mirror for magistrates,"andwas
commonly employed at the coronationof kings and the fencing of tribunals of
justice. "What Isaiahwrote for Hezekiahof Judah became the officialprayer,
song or ensample of the earliestChristian kings in Europe. It is evidently the
model of that royal hymn — not by Charlemagne, as is usually supposed, but
by his grandson, Charles the Bald — the Veni CreatorSpiritus." So deeply
did this sense of the need and privilege of the gifts of the Spirit for the ruling
class pervade the life of the times that Henry III's order of knighthood, "Du
Saint Esprit," was restrictedto political men, and particularly to magistrates.
(F. Platt, B. D.)
Coronationgifts
F. Platt, B. D.
We may, there. fore, claim abundant precedent in using the text to correcttwo
perilous tendencies in the national and religious thought of our own day —
one brought about by a mistake made by men of the world in the affairs of
State, and the other the result of a misapprehension by men of Godin the
affairs of the Spirit.
1. The first tendency, which is to depreciate the operation of the Spirit of God
in civic life and duty, may be illustrated by a simple fact. In the Speechfrom
the throne, at the opening of QueenVictoria's last Parliament, the customary
reference at the close to the blessing of Almighty Godupon the labours of her
faithful Commons was omitted. It was afterwards explained by a responsible
Minister of the Crown that the omissionwas accidental, but the omission
marks nevertheless a tendency. The recognitionof the Divine in political life
has become formal. Its symbols linger, but it is assumedthat thoughtful men

smile at them and lay the burthen of their survival upon the substantial
emoluments of office, or upon the popular love of the spectacularsymbols of
dignity. In depreciating the "Divine right" of kings, have we diminished the
assurance, "ByMe kings reign and princes decree justice"? Do the splendours
of a coronationimpress us more than its solemnities!Does the sense of
widening empire attract us more than a growing sensitiveness to the
supremacy of spiritual obligation! Are we more responsive in national
movements to the solicitations ofsensualexcitement than to the inward
suggestionsofthe Spirit of knowledge and of the fearof the Lord! It was in
the midst of socialand political conditions strangelyanalogous to our own
that Isaiahset forth his inspired conceptionof the spiritual qualifications of
true kingship amongstmen.
2. Betweenthe tendency to depreciate the place of the Divine in national life,
and the further tendency in religious thought to limit the sphere of the
activities of the Spirit of Godunduly to what are termed spiritual as opposed
to temporal affairs, there is an inner correspondencethat is very significant.
There is a mode, popular amongst the religious, of speaking of the work of the
Spirit of Godas "supernatural," and as thus excluding processes knownas
natural or rational, that is distinctly perilous. This distinction implies that we
may feel and know the presence of the Spirit of God at the Keswick
Convention, but fails to expect His influence in the Convention at
Bloemfontein. It asserts His inspiration in Holy Scripture, but has no sure
place for His control or suggestionin the leading articles of the "secular"
press. His gifts may be possessedby the "spiritually minded," but the man
immersed in political affairs thinks and toils in quite another sphere. His
presence is invoked at the councils of the Church, but at the councils of
industry it is regarded as a negligible quality. In the problems of the soul His
guidance as the Spirit of truth may be consciouslyexpected, but in the
problems of science menmust follow the light of nature. It was againsta
similar conceptionin his time that Isaiah's declarationof the Spirit's seven-
fold gifts was announced. Israelhad made the fatal distinction between
secularand sacredthat is at the root of so much of our own disregard of God.
We do not wonderthat with national emergencies andnecessitiessuchas
these pressing upon him, Isaiahreveals the source and strength of political

sagacityand regalauthority as dwelling with these augustprerogatives of the
Spirit of the Lord that are prevailingly intellectual, "the spirit of wisdom and
understanding, the spirit of counseland might, the spirit of knowledge and of
the fearof the Lord." They display a marvellous coordinationof the
intellectual and practicallife with the sense ofthe direct relation of the life to
God. They cannotbe too closelystudied and applied as the Divine provision
for the governing and political mind, and the scientific temper of our own day.
"'Wisdom' is the powerof discerning the nature of things through the
appearance;'understanding' the power of discerning the difference of things
in their appearance;'counsel'is the gift of forming right conclusions, and
might' the ability to carry them through with energy. 'The knowledge ofthe
Lord' is knowledge founded on the fellowship of love; and 'the fearof the
Lord' is fear absorbed in reverence." Theseare the hidden springs of the
genius for statesmanship. The Spirit is the true historic glory of royalty, and
the secretofcitizenship in all abiding developments of popular liberties and
imperial expansion; and to acceptany statute of limitations in the opulence of
His energies in national life is as fatal to permanence as to progress.
(F. Platt, B. D.)
The Spirit of God in patriotism and judicial administrati
F. Platt, B. D.
on: — True patriotism is an inspiring variation of the work of the Spirit of
God. Judicial administration is a part of religious life and faith. "The Lord of
hosts is for a spirit of judgment to him that sitteth in judgment, and for
strength to them that turn the battle to the gate."
(F. Platt, B. D.)
The hallowing of the secularlife
F. Platt, B. D.

Whilst we are heedful of the richer revelationof the grace ofthe Holy Spirit
disclosedin the New Testament, the Old Testamentinterpretation of His gifts
is of essentialimportance. This may be summed up generallyas the hallowing
of the secularlife, the fertilising contactof the Spirit of God with matter and
mind in their organisationin nature and in human society. Josephas an
administrator is recognisedas His product — "a man in whom the Spirit of
God is." It was the equipment of Moses'colleagues in the judicature, "God
took of the Spirit which was upon him and gave it unto them." Of Bezaleel
and his weavers and craftsmen the record runs, "I have filled him with the
Spirit of Godin wisdom and understanding, and in knowledge, andin all
manner of workmanship to devise cunning work." Samson'smight was the
Spirit of the Lord, and "the Spirit of the Lord clothed itself with Gideon" for
the prowess ofhis greatmilitary enterprise. The story of the coronationof
Saul, Israel's earliestking, is the progressive history of the movements and
endowments of the Spirit of God. And time would fail to tell of David and the
long line. of kings whom the same Spirit anointed and establishedin
government.
(F. Platt, B. D.)
Christ is full of light
H. W. Beecher.
Going into a village at night, with the lights gleaming on eachside of the
street, in some houses they will be in the basementand nowhere else, and in
others in the attic and nowhere else, and in others in some middle chamber;
but in no house will every window gleamfrom top to bottom. So it is with
men's faculties. Mostof them are in darkness. One shines here, and another
there; but there is no man whose soulis luminous throughout. But Christ
presenteda perfect character. Every room in His soul was filled with light. He
is light.
(H. W. Beecher.)

