I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
Here, just by paying attention to the narrative, we can see that another speaker is introduced in this verse. In the verses previous to this, the Apostle John has been the speaker. So, this verse has no connection with what precedes nor with what follows. Who it is who speaks here must be determined, therefore, by the terms used. Here we again have the expression, “Which is, and which is to come,” which we have already noticed refers to God the Father in verse 4. But, of course, it may be asked, “Does not the word ‘Lord’ denote that this time it has to do with Christ?” Interestingly, certain well-known Bible commentators from the 19th century, including the famous Albert Barnes, set forth the argument that many manuscripts read “God” instead of “Lord.” With that being said, the probable purpose of this interjection is to close the first principal division of this chapter with the solemn understanding that the God of eternity and almighty power is able to perform all the threatenings and promises given us throughout The Revelation. Further, it is also a way of attaching a divine and immutable authority behind all that which is about to be revealed as well as certifying the playing out of each detail set forth, including the unavoidable verity of the final outcome.
Now, why the self-applied appellation of “Alpha” and “Omega”? These are the first and the last letters of the Greek alphabet, denoting properly the first and the last of that to which it is applied. The language here, therefore, would then properly denote “eternity” in the being to whom it is applied. It means that he is the beginning and the end of all things‒that is, that he was at the commencement and will be at the close. In other words, it is equivalent to saying that he has always existed, and that he will always exist. Compare Isaiah 41:4; Isaiah 44:6; Isaiah 48:12. There can be no doubt that the language here would be naturally understood as implying divinity, and it could be properly applied to no one but the true God (compare Revelation 1:17; Revelation 22:13).
As to the title, “the Almighty”; this refers to God’s omnipotence and literally means “all ruling.” See Job 11:7-10; Job 37:23; Psalm 91; Isaiah 41:4; Isaiah 44:6.
