TO CHEW ON: “’ I am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End,’ says the Lord, ‘who is and who was and who is to come…. I am Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last.’” Revelation 1:8, 11
God’s plan in time and space is wonderfully wrapped up and tied together in Jesus. Here He is called Alpha and Omega – the first and last letters in the Greek alphabet – the beginning, ending and everything in between.
As the beginning, Jesus is the creator (Genesis 1:1) – the One through whom all things were made (John 1:1-3).
He is the first communicator – the Word (John 1:1-3). In John’s vision a “sharp two-edged sword” comes out of His mouth. Sound familiar? It’s right here (Hebrews 4:12).
He is the ever-present one – “who is and was and is to come.” Remember the strange name He called Himself to Moses: “I Am” (Exodus 3:14), echoed by Jesus in John 8:58? What better explanation of that name than “the One who is and who was and who is to come.”
He is the end. He is the end of the law (Romans 10:4).
He is also integral to end-of-time events as the Bible predicts them – the time of harvest (Matthew 13:39) and judgment (Matthew 13:49,50). The end is the culmination of our opportunity (Matthew 24:13,14) to obey Jesus’ last command (Acts 1:8). We have the promise of Jesus’ presence with us (Matthew 28:19,20) till then. But also until then our endurance and ability to stay true to Him will be tested (Mark 13:13).
Thinking about these things is like doing brain stretches. It’s almost impossible for our human minds to comprehend these dimension-challenging ideas – present before time, after time, ever present in time…
But we can grasp that here and now Alpha and Omega is the I Am to us. He can be present in our lives. He can help us endure. He can enable us to live daily in obedience and on-task.
PRAYER: Dear Jesus, be my Alpha and Omega. Live in my life as I Am today. Help me to fulfill my role in Your eternal plan. Amen.
PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 40
The Bible Project VIDEO - Revelation - Part 1 (Read Scripture Series)
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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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