"I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty." Revelation 1v8.
In verse 8, now, we hear Jesus the Divine author speaking, followed in verse 9 by John the human author. A comparison with chapter 22v16 makes it clear that Jesus is the speaker. This is without doubt one of the clear assertions (of which there are many), that Jesus is God. Denial of this cardinal truth of the bible, characterizes such as false prophets, and anti-Christ, and, therefore anti- God. Acceptance of it is fundamental to "the faith". It is a wonderful truth; we have just been told "He's coming". Who is coming? We all know that the status of a writer gives weight to the writing, so who is He who so writes? He is man, "the Son of Man" (1v13), the perfect man, the greatest man who ever lived, man as God intended him to be, yet He is truly God in all the fullness of His being!(Colossians2v9).
Immediately, He asserts "I am.........." This is the title of God revealed to Moses in Exodus3. It is that which alone belongs to Deity, but which, blasphemously, is being used by celebrities and businesses and mass- media promoters, all the product of a God -rejecting society. Jesus took this title to Himself in the gospel of John "before Abraham was I am" John 8v58. He reveals the full spectrum of His title to Deity on our behalf: "I am the bread of life" John 6v35; "I am the Light of the world" John 8v12; "I am the Door of the sheep" John 10v7; "I am the Good Shepherd" John 10v11; "I am the Resurrection and the Life" John 11v25; "I am the Way, the truth and the Life" John 14v6; "I am the true Vine" John 15v1. There is only one Man who is the Great I Am. He now gives us a three fold expansion of this in the verse.
- He is Omniscient: Alpha & Omega are the first and the last letters of the Greek alphabet. Letters of the alphabet make up words, words make up sentences, sentences make up languages, together they all speak of communication, knowledge, wisdom. Jesus Christ is the beginning and ending of all knowledge and wisdom and counsel and understanding in the universe. Apart from Him all else is false. He is the sole revealer of God (Matthew 11v27); He is the sole communicator of God in every detail (John 1v18). Paul says in Colossians 2v3 in the context of human wisdom and philosophy, "Christ.......... in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." He is the treasury, the fount of all knowledge. Indeed He is the beginning and ending of everything. The title that was applied to God in the Old Testament "The First and the Last" (Isaiah 41v4) (Isaiah 44v6) (Isaiah 48v12) is here taken by Jesus. In Hebrews 12v2 He is "the author and finisher of the faith." In Colossians 1v16, a proper understanding of the verse would reveal that He is the architect and builder and sustainer and destiny of the entire material universe. What He is in the realm of faith and in the realm of creation, He is in the realm of knowledge. He knows everything, about everything, and about everyone.
- He is Omnipresent: Jehovah, who spans all time and all space. The footnote of the Newbury Bible comments on this. The Hebrew name "Jehovah" involves three time periods, past, present and future "Which is;" present participle meaning which always is. "Which was;" imperfect tense meaning which ever was. "Which is to come;" participle meaning which always is the coming One. No time whether past, present or future will wear Him out. He was there at the beginning, He has been there all the way through, and He will be there forever. There is no time period He has not witnessed, nor will there be. Indeed over all time periods He has presided. This is the true meaning of the Greek word "aions" which is translated ages. The man who came as Jesus is the Ancient of days and is the never ending One.
- He is Omnipotent: The Almighty, corresponding to the Hebrew "El-Shaddai" who is able to accomplish anything He chooses to begin. The vision of Jesus in the glory of heaven in Revelation 5v6 expands on this theme. "And I beheld and lo in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain having seven horns and seven eyes which are the seven spirits of God sent forth into all the earth." The horns in scripture always speak of power. The number 7 always speak of perfection, completion. In Jesus, in the glory, is invested the perfection, the fullness, of all power. There is nothing He cannot do, it is pointless for anyone to oppose Him. He said to His disciples before He left this world "All power is given unto Me in heaven and upon the earth." Matthew 28v18
Concerning all people and all events in this world Jesus is hands on; He knows all things, He is everywhere at all times, and is all powerful. This three fold assertion of Deity is cardinal to all that follows in this book. Association with Him, is eternal security; opposition to Him will mean eternal loss. These three facets of Deity are described in detail in Psalm 139. There they are applied to God, here in Revelation chapter 1 Christ applies it to Himself. Major world religions deny this, but their denial makes it no less true.
Jesus Christ signs this letter at the beginning and at the end. He is truly man and yet He is at the same time fully God. What is obviously beyond human comprehension, is something that all of us should accept because it is true.
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