Verse of the Day Devotion.  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.” – Revelation 1:8  

This verse in the beginning of the Book of Revelation describes an attribute that is only found with God. “I am the Alpha and the Omega.” This is a powerful statement that describes a being who never was not, and never will not be. Alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet, and Omega is the last.  In the Jewish alphabet, the first is Aleph, with Tau the last. Among the Jewish rabbis, it was common to use the first and the last letters of the Hebrew alphabet to denote the whole of anything, from beginning to end. Jesus as the beginning/first and end/last of all things is a reference to no one but the true God. This statement of eternality could apply only to Him.

One of the meanings of Jesus being the “Alpha and Omega” is that He was at the beginning of all things and will be at the close for all eternity. It is equivalent to saying He always existed and always will exist. It was Christ, as the second person of the Trinity, who brought about the creation of all things. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.” John 1:1-3. This denotes that everything that came into existence is here because the “Word” or “Logos” which is the Greek term meaning Word made it happen. So, all things came into existence by way of the Logos, or Word. We know the Word refers to Christ, for it says later on, “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14. And in the end, we will live in a new heaven and earth, with Jesus who is the Word, for we will abide in Him and the Father. “As for you, let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father.” 1 john 2:24.

This idea is not just found in the New Testament. “Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel And his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: ‘I am the first and I am the last, And there is no God besides Me.” Isaiah 44:6. And again, “Listen to Me, O Jacob, even Israel whom I called; I am He; I am the first, I am also the last. Surely My hand founded the earth, And My right hand spread out the heavens; When I call to them, they stand together.” Isaiah 48:12-13.

The verses in this devotion show that the Christ created everything, therefore He was around before anything else existed. He worked throughout the Old Testament as well as the New Testament and is still with us now. “And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20. And all this points to eternally, with no end. “For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with Him.” 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10.

In closing, Christ, as the Alpha and Omega, is the first and last in so many ways. He is the author and finisher of our faith. “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2. Thus, signifying that He began it and carries it through to completion. He is the totality, the sum and substance of the Scriptures, both of the Law and of the Gospel. He is the fulfilling end of the Law, “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill.” Matthew 5:17. He is found in the first verse of Genesis and in the last verse of Revelation. He is the first and last, the all-in-all of salvation, from the justification before God to the final sanctification of His people. Jesus is the Alpha and Omega, the first and last, the beginning and the end. Only God incarnate could make such a statement. Only Jesus Christ is God incarnate.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.