Date of Award

2022

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

College

Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary

Program

Religion, New Testament PhD

First Advisor

Ranko Stefanovic

Second Advisor

Thomas Shepherd

Third Advisor

Roy Gane

Abstract

The primary task of this study was to delineate the theology of mission in the book of Revelation, with a focus on chaps. 10–14 and special attention to the people of God as participants in the mission of God. The historical survey demonstrated that the theology of mission conveyed by the book of Revelation is a topic broadly neglected in recent scholarship and, hence, requires an in-depth treatment. The object of research was addressed from a biblical-theological perspective by means of an exegetical analysis of relevant passages and key terms that were identified on the basis of a semantic field approach. Nine semantic fields of mission in Revelation, including their elements, were listed. This fact alone demonstrates that Revelation has more to say about mission than one could think on first reading. There is more on mission in Revelation than one could identify by searching only for sending terminology. Mission, in this sense, refers to God's initiative to bring humanity back to him by means of agents divinely commissioned. In Revelation, God uses his end-time people to present the last message of warning to this world.

This study demonstrates that Revelation 10–14 focuses on the commission of the end-time church, God's remnant. The commission itself is found in 10:8–11:2. Revelation 11:3–13 shows how such a commission is accomplished, and Revelation 14:6–13 presents the content of the end-time message to be proclaimed to the world. In turn, Revelation 12–13 indicates that the cosmic conflict between God and Satan is the theological background underlying the missionary activity of God's end-time people. More particularly, this section of the book shows that mission is accomplished amid severe opposition by Satan and his allies on earth. Finally, this study has pointed out that the heavenly announcement in 11:15, "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever" points to the fulfillment of all God's covenantal promises and, hence, the completion and triumph of God’s mission through the establishment of his everlasting kingdom. Thus, Revelation presents the final chapter of the beautiful story of the missio Dei!

Subject Area

Bible. Revelation 10-14--Criticism, interpretation, etc.; Mission of the church

DOI

https://doi.org/10.32597/dissertations/1787

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