Useful Bible Studies > Revelation Commentary > chapter 1
These words, ‘alpha and omega’ appear both near the beginning and the end of the Book of Revelation. Here, the speaker is God; in Revelation 22:13, the speaker is Christ.
Alpha is the first letter of the alphabet in the language called Greek; omega is the last letter. Therefore, the phrase ‘alpha and omega’ itself means ‘the beginning and the end’.
So, the meaning of Revelation 1:8 is that God is the beginning and the end of all things. In other words, he always was God and he always will be God.
Nothing exists that God did not create (John 1:1-3; Colossians 1:16). He was God even before heaven and earth existed (Genesis 1:1). It was he who created these things by his Word, by his wisdom and by his great power (Proverbs 8:22-31).
We live in an age when people and devils oppose God by their evil deeds. They foolishly try to defeat God, but they can never succeed (Psalm 2:1-7). Even in this evil age, God remains God. Even in this age, he alone has all power (Colossians 1:17).
The Book of Revelation says much about the end of all things, especially in chapters 21 and 22. Even heaven and earth will not last (2 Peter 3:10; Revelation 21:1), but God’s power and authority can never end. When the present age ends, God will again establish his complete rule over all things. He will punish those who do evil things, both devils and people; but he will live with his people. Then his people will no longer suffer; they will never again know tears or pain or death (21:4). That is the perfect world that God wants; and that perfect age will never end.
Next part: John on Patmos (Revelation 1:9)
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© 2016, Keith Simons.