COMMENTARIES
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
(2) And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him . . .—The words throw us at
once back upon the memories of the past, and forwards upon the hopes of the
future. It was the “spirit of the Lord” that had made men true heroes and
judges in the days of old (Judges 11:29; Judges 13:25). It was in the “spirit of
the Lord” descending on Jesus of Nazarethand abiding on Him (John 1:33)
that men were taught to see the tokenthat He was the Christ of God. And in
this case the spirit was to give more than the heroic daring which had
characterisedJephthah and Samson. The future King was to be as a David
and Solomonin one, pre-eminent, chiefly, as the Prince of Peace (Isaiah9:7),
in the wisdom and counselwhich had been the glory of the latter. “Wisdom,”
in its highestform, as implying the comprehensionof the secretthings of God;
“understanding,” as the sagacitywhichdiscerned the right thing to do and the
right word to say (Hebrews 5:14) in all human relationships; these formed the
first link in the chain of supernatural gifts. With these there was to be the
“spirit of counseland might,” the clearpurpose and strength which fits a king
for the right exercise ofsovereignty;and lastly, as at once the crown and
source of all, the “spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord,” the
reverence and faith which is “the beginning of all wisdom” (Proverbs 1:7).
The copious use of the vocabulary of the Book ofProverbs is interesting as
showing the part which that book played in the prophet’s education. (See
Introduction.)
BensonCommentary
Isaiah11:2. And the Spirit of the Lord — The Holy Ghost, by which he was
anointed, (Acts 10:38,)and by whose powerhis human nature was formed in
the womb of the virgin, (Luke 1:35,) shall rest upon him — Shall not only
come upon him at certain times, as it came upon the prophets, but shall have
its constantand settled abode in him; the spirit of wisdom and understanding

— It is not needful exactly to distinguish these two gifts; it is sufficient that
they are necessaryqualifications for a governorand a teacher, and it is
evident they signify perfect knowledge ofall things necessaryfor his own and
people’s good, and a sound judgment to distinguish betweenthings that differ;
the spirit of counseland might — Of prudence, to give goodcounsel;and of
might and courage, to execute it; the spirit of knowledge — Of the perfect
knowledge ofthe whole will and counselof God, as also of all secretthings,
yea, of the hearts of men; fear of the Lord — A fear of reverence, a care to
please him, and aversionto offend him.
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
11:1-9 The Messiahis called a Rod, and a Branch. The words signify a small,
tender product; a shoot, such as is easilybroken off. He comes forth out of the
stem of Jesse;when the royal family was cut down and almost levelled with
the ground, it would sprout again. The house of David was brought very low
at the time of Christ's birth. The Messiahthus gave early notice that his
kingdom was not of this world. But the Holy Spirit, in all his gifts and graces,
shall rest and abide upon him; he shall have the fulness of the Godhead
dwelling in him, Col 1:19; 2:9. Many considerthat seven gifts of the Holy
Spirit are here mentioned. And the doctrine of the influences of the Holy
Spirit is here clearly taught. The Messiahwouldbe just and righteous in all
his government. His threatening shall be executedby the working of his Spirit
according to his word. There shall be greatpeace and quiet under his
government. The gospelchangesthe nature, and makes those who trampled
on the meek of the earth, meek like them, and kind to them. But it shall be
more fully shown in the latter days. Also Christ, the greatShepherd, shall
take care of his flock, that the nature of troubles, and of death itself, shall be
so changed, that they shall not do any realhurt. God's people shall be
delivered, not only from evil, but from the fear of it. Who shall separate us
from the love of Christ? The better we know the God of love, the more shall
we be changedinto the same likeness, and the better disposedto all who have
any likeness to him. This knowledge shallextend as the sea, so far shall it
spread. And this blessedpowerthere have been witnesses in every age of
Christianity, though its most glorious time, here foretold, is not yet arrived.

Meanwhile let us aim that our example and endeavours may help to promote
the honour of Christ and his kingdom of peace.
Barnes'Notes on the Bible
And the Spirit of the Lord - The Spirit of Yahweh. Chaldee, 'And there shall
rest upon him the spirit of prophecy from before Yahweh.' In the previous
verse, the prophet had announced his origin and his birth. In this, he proceeds
to describe his extraordinary endowments, as eminently holy, pure, and wise.
There can be no doubt that reference is here had to the Holy Spirit, the third
person of the sacredTrinity, as descending upon him in the fullness of his
influences, and producing in him perfectwisdom, knowledge, andthe fear of
the Lord. The Spirit of Yahweh shall rest upon him - a Spirit producing
wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, etc. All these are lit the Scriptures
tracedto the agencyof the Holy Spirit; see 1 Corinthians 12:8-11. The
meaning here is, that the Messiahshould be endowed with these eminent
prophetic gifts and qualifications for his ministry by the agencyof the Holy
Spirit. It was by that Spirit that the prophets had been inspired (see 2 Peter
1:21; 2 Timothy 3:16); and as the Messiahwas to be a prophet Deuteronomy
18:15, Deuteronomy18:18, there was a fitness that he should be endowedin
the same manner. If it be askedhow one, who was divine in his own nature,
could be thus endowedby the aid of the Spirit, the answeris, that he was also
to be a man descendedfrom the honored line of David, and that as a man he
might be furnished for his work by the agencyof the Holy Spirit. His human
nature was keptpure; his mind was made eminently wise;his heart always
retained the fearand love of God, and there is no absurdity in supposing that
these extraordinary endowments were to be tracedto God. That he was thus
under the influence of the Holy Spirit, is abundantly taught in the New
Testament. Thus, in Matthew 3:16, the Holy Spirit is representedas
descending on him at his baptism, In John 3:34, it is said, 'For he whom God
hath sent speakeththe words of God, for God giveth not the Spirit by measure
unto him;' compare Colossians1:19.
Shall rest upon him - That is, shall descendon him, and remain with him. It
shall not merely come upon him, but shall attend him permanently; compare
Numbers 11:25-26.

