The Alpha and the Omega

In the first eight verses of Revelation, we have some introductory thoughts, before John sees the vision of the Lord's judicial glory and the future.  In these verses, 7 titles of the Lord Jesus are given to us.  When John begins to mention the titles of the Lord Jesus in verse 5, it immediately leads him to worshipIn both Hebrew and Greek, the word "worship" can also be translated as "prostrate / bow down" (Ps 95:6). It is more than praise and thanksgiving because, in worship, honor... More.  May the Lord warm our hearts as we study Revelation 1:8: “I am the Alpha and the Omega, saith the Lord God, He who is, and who was, and is to come, the Almighty.”

The Lord Jesus says, "I am the Alpha and the Omega".  He says the same thing in Revelation 22:13, where He also mentions: "the first and the last, the beginning and the end".  Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the GreekUnlike Hellenists (Greek-speaking Jews; Acts 6:1; 9:29), Greeks, in the narrow sense of the word, come from Greece and have at least one Greek parent (Acts 16:3 in connection with... More alphabet.  So He is telling us here that He is everything – from the beginning to the end!  He is the perfect revelation of God.

Through the Lord Jesus, God was revealed in the fullness of His being as light and love.  Eternal lifeEternal life is more than life without end. Eternal life is the highest conceivable quality of life. It is life in abundance (John 10:10). Christ himself is the true God... More, into which believers have entered – that life that has the special quality that it is with the Father (1 John 1:2) – has also been manifested in Him.  All this glory came to man as revelation through Him.

If we consider the holinessIt generally denotes something separate from the ordinary or even evil. Holiness is, above all, an attribute of God; He is glorious in holiness, He sits on his throne of... More of God, which demands that everything that opposes it must be removed in judgment, then it also finds its expression in the Alpha and the Omega, the faithful and just.  So whether God expresses himself in graceTo the one who earns something through performance, the reward is not according to grace but according to debt (Rom. 4:4). Grace is a favor that is not given by... More or judgment, it is in Him who is the Eternal Word, the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last word of everything.

Then the Lord Jesus speaks of himself as “the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come”.  He now introduces himself as the I AM of the Old Testament, because "Lord God" is without an article here.  He is Jehovah Elohim, the creator of the heavens and the earth as we find it at the beginning of the Old Testament in Genesis 2:4.

But the same expression is also used in Luke 1:32 where we hear from God the announcement of the birth of the Lord Jesus.  God and Jesus ChristA title of the Lord Jesus, which is also used as an epithet; Messiah (Hebrew) and Christ (Greek) mean "anointed one". The title refers to the fact that Jesus is... More are one – we distinguish them but we do not separate them.  The supreme, Jehovah Elohim of the Old Testament is Jesus ChristA title of the Lord Jesus, which is also used as an epithet; Messiah (Hebrew) and Christ (Greek) mean "anointed one". The title refers to the fact that Jesus is... More of the New Testament.

It is said of him first, "He who is", which shows us that the Lord is in full control of worldThe word is used with different meanings. It can mean the whole of humanity (Gen 41:57) or the created world (Rom 1:20), but also a moral system that is opposed... More affairs every second.  What a comfort in times of uncertainty and chaos.  Only then is it pointed out that He is the one “who was”.  He has not changed and will not change.  The same Lord of Old Testament times is the same Lord of New Testament times and is still the same Lord today.

But then there is another important note.  It is He who is “coming”.  – The expression “who is to come” may suggest to us the thought of His "coming". It is indeed wonderful to know that the Lord is coming.  The Lord Jesus will come to this earth sometime in the future to reign in power and glory for a thousand years, in peace and justice.

However, that will happen after the Lord Jesus has met all who truly believe in Him in the clouds and has brought them to the Father’s house in heaven.  As believers, we know that the Lord is still to come twice.  At first to the clouds to bring all believers to heaven and a second time directly to earth to reign then as the rightful ruler.

Finally, He states that He is the Almighty.  The one who has all power and whom no one can resist.  This is how He once introduced himself to Abraham, and this is how He still is today.  For all believers, it is wonderful to know, that nothing can happen that He does not desire, that He can change everything in a second, and that no one can prevent him.

That makes us calm, always knowing that He is leading everything for our good.  We can be safe in his hands.  But shouldn't it go on and impress our hearts, this wonderful person, the Lord Jesus?  His glory is unique and incomparable.  This is our Savior and Lord.  Let us praise and worshipIn both Hebrew and Greek, the word "worship" can also be translated as "prostrate / bow down" (Ps 95:6). It is more than praise and thanksgiving because, in worship, honor... More him!