https://doi.org/10.5325/jtheointe.17.2.0255
Journal of Theological Interpretation, Vol. 17, No. 2, 2023, 255–270
Copyright © 2023 The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
The Holy Spirit’s Eternal Procession in the Book
of Revelation: Theological Interpretation
in Pro-Nicene Perspective
BRANDON D. SMITH
Oklahoma Baptist University, United States
ABSTRACT | Interpreting the book of Revelation requires careful exegesis on its own, but
exegetical issues multiply when one attempts to draw out its pneumatology. Through
theological interpretation and pro-Nicene categories, this article will demonstrate one
way to understand the book of Revelation’s contribution to an articulation of the Holy
Spirit’s eternal procession.
KEYWORDS | theological interpretation, Revelation, Trinity, pneumatology, pro-Nicene,
New Testament theology, systematic theology
Perhaps no book in Scripture confuses and confounds quite like the book of
Revelation. With its vivid imagery and rich prophetic language, interpreting
Revelation requires unique care and attention. If one adds the doctrine of the
Trinity—in this case, the particular aspect of pneumatology—to the interpre-
tive task, the difculty increases. One way to approach this quandary is through
theological interpretation (theological interpretation of Scripture, hereaf-
ter TIS)
1
in pro-Nicene perspective.
2
Trough theological interpretation and
I would like to ofer special thanks to Matthew Emerson, Madison Pierce, Ched Spellman, Scott
Swain, and Tyler Wittman for their varied assistance on this article.
1. While there are many streams of TIS, I operate from the perspective of one who sees all of
Scripture as a unifed witness to the triune God. In particular, Treier and Anizor ofer a helpful
defnition of TIS for our purposes here: “the reading of biblical texts that consciously seeks to do
justice to their nature as the Word of God, embracing the infuence of theology on the interpreter’s
enquiry, context, and methods, not just results.” Daniel J. Treier and Uche Anizor, “Teological
Interpretation of Scripture and Evangelical Systematic Teology: Iron Sharpening Iron?” Southern
Baptist Journal of Teology 14.2 (2010): 4–17.
2. Te term “pro-Nicene” will be defned below.