Through Global Mission to God's Throne Few works on Revelation emphasize its missional element. Reading Revelation Missiologicall y aims to fill that gap, showing that this final book of the Bible is deeply missional--calling God's people to witness, worship, and endure in the face of suffering. As the fourth volume in the Reading Missiologically series (following Hebrews , 1 Peter , and J ames ), it highlights Revelation's call to faithfulness, perseverance through suffering, and global worship of the Lamb. Structured around the missionary motive (why), message (what), and methods (how), this volume explores Revelation's theology of mission. Revelation is replete with the theme of God's love for the nations, and it calls God's people to live as a foretaste of the coming new creation. Global voices offer fresh insights for pastors, scholars, and students. Rather than a puzzle to decode, Revelation is presented as a powerful missionary declaration. Few would think to turn to the book of Revelation when it comes to the topic of missiology and missions in the New Testament, but they would perhaps miss one of the most profoundly visionary missional texts of the Bible. This is something robustly demonstrated in Reading Revelation Missiologically edited by Abeneazer G. Urga, Edward L. Smither, and Michael P. Naylor. This volume contains stimulating and insightful essays written by first-rate biblical and missiological scholars. The essays are grouped according to the missionary motivation, message, and methods found within John's Apocalypse. While I have long believed Revelation has a missiological thrust, these essays explore and argue for it with extensive and profound depth beyond anything I've ever seen before. This book examines missiology in Revelation with scholarly acumen, methodological rigor, and vibrant faithfulness. I highly recommend this book and believe it is an excellent contribution to scholarship in the fields of Revelation and missiology studies. - Alan S. Bandy , PhD , Professor of New Testament & Greek and Robert L. Hamblin Chair of New Testament Exposition, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary All of the writings that make up the New Testament were produced in the context of the missiological engagement between the followers of Jesus and the surrounding culture of the ancient Roman world. Sadly, these texts, and especially Revelation, have frequently not been read with this missional purpose in mind, leading to conclusions that are often at odds with the mission of God in the world. The essays in this volume seek to recover the missional intent and purpose of Revelation, and in so doing provide fresh insights into the most misunderstood text of the New Testament. - John R. Franke , DPhil , Affiliate Professor of Theology, Fuller Theological Seminary, Coauthor, Liberating Scripture: An Invitation to Missional Hermeneutics The biblical canon has a missional trajectory that moves from one nation to all nations. Therefore, reading any part of the scriptural canon faithfully must align with this missional direction. Our blindness to this in the past is being overcome today by a growing number of publications that engage various parts of the canon with a missional hermeneutic. In this book, a fine group of international scholars helps us see the missional orientation of the book of Revelation. Revelation perhaps contains the richest theology of any New Testament book and has mission at the core of its message. I am delighted to see this book come into print and to see such good scholarship put to the task of examining various dimensions of the unfolding message of Revelation for the sake of the church's mission today. - Michael W. Goheen , PhD , Professor of Missional Theology, Calvin Theological Seminary Abeneazer G. Urga (PhD, Columbia International University) lectures at the Evangelical Theological College and the Ethiopian Graduate School of Theology in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He is also an adjunct professor at Columbia International University. Edward L. Smither (PhD, University of Wales-Trinity St. David; PhD, University of Pretoria) serves as the dean of the School of Missions and Intercultural Ministry and professor of Intercultural Studies and History of Global Christianity at Columbia International University. Michael P. Naylor (PhD, University of Edinburgh) is professor of New Testament at Columbia International University. He is the NT book review editor for the Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society. He has also served as a guest lecturer at ministry training centers in Tasmania and Albania.