The spirit of wisdom - The spirit producing wisdom, or making him wise.
Wisdom consists in the choice ofthe best means to secure the bestends. This
attribute is often given to the Messiahin the New Testament, and was always
evinced by him; compare 1 Corinthians 1:30; Ephesians 1:17;Colossians 2:3 :
'In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.'
And understanding - The difference betweenthe words here rendered wisdom
and understanding is, that the former denotes wisdomproperly; and the
latter, that judgment resulting from wisdom, by which we distinguish things,
or decide on their character.
The spirit of counsel - That by which be shall be qualified to "give" counselor
advice; the qualification of a public instructor and guide; see the note at
Isaiah9:6.
And might - Strength, vigor, energy; that strength of heart and purpose which
will enable a man to meet difficulties, to encounter dangers, to be bold, open,
and fearless in the discharge of his duties. It is not necessaryto remark, that
this characteristic wasfound in an eminent degree in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Of knowledge - That is, the knowledge ofthe attributes and plans of Yahweh;
compare Matthew 11:27 : 'Neither knowethany man the Father save the Son.'
John 1:18 : 'No man hath seenGodat I any time; the only begottenSon,
which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declaredhim;' 1 John 5:20.
And of the fear of the Lord - The fear of Yahweh is often used to denote piety
in general, as consisting in a reverence for the divine commands, and a dread
of offending him; "that is," a desire to please him, which is piety; compare
Job 28:28;Psalm 19:9; Psalm111:10;Proverbs 1:7; Proverbs 3:13; Proverbs
15:33;Proverbs 19:23. That this characteristic was found eminently in the
Lord Jesus, it is not necessaryto attempt to prove.
Jamieson-Fausset-BrownBible Commentary
2. Spirit of the Lord—Jehovah. The Spirit by which the prophets spake:for
Messiahwas to be a Prophet (Isa 61:1; De 18:15, 18). Sevengifts of the Holy
Spirit are specified, to imply that the perfectionof them was to be in Him.
Compare "the seven Spirits" (Re 1:4), that is, the Holy Ghostin His perfect

fulness: sevenbeing the sacrednumber. The prophets had only a portion out
of the "fulness" in the Son of God (Joh 1:16; 3:34; Col 1:19).
rest—permanently; not merely come upon Him (Nu 11:25, 26).
wisdom—(1Co 1:30;Eph 1:17; Col 2:3).
understanding—coupled with "wisdom," being its fruit. Discernment and
discrimination (Mt 22:18;Joh 2:25).
counsel… might—the faculty of forming counsels, andthat of executing them
(Isa 28:29). Counsellor(Isa 9:6).
knowledge—ofthe deep things of God (Mt 11:27). The knowledge ofHim
gives us true knowledge (Eph 1:17).
fear of the Lord—reverential, obedient fear. The first step towards true
"knowledge" (Job28:28;Ps 111:10).
Matthew Poole's Commentary
The Spirit of the Lord; the Holy Ghost, wherewith he was anointed, Acts
10:38, and by whom his mother was overshadowed, Luke 1:35.
Shall rest upon him; not only come upon him at certain times, as he did upon
the prophets now and then at his pleasure, but shall have its constantand
settled abode in him; although the same phrase be sometimes used of other
prophets in an inferior sense, as Numbers 11:17 2 Kings 2:15.
The Spirit of wisdom and understanding; which hath these perfections in
itself, and confers them upon him. It is neither easy, nor at all necessary,
exactly to distinguish these two gifts; it is sufficient that they are necessary
qualifications for a governor, and for a teacher, both which offices were to
meet in the Messiah;and it is evident that they signify a practicaland perfect
knowledge of all things necessaryfor the discharge of his trust, and for his

own and people’s good, and a sound judgment, to distinguish betweenthings
that differ.
Of counseland might; of prudence, to give goodcounsel;and of might and
courage, to execute it; which are two necessaryqualifications of a ruler.
Of knowledge;of the perfect knowledge ofthe whole will and counselof God,
especiallythat which concerns the salvation of men, the prosecutionwhereof
was his greatwork, as also of all secretand hidden things, yea, of the hearts of
men, the knowledge whereofis ascribedto Christ. Matthew 9:4 Revelation
2:23.
Of the fear of the Lord; not a fearof diffidence or horror, but of reverence;a
care to please him, and loathness to offend him, which well became the
Messiahtowards his Godand Father.
Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible
And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him,.... The rod and branch, the
King Messiah, so qualifying him for his office, and the discharge ofit. This
shows that Christ's kingdom is of a spiritual nature, and administered in a
spiritual manner, for which he was abundantly furnished by the "Spirit of the
Lord" resting on him; by whom is meant the third Personin the Trinity, so
called, not because createdby him, for not any createdspirit is meant, but
because he proceededfrom him; he is the one Jehovahwith him, a divine
Person, truly God, yet distinct both from the Father and the Son; so that here
is a clearproof of the trinity of Persons. Christwas filled with the Spirit from
the womb, and he descendedand rested upon him at his baptism; he was
anointed with him to be Prophet, Priest, and King, and receivedhis gifts and
graces from him without measure, which abide with him, and are designed in
the following words:

the spirit of wisdom and understanding; which appeared in his disputation
with the doctors;in his answers to the ensnaring questions of the Scribes and
Pharisees;in the whole of his ministry; and in his conduct at his
apprehension, trial, condemnation, and death; as also in the wisdom,
knowledge, andunderstanding he imparted to his disciples, and does more or
less to all his people:
the spirit of counseland might; of "counsel", whichfitted him to be the
wonderful Counsellor, and qualified him to give suitable and proper advice to
the sons of men; and of "might" or "power", to preach the Gospelwith
authority; do miracles in the confirmation of it; bear the sins of his people,
and the punishment due to them; obtain eternal redemption for them; and
engage with all their enemies and conquer them:
the spirit of knowledge, andof the fear of the Lord; and so as man had the
"knowledge" ofGod the Father; of his mind and will; of the Scriptures, and
things contained therein; of the law and Gospel;all the treasures of wisdom
and knowledge were hid in him, which he communicates to his saints; and "of
the fearof the Lord", and so had a reverence of him, a strict regard to his
will, and always did the things which pleasedhim; see Hebrews 5:7 this verse
is also applied to the Messiah, bothby ancientand modern Jews (u).
(u) T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 93. 2. Zohar in Gen. fol. 68. 3. & in Numb. fol. 54.
4. & 92. 1. & in Deut. fol. 123. 3. BereshitRabba, sect. 2. fol. 2. 4. sect. 8. fol. 6.
3. Bemidbar Rabba, sect. 13. fol. 209. 3. Midrash Ruth, fol. 34. 4. Pirke
Eliezer, c. 3. fol. 3. 2. Raziel, fol. 11. 1. Tzeror Hammor, fol. 156. 1. Baal
Hatturim in Numbers 7.12. Yalkut Simeoni, par. 1. fol. 3. 1.
Geneva Study Bible
And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdomand
the fearof the LORD;
EXEGETICAL(ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)
Cambridge Bible for Schools andColleges

2. His supernatural endowment through the spirit of Jehovahwith the
qualities of a perfect ruler. The “charismata”are grouped in three pairs;
when we add the separate mention of the spirit of Jehovahat the head of the
list we may perhaps find here the first suggestionofthe “sevenspirits” of God
(Revelation1:4). In reality, however, the three pairs unfold the different
aspects ofthe “Spirit of Jehovah.” The first pair of virtues are intellectual, the
secondpractical, and the third religious.
wisdom and understanding (or “discernment”)are the fundamental
intellectual qualifications of a judge or ruler. Deuteronomy 1:13; 1 Kings 3:12.
counseland might] “Counsel” is the faculty of adapting means to ends or of
forming right resolutions;“might” the energynecessaryto carry them
through.
of knowledge and of the fearof the Lord] of the knowledge and fear of
Jehovah. It seems necessaryhere to take “knowledge”as equivalent to
“knowledgeofJehovah,” in spite of the rule that “not more than one
constructcan stand before the same genitive” (Davidson, Syntax, § 27. b).
“Knowledge ofJehovah” is insight into His characterand His moral claims on
men, “fearof Jehovah” is the common O.T. expressionfor piety; both
togethermake up the O.T. idea of religion.
Pulpit Commentary
Verse 2. - The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him (comp, Matthew 3:16;
Luke 2:40; Luke 4:1, 14, 18;John 3:34, etc.). The human nature of our Lord
required, and receivedabundantly, the sanctifying and enlightening
influences of the Holy Spirit. These influences were not in him transient or
occasional, as in too many men, who more or less "resistthe Spirit," but
permanent and enduring. They "restedupon" him; from first to last never
quitted, and never will quit, him. The spirit of wisdom and understanding.

