Rev.1:8 – “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
John begins this letter to the church with a revelation of Christ, after all that is where everything begins. He is the fountain and creator of all things. Everything that has ever existed springs from Him. He is truly the Alpha, the very beginning of all life. John also describes Christ as the Omega, everything is completed in Christ. The world as we know it is coming to its end, that is precisely what the book of Revelation is about. The strange thing about the end or Omega of everything is that it only introduces another Alpha, the Beginning of God’s kingdom age. Here is how Augustine describes this verse.
“The martyrdom of the blessed apostles has consecrated this day for us. It was by despising the world that they earned this renown throughout the whole world. Peter was the first of the apostles and Paul the last of the apostles. The first and the last were brought to one and the same day for martyrdom by the First and the Last, by Christ. In order to grasp what I’ve said, turn your minds to the Alpha and the Omega. The Lord himself said plainly in the Apocalypse, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first”—before whom is nobody—“the last”—after whom is nobody; he precedes all things and sets a term to all things. Do you want to gaze upon him as the first? “All things were made through him.” Do you seek him as the last? “For Christ is the end of the law, that every one who has faith may be justified.” In order for you to live at some time or other, you had him as your creator.”
So where does that leave you and I? You could say we are kind of stuck right in the middle of the Alpha and the Omega. In one sense we are witnessing the end of the world as we know it. On the other hand we are also witnessing the birth of a brand new age. The world is passing away and all that belongs to it, at the same time the kingdom of God is beginning all around us. This is the fulfillment of the prayer that has been prayed millions of times, “Let your kingdom come, let your will be done on earth as it is in heaven”.
2 thoughts on “THE ALPHA AND THE OMEGA”
Amen
apo kálypsi
Revealing, take away, disclose
In John’s letter to the churches he reveals the best news of the Good News, Christ’s return as the Conquering King. John lifts the curtain on the mystery of the Universe from beginning to end. He discloses the Dragon of Old, Satan the usurper’s scheme to prevent the fulfillment of God’s Kingdom. He takes away the veil allowing us a behind the scenes look upon God’s redeementive plans. He begins in the beginning with the Church and ends with the coming Kingdom. Inbetween we see the spiritual battle that we are participants in.