56. ALPHA AND OMEGA

 

Revelation 1:8 “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, saith the Lord God, who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Revelation 21:6 “And he said to me: It is done. I am Alpha and Omega; the beginning and the end. To him that thirsteth, I will give of the fountain of the water of life, freely.”

Revelation 22:13 “I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”

  

I am Alpha and Omega: These are the names of the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, and signify the same as what follows:

·        The beginning and the end:

·        the first cause and last end of all beings:

·        who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty

These words signify the true God only and here applied to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who is to come again to judge the living and the dead.

The "I am Alpha and Omega" signify the true one and only God Almighty who is the beginning (the cause) and also the end of everything and all beings. "Who is" applied to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ prophesied in the Old Testament, who came "who was" crucified to save mankind, "who is to come"again to judge the living and the dead.

Jesus is God of the Holy Trinity because he said so in John 10:30 "I and the Father are one." Jesus clearly emphasizes that his Father and he are one. I and the Father are one: That is, one divine nature, but two distinct persons. "If you had known me, you would without doubt have known my Father also: and from henceforth you shall know him, and you have seen him. Philip saith to him: Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us. Jesus saith to him: Have I been so long a time with you; and have you not known me? Philip, he that seeth me seeth the Father also. How sayest thou, shew us the Father? Do you not believe, that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? The words that I speak to you, I speak not of myself. But the Father who abideth in me, he doth the works. Believe you not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me?" (John 14:7-11)

But the unbelievers, "the Jews then took up stones to stone him. Jesus answered them: Many good works I have showed you from my Father; for which of these works do you stone me? The Jews answered him: For a good work we stone thee not, but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, maketh thyself God. Jesus answered them: Is it not written in your law: I said you are gods? If he called them gods, to whom the word of God was spoken, and the scripture cannot be broken;"

Who is the Alpha and Omega?

The Heretic Answer: 

Colossians 1:15 (KJV) "Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:" But the firstborn: That is, first begotten; as the Evangelist declares, the only begotten of his Father: hence, St. Chrisostom explains firstborn, not first created, as he was not created at all, but born of his Father before all ages; that is, coeval with the Father and with the Holy Ghost.

Isaiah 44:6 (KJV) "Thus saith the Lord the king of Israel, and his redeemer the Lord of hosts: I am the first, and I am the last, and besides me there is no God." And they say God, not Jesus because Jesus is the first born of all creation. He had a beginning. God is the Alpha and Omega.

Catholic Response:

John 3:16 (KJV) "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

Revelation 1:17-18 (KJV) "And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death."

Jesus is begotten, not made, con-substantial with the Father. He is the image of the invisible God.

Who died and the resurrected? JESUS! JESUS IS LORD!

The first and the last letters, respectively, of the Greek alphabet have been employed from the fourth century as a symbol expressing the confidence of orthodox Christians in the scriptural proofs of Our Lord's divinity. Our Lord’s divinity is referred here to be the divine Jesus, the Christ who is, who was and who is to come, the Almighty.

This symbol was suggested by the Apocalypse, where Christ, as well as the Father, is "the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end" REVELATION 1:8 “And to the angel of the church of Smyrna write: These things saith the First and the Last, who was dead, and is alive:”

Who will come again in the end of time?

The Heretic Answer:

John 17:3 (KJV) "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent."

God, not Jesus because Jesus is just sent. Jesus made known His Father who is the only true God. He never said that He is God.

Catholic Response:

Revelation 1:8 (CEB) “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “the one who is and was and is coming, the Almighty.”

Revelation 22:20 (KJV) "He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus."

Jesus is the Alpha and Omega. He is God the Son. He is the one who will come again. He never said that He is not God.

“Who was dead and is alive” refers again to the author of life whom the unbelievers killed. This Author of Life, who is, and who was, and who is to come, is no other than Jesus Christ, the Alpha and Omega who was crucified on the cross and who in three days has resin from the dead. ACTS 3:15 “But the author of life you killed, whom God hath raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses.”

Who will judge?

The Heretic Answer:

Psalm 9:8 (KJV) "And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness."

God is the only judge, not Jesus 

Catholic Response:

John 5:22 (KJV) "For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:"

Philippians 2:6-11 (KJV) "Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

The LOVE between the Father and the Son is perfect therefore that is the presence of God the Holy Spirit. The Father gave power to the Son and the Son accepts it in perfect humility and obedience. Jesus is God the Son.

In Revelation 21:6-8, Jesus spoke to John, the beloved “And he said to me: It is done. I am Alpha and Omega; the beginning and the end. To him that thirsteth, I will give of the fountain of the water of life, freely. He that shall overcome shall possess these things, and I will be his God; and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, they shall have their portion in the pool burning with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” 

Jesus spoke that God’s Plan of Salvation is done, meaning mankind has been freed from the original sin of disobedience as committed by Adam and Eve. Jesus again mentioned he is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. Now please pay attention to what he said that anyone who thirst he will give the fountain of the water of life and he that shall overcome his thirst “I will be his God”. Jesus will be his God.

Revelation 22:12 “Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to render to every man according to his works.” 

Jesus as he comes will render every man according to his works. Now this is not only about faith but also about works. Anyone who believes in Christ, obeyed his commandments, lived a life according to the will of his Father and most of all, even if sins were committed but sincerely confessed and repented them, Christ will have reward for him – his salvation. 1 Peter 3:19 “In which also coming he preached to those spirits that were in prison:”

Spirits that were in prison: See here a proof of a third place, or middle state of souls: for these spirits in prison, to whom Christ went to preach, after his death, were not in heaven; nor yet in the hell of the damned: because heaven is no prison: and Christ did not go to preach to the damned. – This place referred to the Purgatory. Surely, Jesus never went down to hell  but to a place of purification to preach these souls who have committed sin and were forgiven.

No man who have committed impurities (sins) in life or abominations in the eyes of God will enter heaven but only those who are written in the book of life. Revelation 21:27:  “There shall not enter into it any thing defiled, or that worketh abomination or maketh a lie, but they that are written in the book of life of the Lamb.”

Those who continued to defile themselves with sins and who died unrepentant thrown into the lake of fire are those who are not written in the book of life. As faith is not enough, their works earned them their eternal damnation. The devil made them believe they are already saved by Jesus’ death on the cross and they need not worry anymore and made them continued to commit sins. Revelation 22:11 “Let him hurt still: It is not an exhortation, or license to go on in sin; but an intimation, that how far soever the wicked may proceed, their progress shall quickly end, and then they must expect to meet with proportionable punishments.”

Revelation 22:14 “Blessed are they that wash their robes in the blood of the Lamb: that they may have a right to the tree of life, and may enter in by the gates into the city.” These are the people who have wash their robes or in other words have believed in Jesus, repented for their sins and have live a life according to the will of God and continued to do good works. 

Revelation 22:16-17 “I Jesus have sent my angel, to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the root and stock of David, the bright and morning star. And the spirit and the bride say: Come. And he that heareth, let him say: Come. And he that thirsteth, let him come: and he that will, let him take the water of life, freely.” Only a Divine Jesus can send his angel to testify. No human can do this but God. Jesus is the root and stock of David, the bright and morning star.   

Revelation 1:8 “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, saith the Lord God, who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Jesus is my Lord and my God.