The influences of the Holy Spirit are manifold, affecting the entire complex
nature of man (see 1 Corinthians 12:8-11). Here, three pairs of gracesare set
forth as specially manifestedin the Messiahthrough the powerof the Spirit:
(1) "Wisdom and understanding," or intellectual and moral apprehension
(εὐσυνεσία) the ability to perceive moral and abstracttruth;
(2) "counseland might," or the powerat once to scheme and originate, and
also to carry out thought into act;
(3) "The knowledge andthe fear of the Lord," or acquaintance with the true
will of God, combined with the determination to carry out that will to the full
(John 4:34; Luke 22:42;Hebrews 10:7). It is needless to saythat all these
qualities existed in the greatest perfectionin our blessedLord.
Keil and DelitzschBiblical Commentary on the Old Testament
ProfessorScheggtravelledby this very route to Jerusalem(cf., p. 560, Anm.
2): From Gifneh he went direct to Tayibeh (which he imagined to be the
ancient Ai), and then southwards through Muchmas, Geba, Hizmeh, 'Anata,
and el-Isawiye to Jerusalem.
Isaiah10:28Aestheticallyconsidered, the description is one of the most
magnificent that human poetry has ever produced. "He comes upon Ayyath,
passes throughMigron; in Michmash he leaves his baggage. Theygo through
the pass:let Geba be our quarters for the night! Ramah trembles; Gibeah of
Saul flees. Screamaloud, O daughter of Gallim! Only listen, O Laysha! Poor
Anathoth! Madmenah hurries away; the inhabitants of Gebim rescue. He still
halts in Nob today; swings his hand over the mountain of the daughter of
Zion, the hill of Jerusalem. Behold, the Lord, Jehovahof hosts, lops down the
branches with terrific force;and those of towering growthare hewn down,
and the lofty are humbled. And He fells the thickets of the forest with iron;
and Lebanon, it falls by a Majestic One." Whenthe Assyrian came upon

Ayyath ( equals Ayyah, 1 Chronicles 7:28 (?), Nehemiah 11:31, generallyhâ-
‛ai, or 'Ai), about thirty miles to the north-east of Jerusalem, he trod for the
first time upon Benjaminitish territory, which was under the swayof Judaea.
The name of this 'Ai, which signifies "stone-heap,"tallies, as Knobel observes,
with the name of the Tellel-hagar, which is situated about three-quarters of
an hour to the south-eastof Beitn, i.e., Bethel. But there are tombs, reservoirs,
and ruins to be seenabout an hour to the south-eastof Beitin; and these
Robinsonassociateswith Ai. From Ai, however, the army will not proceed
towards Jerusalemby the ordinary route, viz., the greatnorth road (or
"Nablus road"); but, in order to surprise Jerusalem, it takes a different route,
in which it will have to cross three deep and difficult valleys. From Ai they
pass to Migron, the name of which has apparently been preservedin the ruins
of Burg Magrun, situated about eight minutes' walk from Beitn.
(Note:I also find the name written Magrum (read Magrun), which is
probably taken from a more correcthearsaythan the Machrn of Robinson
(ii.127).)
Michmash is still to be found in the form of a desertedvillage with ruins,
under the name of Muchms, on the easternside of the valley of Migron. Here
they deposit their baggage(hiphkid, Jeremiah36:20), so far as they are able to
dispense with it - either to leave it lying there, or to have it conveyed after
them by an easierroute. For they proceedthence through the pass of
Michmash, a deep and precipitous ravine about forty-eight minutes in
breadth, the present Wady Suweinit. "The pass" (ma‛bârâh) is the defile of
Michmash, with two prominent rockycliffs, where Jonathan had his
adventure with the garrisonof the Philistines. One of these cliffs was called
Seneh(1 Samuel14:4), a name which suggestses-Suweinit. Through this defile
they pass, encouraging one another, as they proceedalong the difficult march,
by the prospectof passing the night in Geba, which is close athand. It is still
disputed whether this Geba is the same place as the following Gibeah of Saul
or not. There is at the present time a village calledGeba' below Muchms,
situated upon an eminence. The almost universal opinion now is, that this is
not Gibeahof Saul, but that the latter is to be seenin the prominent Tell
(Tuleil) el-Fl, which is situated farther south. This is possibly correct.

(Note:This is supported by Robinsonin his Later Biblical Researchesin
Palestine (1857), by Valentiner (pastor at Jerusalem), and by Keil in the
Commentary on Joshua, Judges, etc. (Joshua 18:21-28), where allthe more
recentwritings on this topographicalquestionare given.)
For there can be no doubt that this mountain, the name of which signifies
"Bean-hill," would be a very strong position, and one very suitable for Gibeah
of Saul; and the supposition that there were two places in Benjamin named
Geba, Gibeah, or Gibeath, is favoured at any rate by Joshua 18:21-28, where
Geba and Gibeath are distinguished from one another. And this mountain,
which is situatedto the south of er-Rm - that is to say, betweenthe ancient
Ramah and Anathoth - tallies very well with the route of the Assyrian as here
described; whilst it is very improbable that Isaiahhas designatedthe very
same place first of all Geba, and then (for what reasonno one can tell) Gibeah
of Saul. We therefore adopt the view, that the Assyrian army took up its
quarters for the night at Geba, which still bears this name, spreading terror in
all directions, both eastand west, and still more towards the south. Starting in
the morning from the deep valley betweenMichmashand Geba, they pass on
one side of Rama (the present er-Rm), situated half an hour to the westof
Geba, which trembles as it sees them go by; and the inhabitants of Gibeath of
Saul, upon the "Bean-hill," a height that commands the whole of the
surrounding country, take to flight when they pass by. Every halting-place on
their route brings them nearerto Jerusalem. The prophet goes in spirit
through it all. It is so objectivelyreal to him, that it produces the utmost
anxiety and pain. The cities and villages of the district are lost.
He appeals to the daughter, i.e., the population, of Gallim, to raise a far-
sounding yell of lamentation with their voice (Ges. 138, 1, Anm. 3), and calls
out in deep sympathy to Laysha, which was close by (on the two places, both
of which have vanished now, see 1 Samuel 25:44 and Judges 18:29), "only
listen," the enemy is coming nearer and nearer;and then for Anathoth
(‛Anâtâ, still to be seenabout an hour and a quarter to the north of
Jerusalem)he utters this lamentation (taking the name as an omen of its fate):
O poor Anathoth! There is no necessityforany alteration of the text; ‛anniyâh
is an appeal, or rather an exclamation, as in Isaiah 54:11;and ‛anâthoth
follows, according to the same verbal order as in Isaiah 23:12, unless indeed

