Mission as prophecy: Reading the Apocalypse as forthtelling rather than foretelling

Abstract

The article introduces mission as prophecy as a metaphorical understanding of mission, by reading the Apocalypse from a visionary-rhetorical perspective. First, it explains the preference to speak of mission in metaphorical terms rather than in watertight definitions. Second, it present a theological-missiological reading of the Apocalypse in the South African context. Third, it shows the trickiness of advancing the notion of mission as prophecy in post-apartheid South Africa. In conclusion, it presents a broad outline proposal for prophetic witness in South Africa and a globalised world.