Revelation 1:20

An Exegetical Analysis of **ἐν πνεύματι** in the Book of Revelation

The phrase **ἐν πνεύματι** appears at pivotal junctures in the book of Revelation (1:10, 4:2, 17:3, 21:10), consistently preceding John’s reception of visionary experiences. A significant exegetical challenge centers on the precise meaning of this anarthrous dative construction: does it refer to the direct agency of the Holy Spirit (the πνεῦμα ἅγιον), or does it describe John’s own spiritual or ecstatic state of mind, through which divine revelation is received? This analysis seeks to address this philological ambiguity by examining the textual tradition, lexical data, and grammatical-rhetorical context, aiming for an objective interpretation unburdened by theological presuppositions.

Revelation 1:10: ἐγενόμην ἐν πνεύματι ἐν τῇ κυριακῇ ἡμέρᾳ καὶ ἤκουσα ὀπίσω μου φωνὴν μεγάλην ὡς σάλπιγγος
Revelation 4:2: εὐθέως ἐγενόμην ἐν πνεύματι, καὶ ἰδοὺ θρόνος ἔκειτο ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ, καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν θρόνον καθήμενος
Revelation 17:3: καὶ ἀπήνεγκέν με ἐν πνεύματι εἰς ἔρημον· καὶ εἶδον γυναῖκα καθημένην ἐπὶ θηρίον κόκκινον, γέμοντα ὀνόματα βλασφημίας, ἔχον κεφαλὰς ἑπτά καὶ κέρατα δέκα
Revelation 21:10: καὶ ἀπήνεγκέν με ἐν πνεύματι ἐπὶ ὄρος μέγα καὶ ὑψηλόν, καὶ ἔδειξέν μοι τὴν πόλιν τὴν ἁγίαν Ἰερουσαλὴμ καταβαίνουσαν ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἀπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ

(Nestle 1904, Novum Testamentum Graece)

Key differences with SBLGNT (2010):

• For the phrase **ἐν πνεύματι** in the cited passages (Revelation 1:10, 4:2, 17:3, 21:10), there are no substantive textual differences between the Nestle 1904 edition and the SBLGNT (2010). The reading is consistently attested.

From a textual critical perspective, the reading **ἐν πνεύματι** is exceptionally stable across all major manuscript traditions, including Codex Sinaiticus (א), Alexandrinus (A), and Vaticanus (B), among others, for each instance in Revelation (NA28). There are no significant variants that would alter the form or meaning of this particular phrase. This textual stability confirms the phrase as integral to the author’s original composition.

Lexically, the term **πνεῦμα** (pneuma) carries a broad semantic range in the New Testament. According to the Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (KITTEL), it can denote wind, breath, life-force, the human spirit, or the divine Spirit. The distinction between divine and human aspects of **πνεῦμα** is often context-dependent, particularly in anarthrous constructions. BDAG (Bauer, Danker, Arndt, Gingrich, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature) likewise provides multiple entries for **πνεῦμα**, including “the non-material part of human beings,” “the Holy Spirit,” and “a disposition or attitude.” For the specific phrase **ἐν πνεύματι**, BDAG notes interpretations such as “in a spiritual trance,” “in a state of inspiration,” or “in the Spirit,” highlighting the inherent ambiguity when the article is absent. The preposition **ἐν** (en) typically signifies “in,” “within,” “by means of,” or “in the sphere of,” indicating location or state.

Translation Variants

The grammatical structure of **ἐν πνεύματι** is anarthrous, meaning the definite article (τῷ) is absent before **πνεύματι**. This absence is a critical feature for analysis. While anarthrous **πνεῦμα** can, in certain fixed expressions or clear theological contexts, refer to the Holy Spirit (e.g., “filled with Spirit”), its consistent anarthrous use in Revelation, especially when the author could have easily used **ἐν τῷ πνεύματι** or **ἐν πνεύματι ἁγίῳ** for unambiguous reference to the Holy Spirit, strongly suggests a different emphasis.

Rhetorically and contextually, each occurrence of **ἐν πνεύματι** immediately precedes John’s reception of a vision or his transportation into a visionary experience. In 1:10 and 4:2, John “became in spirit” (ἐγενόμην ἐν πνεύματι) before seeing Christ or the heavenly throne room. In 17:3 and 21:10, an angelic guide “carried me away in spirit” (ἀπήνεγκέν με ἐν πνεύματι) to a desert or a high mountain, respectively, to show him further revelations. This consistent pattern implies that the phrase describes the *mode* or *state* in which John receives these revelations, rather than explicitly identifying the direct agent. It signifies a transition into a heightened, receptive spiritual or ecstatic state conducive to prophetic vision, aligning with prophetic experiences described in the Old Testament (e.g., Ezekiel being carried away “in the Spirit”).

English translations that uniformly render this as “in the Spirit” (with a definite article and capitalized “S”) make an interpretive choice that leans definitively towards the Holy Spirit as the referent, potentially overriding the grammatical implications of the anarthrous Greek and the contextual emphasis on John’s experience. While the ultimate source of revelation is undoubtedly divine, the phrasing itself may be more concerned with John’s receptive state as the vehicle for that revelation.

Conclusions and Translation Suggestions

Based on the consistent anarthrous construction of **ἐν πνεύματι**, coupled with its contextual placement at the threshold of John’s visionary experiences, the most textually sensitive interpretation suggests that the phrase describes John’s spiritual or ecstatic state of mind, a prophetic trance, through which he is made receptive to divine revelation. While the Holy Spirit is the ultimate source of all prophecy, the phrase itself delineates the human instrument’s condition of receptivity rather than explicitly naming the divine agent.

Therefore, the following translation suggestions aim to reflect this nuanced understanding:

1. “I was **in spirit**…” / “He carried me away **in spirit**…” This option directly translates the anarthrous Greek, emphasizing John’s internal, spiritual, or ecstatic condition.
2. “I came to be **in a spiritual state**…” / “He carried me away **in a spiritual state**…” This rendering clarifies the anarthrous construction by explicitly stating a “state,” focusing on the nature of John’s experience.
3. “I was **in a visionary trance**…” / “He carried me away **in a visionary trance**…” This option highlights the immediate pragmatic outcome and purpose of being “in spirit” within the apocalyptic narrative, reflecting John’s experience of receiving visions.