we take it at once as an adjective written before the noun - an arrangementof
the words which may possibly have been admissible in such interjectional
sentences.The catastrophe so much to be dreaded by Jerusalemdraws nearer
and nearer. Madmenah (dung-hill, see Comm. on Job, at Job 9:11-15)flees in
anxious haste:the inhabitants of Gebim (water-pits) carry off their
possessions(‫,זיעּה‬ from ‫ּה‬ ‫,י‬ to flee, related to chush, hence to carry off in flight,
to bring in haste to a place of security, Exodus 9:19, cf., Jeremiah4:6;
Jeremiah6:1; synonymous with hēnı̄s, Exodus 9:20; Judges 6:11; different
from ‛âzaz, to be firm, strong, defiant, from which mâ‛oz, a fortress, is
derived - in distinction from the Arabic ma‛âdh, a place of refuge: comp.
Isaiah30:2, to flee to Pharaoh's shelter). There are no traces left of either
place. The passageis generallyunderstood as implying that the army rested
another day in Nob. But this would be altogetheratvariance with the design -
to take Jerusalemby surprise by the suddenness of the destructive blow. We
therefore render it, "Evento-day he will halt in Nob" (in eo estut subsistat,
Ges. 132, Anm. 1) - namely, to gather up fresh strength there in front of the
city which was doomed to destruction, and to arrange the plan of attack. The
supposition that Nob was the village of el-'Isawiye, which is still inhabited,
and lies to the south-westof Ant, fifty-five minutes to the north of Jerusalem,
is at variance with the situation, as correctlydescribed by Jerome, when he
says:"Stans in oppidulo Nob et procul urbem conspiciens Jerusalem."A far
more appropriate situation is to be found in the hill which rises to the north of
Jerusalem, and which is calledSadr, from its breast-like projectionor
roundness - a name which is related in meaning to nob, nâb, to rise. From this
eminence the way leads down into the valley of Kidron; and as you descend,
the city spreads out before you at a very little distance off. It may have been
here, in the prophet's view, that the Assyrians halted.
(Note:This is the opinion of Valentiner, who also regards the march of the
Assyrians as an "execution-march" in two columns, one of which took the
road through the difficult ground to the east, whilst the other inflicted
punishment upon the places that stoodnear the road. The text does not
require this, however, but describes a march, which spreadalarm both right
and left as it went along.)

It was not long, however(as the yenōphēph which follows ἀσυνδέτως implies),
before his hand was drawn out to strike (Isaiah11:15; Isaiah19:16), and
swing over the mountain of the daughter of Zion (Isaiah16:1), over the city of
the holy hill. But what would Jehovahdo, who was the only One who could
save His threateneddwelling-place in the face of such an army? As far as
Isaiah10:32, the prophet's address moved on at a hurried, stormy pace;it
then halted, and seemed, as it were, panting with anxiety; it now breaks forth
in a dactylic movement, like a long rolling thunder. The hostile army stands in
front of Jerusalem, like a broad dense forest. But it is soonmanifest that
Jerusalemhas a God who cannot be defied with impunity, and who will not
leave His city in the lurch at the decisive moment, like the gods of Carchemish
and Calno. Jehovahis the Lord, the God of both spiritual and starry hosts. He
smites down the branches of this forestof an army: sē‛ēphis a so-calledpiel
privativum, to lop (lit. to take the branches in hand; cf., sikkēl, Isaiah5:2);
and pu'rah equals pe'urah (in Ezekielpō'rah) is used like the Latin frons, to
include both branches and foliage - in other words, the leafy branches as the
ornament of the tree, or the branches as adorned with leaves. The instrument
He employs is ma‛arâtzâh, his terrifying and crushing power (compare the
verb in Isaiah 2:19, Isaiah 2:21). And even the lofty trunks of the forest thus
clearedof branches and leaves do not remain; they lie hewn down, and the
lofty ones must fall. It is just the same with the trunks, i.e., the leaders, as with
the branches and the foliage, i.e., with the greatcrowdedmasses. The whole of
the forestthicket (as in Isaiah 9:17) he hews down (nikkaph, third pers. piel,
though it may also be niphal); and Lebanon, i.e., the army of Asshur which is
now standing opposite to Mount Zion, like Lebanon with its forestof cedars,
falls down through a Majestic One ('addı̄r), i.e., through Jehovah(Isaiah
33:21, cf., Psalm 76:5; Psalm93:4). In the accountof the fulfilment (Isaiah
37:36)it is the angelof the Lord (mal'ach Jehovah), who is representedas
destroying the hundred and eighty-five thousand in the Assyrian camp in a
single night. The angelof Jehovah is not a messengerofGod sent from afar,
but the chosenorganof the ever-presentdivine power.
PULPIT COMMENTARY

Isaiah11:2
And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdomand
the fearof the LORD;
Verse 2. - The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him (comp, Matthew 3:16;
Luke 2:40; Luke 4:1, 14, 18;John 3:34, etc.). The human nature of our Lord
required, and receivedabundantly, the sanctifying and enlightening
influences of the Holy Spirit. These influences were not in him transient or
occasional, as in too many men, who more or less "resistthe Spirit," but
permanent and enduring. They "restedupon" him; from first to last never
quitted, and never will quit, him. The spirit of wisdom and understanding.
The influences of the Holy Spirit are manifold, affecting the entire complex
nature of man (see 1 Corinthians 12:8-11). Here, three pairs of gracesare set
forth as specially manifestedin the Messiahthrough the powerof the Spirit:
(1) "Wisdom and understanding," or intellectual and moral apprehension
(εὐσυνεσία) the ability to perceive moral and abstracttruth;
(2) "counseland might," or the powerat once to scheme and originate, and
also to carry out thought into act;
(3) "The knowledge andthe fear of the Lord," or acquaintance with the true
will of God, combined with the determination to carry out that will to the full
(John 4:34; Luke 22:42;Hebrews 10:7). It is needless to saythat all these
qualities existed in the greatestperfectionin our blessedLord.
Rev. Autrey for verse 2
Isaiah11, verse 2 reads, AND THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD SHALL REST
UPON HIM, THE SPIRIT OF WISDOM, UNDERSTANDING, CPUNCIL

