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REVELATION - Behold, I am Coming Soon
Studies in the Book of Revelation
BOOK 1 - BEHOLD, I AM COMING QUICKLY! (REVELATION 1:1 - 3:22)
PART 1.1 THE INTRODUCTION OF THE APOSTLE JOHN TO THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST (REVELATION 1:1-8)

4. The Seal of God upon the Revelation of Jesus Christ to His Servant John (Revelation 1:8)


REVELATION 1:8
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

I Am: After introducing his book with key words and concepts, and after outlining the goal of world history – the return of Jesus Christ – John says that he heard a powerful voice speak the words, “I am!”

The Lord Himself acknowledges the confession of His servant and confirms the theme, contents, and the goal of his visions.

Verse 8 of the Revelation contains no mere human words, for it is the word of God, revealed directly from Him, and it should be treasured like a precious pearl by all. This self- testimony is God’s way of placing His seal upon the words of John.

We all live by the “I am” of God. He exists and speaks to us. By speaking to us, He makes us His “you's,” His partners, and He lifts us up to His level. Whoever refuses to hear Him lives a lonesome existence without purpose.

He who says “I am” is the original source of our being. All who deny the existence of God will be destroyed by this “I am.” Philosophies, worldviews, pseudo-religions, and demonic nonsense will all be judged by the reality of the eternally existent One.

The Lord said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. That is My name forever” (Exodus 3:13-16). He assured Moses that He would go with him through the deserts of life. With this Name the Lord introduced the 10 Commandments. Later Jesus Himself expanded on this foundation with His powerful “I am”-words (John 6:35; 8:12; 10:7,11; 11:25; 13:19; 14:6; 15:1; 18:5-8, 37; Revelation 1:17; 22:13). When the Lord says, “I am Who I am”, He acknowledges His eternity and His unchanging faithfulness. His attributes remain as steadfast as He Himself is steadfast and true. He is and remains the foundation of our being, the standard and goal for us all.

The Alpha and the Omega: The Lord reveals the mysteries of His Name when He applies the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet as the perimeter of all other letters, words, and sentences. In the Greek alphabet, there are no additional letters outside the perimeter of these two letters. Thus, the Lord is the perimeter and measure of our being, our culture, and our ways of thinking.

In some written Greek texts, we find the following additional words: “I am the First and the Last.” The Lord is, before all else. He existed before time and space began. He will also continue existing when our time ends. He has the last word, and His word is valid. Whatever people, angels, or demons say may appear important, but the word of the Lord alone decides the truth, worth, and condition of everything and every person. His word is true and deceives not. It delivers what it promises, whether in matters of life or death.

God, the Lord: The most frequently used description of God in the Old Testament is Elohim. This word appears 2,600 times in the Hebrew text. The linguistic root of Elohim is El and means “force”, “power”, and “strength”. El appears 238 times in the Old Testament, alone or together with El-Roi, the One who sees, or Beit-El, the House of God or Israel, who struggled with God and prevailed. The ending attached to El in Elohim is a plural form; thus, Elohim means “gods”. Christians understand this to be a reference to the Holy Trinity. Jews understand this to mean a “plural majesty”, an honorific for the one and only Exalted One.

The actual name of God in the Old Testament is Yahweh, the LORD, which appears 6,828 times in the Hebrew text. Yahweh is understood as the faithful, unchanging covenant-making God, who never changes. The name Yahweh, the LORD, represents the key to understanding Elohim (God), because it appears two and a half times more often in the Old Testament: All blessing comes from Yahweh (Numbers 6:24). All glory radiates from Yahweh (Psalms 104:31; 138:5; Isaiah 40:5; 60:1; Ezekiel 1:28; 3:12, 33; 2 Corinthians 4:6). Yahweh is our righteousness (Jeremiah 23:6; 33:16). Yahweh is our Shepherd (Psalm 23).

