Revelation 1:8, commentary and pictures

The speaker is Jesus Christ, who revealed Himself to John on Patmos in glorified humanity and declared Himself the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last. The title means the beginning and the ending, encompassing all time, and with which is and which was and which is to come it means He lives through present, past and future as the eternal, ever-living Almighty God. He is the Creator of the worlds who came to live among the people He made, and as the ever-living mighty God He alone was qualified to pay the ransom to save sinners, drawing them by His love to repentance and forgiveness. He is the beginning and end of the great plan of redemption and of Scripture itself, in whom all its great truths meet and center from Genesis to Revelation. The same Lord is coming with clouds where every eye shall see Him, so now is the time for watchfulness, depth of experience, and daily readiness through grace and the whole armor of God.

Vision on Patmos

The speaker is Jesus Christ Himself, who came to John on the Isle of Patmos and revealed Himself when John was in the Spirit on the Lord's day. He spoke from behind John with a great voice as of a trumpet, declaring Himself Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the ending, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty. He came in fulfillment of His promise to love and manifest Himself to those who love Him, as the same voice that had spoken from the cross, and His appearing in tribulation proves He will manifest Himself to faithful believers in their warfare. He came personally as the divine Teacher, talking with His servant about heavenly things and stating that identity over and over again.

John was there as brother and companion in tribulation and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, in the isle called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. He was the oldest of Christ's first disciples, banished there in his old age to the lonely isle because the people were tired of his talk of Christ and thought they would feel more comfortable if rid of his testimony. They were tired of his rebuke of their stubborn refusal to accept Christ as Saviour who could have given them power to become sons of God, and the same spirit that had worked in the children of disobedience in Christ's day was working against His followers. Sending him there did not place him beyond the reach of Jesus, for on Patmos he wrote out the record of his visions.

He presented Himself in holy vision in His glorified humanity as one like unto the Son of man, the One John honored and loved above all others. He stood in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks, clothed with a garment down to the foot and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. His head and hairs were white like wool, as white as snow, His eyes as a flame of fire, His feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace, His voice as the sound of many waters, and His countenance as the sun shineth in his strength. He had in His right hand seven stars, and out of His mouth went a sharp twoedged sword, and the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches and the seven candlesticks are the seven churches.

He commanded John, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches, and also to write the things which he had seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter. The words uttered were not for John alone on Patmos nor for the seven churches in Asia alone, but through those churches the inspired message was to come to the people to have its powerful impression in every age to the close of this earth's history. The number seven represents a perfect whole, so the seven churches represent all the churches in the world and the revelation is for all people and directed to the church. It is a most wonderful revelation of Himself and of things to come to pass on the earth, a solemn revelation whose contents are to be read, understood, and valued by the world. It is light God designed to be immortalized and to remain present truth until all the events foretold should come to pass, to be studied and believed and preached and not hidden under a bushel, with its revealed truths calling hearers to listen and to invite others to come and receive the water of life freely.

The declaration closes the opening greeting to the seven churches in Asia with the Lord's declaration of His eternal existence and almighty power, standing immediately after the announcement that Christ comes with clouds and every eye shall see Him. It belongs with chapters 2 and 3 as the messages to the churches, foretelling what would come upon the churches and what messages were to be given them to prepare for the trying times before them. It concerns what would take place in the last days of earth's history, presenting solemn light about events before Christ's return in power and glory. Together those messages give the history of Satan's effort to bring dissension into the church, and they apply to difficulties that must be met today.

Eternal Almighty Lord

Alpha and Omega means the beginning and the ending, the first and the last, encompassing all time. The same title is declared of the Lord who introduces His message to John concerning future events. Which is, and which was, and which is to come means He exists through all time, present, past and future. He is present, was present, and is to come.

The Lord who so speaks is the Almighty, the eternal, ever-living mighty God. His message to John comes from the Lord, the Almighty, and declares His eternal existence and almighty power as God. The title expresses His complete rule over history and what is to come.