AND MIGHT THE SPIRIT OF KNOWLEDGE AND OF FEAR OF THE
LORD. This verse is speaking ofJesus as a human, and how the Holy Spirit
workedin him. Notice that it says that God 's Spirit gave him wisdom,
understanding, counsel, and knowledge aboutwho he was. The might part is a
reference to the mighty works Jesus understoodhe was to do. The point is,
this is saying that the job of the Holy Spirit is to teachus and make us
intelligent about the things of Jesus as God. This agrees completelywith what
Jesus saidabout God 's Spirit in John 16, verse 26 HE WILL TELL YOU
ABOUT ME. Let me saythis plainly. The work of the Holy Spirit is to tell us
about Jesus as God, and the salvationhe brings us. That 's it! Te Holy Spirit,
then, does not make us actempty headedand nonsensical, as many people
think. Nor does he make us run around, across the front of the church, not
knowing where we are going. Nordoes he make us fall down and pass out for
a long period of time. Jesus operatedunder the Spirit, and he did none of this!
This type of action will teachus nothing about Jesus, orourselves!All it will
make us do is to be irrational about the very salvationJesus came to give us.
Please think about this!
SevenSpirits of God
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
The Book ofRevelation1:1–4 (with the reference to the SevenSpirits) from
the Bamberg Apocalypse, 11thcentury

In the Christian Bible, the term SevenSpirits of God appears four times in the
Book ofRevelation.[1][2]The meaning of this term has been interpreted in
multiple ways.[3]
Contents
1
Biblical references
2
Interpretations
2.1
The sevenfoldministry of the spirit
2.2
Sevendistinct spiritual beings
2.3
Symbolic of perfection
3
See also
4
References
Biblical references[edit]
The sevenSpirits of God (Greek:τα επτα πνευματα του θεου, ta hepta
pneumata tou theou) are mentioned four times in the Book ofRevelation, and
in the book of Isaiah it names eachSpirit.[1][2]

Revelation1:4: John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto
you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and
from the sevenSpirits which are before his throne;
Revelation3:1: And unto the angelof the church in Sardis write; These things
saith he that hath the sevenSpirits of God, and the sevenstars;I know thy
works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.
Revelation4:5: And out of the throne proceededlightnings and thunderings
and voices:and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne,
which are the sevenSpirits of God.
Revelation5:6: And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the
four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stooda Lamb as it had been slain,
having sevenhorns and seveneyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent
forth into all the earth.
Interpretations[edit]
The sevenfoldministry of the spirit[edit]
In one interpretation, the "SevenSpirits" representthe sevenfoldministry of
the Spirit as depicted in the Book ofIsaiah. As it is written: "The Spirit of the
LORD shall restupon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit
of counseland might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD,
and He will delight in the fear of the Lord." Isaiah 11:2–3 (NASB). Including
the Spirit of the Lord, and the Spirits of wisdom, of understanding, of counsel,
of might, of knowledge and of fear of the LORD, here are representedthe
sevenSpirits, which are before the throne of God.[4] The reference to the
lamb in Revelation5:6 relates it to the SevenSpirits which first appear in
Revelation1:4 and are associatedwith Jesus who holds them along with seven
stars.[5]
An alternative view is that the sevengraces ("charisma")ofRomans 12:6–8
reflectthe sevenspirits of God. The Holy Spirit manifests in humankind
through these graces, reflecting the sevenspirits of God. The sevengraces are:
1. insight (prophecy); 2. helpfulness (service or ministry); 3. instruction
(teaching); 4. encouragement;5. generosity(giving); 6. guidance (leadership);

and 7. compassion. This agrees with Isaiah11:2–3 if "the Spirit of the Lord"
is recognizedas categoricaland "the delight in the fear of the Lord" is
added.[citation needed]
Sevendistinct spiritual beings[edit]
In the New Testament, the Greek term "Dynamis" (translated by some as
"Virtues") suggestsa class ofexalted spiritual beings; perhaps parallel to the
"chiefPrinces" (Sarrishown) in the Old Testament, of which the Archangel
Michaelis statedto be one (Daniel 10:13).[6]"Dynamis" is used by the
Apostle Paul to refer to spiritual beings in Romans 8:38; Ephesians 1:21, 3:10,
6:12; and Colossians 1:16, 2:10, 2:15. "Powers andprincipalities" can apply
to both angelic and devilish beings, but more often in the New Testamentto
devilish beings. However, most modern Protestanttranslators take
"Dynamis" to mean "strength", "power", or"ability", whereas the ancient
and modern Catholic conceptionof activity or powerwas often understood as
"virtues".
Others follow this line of thought, though find the connectionto "dynamis"
referred to by Paul less likely. It is possible that these seven angels are a
specialentourage chargedwith specialduties by the Lamb, about whom we
have little to no specific knowledge.[7]
Still others look to the apocryphal work 1 Enoch which refers to sevenangels
who are "watching" creation:Uriel, Raphael, Raguel, Michael,
Sarakiel/Suriel(in 9.1), Gabriel, and Phanuel, who is mentioned as one of the
four chief angels in 40.9.
Symbolic of perfection[edit]
Sevenfoldmay also be connectedwith the biblical understanding of the
number 7 representing perfection. The "SevenFold Spirit of God" could be
the "perfect" Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit.[8]
Questions & Answers

Isaiah11:2
First posted: December30, 2005
Question
My question is actually regarding the 7 Spirits of God. Have you researched
how the Seven Spirits of God mentioned in Isaiah 11:2 correlate to the 7
Spirits of Evil?
Answer
Small clarifications
The passagethat the visitor is referring to is the following:
"And the spirit of the LORD shall restupon him, the spirit of wisdom and
the fearof the LORD" (Isaiah 11:2)
Years ago, I was taught that this passage wasa list of the 7 Spirits of God.
However, as I would look at this passage,I couldn't help but wonderif there
was something we were missing about this passage. As I would ask the Lord to
help me in truly understanding the 7 Spirits of God, I would turn to this
passage, but I would feelno "answers" coming from it. One day, the Lord
made me notice something quite interesting about this verse...
Traditionally, it is taught that this passage lists 7 Spirits: the "spirit of the
Lord", the "spirit of wisdom", the "spirit of understanding", the "spirit of
counsel", the "spirit of might", the "spirit of knowledge", and the "spirit of

