Alpha and Omega Bible Verse Meaning and Study

Last updated on: November 13, 2015 at 12:39 pm by Jack Wellman

Alpha and Omega Bible Verse Meaning and Study 2015-11-13T12:39:01-06:00 Jack Wellman

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

What does the phrase “Alpha and Omega” mean? Why is it important for Christians to know?

The Greek Alphabet

The Greek alphabet has been around since around the 8th century BC and was derived from derived from the earlier Phoenician alphabet. The first letter in the Greek alphabet is the letter Alpha or sometimes seen as an upper case A and like the English letter and it makes the very same sound as our letter “A.” Omega can be an upper and lower case “Ω ω” just like we have an upper case A and lower case a. All of the ancient Greek knowledge is contained within that alphabet, just as it is with the English alphabet where all knowledge is contained within A to Z. If you had a dictionary or an encyclopedia, think about the fact that all of our knowledge is basically found within these pages, beginning with the letter A all to the way to Z. That is the first hint at what this verse means in relation to Jesus Christ.

Who is the Alpha and Omega?

Who is this “Alpha and Omega” mentioned in Scriptures? This phrase is only mentioned three times in the entire Bible but clearly it is Jesus Christ. We find all three of these phrases in the Book of Revelation where Jesus Christ says of Himself, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end” (Rev 22:13) meaning He is the beginning of all things and the end of all things. He is everything, A to Z and all things in between which is why He says He is the Alpha and Omega. When Jesus said that he is the Alpha and Omega, He is saying that He is the consummation of the entire Greek Alphabet meaning that He is all and in all and Creator of all. The Alpha (A) and Omega (to Z) references were used in the New Testament because it was written in the Greek and so Jesus is in fact the Beginner, as Creator, and He is the end of all things, meaning He will bring everything under His judgment (Rev 20:12-15). God has placed Jesus as Judge of all, both the living and the dead.

Who Was, Is, and Is to Come

Jesus, as God, has always existed. The Gospel of John indicates that “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made” (John 1:1-3) so He was before all things and the Creator of all things and was with God in the beginning as the Word. The “Word” of course is Jesus Christ “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). We say this in His incarnation as being born of a virgin, coming in the flesh to rescue the flesh He created by living a sinless life and giving His own life for our sins, thus we can make sense of Jesus saying of Himself, “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty” (Rev 1:8). This verse tells us that Jesus was, and still is, and always will be. He is compared to Melchizedek Who “is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever” (Heb 7:3).

The Beginning of the End

After Jesus returns and after having judged the world in righteousness (Rev 20:12-15), He will finally say, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment” (Rev 21:6) but nobody knows the day or the hour of Jesus’ return as He said “concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only” (Matt 24:36). He told His disciples just prior to His ascension, “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority” (Acts 1:7) so we have no business guessing or trying to predict when He will return; we are simply told to be ready before He comes back. I beg you, if you haven’t already been saved, to repent and trust in Christ. The psalmist writes “do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, as on the day at Massah in the wilderness” (95:8) and “As it is said, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion” (Heb 3:15). The point is, while it is still called today put your trust in Christ because “In a favorable time I listened to you and in a day of salvation I have helped you” so “now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor 6:2) because tomorrow may be too late.

Conclusion

Jesus is most certainly coming back and when He returns, He will either be your King and your Lord or He will be your Judge and executioner. Today is the favorable time to repent and trust in Christ because He could return this very day or you could die because “just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment” (Heb 9:27) and by then, it will be far too late.

Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren Church in Mulvane Kansas. Jack is also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer’s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book Teaching Children the Gospel available on Amazon.

Bible Answers

Alpha and Omega

Jesus Christ

Previous Post

November 2, 2015

What Does The Word Woe Mean In The Bible? Bible Definition Of Woe

Next Post

November 13, 2015 This Too Shall Pass Bible Verse Meaning And Study

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Bible Answers Bible Definitions Bible Story Bible Study Bible Verses Christian Books Christian Entertainment Christian Fathers Christian Mothers Christian Quotes Devotional Famous Christians Music News Parables Prayers Quotes Sunday School Lesson Uncategorized Youth Sermons

Select a Month October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What happened when Jesus touched the coffin of the widow's son at Nain?

Select your answer to see how you score.

The son came back to life The crowd dispersed The coffin broke Rain fell