In Zechariah, chapter 4, we see the angel explains to Zechariah, "This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the Lord of hosts. 'Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel, you shall become a plain!'" (Zechariah 4:6-7). In other words, not by your might, not by your power, not by your strength, but by the Holy Spirit. This is how it's going to happen. You're going to begin to move in the function and fullness of the Holy Spirit and then grace will be released. Grace, grace to the mountain, and every mountain will become a plain!

"The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple; his hands shall also finish it. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you. For who has despised the day of small things?'" (verse 9-10a). Don't despise small beginnings, because you're going to be a finisher like Zerubbabel. "For these seven rejoice to see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel." (verse 10).

Great Grace and Fresh Oil

The true meaning of the word "Christian" translates as a little-anointed one. Christ means, "anointed one," so a Christian is a follower of Christ and His anointing. He was anointed with the Spirit without measure (John 3:34), so if we are to follow Him, we too are to be anointed with His same unlimited anointing!

The great grace of the Lord is what will accomplish this move of the seven Spirits of God flowing through the Church. It is His grace alone! The mountains referred to in verse 7 represent giants or enemies that stand in the way of the Kingdom of God. His grace will flatten every mountain, praise the Lord! Many mountains will come down – "Before Zerubbabel, you shall become a plain!"

The Lord is raising up a generation who has pure, fresh oil dripping from their hands. "What are these two olive branches that drip into the receptacles [literally: into the hands of]..." (verse 12). The "two anointed ones" (verse 14) in the original Hebrew translation signify sons of fresh, pure oil. This new generation will not live in yesterday's oil but will live daily in the fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit.

Do you want to wake up every day with fresh oil dripping from your hands? The Lord wants that, and He wants you not only filled with fresh oil but also overflowing with oil to affect people all around you for the Kingdom. We are entering a new time, a wonderful time in the Lord, into the unlimited anointing of the Holy Spirit. As you walk in His fullness, you'll walk in the fullness of the ministry of Jesus. Jesus ministered in such a wonderful way, didn't He? He is the same today as He was yesterday, and He'll be the same tomorrow (Hebrews 13:8).

Don't you want an anointing of fresh oil every day strengthening your inner man so you can walk out the fullness of your destiny to glorify Jesus mightily all through the land? When your hands drip with fresh oil, you can lay hands on people for healing. God created those hands so that He could use them. He says every Believer is to lay hands on the sick, and they will recover (Mark 16:18)!

What the Lord is showing us in Zechariah 4 is a heavenly blueprint or pattern for the Church. He tells us to die to ourselves, to come out of our own perceived strength and perceived power, and live in His ability.

This will release great grace to see every mountain of opposition torn down. The grace of the Lord is a supernatural endowment of the favor of the Lord, and what you couldn't do for yourself He does for you!

He tells us to live in grace and to rejoice with the seven. We are to embrace the small things knowing they will become bigger, and we are to live in a realm where we believe that we don't have to operate on yesterday's anointing but we can live in the perpetual, ceaseless supply of the unlimited daily anointing. We can plug into the Word, the Living Word, Christ, and the unlimited anointing.

Building from a Heavenly Blueprint

Exodus 25:31-39 examines God's heavenly pattern for the lampstand in Moses' tabernacle:

"You shall also make a lampstand of pure gold; the lampstand shall be of hammered work. Its shaft, its branches, its bowls, its ornamental knobs, and flowers shall be of one piece. And six branches shall come out of its sides: three branches of the lampstand out of one side, and three branches of the lampstand out of the other side. Three bowls shall be made like almond blossoms on one branch, with an ornamental knob and a flower, and three bowls made like almond blossoms on the other branch, with an ornamental knob and a flower – and so for the six branches that come out of the lampstand. On the lampstand itself, four bowls shall be made like almond blossoms, each with its ornamental knob and flower. And there shall be a knob under the first two branches of the same, a knob under the second two branches of the same, and a knob under the third two branches of the same, according to the six branches that extend from the lampstand. Their knobs and their branches shall be of one piece; all of it shall be one hammered piece of pure gold. You shall make seven lamps for it, and they shall arrange its lamps so that they give light in front of it. And its wick-trimmers and their trays shall be of pure gold. It shall be made of a talent of pure gold, with all these utensils."

Nothing even remotely similar had ever been built. There were no other pattern sources or resources for the lampstand. Moses had to trust the pattern God gave him.

The Lord wants to give new things to the Church now, too, so we don't look like the other entities of the world. Patterns that come straight down from Heaven are unique, astonishing, and new. When we build from heavenly blueprints, we confound the principalities of the earth and release the manifold wisdom of God.

Fruits and Gifts of the Spirit Manifest

The lampstand had seven pipes similar to the ones Zerubbabel saw that symbolized the seven Spirits of God. However, this lampstand also had nine different ornaments on the pipes: the three flowers, the three knobs, and the three almond blossom-shaped bowls. Each one of those nine items represents the nine fruits described in Galatians 5:22-23, and the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit examined in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10.

