I AM ALPHA AND OMEGA

Alpha is the first letter in the Greek alphabet, and omega is the last.  So what did Jesus mean when He called Himself the "Alpha and Omega?"  The answer is found within the four verses which include the phrase: 

*  "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending . . . the Almighty" (Rev. 1:8; 21:6; 22:13).
    
Jesus is the beginning and the ending of what?  As the Creator (Jn. 1:1-3; Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:1-2, 10; etc.), Jesus is the beginning of time.  He is also the ending of time as we know it.  Genesis 8:22 says, "While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease."  However, it is clear from Revelation 22:5 that time will have ceased and eternity will have begun, for in the Lord's new heaven and new earth, there will be no night.

*  ". . . I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last . . ." (Rev. 1:11; 22:13).

Jesus is called "the First Fruits" from the grave (Mt. 27:52-53; Acts 26:23; 1 Cor. 15:20; Col. 1:18; Rev. 1:5).  He is also called "the Last Adam" (1 Cor. 15:45).

There are a couple of things that are worthy of note.   The word, "Almighty," appears ten times in the New Testament, once in 2 Corinthians 6:18, and eight times in Revelation (1:8; 4:8; 11:17; 15:3; 16:7, 14; 19:15; 21:22). The same Greek word, παντοκράτωρ (pantokratōr), is translated "omnipotent" in Revelation 19:6). "God Almighty" or "Almighty God" appears thirty times in the Old Testament (Gen. 6x; Ex. 1x; Num. 2x; Job 20x; Ezek. 1x). Since Jesus is both Creator and The Almighty, there is no doubt that He is God!

Also, all four verses containing the phrase "Alpha and Omega" have the words "I am" preceding it.  As most born again believers know, John went out of his way to identify Jesus with the "I am" of the Old Testament (Ex. 3:14).  He quoted Jesus as saying:

*  I am The Bread of Life (Jn. 6:35).
*  I am The Light of the world (Jn. 8:12).
*  I am The Door (Jn. 10:9).
*  I am The Good Shepherd (Jn. 10:11).
*  I am The Resurrection and The Life (Jn. 11:25).
*  I am The Way, The Truth, and The Life (Jn. 14:6).
*  I am The True Vine (Jn. 15:1).
*  Before Abraham was, I Am (Jn.8:58).

You might wonder why the word "the" is capitalized; it is because Jesus is the only Bread, Light, Door, Good Shepherd, Resurrection, Life, Way, Truth, Vine, and the only one who existed before Abraham, and even before Adam, for that matter!