the fearof the Lord". However, if you go to the passageabove, you will notice
that the word "spirit" is only used 4 times, once to refer to the "spirit of the
Lord", and 3 times to refer to spirits related to "pairs". In other words, the
passagedoes notsay, "the spirit of wisdom and the spirit of understanding";
it simply says, "the spirit of wisdomand understanding", and it says "spirit"
in the singular. It is worth noting that the King James translation quoted
above is consistentwith the originalHebrew text.
If God had designedIsaiah 11:2 to be a list of the 7 Spirits of God, as is
traditionally taught, why wouldn't He use the word "spirit" 7 times?
Wouldn't eachSpirit be significant enough to be deserving of its own "spirit"
word? After all, they are the Spirits of God.
There is also anotherissue to consider. The word "LORD" in Isaiah11:2 was
translated from the Hebrew word Jehovah. In other words, Isaiah11:2 says,
"And the spirit of Jehovah shall rest upon Him ...". Why would the "spirit of
Jehovah" be one of the 7 "Spirits of God". Isn't Jehovah God? Also, why
would this spirit be the only one associatedwith a name, while the other
spirits are associatedwith concepts suchas "wisdom" and "knowledge"?
Why is the "spirit of Jehovah" separatedfrom the other spirits by the phrase
"shallrest upon Him", while the other spirits are listed in succession? All
these inconsistenciesmake it evident that man's traditional interpretation of
Isaiah11:2 is amiss. Isaiah 11:2 was not intended to actas a list of the 7
Spirits of God. Instead, it is a list of something else.
To understand Isaiah 11:2's spiritual "syntax", let us look at another passage
in Scripture that has a similar syntax:

"And the very God of peace sanctifyyou wholly; and I pray God your whole
spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord
Jesus Christ" (1 Thessalonians5:23)
Notice that the first part of the verse speaksofGod sanctifying us "wholly".
The next part of the verse then proceeds to list 3 elements in quick succession:
the spirit, the soul, and the body. This means that these 3 elements comprise
the "whole" mentionedat the beginning of the verse. In the same way, Isaiah
11:2 begins by mentioning the "spirit of Jehovah", and it then proceeds to
mention 3 (not 7) spirits in quick succession. This means that the 3 spirits
mentioned in the secondpart of Isaiah 11:2 come togetherto form the "spirit
of Jehovah", just as the "spirit, soul, and body" come togetherto comprise
the "whole" human being.
Therefore, we cansafely saythat Isaiah 11:2 is speaking aboutthe 3 spirits
that comprise the One Spirit of Jehovah:
The spirit of wisdom and understanding
The spirit of counseland might
The spirit of knowledge and of the fearof Jehovah
Who are these 3 spirits? To answerthat, we must considereachspirit
individually.
The spirit of wisdom and understanding
"Wisdomand understanding" are a pair that appears frequently throughout
Scripture. Here is one example:

"19The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he
establishedthe heavens. 20Byhis knowledge the depths are broken up, and
the clouds drop down the dew." (Proverbs 3:19-20)
Notice that "wisdom" points downward, while "understanding" points
upward. Through wisdom, spiritual foundations are laid on the earth below;
through understanding, heavenly things above are "established".
The word "established" in verse 19 was translated from the Hebrew word
kuwn, which can also be translated as "make firm". The heavens are by
definition "intangible" and "ethereal";therefore, the Lord is saying that
"spiritual understanding" makes firm or "gives solidity" to heavenly things
that seemintangible or etherealto the natural mind. This is the reasonwhy
the Hebrew word for "understanding" is used in the following passages:
"And it came to pass, when I, even I Daniel, had seenthe vision, and sought
for the meaning, then, behold, there stoodbefore me as the appearance ofa
man." (Daniel 8:15)
[The word "meaning" was translatedfrom the Hebrew word biynah, which is
the same word that was translatedas "understanding" in Isaiah 11:2]
"In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a thing was revealedunto Daniel,
whose name was calledBelteshazzar;and the thing was true, but the time
appointed was long:and he understood the thing, and had understanding of
the vision." (Daniel 10:1)
[The word "understanding" was translatedfrom the Hebrew word biynah]

Notice that Daniel had a prophetic vision, and he sought "understanding" in
order to find the meaning behind the vision. Without that "understanding",
the vision would be nothing more than an ethereal, intangible image. Through
His understanding, God allows us to "crack the mystery" behind the
prophetic visions that He places before us. Through His understanding, we
can "crack the code" and comprehend the hidden things of the Spirit:
"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge ofthe
holy is understanding." (Proverbs 9:10)
The "Holy of Holies" in the Temple was hidden behind a veil. This shows that
"holy" things are not exposedto public, mundane view. Instead, they are set
apart and hidden to be viewed only by those who recognize their true,
invisible value, preventing them from being viewed and misused by those who
are too blind to recognize that invisible value. Therefore, the passage above is
saying that, through "understanding", we canget to see "behind the veil" and
know hidden things whose value is invisible to others.
As we have shared before, wisdom is most directly relatedto the apostolic
ministry, which is the ministry most directly related to the ability to abstract
generallaws and principles out of specific items or events. In other words,
God's apostolic wisdomallows us to "generalize"and to understand the
spiritual laws and principles that govern the universe.
While God's wisdom allows us to "generalize", His "understanding" allows us
to "find specifics". ThroughHis understanding, you cansee a "generic"
vision and discern the specific meanings hidden behind the details in the
vision. You can do this as you apply the generallaws you have learned
through God's wisdom. Wisdom and understanding work together.

Fellow believer, in order to move in God's understanding, you must be willing
to abhor the "spirit of simplicity":
"Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding" (Proverbs
9:6)
[The word "understanding" was translatedfrom the Hebrew word biynah
that appears in Isaiah11:2]
The word "foolish" above was translatedfrom the Hebrew word pethiy,
which literally means "simple, naive", and is derived from the word pathah
meaning "to be spacious, wide". In other words, a naive personis a person
who sees life in terms of "wide" or "broad" strokes, andwho is uninterested
in discerning the complexities or intricate details of things. According to
Proverbs 9:6, when we choose to move in God's understanding, we become
"anti-naive", meaning that we will become interestedin the subtle details.
Instead of seeing the "visions" around us in terms of "broad strokes",we will
notice the "subtle strokes", the subtle "colortones", and we will be able to
discern the hidden meanings behind those subtle strokes andtones.
In order to move in God's "spirit of wisdom and understanding", we must
also proactively cry out for it:
"1Myson, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with
thee; 2So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to
understanding; 3Yea, if thou criestafter knowledge, andliftest up thy voice
for understanding; 4If thou seekestheras silver, and searchestforher as for
hid treasures;5Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find
the knowledge ofGod. 6Forthe LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth
cometh knowledge andunderstanding. 7He layeth up sound wisdom for the
righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly. 8He keepeththe paths

of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints. 9Then shalt thou
understand righteousness, andjudgment, and equity; yea, every goodpath."
(Proverbs 2:1-9)
Notice that wisdom and understanding must be "cried after" and sought
after, the way one searchesfora hidden treasure (v4). A simplistic mind
cannot find God's treasures becauseit is unable to visualize underneath the
surface it sees, andit is too indolent to make the digging effort required to
find God's treasures.
As you look for God's treasures in His "understanding", an important quality
is required:
"He that is void of wisdom despisethhis neighbour: but a man of
understanding holdeth his peace" (Proverbs 11:12)
This means that a person with understanding must be willing to "be silent and
listen" before jumping to any simplistic conclusion. A person with
understanding waits for all the relevant evidence to come in and is afraid to
speak a judgment basedonly on superficial evidence. In his or her desire to
get at the hidden core truth, a personwith understanding will stop to look at
the "smalldetails" to see if there is some hidden information in them worth
considering. All of this will not prevent the person with understanding from
reaching a final judgment (and being forceful about it), but he or she will be
very careful about saying something too hastily (1 Corinthians 4:1-6). He or
she will be especiallycarefulnot to dismiss a message simply because ofthe
"smallness"ofthe messenger(2 Kings 9:11). This is the reasonwhy Proverbs
11:12 speaks ofnot despising one's neighbor.