When we flow in the seven Spirits of God, the world will see the fruits and gifts of the Spirit flow through us as never before. The world will see a mighty demonstration of God's power, wisdom, and might. If the world ever needed to see the fruit of the Holy Spirit, it's now.

Divine Government

There were twelve ornaments on the lampstand that represented the divine government of the Lord (Biblically, the number 12 typifies government, as in the 12 tribes of Israel, the 12 elders before the throne, and the 12 apostles). There were four almond blossoms, four knobs, and four flowers. The government rests on His shoulders (Isaiah 9:6). As the zeal of the Lord increases, so the zeal and passion of God in us does too, and this, in turn, results in the increase of God's government with no end. It's apparent to me that there's a restoration of God's government coming back to the Church.

Christ's Divine Nature

"You shall also make a lampstand of pure gold. The lampstand shall be of hammered work." Do you think they took each pipe, cut them out, and then welded them together? No! The Lord was specific that it was not to be molded. They had to hammer it into a lampstand from one solid piece of gold. The craftsperson would need divine wisdom to create this beautiful piece.

Simon Peter tells us in 2 Peter 1:3-9 that we may be partakers of His divine nature by His divine power, but we're going to go through challenges that require patience and longsuffering. The tempering work of the Holy Spirit brings forth a divine union of the stature of Christ in us so that we will begin to flow with the sevenfold Spirit of God through our lives. It took a lot of hammering to mold the candlestick. As lights on the hill (Matthew 5:14), the candlestick (or lampstand), we're going to have to go through some transformation, too. However, God promises us the fullness of the Holy Spirit, and when we flow in the sevenfold flow, there will be no limitations.

The center shaft of the lampstand is Jesus. He is the Mediator (1 Timothy 2:5), the One from whom flows oil to give light. The branches are connected. This signifies the divine union with Christ that brings the flow of oil to the six branches.

As Christians, we have received the Holy Spirit of God whose mission it is to bring forth the nature of Him who has come to dwell in us. He enables us to become partakers of the sevenfold Spirit of God. Just as in the lampstand, we have six branches and then one center pipe, the number six represents the number of men, but with one being Jesus. There are a total of seven then, which means perfection, fullness, or completeness.

In this, it also represents the union of Christ. It is no longer I who lives but He who lives in me. We become one with Him. Apart from Him, we can do nothing (John 15:5). All of the pipes – wisdom and understanding, counsel and might, and knowledge and the fear of the Lord – are dependent on the center pipe, Jesus. We must stay plugged into the center pipe, the presence of Jesus; because communion with Him will release fresh oil and fresh anointing and keep the seven flames burning in our lives.

All of this was a shadow of what is to come. Through the divine union by the Holy Spirit, we become partakers of His divine nature. We know that He received the Spirit of the Lord without measure. Jesus received the fullness of the seven Spirits of God (Revelation 3:1). He is the Head (Ephesians 1:22-23), and the unlimited anointing was poured out upon Him. That same unlimited anointing is for us today.

We are Burning Lamps

It's clear from Revelation 4:5, that the burning lampstand and His seven Spirits are one and the same: "And from the throne came flashes of lightning and the rumble of thunder. And in front of the throne were seven lampstands with burning flames. They are the seven spirits of God" (NLT).

All of the lampstands we've covered so far are the same; they're God's lampstands. We are the lampstand, and when we plug into the fullness of the seven Spirits of God, we are that glorious burning lamp that stands before the throne in the presence of the Father.

Seated in Heavenly Places

Every spiritual blessing has been given to us in the heavenly places (Ephesians 1:3). We are not going to grovel in the earthly realm but we are going to be seated in the heavenly places with the Lord. Every Believer will be ministering out of the Throne Room. Jesus ministered out of that realm. We will too.

What flows out of the Throne Room? Rivers flow. What was before the throne? These seven functions or operations of the Holy Spirit always come in pairs after the Spirit of the Lord upon us. I believe the pairing ties in somehow to the pairing of the olive trees Zerubbabel saw in his vision. Counsel pairs with might, wisdom with understanding, and knowledge of the Lord with the fear of the Lord. It's awesome! It's by these pairings, His divine power, and the fullness of the Holy Spirit that we will be partakers of His divine nature.

The Lord told me, "I am building stature and strength in My people for what I am about to do." We will need a deep work of strength in our inner man and the stature of Christ in us for this realm of glory that He is about to release. We will walk in it and fulfill the destiny of God for our lives. Many saints have been going through difficult trials, but it is just the hammering of the Lord; because, like the lamp, we're not cut – we're hammered from one solid piece of gold, the gold that represents Jesus.

We're entering a time when we won't want anything but the heart and mind of the Father. We are going through a transformation and we have to embrace it, as Paul stresses in Colossians 1:28-29: "Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily."