The verse brings a distinct personage to view, showing that Christ and God are personal beings and not non-entities. It resists spiritualistic and philosophical views that deny a personal Christ and a personal God or set aside His wisdom. Letting those ideas in spoils faith and leaves nothing to lay hold of against them, and to set aside His wisdom for the wisdom of Satan, the fallen covering cherub who has become the head of an apostate race, is the greatest folly. It calls for holding fast to Christ Jesus and to the Father, making His Word the counselor, lamp and guide to be studied and depended on in difficulty. He is the Almighty, from everlasting, an unerring Guide on whom to depend in times of difficulty, revealed as He has revealed Himself in His Word as a lamp to the feet and a light to the path.

Christ's Person and Saving Work

The title belongs to the Creator of the worlds, who set apart the seventh-day Sabbath as His own creation memorial to keep God the Creator in the minds of His people. Yet this all-glorious One came to live among the people He had created and loved, seeking to bless and save them. He is Christ Himself, who rules the earth and keeps the waters in their appointed channel. His identity as the ever-living mighty God is what alone qualified Him to pay the ransom to save sinners from going down into the pit of death. Through the love shown at Calvary He draws people to Himself, bringing them to repentance and then to forgiveness, so that His saving work is the beginning and the completion of faith.

He is priest and king of His church, Lord and Saviour, endowed with the attributes of God and having all light and life in Himself. All divine revelations to human beings come through Him, and as mediator between God and man He unfolds in every place the methods of His government and makes known what shall be hereafter from what the Father makes known to Him. To those who receive Him by faith He gives power to become sons of God, members of the royal family, with Himself as their teacher and guide. He is the great Head of the church, the living Presence of a living Being, the Alpha and Omega of His faithful witnesses in every place. He lives and reigns, understands all doings of good and evil, and keeps open communication between heaven and earth. He personally communicates with those who know God, knows each bearer of His name high or low as of value, and holds them in the sunshine of God's favor even in humble garb.

As the true Witness He understands the danger of the churches neglecting their God-given work and calls them to hear sacred truth. He warns the church that it has left its first love and must repent and return to its first works. For believers He Himself is the only hope, ready to receive all who come in sincerity while tolerating no pretense. As Alpha and Omega He is Rock, Sun and Shield, wisdom, sanctification and righteousness. His might enables believers to conquer, and only by His power are hearts kept daily in the love of God.

Prophecy and Second Coming

The One who declares Himself Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, the Lord who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty, is coming with clouds. Every eye shall see Him, even those who pierced Him, and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him. The declaration is an earnest warning to prepare to meet the Lord in the clouds of heaven, for He comes with power and great glory. It exposes indifference to the signs He foretold and gives evidence that the end is right upon us, calling for watchfulness and daily saving grace. Because all must stand before the throne of God at His coming, now is the time and opportunity to make thorough work for eternity and to reach depth of Christian experience. That readiness for trials soon to come is a living experience in and through the sanctification of the truth, learning of Christ continually, honoring His little ones, and daily putting on the whole armor with feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.

On Patmos He gave a most wonderful revelation of Himself and of things that were to come to pass on the earth. He Himself came from heaven to meet John, His brother and companion in tribulation and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, who was on the isle called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus. There He talked with His servant about heavenly things and foretold what would come upon the churches and what messages were to be given them to prepare for the trying times before them. The testimony He commanded John to write to all the churches was light designed to be immortalized and to remain present truth until all the events foretold should come to pass.

He is the Alpha, the first link, and the Omega, the last link, of the gospel chain. That chain is built link after link of prophetic history from Genesis to Revelation and is welded in Revelation. Knowing Him as the first and the last belongs to knowing the pillars and groundwork of truth and where we stand in prophetic history.

Center of Scripture

He is the beginning and the end of the great plan of redemption, and all the great truths of Scripture center in Him and when rightly understood lead to Him. He is the beginning and completion of Scripture itself, with the Old Testament beginning in Genesis and the New Testament reaching its revelation in Him so that both meet in Him. Believers come to know Him as present throughout Scripture from Genesis to Revelation, also as the Root and Offspring of David and the Bright and Morning Star.

