![]() ![]() ![]() Through the Book of Revelation, we see a God who is pure, grieved by the sinful behavior of the church. What Else We Learn About God from Revelation ![]() John's reaction of wonder and longing, "Amen. And if anyone takes words away from the scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City…" (v.18-19). "If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in the scroll. Then a warning is issued about changing any words of the Book: "Let the one who is thirsty come and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life" (v. He declares who He is - "I am the Alpha and the Omega…"Īfter this comes the invitation to all who read the Book:.He tells what He will do - "My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done.".He states when He is coming - "Look, I am coming soon!".Verse 12 is His opening proclamation that is meant to wake the hearts of believers. The next section, called “Epilogue: Invitation and Warning” in the NIV Bible translation, is a word directly from Jesus. This points to the eternal nature of these visions and of God Himself. John then receives instructions from the angel, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this scroll…" because the messages were meant for those in his time as well as for future generations. The description of this amazing place continues on into the first 5 verses of Chapter 22. Just before this, in Chapter 21, an angel showed John the new Holy City, as it comes down from heaven. Chapters 4 through 22 are filled with vivid images of the final rise of evil in the world, the decisive triumph of the Lord, and the New Jerusalem. Jesus both commended and convicted each church, with dire warnings to turn back to God. The return of Jesus and the Final Judgement, two other main topics, were meant to remind them of their glorious future.įirst, John discloses letters from Jesus to seven different churches. Christians at that time were facing great persecution, so being reminded of God's ultimate sovereignty and victory was meant to strengthen them through trials. But in truth, one of the main themes of it is hope for those who follow the Lord. Many see Revelation as a puzzling and even frightening book. There the Lord blessed him with miraculous messages about the End Times, Jesus' return, and glimpses of God's new Holy City. During his later years, John was exiled to the island of Patmos, off the coast of Asia. Written in about 95 A.D., Revelation documents a series of visions that was given to John, one of Jesus' 12 Apostles. Revelation, where this verse is found, is the final book of the New Testament, as well as the entire Bible. Put another way, it means "the final part the end." In Revelation, God is using both of these words literally, as names for Himself. Omega is the 24th, and last, Greek letter. "For you are great and do marvelous deeds you alone are God" ( Psalm 86:10).Īlpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet, and is defined as "something that is first." It is often used figuratively to describe superiority or dominance. Do you ever think, like I do, that it's too marvelous to be true? Yet, Scripture calls us to acknowledge this aspect of God, even if we can't fully understand it. My limited human perception of space and time can make the idea of continuous “being” hard to wrap my mind around. The author Tertullian clarified why God used this specific wording, ".just as alpha rolls on to omega and omega returns again to alpha, so He might show that both the evolution of the beginning to the end is in Him and again the return of the end to the beginning."īut Revelation 22:13 is still one of those verses that presents me with a mental challenge. Here, God confirms the praise of Moses in Psalm 90 that "Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God." It corresponds to another name, Jehovah ("I am") which hints at His eternal nature and unending presence. In this dynamic passage, God reveals part of His character. Key Scripture: "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End." Revelation 22:13 He is our all-sufficient Lord, who will not fail to complete the good work he has begun in us. When you pray to Christ as the Alpha and the Omega, you are praying to the One who is, who was, and who is to come. The Name: In the last book of the Bible, Jesus reveals himself as "the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End." Present at the world's beginning, Jesus will also be present at its end, when he and his work are finally and fully revealed. ![]()
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