It is God"s provision for the needy. Thus, Jesus here reveals Himself in this book of the Revelation; for all these excellences come forth into special manifestation in this glorious book, which may well be called the fifth gospel—the record of Christ in heaven—the unveiling of His love and power. In a few critical helps, after the Alpha and the Omega, there is introduced from the parallel passages: the beginning and the end. He is "the beginning and the ending." The word is nowhere found in the other books of the New Testament, excepting in 2 Corinthians 6:18, with an express reference to a passage in Isaiah. In a similar manner, as often as God performed some remarkable work, we read that He or His name was known: Psalms 76:1; Psalms 83:18; Isaiah 52:6; Ezekiel 39:7. These, the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, signify the same as what follows, the beginning, and the end, the first cause and last end of all intelligent beings, who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty: These words agree only to him, who is the true God, and here are applied to our blessed Redeemer, who is to come and judge all. We may thus set them in order—, I. The infinity of time belongs to Him; He is Himself that infinity. He is also powerful enough to bring what John just predicted to pass. I am Alpha and Omega, saith the Lord — Alpha is the first, Omega the last letter in the Greek alphabet. Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, which is, which was, and is to come, the Almighty. § 30. יהוה is the same precisely as ὁ ἐρχόμενος καὶ ὁ ὢν καὶ ὁ ἦν. See on Revelation 1:4. So as the people of God face up to what is to come they can rest in the confidence of the overall power of their protector, the ruler of time and of history and of all that is and will be. the beginning and the ending; he who was before all, and shall continue to exist when all creatures shall cease to be; the first and the last, as the same terms are expounded, Revelation 22:13: so Isaiah 41:4 43:13. The Expositor's Greek Testament. There follows now in Revelation 1:8 the second introductory statement of what the prophet had to say for the consolation of the church in its faint and distressed condition. "Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges". 1952. IV. https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/dcc/revelation-1.html. This symbolises that Jesus was a human being, "the Son of Man".A significant feature of Jesus’s life on earth was that he lived lowly without earthly wealth (Matthew 8:20).. 2 Third Rider —on Black Horse. Being the fullness of Him who is bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh, it is altogether suitable, so that no one can say there is not in it provision to suit my need. Which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty: Ὁ πρῶτος καὶ ὁ ἔσχατος, Alpha and O, The First and the Last, The Beginning and the End. He is the originator and terminator of all things. The God of the Jews and Gentiles is described by a Greek and Hebrew name. It was not until the time of Moses that He Himself ordered that this should be His name for ever, and that this should be the memorial of Him from generation to generation: Exodus 3:15. c He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2 d who bore witness to the word of God and to e the testimony of Jesus Christ, even f to all that he saw. Transcribers probably inserted it from Revelation 21:6. In Him as the Omega is finished what as the Alpha He began. The words are thus highly important as witnessing to the true Divinity of Christ, and in particular to His possessing the same eternity as the Almighty. https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/foy/revelation-1.html. Ernst Hengstenberg on John, Revelation, Ecclesiastes, Ezekiel & Psalms. § 19. Revelation 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.” The scripture says it was the “Lord God” according to most translations, so it is clearly referring to the Father. In Christ is the fullness of all CREATION. And then say, what can be stronger, in proof of eternity, and all divine perfections? The apostolic writers and early believers were well aware of this meaning. That which man calls space, from its one extremity (if we may use the word) to the other extremity is all in Him. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, 6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. As there is, however, a difference of reading in this place in the Greek text, and as it can. — "I am the Alpha and the Omega, saith the Lord God, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty." Anticipatory consolation under the Church's coming trials. It should seem, that no sooner had the beloved Apostle ended, as in the verse before, his rapturous expressions, in contemplating the Person of his Lord; but Jesus instantly appeared, and delivered himself in these most precious words, as if confirming all that his servant had said of him. "Commentary on Revelation 1:8". § 24. Thus in this verse, omnipotency, eternity, and immutability, are all applied to God, and particularly predicated of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. The