Jesus Christ, the Alpha and the Omega
Pastor Jon
Christ in the Book of Revelation • Sermon • Submitted
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Introduction
Introduction
Text
John, to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne,
and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood,
and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.
“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.”
The Objective of this Series
to know the Person of Christ in connection to the end-time events
to discover the works of Christ in the end-time
This Part (1)
Introductory part of the book (Rev. 1:1-8)
Christ’s first unveiling of Himself
Note:
the Book is actually an epistle.
it has introductory and farewell parts
it was addressed to seven specific churches
it contains personal words from John the Beloved
Revelation 1.4, 9
Revelation 22.18-21
Main Points
Main Points
John’s Introduction
John’s Introduction
The Revelation of Jesus Christ
The Revelation of Jesus Christ
The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John,
who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw.
Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.
The “Revelation of Jesus Christ” has three meanings
It is the revelation of Jesus Christ
the Book reveals the Person and works of Jesus Christ
Most Christians cannot fully identify Christ beyond His flesh
Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer.
“Who is Jesus after His resurrection?”
The gospel story is mostly focused on Christ’s earthly works
“What is Christ doing in heaven?”
It reveals Christ in the end-time
the Book reveals the work of the Person of Christ in the end-time
“What is Christ doing in the end-time?”
It reveals Christ to the Church
the Book unveils the work and Person of Christ for His redeemed people
John invokes God in three manifestations
John invokes God in three manifestations
John, to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne,
and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood,
Three “manifestations” (not persons)
Not “persons”
because persons are “individuals”
because the One Godhead has One Person - Jesus Christ
who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
But “manifestations”
because Father, Son and Holy Spirit, are three distinct expressions of the Godhead through which God’s divine attributes are understood by humans.
“He who was and who is and who is to come”
the Great Eternal Spirit
Jahweh, He who continuously reveals Himself
I Am that I Am
the Seven Spirits
the Holy Spirit
the Spirit of God working in sets of sevens throughout the vision
And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.
the seven Spirits of God and the seven Stars
“And to the angel of the church in Sardis write, ‘These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.
the seven Spirits of God and the seven horns and eyes
And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth.
Jesus Christ
the Faithful Witness - because He showed us the Father
the Firstborn from the dead
the Ruler over the kings of the earth
He who loved us and washed us from sins with His own blood
He who made us kings and priests to God
He who is coming
Jesus Revealed: the Alpha and the Omega
Jesus Revealed: the Alpha and the Omega
Notes:
The description, “Alpha and Omega” appears 4 times in Revelation:
“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.”
saying, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,” and, “What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.”
And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts.
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.”
In all texts except for Rev. 21.6, Jesus Christ speaks in the first person
Alpha is the first letter in the Greek alphabet, while Omega is the last letter
Alpha and Omega is the same as “A to Z” in English
Alpha and Omega has 2 unique applications in Revelation:
it means “the Beginning and the End”
Revelation 1.8
Revelation 21.6
it means “the First and the Last”
Revelation 1.11
Revelation 1.17
Revelation 2.8
Revelation 22.13
Alpha and Omega means “The Beginning and the End”
Alpha and Omega means “The Beginning and the End”
“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.”
“The Beginning and the End” means...
The “first cause” and the “end cause”
the phrase implies point in time, a start of something and an end
He was the beginning of all things
All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.
“And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, ‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God:
He will bring to an end certain things for the sake of His creation
Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power.
For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet.
The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.
“Who Is and Who Was and Who Is To Come”
this phrase means “ever-presence”
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
an attribute of the Great Eternal Spirit - the Father
John, to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne,
saying: “We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, The One who is and who was and who is to come, Because You have taken Your great power and reigned.
And I heard the angel of the waters saying: “You are righteous, O Lord, The One who is and who was and who is to be, Because You have judged these things.
JESUS CHRIST CLAIMS FOR HIMSELF THE DIVINE ATTRIBUTE “OMNI-PRESENT” BY SAYING THAT HE WAS IN THE BEGINNING OF ALL THINGS, HE IS PRESENT THROUGHOUT HISTORY, AND HE WILL BE THERE WHEN ALL THINGS COME TO AN END.
The Almighty
First revealed to Abram
When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless.
Almighty means “Omnipotent”
8 times ascribed to God, here claimed by Jesus Christ
The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!”
Revelation 11.17
Revelation 15.3
Revelation 16.7
Revelation 16.14
And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!
Revelation 19.15
But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.
JESUS CHRIST CLAIMS FOR HIMSELF THE DIVINE ATTRIBUTE “OMNIPOTENT”.
Alpha and Omega means “The First and the Last”
Alpha and Omega means “The First and the Last”
I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet,
saying, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,” and, “What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.”
First - grk. protos, preceding all others in time or space or degree
Last - grk. eschatos, coming after all others in time or space or degree, or being the only one remaining
“the First and the Last” means…
He is the only One God!
Jesus Christ was already there when all things didn’t exist yet
Jesus Christ will be there when all things are gone
JESUS CHRIST CLAIMS FOR HIMSELF THAT HE IS THE ONLY ONE GOD.
Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.”
Then the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?”
Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”
Who has performed and done it, Calling the generations from the beginning? ‘I, the Lord, am the first; And with the last I am He.’ ”
“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.
“Listen to Me, O Jacob, And Israel, My called: I am He, I am the First, I am also the Last.
He who was once alive on earth is the same Person who is now alive in heaven
Christ confirms His resurrection
And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last.
I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.
“And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write, ‘These things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life:
He is the One who is watching over the church
Write the things that you see - so that the churches will know who is in charge!
“I know your works...” spoken to each church age
Conclusion
Conclusion
What does it all means for us?
This means that Jesus is God. He is the same God who created all things, established a covenant with Abraham, and then revealed in human form.
This means that Jesus is the One who is over all the affairs of mankind, especially the church. He sees everything that is happening in history, and in the church. He watches over the lives of the Redeemed.
This means that Jesus really rose from the dead. The resurrection did take place, and Christ is in heaven waiting until all His enemies are placed under His feet!
This means that we are waiting for the coming of God, not a man! The Alpha and the Omega is coming quickly!
“And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.”