Are you hungry for transformation? I know I am. I want to know, hear, see, and be like Jesus. Embrace His work in you so that He can work through you mightily. Embrace the ministry of the Holy Spirit and allow the sevenfold flow to manifest in your life.

As we become one in this divine union, we become obedient to His voice, and every time we submit our will to His, there's a union. We engage spirit to Spirit, and this engages the King and enthrones Him in the kingdom of our hearts. When we plug into the center pipe, we receive the fresh oil of Psalm 92:10, and as the fresh oil pours in from the Word, the anointing pours into the vat and we become partakers of that rich flow of the unlimited anointing of the Holy Spirit.

Fresh oil feeds the flames – the seven flames atop the seven pipes. It has to be a continuous flow of oil for the seven flames to burn. We trim the wick and replenish the oil in perpetual communion with Him, and the flame burns in divine union with Him. As we advance in the flow of the sevenfold Spirits of God, the fullness of the Holy Spirit, the flow increases. The greater the flow of oil, the greater the flame; the greater the flame, the greater the favor and influence.

Seven Spirits of God Overview

The Holy Spirit wants to bring forth the mature stature of Christ in us through the sevenfold functions of His Spirit flowing through us. The seven Spirits of God bestow on us a perpetual flow of His manifest presence, wisdom and understanding, counsel and might, knowledge, and fear of the Lord.

The first of the sevenfold operation of the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of the Lord upon (Isaiah 11:2). This speaks of the Lord resting upon us and covering us with His Holy presence. It is our being clothed with Christ (Galatians 3:27). In Mark 9:2-7, we read about the Lord's transfiguration accompanied by God's holy Presence. We are to be clothed with His presence. In Acts 10:38, we see how God anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit and with power, but with the Holy Spirit upon Him.

The second Spirit, of wisdom, is creative ability to do the impossible; it puts the "wow" factor into our works. It's ability beyond our own ability. It's God's thoughts and ideas in action.

The Spirit of understanding partners with wisdom to help us understand how to mobilize and implement heavenly blueprints and patterns. It's putting two-and-two together and making it happen. The Spirit of understanding also helps us articulate the revelation of His Word that we've been shown. Without understanding, we won't know what to do with those heavenly blueprints.

Paul tells us in Ephesians 1:17-19 what wisdom and understanding partnered do: "that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power."

The Spirit of Counsel is engaging the One who is the Alpha and the Omega. It's listening for and heeding His counsel. The counsel of the Lord stands forever. As we build by His heavenly plans, God releases fresh flows of His counsel, His thoughts, and the intents of His heart.

Counsel then releases the might of God to impart vigor, power, strength, and the anointing to see His divine plans through. With the might of God, we won't just look for the finger of God or His hand, we'll look for His arm – unlimited power and strength! God's might and power are always associated with counsel. The prophet Isaiah called Him Wonderful, Counselor, and Mighty God. We never flow in God's might or power without His wonderful counsel.

The Spirit of knowledge of the Lord is that place of the divine union when we come into that place of the deep thoughts of God. It's the place of knowing Him. It's not just His counsel, wisdom or understanding – it's in knowing Him; it's the intimate knowledge of Him. Knowledge of Him releases understanding, wisdom, counsel, and might. As we grow in His knowledge, peace and grace multiply, as does our humility. As we increase our knowledge of His vastness, His depth, His greatness, His awesomeness, His majestic splendor, we sever limitations and the impossible becomes possible, the ordinary extraordinary. In the knowledge of these things, we embrace His counsel with joy. Because we know Him we celebrate wisdom because we know that He can do all things.

As the Spirit of knowledge flows, it releases a deep and reverent fear of the Lord. Nothing will foster this godly fear like knowledge of His awesome attributes and His sovereign majesty. Knowledge of who He really is brings a holy fear that takes you to a completely new spiritual level.

Without the sevenfold Spirits of God operating in our lives, we, in essence, disable ourselves, because we succumb to our natural limitations. God offers us the supernatural ability and power to fulfill our destinies and His plans for us with unlimited resources. God will partner with us, as He did with Zerubbabel and Moses, to confound the world. God gave Zerubbabel and Moses the full measure of the Holy Spirit and they flowed in a constant river of wisdom and understanding, counsel and might, knowledge and reverent fear of the Lord.

God spoke great words of encouragement to Zerubbabel through the vision He gave Zechariah, and He speaks those same words even now to the building of His living temple: "The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple; His hands shall also finish it. Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent Me to you. For who has despised the day of small things?" (Zechariah 4:9-10a).

Child of God, remember these words. God has pledged His Word that this temple shall be finished. Salvation is as a lamp that burns, and the Lord will not hold His peace nor rest until the brilliance of the salvation lamp goes to the nations. Let us never lose that vision. This is the work of the sevenfold flow of God: the Oil of the Spirit flowing through us. This is the secret of our power and the fulfillment of salvation to the nations.