The Alpha and the Omega

April 11

The Alpha and the Omega
to A kai to ō

Here is a fascinating title for the Lord Jesus, one that again emphasizes His deity. It appears four times in the NT, all of which are in the book of Revelation (Rev_1:8, Rev_1:11; Rev_21:6; Rev_22:13). Most notable is Rev_1:8: “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” (which we’ll also examine tomorrow under the title Almighty).

Alpha (A, G1) and Omega (ō, G5598), of course, are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, which the Lord uses to emphasize that He is “the beginning and the ending” and “the first and the last” (Rev_1:11). This concept declares at least three realities about the Lord Jesus.

First, it declares His self-existence. The concepts of “the beginning and the ending” and “first and last” are illustrated by the fact that, as one Greek scholar puts it, “the Hebrews, the Greeks, and the Romans all used their alphabetic letters as numerals, which accounts for the ease with which alpha and omega also represent first and last.” “First” does not mean “first created,” but rather He who already existed in “the beginning” (as in I Am) and who then brought all things into existence (Joh_1:1-3). The concept of “the beginning and the ending,” in fact, is rooted in OT imagery (Isa_41:4; Isa_44:6; Isa_48:12-13).

Second, it declares His omniscience. As the letters of the alphabet are used to create words, ideas, concepts, and therefore convey knowledge, God as the Alpha and the Omega declares His total and perfect knowledge of all things.

Third, it declares His sovereignty. Not only is He the one who brought all things into existence, but He is also the one who will bring all things to “the end” that He has already determined.

We should also point out once again the use of the definite article the (kai, G2532) before both Alpha and Omega. This declares that He is the one and only “beginning,” the one and only “ending,” and that everything in between is His.
That is the God we worship! Not some vague “life force,” not a so-called Great Architect of the Universe, not some “higher power,” but rather the Alpha and the Omega.

Scriptures for Study: Read the passages in Revelation and Isaiah noted above. What observations can you make concerning God as the First and the Last?

 
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