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6. It is Done! (Revelation 21:6)
I AM: God is acting, because he exists in His holy glory. God is acting, because He is. All men denying the existence of God are ignorant and spiritually blind. Blessed is who knows that God lives! “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.” (Psalm 111:10; see also Proverbs 1:7; 9:10 and other verses).
I am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End: His breathtaking promise of a new holy earth and a new everlasting heaven God signs with one of His many names.
In the Book of Revelation of John it reads five times this self-testimony of God that He is “the Alpha and Omega” (Revelation 1:8.17; 2:8, 21:6; 22:13). Twice the almighty Father uses it for His self-revelation (1:8; 21:6); three times Jesus announces this encrypted self-revelation (1:17; 2:8; 22:13).
The Lord Jesus Christ testifies therewith that “He is true God from true God, begotten, not made, of the same essence as the Father.” Each time when the Father or the Son uses the wording, “I am the beginning and the end” or “I am Alpha and Omega”, it is indicated that both live in a complete union together and reign the universe from eternity to eternity. The Son is in the Father and the Father is in the Son. Both are one, not two (John 10:30; 14:8-11; 17:21-23, and other verses).
While the Father and the Son emphasize, “I am the beginning” (the Alpha), they testify that only they are eternal and come from eternity. All creatures, however, live only for limited time. They have not come into existence by themselves and exist neither out of themselves nor in their own strength. In fact, the origin of all things is the triune God. He created us in the womb by His grace and love. However, what about our worship and thanksgiving for our live and His help in our daily life? Christ taught us to pray as follows, Give us this day sufficient bread (Matthew 6.11). At the beginning and at the end of each day of our short live is our Father in heaven. What about our faith in His care, love and faithfulness, when distress and serious questions lead us into temptation?
After Jesus has justified His followers by His death on the cross, He gifted them with the Spirit of His Father. Only because He let us take part in His own everlasting live, we are able to live eternally. The triune God is the origin also of our spiritual live.
When He who rests on His heavenly throne said, “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end", he testified therewith implicitly that He is entitled and has the power to make the old earth and the present heavens vanish so as to call a new, holy existence into being. All followers of Christ who received the free gift of the Holy Spirit participate in this new spiritual kingdom (Matthew 5:8; 25:34; John 3:3.5; 1 John 3:1-2).
Likewise as Jesus was in his live always gentle and meek, so His followers together with the Son of God will also submit to the Father in heaven (1 Corinthians 15:28). We come from Him, exist in Him and will return home to Him. Do we enjoy coming home to the Father? Are we aware of this purpose? Do we want to see our father and becoming transformed in His image?
PRAYER: Loving Father, You are the beginning and the end. You and Your son are an indivisible unit. You made us partners in Your everlasting life through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. We give thanks and praise that You are our Father, Savior and Comforter. We do not exist of ourselves because we received our new existence from You through Your grace. Help us to make our worldly living praise for Your love. Amen.
QUESTION:
- How did God declare His eternity and His divinity?