1The angel who talked with me came again and wakened me, as a man who is wakened out of his sleep. 2He said to me, “What do you see?”
I said, “I have seen, and behold, a lamp stand all of gold, with its bowl on the top of it, and its seven lamps on it; there are seven pipes to each of the lamps which are on the top of it; 3and two olive trees by it, one on the right side of the bowl, and the other on the left side of it.”
4I answered and spoke to the angel who talked with me, saying, “What are these, my lord?”
5Then the angel who talked with me answered me, “Don’t you know what these are?”
I said, “No, my lord.”
6Then he answered and spoke to me, saying, “This is Yahweh’s word to Zerubbabel, saying, ‘Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says Yahweh of Armies. 7Who are you, great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you are a plain; and he will bring out the capstone with shouts of ‘Grace, grace, to it!’”
8Moreover Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, 9“The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house. His hands shall also finish it; and you will know that Yahweh of Armies has sent me to you. 10Indeed, who despises the day of small things? For these seven shall rejoice, and shall see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. These are Yahweh’s eyes, which run back and forth through the whole earth.”
11Then I asked him, “What are these two olive trees on the right side of the lamp stand and on the left side of it?”
12I asked him the second time, “What are these two olive branches, which are beside the two golden spouts that pour the golden oil out of themselves?”
13He answered me, “Don’t you know what these are?”
I said, “No, my lord.”
14Then he said, “These are the two anointed ones who stand by the Lord of the whole earth.”
The book of Revelation has enigmatic references to the "seven spirits of God"[1] in Revelation 1:4; 3:1; 4:5; and 5:6, and so it is difficult to know exactly what this identification means. Revelation 1:4 says that the seven spirits are before the throne of God. Revelation 3:1 indicates that Jesus Christ has the seven spirits of God. Revelation 4:5 identifies the seven spirits of God with seven burning lamps that are before the throne. Last, Revelation 5:6 connects to the seven spirits, who are "sent out into all the earth."
There seem to be three different ways that the phrase "seven spirits of God" may be interpreted from the most likely interpretation, in my opinion, to the least likely, but one cannot be dogmatic with the obscure expression. First, John may be referring to the usage in Isaiah 11:2 that says, "Yahweh’s Spirit will rest on him: the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of Yahweh."
The seven references to the "spirit" may speak of attributes of God possessed by the Spirit of God, His identity with Yahweh, wisdom, understanding, counsel, power, knowledge, and fear of Yahweh.
The second option is that the "seven spirits" uses "seven," the number of completeness and perfection, to accentuate the Spirit of Yahweh's perfection.[2]
Last, of all, the "seven spirits" may refer to seven angelic beings, as is discussed in the book of Revelation (see Rev 4:6-9; 5:6-14; 19:4, 5), or to cherubim and seraphim.
[1] See the study of the "Spirit of God" in the Old Testament beginning at Genesis 1:2, and in the New Testament beginning at Matthew 1:18.
[2] For a discussion of the use of numbers in the Bible, see John J. Davis, Biblical Numerology - A Basic Study Of The Use Of Numbers In The Bible.