LXX. BibliographyWhedon, Daniel. The "first-born of every creature" is His name (Colossians 1:15). This is the full name, when its various parts are put together. Revelation 1:8. Thus, in the assurance that the Lord will come in His might for the accomplishment of His plans, the Seer is prepared to enter upon a description of the visions which he had enjoyed. We have lifted our service for six weeks now. It is plain therefore that the name יהוה adds to the meaning of the name אהיה something beyond the mere difference between the first and third person; since first of all the Lord called Himself I shall be, and presently afterwards He began to call Himself by the habitual title, He shall be—Being—He was. § 29. that Isaiah , the first and the last. Now, these are the distinguishing characters of Jehovah. https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/fam/revelation-1.html. Which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty: Justin Edwards' Family Bible New Testament, Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges, "Almighty" as a key name for God in Revelation (, Revelation , the return of Jesus Christ at His second coming (. In ch. There is none that comes before, neither any that comes after. and his anxiety will disappear. Revelation 11:17, Revelation 19:1. The word we render “Almighty” (perhaps rather meaning “of all might”) does not correspond to the word “Shaddai” which we translate “Almighty” in the Old Testament. God is the source, the beginning of all truth revealed, of all promise given, and of all testimony committed to men. See more. Almighty God is a title full of strength and consolation. He is the end, as he brings all the things which are here revealed to a complete and glorious conclusion. Moreover, these letters, Alpha and Omega, being the first and the last in the alphabet, may stand for the whole; and it seems to be a proverbial expression taken from the Jews, who use the phrase, from Aleph to Tau, for the whole of any thing, which two letters in the Hebrew alphabet stand in the same place as these; accordingly the Syriac version renders it Olaph and Tau; and the Arabic version Aleph and Ye. CHAPTER 1. And yet Moses was commanded to say, אהיה I WILL BE hath sent me; and the Lord also calls Himself יהוה Jehovah: and the name אהיה is not afterwards repeated, whereas the name יהוה is of constant occurrence. ; Fausset, A. R.; Brown, David. The Verb אהיה becomes a Noun, as ὁ ἦν, the Article being prefixed: and ὁ ἦν itself is a befitting phrase, as in Aristotle, εὐθὺς τὸ ἔσται καὶ τὸ μέλλεα, ἕτερον, l. ii. Prologue. https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/mpc/revelation-1.html. In Christ, Genesis, the Alpha of the Old Testament, and Revelation, the Omega of the New Testament, meet together: the last book presenting to us man and God reconciled in Paradise, as the first book presented man at the beginning innocent and in God's favor in Paradise. Again, the beginning and end of a thing is, in Scripture, styled the whole thing. Rev., rightly, gives the article, "the Alpha," etc. The beginning and the ending. Omitted in 'Aleph (') A B C, through in the Vulgate and Coptic. Alpha and Omega = The Alpha and the Omega. BibliographyNicol, W. Robertson, M.A., L.L.D. (s) Misn. I am Alpha and Omega, saith the Lord — Alpha is the first, Omega the last letter in the Greek alphabet. 4. Accomplishing finally what I begin. God is not only Lord of the future. None is before, none after. 8. This is probably a merism, a figure of speech in which two extremes represent the whole. For here the expression employed is ὁ ὢν καὶ ὁ ἦν καὶ ὁ ἐρχόμενος, and ὁ ἦν καὶ ὁ ὢν καὶ ὁ ἐρχόμενος, ch. While I miss my church family, we can still hear from God. In Christ is the fullness of all SPACE. And, to confirm it yet more finally, and fully, in the last Chapter of this book of the Revelation, as if to leave the impression in full force upon the minds of his people through all ages of his Church, he repeats those names, and puts the whole together: I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last, Revelation 22:13. Revelation 22:13. Copyright StatementThese files are a derivative of an electronic edition available at BibleSupport.com. And these words are appropriated to this purpose, because they begin with the first and the last letters of the Hebrew alphabet, and so fitly indicate in what character the Alpha and Omega here come into consideration—only in respect to their place in the alphabet. ), nor the Alexandrian Codex were available to the translators of our noble Authorised Version. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth." The word “Omega” (like “Omicron,” “Epsilon,” “Upsilon,”) is a mediaeval barbarism; but it is a convenient one, and it has secured a firm place in our language by the English rendering of this passage. To Him as the end all gravitate. At that time also He was called Jehovah, but by a less solemn use. The one, “who is, and who was and who is to come” is clearly identified from the context. 8. "The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge". “John.” The human author is John the Apostle (1:4a). 1871-8. 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