What does Jesus mean when he says when he says, "I am the Alpha and the Omega...?

What does Jesus mean when he says when he says, "I am the Alpha and the Omega...?


Share this post

In the Book of Revelation we find the verse, "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). But what do you do with Revelation 22:13, which appears to be Jesus speaking (see verse 16), when he says, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end"? Doesn't the command by Matthew's Jesus to, "Go therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:19) show the existence of a triune deity.

Answer:

Despite the distinctiveness with which God and Jesus are regarded in the New Testament some Christians are under the misconception that God and Jesus form two-thirds of a triune deity. Partial responsibility for this error is due to the New Testament writers, who use a number of designations for Jesus, which are the same as those given to God in the Jewish Bible and in the New Testament. The resulting confusion as to whether certain New Testament passages refer to God or to Jesus helped to produce the belief in a triune god.

That Jesus, who is considered by the New Testament writers to be the link between God and creation, is called by some of the same designations that are applied to God is understandable. After all, the New Testament writers believed that God had conferred a tremendous amount of power upon this angelic being, so why not, as well, some of His names, which express certain facets of His being? But it is nevertheless clear that although the God of the New Testament interacts with the world He created solely through His "firstborn" (Colossians 1:15-17), the latter is still subservient to God. Because of the exalted yet subservient position in which they envision Jesus, the New Testament writers do not believe it compromises God's status to apply some of His names to Jesus (cf. Ephesians 1:21, Philippians 2:9, Hebrews 1:4). The use of common names is not intended to indicate that Jesus is of one substance with God.

Perhaps, if "the Alpha and the Omega" in Revelations 22:13 is actually a reference to Jesus it stems from the New Testament belief that the pre-incarnate Jesus was the first thing created by God. What is significant is not so much the use of this name as the fact that whenever the relationship between God and Jesus is treated, the New Testament writers always describe God as superior to Jesus.

In any case, in verse 12 the subject of verse 13 ("the Alpha and the Omega") says he is "coming quickly." Since Jesus has not come "quickly" this is either false prophecy or the text is not speaking about Jesus.

© Gerald Sigal


Share this post

Written by

Be the first to know

Join our community and get notified about upcoming stories

Subscribing...
You've been subscribed!
Something went wrong
I Turned Down A Ticket To Heaven

I Turned Down A Ticket To Heaven

I Turned Down A Ticket To Heaven While attending college, a fellow student offered me a ticket to heaven. All I had to do was “believe in Jesus,” and if not, I would go to hell. I turned down his offer and explained that Judaism requires that we believe in God and follow the commandments. King Solomon affirms this principle when he says the bottom line of Judaism is to “Be in awe of God and keep His commandments for that is the whole person” (Ecclesiastes 12:13). Despite Solomon’s powerful wo


Zalman Kravitz

Zalman Kravitz

What Skeptics and Believers Can Learn From Noah

What Skeptics and Believers Can Learn From Noah

What Skeptics and Believers Can Learn From Noah Most people are familiar with the Torah’s story of Noah and the Ark. Whether skeptic or believer, it is interesting to know that many cultures have flood stories. One account inscribed in Sumerian on clay tablets dates to the late third millennium — B.C.E. Dozens of movies portray the story of Noah’s Ark, and some explorers claim they have discovered the ark’s remains in present-day Turkey. There is even a $100 million Christian theme park in K


Zalman Kravitz

Zalman Kravitz

God Is ONE — Not Two or Three

God Is ONE — Not Two or Three

God Is ONE — Not Two or Three During the long years of exile, the Jewish people lost the Land of Israel, the Temple, the priesthood, the Davidic kingship, and sacrifices. We survived despite these temporary losses because we never abandoned the Torah with its moral, legal, and spiritual teachings. The word Torah means more than just “the law” or “Bible.” The root of the word Torah is “horah,” which means “instruction.” As it says, “to instruct [להורת–l’horot] the children of Israel”(Leviticus


Zalman Kravitz

Zalman Kravitz

The War of Armageddon Is Not The Apocalypse

The War of Armageddon Is Not The Apocalypse

Sukkot and Simchat Torah The War of Armageddon Is Not The Apocalypse The Jewish High Holidays, known as the Days of Awe, constitute a spiritual progression. On Rosh Hashanah, we coronate God as our King, on Yom Kippur, we receive God’s forgiveness; and on Sukkot [the Festival of Booths], we rise to another level. Sukkot is a time to demonstrate our trust in God by moving from the safety of our homes to the temporary and less-secure dwelling known as the sukkah. In this tiny hut with its ro


Zalman Kravitz

Zalman Kravitz