In the omniscience of God, He scattered the peoples who remained gathered at the Tower of Babel, by confusing their language (Gen. 11:1-9). Instead of one common language for everyone, He caused groups of them to suddenly speak different languages. One of those languages came down through the centuries to become the Koine Greek of New Testament days. The Old Testament Septuagint and the New Testament were written in this common Greek language. Jesus, of course, spoke Hebrew, but it is clear from Scripture that He also spoke Koine Greek as well. Note this passage from the Book of Revelation: "Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea" (Rev 1:11).
When we look at Jesus' statement calling Himself the "Alpha and Omega" (the first and last letters in the Greek alphabet), it is interesting to think about what that means when we think of it in reference to the Rapture. We know that in the Rapture, Jesus will first cause the resurrection of those in the grave, and then those who are still "alive and remain." The Apostle Paul wrote: "Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord" (1 Thes 4:17). Also, at the tomb of Lazarus, Jesus told a grieving Martha, "I am the resurrection and the life" (Jn. 11:25). So, what’s the point of all this? Please bear with me just a little longer.
When the Rapture happens (our being "caught up"), Jesus, the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, and who is the resurrection and the life, will come for us, His believers. Now remember that God scattered the languages so long ago! Well, in His omniscience, He arranged all those years ago, for a particular letter combination to occur in that Koine Greek language. Students of the Bible know that the Greek word for Rapture is ἁρπάζω (harpazō), which is translated in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 by the phrase "caught up." What's so special about that? It seems entirely fitting that the very Greek word for "the Rapture," in which the Resurrection occurs, is when the One Who is the Alpha and the Omega comes for us, and that the word ἁρπάζω (harpazō), begins with the letter "alpha" and ends with the letter "omega!" Isn’t God awesome?
When we look at Jesus' statement calling Himself the "Alpha and Omega" (the first and last letters in the Greek alphabet), it is interesting to think about what that means when we think of it in reference to the Rapture. We know that in the Rapture, Jesus will first cause the resurrection of those in the grave, and then those who are still "alive and remain." The Apostle Paul wrote: "Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord" (1 Thes 4:17). Also, at the tomb of Lazarus, Jesus told a grieving Martha, "I am the resurrection and the life" (Jn. 11:25). So, what’s the point of all this? Please bear with me just a little longer.
When the Rapture happens (our being "caught up"), Jesus, the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, and who is the resurrection and the life, will come for us, His believers. Now remember that God scattered the languages so long ago! Well, in His omniscience, He arranged all those years ago, for a particular letter combination to occur in that Koine Greek language. Students of the Bible know that the Greek word for Rapture is ἁρπάζω (harpazō), which is translated in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 by the phrase "caught up." What's so special about that? It seems entirely fitting that the very Greek word for "the Rapture," in which the Resurrection occurs, is when the One Who is the Alpha and the Omega comes for us, and that the word ἁρπάζω (harpazō), begins with the letter "alpha" and ends with the letter "omega!" Isn’t God awesome?
Thanks to Paul Kocourek for his post in Last Hour Bereans!
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