Names of Christ: Alpha and Omega

 

Gordon Robertson – President and CEO, CBN

One of the names of Jesus is found in the book of Revelation—Alpha and Omega. Alpha is the beginning letter in the Greek alphabet. Omega is the final letter in the Greek alphabet.

The apostle John is describing that Jesus is both the beginning and the end, and he’s quoting Jesus in Revelation, chapter one:

“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” (Revelation 1:8 NKJV)

Now, get the scope of what that means: Jesus was there at the very beginning, by Him and through Him all things were created. He has appeared, and specifically appeared to the children of Israel, to Abraham. There’s a wonderful passage where God comes down in bodily form and has lunch with Abraham. Then He appears in a manger, and He lives a sinless life. He dies as a sacrifice for all of us. He’s raised again from the dead. He’s returned to the Father and He sits next to the Father at the throne.

Now, do we find this in the Old Testament or is this just in the New Testament? Well, you do find it in the Old Testament. There’s a wonderful passage from Isaiah 44: “Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel…” (so, it’s talking about God Almighty) “and his Redeemer.” So, there’s a second, the LORD of hosts.

“Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: ‘I am the First and I am the Last; besides Me there is no God.” (Isaiah 44:6 NKJV)

What a wonderful description of the Trinity, the union between the Father and the Son, the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, the breath of God, and on that breath is the Word of God. The three in one.

Let’s celebrate that wonderful name—Alpha and Omega!