Book of Revelation: Isiah’s prophecy of Alpha and Omega

In The Book of Revelations Jesus comes to John with a powerful metaphor that doubles up as a prime example of the rich complexity of prophecy fulfilment between the Old Testament and The New Testament narratives. 

Revelation 1:8

"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."

Jesus is the Alpha, Jesus is the Omega. 

Through the establishment of himself with the first letter of the Greek alphabet ‘Alpha’ and also the last ‘Omega’, Jesus in his frequent poetic form lays down the foundation for his eternal existence, he is both the beginning, and he is the end. Jesus levels with John providing him with this profound theological insight, by both encapsulating the eternal nature of the Lord as well as confirming the divine entity of Christ. Our Lord Jesus Christ is not merely a historical figure teaching of the good word, he is not your average prophet guided by the Word of God, instead Jesus is the eternal God himself, sovereign over all creation, history and redemption. 

Revelations 1:17 "Fear not; I am the first and the last"

Jesus here references Yahweh in the Old testament. Through these words, Jesus illustrates to us that he is the same God who spoke through the prophets. Isaiah 44:6 "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 beside me there is no God." Jesus’ choice of words are cardinal, the first and the last. This is the fulfilment of divine prophecy as Jesus bridges himself to the prophecies of the The Old Testament. Isaiah 41:4 "Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I the Lord, the first, and with the last; I am he." Jesus is he, Jesus is the Lord, Jesus is the light that shone from the face of Moses in the book of Exodus, Jesus is the Lord in the vision of prophet Isiah, Jesus is he who calls Abraham to leave his homeland, Jesus is he who speaks to Elijah on Mount Horeb, Jesus is he in the beginning of all creation, the performer of mighty deeds, the creator of all things, the source and the one that sustains all that exists. Genesis 1:1

"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. Jesus tells us, he is the beginning."

We, who are glorified through him, are opened to the actuality of the eternal divine, Jesus fulfils divine prophecy by identifying himself as God incarnate, confirming his eternal authority and role in God’s plan as prophesied. Through this too we are shown in The Book of Revelations truly the complexity of God’s nature. Revelations 1:18

"I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever!"

As the one who conquers human death, to be reborn in the spirit, Jesus demonstrates to us proof of his words, Jesus is the source of eternal life and through him all humanity shall be restored to Gods original intent, as it was before the fall of man in the Garden of Eden. As Jesus proclaims to us that he is the beginning and the end, he is not only the source of all creation at the start of all that was, he is also the culmination, the end of redemption, the guide of all towards divine purpose as we reconnect with God and become resurrected in the spirit. To know Jesus as the ‘Alpha and Omega’ is to know him as the keystone of our belief.

He is the God of all creation, he is the Word made flesh, he is the one that walked among us and guided the apostles. As the beginning and the end, he is the totality of the whole, he is the animating principle that pulls all things together, the energiser of life who invites us to follow him, to trust in his plan and worship him as the one true God. John 11:25 "I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die."