THE book of Revelation is one of the most talked about books in history, and also one of the most misunderstood. There are a variety of ways Revelation is understood: some believe it is historical, with the whole of its contents fulfilled; some believe it is all about futuristic events that have not yet happened, but are soon coming; some believe it has happened in part, and the rest is yet to come; and the rest of people fully well acknowledge that they have no idea what the book of Revelation is about. Many avoid it in teaching, and feel that if it is not a long, dramatic recitation of events, it has no relevance in our world today. Who is right?

In the "right fight" of Revelation, there is one very important aspect that many readers and scholars alike ignore, and that is the principle of the church's participation in prophecy and prophetic history. Drawing on historical apocalyptic trends of the early centuries of Christianity, the obvious symbolism present, and the imagery contained therein, Dr. Lee Ann B. Marino attempts to give the reader a different view of the book of Revelation: One that opens up the reader of Revelation to all that is seen and unseen. Rather than seeing Revelation as an encoding to plug in modern-day headlines, Dr. Marino looks at Revelation from a mystical and revelatory perspective, viewing the church and the role of the church as central to history, from now until Jesus returns, and beyond. This gives all of us, as readers, hope and inspiration as we see ourselves not as pawns in a struggle, but as participants in the history of creation, all that is seen and unseen: past, present, and future; that which was, that which is, and that which is to come.