Who Is: John confirms the declaration of the Lord to his churches and assures them that the Lord is not dead but lives. Even after the burning of Rome in AD 64 and the destruction of Jerusalem and its temple in AD 70, the Lord remains the Unchanging Faithful One. The persecution of Christians, the crucifixion of Peter in AD 64, the decapitation of Paul in AD 66, as well as the crucifixion of 30,000 Jews before the walls of Jerusalem – none of these events changed the majesty, holiness, or love of the Lord. His judgments are true. His being is the basis for all that exists. Without Him, everything would disintegrate. He is the force ordering, controlling, and holding all things together. We exist because He exists. Because He continues to be what He has revealed Himself to be, our hope is steadfast and sure. Without Him, we could do nothing. The existence of God, the Lord, is the source of our life, our strength, and our thoughts. Without His Word and Spirit, we could not live. We should honor, love, and exalt Him more than ever. Our existence is dependent on His being. Why are we not more thankful?

Who Was: The Lord is the creator and sustainer of all things that exist. He created the boundless expanse of space, including our small earth and everything in it. His wonders are innumerable and unfathomable, and His wisdom is wonderful. For centuries, scientists have been writing their dissertations; now they are helped by computers who help them to make their calculations at the speed of light. Nevertheless, the vastness and depth of the wisdom of the Lord’s creation are beyond man’s ability to fathom. Who knows how many hairs are upon his head (Matthew 10:30; Luke 12:7)? Who knows the exact number of stars? What is the secret of our biological life? And who knows how a baby senses the love of its mother? Our Lord existed long before all time and created the universe through His word. He has let some of His mysteries be known to us through visions.

Who Is To Come: John does not speak of a God who will send a revelation at some unspecified point in the future. No: our God comes personally! Our covenant-making God is no distant savior, but one who personally makes haste to fulfill His plan of salvation. He will bring the visions of His revelation to a precise and conclusive end. He does what He says He will do! He does not merely commission people and angels, after the manner of Allah in Islam. Rather, he comes personally and fulfills His salvation. He builds His kingdom in complete peace and fulfills all of His promises.

The God-fearing live in the knowledge of the coming of their Lord. The expectation of His arrival is the source of their strength that is renewed day by day (Isaiah 40:1-31). The divine command to rise up and be a light in the world can motivate even the weariest into action, because the coming of the Lord is near (Isaiah 60:1-3). Jesus Himself says to let our light shine before the world (Luke 12:35-40; Matthew 25:1-13; 1 Peter 1:13). We should be focused on the coming Lord.

The Almighty: The God who is near does not appear weak, impotent, or unwilling to do battle. He is the Almighty, the Lord, and He has all power in heaven and on earth. His legions of angels cannot be counted. But He doesn’t need them for His own defense, for He Himself is the sum of all power that holds all things together. His name El means power and might. In Greek, He is called pantokrator or “ruler of all things”. He is the all-encompassing and reigning Lord of the worlds. He controls and oversees the visible and the unseen.

The Almighty is coming to triumph, to judge, and to establish freedom. He possesses all the power needed to fulfill His plans and promises. He desires to free and redeem His Church from the power of the prince of this world. He is able to enact His judgments with force. He can and will establish a new creation in justice.

Wise is the man who prepares for the coming of the Lord. There is no alternative to the Almighty. All earthly rulers are limited mortals, and prone to err if they do not subordinate themselves to the Almighty.

John repeats the seal of his Lord, his urgent self-revelation, six times in his book. God, the Lord (Yahweh), describes Himself three times with these words (Revelation 1:8; 4:8; 21:6), and the Lord Jesus uses it three times to refer to Himself (Revelation 1:17; 2:8; 22:13).

With this declaration, the apostle seeks to shed light on the fact that no difference exists between God the Father and God the Son, and that both are one. We do well when we keep an awareness of the Holy Trinity in the forefront of our minds, when we believe in it and confess it, even when Islam describes this confession as the unforgivable sin of mankind (Sura 112, among others).

PRAYER: Holy God, we worship and adore You with thanks and praise, because You are the foundation of the universe. You created all. You reconciled the corrupt world to Yourself through Christ's atoning death, and You will come to judge the living and the dead through Your holy Son. Prepare us to receive Him, and give those who yearn for Him repentance and faith. Amen

QUESTION:

  1. How did God reveal himself at the beginning of the revelation that John received?

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