As second Adam His obedience overcame Satan's temptations and redeemed Adam's failure, reconciling humanity to God. The two Adams will meet and embrace in Paradise, while those who reject opportunities to return to loyalty will be shut out. The entire revelation He gave to John was already rehearsed by Moses in the Exodus and in the plagues brought upon Egypt, showing no contradiction in the Word of God and that Scripture is tested by Scripture.

As Alpha and Omega He is the source and fullness of wisdom, and knowing Him is more valuable than studying human books. Knowing Him brings eternal life and completeness in Him. His declaration identifies Him as the Almighty who sees and knows human actions, so that no one can hide secret wrongdoing from Him.

Guidance for Work and Life

He is the starter and the finisher of His people's work, with Him at the beginning and rounding out and finishing all the work to be done if by faith they continue to walk in the way He leads without ceasing their efforts before completion. The alpha is the beginning of a work that can now be seen, and the omega is the completion of that work still to be seen and desired and reached.

In the work at Washington this means He was present with it at its beginning and will bring it to completion if workers continue by faith in the path and way He leads. He is the source of strength through whom success in the Lord's work is gained.

He is the beginning and end of all Christian effort and of medical missionary work, directing it and fulfilling His purpose in all that workers do or say and in all outlay of means with firm purpose of heart. His purpose is fulfilled through self-denial and self-sacrifice, through compassionate service and tender compassion and unselfish interest that seeks to understand the necessities of others, wins confidence so hearts open because of kindness shown, and wins souls to Him. This means sowing beside all waters and speaking truth with lips governed by the law of kindness so the divine Word is as music in the ears, thus winning many whose minds are filled with prejudice against present truth. It means spending in a self-sacrificing way that serves His purpose after His example of giving Himself to make eternal life possible, using His own entrusted money from first to last by the various methods He as the Alpha outlines to invest capital, produce fruit, and bring the gospel to many souls. In this divine power and human effort work together to accomplish good, and all glory belongs and is to be given to Him to whom it belongs.

Alpha means the beginning of how to conduct oneself and behave, and Omega means the end, so children must learn here the Alpha of conduct and behavior for the Omega as preparation for the future eternal immortal life. This education in principles to work upon for all time is what fits them for heaven so they can be presented to God at the gates of the city. Forms and ceremonies are as nothing without Him, and teaching must be better and deeper than man can give, producing deep conviction in the soul that truth in Him is the only covering for any soul. That conviction is to be daily reinforced by humble sincere prayer and reading of the Word, holding personal convictions firmly as God's truth in the strength God imparts lest they be wrung from the grasp, exercising individuality and self-reliance and self-respect while remembering that body, soul, and spirit are God's property bought with a price. When believers walk humbly and trustingly and confidingly He puts them under the guidance of the Holy Spirit to lead into all truth, taking the things of God as they fell from His lips and conveying them with living power to the obedient heart and delivering them into the mold of the gospel so they may take the perfect image of its Author. His self-revelation as the great Head of the church, the living Presence of a living Being, the First and the Last, calls every church member and youth to become one with Him and to prepare to meet God.

God is the author of it all and also the Omega and the Finisher, with the events of the ages all under His control. Every noble influence is through His workings, and every enterprise that comes from God will return back to God in honor to His name. He is the Rock higher than humanity, its Sun and Shield, and the source of wisdom for those who seek it, and His might enables believers to conquer. The shaking removes everything that can be shaken so that what cannot be shaken may remain.

Alpha means the beginning and Omega means the ending, and this is applied to deadly heresies where the Alpha as the first stage was already presented in Living Temple and the Omega as the final stage will follow. The Omega will be received by those who are not willing to heed the warning God has given, and the danger must be met firmly and without delay, not by taking workers from the field to investigate doctrines and points of difference.

Alpha and Omega means the beginning and the ending, the first and the last of a thing, so that to make assailing a system one's Alpha and Omega is to make it the whole sum and aim of one's desire. By contrast, when people make self their alpha and omega, self becomes their beginning and end, governing how they acquire and use their possessions instead of seeking God's glory and direction through prayer.