The Alpha and the Omega
“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
The Alpha and the Omega is the first and last letter of the Greek alphabet, respectively. By saying this, the Lord is implying that He is the Beginning and the End. Considering the Scripture, it is true that everything started with God. In fact, before anything was created God is already there. He is not bound by time and He stands on eternity. Thus, the title of Alpha and Omega fits perfectly the everlasting nature of God. But what is the implication of God being the beginning and ending of everything? What effect does it have to people that He created based on the context of the parts of the Scriptures where it was said?
1. Choose the Lord, not Idols
“This is what the LORD says – Israel’s King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty:
I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God” – Isaiah 44:6 NIV
The story of the Old Testament is filled with accounts that show the recurring cycle of sin of the people of Israel and the forgiveness of God. One of the sins of the Israelites that really aroused the anger of God is the sin of idolatry – the worship and exultation of beings other than God. From the time of Moses to the time of the exile, the people of Israel have been consistently disobeying God by worshipping idols. This is the context in the book of Isaiah where God affirm that He is the first and the last – the Alpha and the Omega. By saying this, God is implying that He is the only God who is worthy to be praised. Worshiping idols that were created only by human hands is a great act of rebellion to the God who created everything from the beginning!
People nowadays are also not immune to this sin of idolatry. Even if they don’t have physical statues to worship, they only end up worshipping other things like money, fame, sex and even themselves. But just as God says in Isaiah, apart from Him there is no other God. He is the beginning and the end!
2. The Word
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.” – John 1:1-2 (NIV)
Though talking only about the beginning, the Apostle John’s regal introduction in his gospel reveals a very important truth – that Jesus is eternal. Perhaps the greatest miracle of all is God entering our humanity. Yes, He already existed even in the beginning, in fact He is the Beginning of all yet because of His great love for His people, He entered our humanity and become a finite being. In verse 14 of the first chapter, it is said, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
God is eternal yet choosing to enter the constraint the time and space proves how He really loves us. His nature that is seen in physical form in the person of Jesus proves that God is with us and will never leave us or forsake us. Let us always remember this truth whenever we feel alone, that the Alpha and Omega is closer to us than we know.
3. The Finisher
“He said to me: “It is done, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life.” – Revelation 21:6
Are you undergoing some trials, problems and challenges? Does it seem that it will never end? Jesus in the book of Revelation said, “It is finished.”. This could be an allusion to the same phrase that He said when He was hanging on the cross and suffering the most terrible ordain that God allowed Him to experience. After all the frightening vision that John saw, Jesus told him that it is done. And the same could be said to the problems and trials that you are experiencing right now. The Alpha and the Omega has already overcome and the end story for you is also written too.
What also makes this verse wonderful is the promise of Jesus to let those who are thirsty to come and drink from the water of life. Just as He has given us life on earth, Jesus wants also to begin your eternal life by inviting you to come in His presence. Trust Him. He is the beginning and the end.
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Knowing our God is the beginning and ending of everything can give us a true source of security. As God begins everything we can be assured that He holds total and absolute control over our lives. His goodness and faithfulness will prevail over anything that will come. If He is eternal, God also has the perfect knowledge about the future. We might still be in the middle of things but God already see the ending.
Yes, it is true that in this life, we will face a lot of challenges; some are so severe that all we can pray about is for God to take it away. But as we understand the meaning of Christ being the Alpha and the Omega, then the more we should look forward to the promise of eternity with God for those people who will be faithful to the end. We should remember His promise that He was, He is and He is to come. And that only is enough reason for us to be secured and to be brave enough to face any challenges in our lives. God is the beginning – He is the Alpha. God is the end – He is the Omega. With God, your past, your present and your future is already covered.