Jacobshowedhimself to be a "man of understanding" in his "silent weighing
of the evidence" as he listened to his youngestsonrant about some "crazy"
dream he had had:
"9And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said,
Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon
and the eleven stars made obeisance to me. 10And he told it to his father, and
to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this
dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren
indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth? 11And his brethren
envied him; but his father observedthe saying" (Genesis 37:9-11)
[While Joseph's brothers were quick to dismiss the "rantings" of their
youngestbrother, Jacob"observedthe saying", meaning that he guarded his
mouth againstsaying anything before "getting all the facts". Eventhough
Jacob's initial reactionwas to "rebuke" Joseph(v10), it is as if the Spirit
inside of him said, "Don't be too quick to judge; shut up and listen!".
As you all know, Joseph's crazydream turned out to be true, and all his
brothers -- and even his father Jacob -- eventually bowed before him after he
became ruler over Egypt.]
To summarize, God's wisdom allows us to infer generallaws and principles,
and God's understanding allows us to infer hidden specific meanings from
general"visions";these specific meanings are inferred as we apply the
generallaws we learn through God's wisdom. As we have said before, laws
and wisdom are most directly related to the apostolic ministry, and "hidden"
things are most directly related to the prophetic ministry. Therefore, God's
"wisdom" refers to God's apostolic anointing, and His "understanding"
refers to His apostolic wisdomcombined with His prophetic anointing, which
enables us to find the hidden things of the Lord. In short, the spirit of
"wisdomand understanding" is the apostolic spirit of God operating in God's

prophetic "x-ray vision". An apostle who stops operating in the prophetic
anointing quickly degrades into a Jebusite who is quick to condemn any effort
to find the prophetic hidden meaning behind seeminglyinsignificant details.
"Wisdomis the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting
get understanding" (Proverbs 4:7)
The spirit of counseland might
The word "counsel" in Isaiah11:2 was translatedfrom the Hebrew word
etsah, which also appears in the following passage:
"Thy testimonies also are my delight and my counsellors" (Psalm119:24)
[The word "counsellors"was translatedfrom two Hebrew words: the word
enowshmeaning "(mortal) men" and etsah meaning "counsel".Therefore,
the originaltext says, "... my men of counsel".]
Notice that the Lord relates His "testimonies" to His spiritual counsel. The
word "testimony" is synonymous to "witness", and, as we have said before,
spiritual "witnessing" is a prophetic endeavor.
"Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being his counsellorhath
taught him?" (Isaiah 40:13)
[The word "counsellor" was translatedfrom two Hebrew words:iysh
meaning "man, male" and etsah meaning "counsel".Therefore,the original
text says, "... or being His man of counsel"]

Notice how this passagerelates "counsel"to the Spirit of the Lord and to
teaching, all of which points to the following passage:
"26These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you.
27Butthe anointing which ye have receivedof him abideth in you, and ye need
not that any man teachyou: but as the same anointing teachethyou of all
things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide
in him" (1 John 2:26-27)
As we have said before, the Holy Spirit is prophetic in His nature, and the
ministry most directly related to the anointing is the prophetic ministry.
Therefore, we canconclude that we operate in God's "counsel" as we
prophetically hear the witness of the Holy Spirit in us. As God's counselworks
in us, we ourselves become prophetic witnesses unto others.
The word "might" that appears in Isaiah 11:2 was translated from the
Hebrew word gebuwrah, which comes from the word gibbowr meaning
"strong man", which in turn is derived from the word gabar meaning "to
prevail". Therefore, the word "might" points to the evangelistic ministry,
since that is the ministry most directly relatedto the tearing down of Amorite-
giant strongholds and to the conquering of spiritual regions unto God in order
to expand God's Kingship in the spirit realm.
From all of the above, we can saythat the "spirit of counseland might" points
to the following passage:
"19And what is the exceeding greatnessofhis power to us-ward who believe,
according to the working of his mighty power, 20Whichhe wrought in Christ,
when he raisedhim from the dead, and sethim at his own right hand in the

heavenly places, 21Farabove allprincipality, and power, and might, and
dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in
that which is to come:22And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him
to be the head over all things to the church, 23Whichis his body, the fulness of
him that filleth all in all." (Ephesians 1:19-23)
As we operate in the "spirit of counseland might", the fullness of God's
prophetic anointing permeates the spiritual atmosphere, conquering it unto
God.
"3Thentook Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and
anointed the feetof Jesus, andwiped his feet with her hair: and the house was
filled with the odour of the ointment. 4Thensaith one of his disciples, Judas
Iscariot, Simon’s son, which should betray him, 5Why was not this ointment
sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? 6 This he said, not that
he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare
what was put therein. 7Thensaid Jesus, Let her alone: againstthe day of my
burying hath she kept this. 8Forthe poor always ye have with you; but me ye
have not always. 9Muchpeople of the Jews therefore knew that he was there:
and they came not for Jesus’sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also,
whom he had raisedfrom the dead. 10But the chief priests consultedthat they
might put Lazarus also to death; 11Because thatby reasonof him many of the
Jews wentaway, and believed on Jesus." (John12:3-11)
Notice how the aroma of the anointing permeatedthe house (v3), and notice
how verse 9 declares that "much people of the Jews therefore knew that He
was there", which then led to many "believing on Jesus" (v11). This means
that the prophetic fullness initiated by the anointing (v3) led to the hearts of
many being evangelisticallydrawn (v9) and conquered(v11) unto the Lord.
Therefore, the passageabove is an example of prophetic "counsel" releasing
evangelistic "might".

Jesus Empowered by the Holy Spirit

Jesus Empowered by the Holy Spirit

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (19)

Similar to Jesus Empowered by the Holy Spirit

Similar to Jesus Empowered by the Holy Spirit (20)

More from GLENN PEASE

More from GLENN PEASE (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Jesus Empowered by the Holy Spirit