On their website the Watchtower Society tackles this question of the identity of the Alpha and Omega of Revelation 1:8;21:6;22:13. Christians have always insisted the Alpha and Omega is both God the Father and God the Son, the beginning and the end of all things, second member of the Trinity. Jehovah’s Witnesses insist, ‘The Alpha and the Omega refers to Jehovah God, the Almighty.’
They distinguish between Alpha and Omega in Rev.1:8,whom they call in the text 'Jehovah God,' and the First and the Last in Revelation 1:18. They make much of the difference between Alphaeus and Omega in v.8 and Protos and Eskhatos in v 18. They also point out the text in Habakkuk 1:12 where the prophet declares of God, 'you do not die.'
‘...the term “the First [pro’tos, not alpha] and the Last [e’skha·tos, not omega]” occurs at Revelation 1:17, 18 and 2:8. In these verses, the context shows that the one referred to died and later returned to life. Thus, these verses cannot refer to God because he has never died. (Habakkuk 1:12) However, Jesus died and was resurrected. (Acts 3:13-15) He was the first human to be resurrected to immortal spirit life in heaven, where he now lives “forever and ever.” (Revelation 1:18; Colossians 1:18) Jesus is the one who performs all resurrections thereafter. (John 6:40,44) Therefore, he was the last one to be resurrected directly by Jehovah. (Acts 10:40) In this sense, Jesus can properly be called “the First and the Last.”
They come by a very circuitous route to arrive at the conclusion that Jesus cannot be the Alpha and Omega. They argue that the Greek in 1:8 and 1:18 is different but then fall silent on any significance this might have. Isaiah 44:6 has God identifying himself as the First and the Last, beside whom there is no god.
Clearly, the LORD (Jehovah) is the First and the Last. Habakkuk 1:12 informs us that God cannot die. Revelation 1:18, however, says, ‘Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died and behold I am alive forever more, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.’ Ergo, the person speaking in Rev.1:18 cannot be God.
In their Kingdom Interlinear Translation they give the accurate, ‘I am the living one; and I became dead, but, look! I am alive forever more,’ for 1:18. Jesus doesn’t say, ‘I was dead,’ as describing a past condition but, ‘I became dead,’ as describing a past act. Jesus took on flesh (became man) as an act of will so that he could ‘become dead’ (take on death) equally as an act of will. As to his divinity God the Son is immutable in nature and cannot die, which is why he became a man (took on flesh) in order that he should ‘become dead.’
Remember Jesus’ words in John’s gospel, ‘No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again.’ (Jn.1:18) Why is he able to do this? Because he is not a contingent being but has life in himself (Jn:1:4) Revelation 1:18 begins, ’I am the living one.’
Oh, the Greek, the Greek!
As to the Greek in 1:8 and 1:18, Alpha and Omega mean first and last, Protos and Eskhatos mean first and last, so what is the difference? There is none. Strong’s identifies protos as an adjective, a word that modifies a noun or pronoun. It is a superlative meaning foremost, first in rank, chief, principle. When identifying the principal in a category the adverb protos is applied to the noun or pronoun.
Strong’s identifies Alpha as a noun, as in the name of the first letter of the Greek alpha-bet. The Hebrews, Greeks, and Romans used their alphabetic letters as numerals, thus Alpha and Omega are first and last. We have here two ways of saying the same thing. Protos, as in prototype, Eskhatos, as in eschatology, Alpha, as in first letter and Omega, as in last letter. No wonder they wanted nothing to do with explaining the Greek.
William Barclay
They quote one of their favourite authorities on the question:
‘Commenting on this section of Revelation, Professor William Barclay wrote: “Things are set down without any apparent order;...and it is often very difficult to be sure who is the actual speaker.” (The Revelation of John, Volume 2, Revised Edition, page 223) Thus, “the Alpha and the Omega” at Revelation 22:13 can be identified as the same Person given this title elsewhere in Revelation—Jehovah God.’...but…
Barclay’s observation about the disjointed nature of the rest of the chapter comes in his commentary on Rev.22:6-9. Not significant in itself, but it is interesting that the ‘disjointed’ nature of the subsequent verses does not stop William Barclay identifying three speakers in this passage: one of the angels, Jesus, and John; no mention of God the Father. It is also instructional that, whoever is speaking in 22:13, he is ‘coming soon, and bringing my recompense with me, to repay everyone for what he has done.’ Now, who is ‘coming soon?’ Barclay identifies Jesus, ‘who reiterates that his return is not to be long delayed.’
Neither does Barclay have any difficulty in identifying the Alpha and Omega at 22:13 as Jesus:
THE Risen Christ once again announces his speedy coming; and he makes two great claims.
(i) He has his reward with him and will render to every man according to his work. H. B. Swete says:
“Christ speaks as the Great Steward, who in the eventide of the world will call the labourers to receive their day’s wages.”
(ii) He is Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end. This is a repetition of titles used in 1:17; 2:8; 21:6. There is more than one idea here.
Barclay even identifies Jesus with the person in 1:8 and reinforces the strength of the teaching on Christ’s supremacy as indicated by being Alpha and Omega:
(a) There is the idea of completeness. The Greeks used from alpha to omega and the Hebrews from aleph to tau to indicate completeness. For instance, Abraham kept the whole Law from aleph to tau. Here is the symbol that Jesus Christ has everything within himself and needs nothing from any other source.
(b) There is the idea of eternity. He includes in himself all time, for he is the first and the last.
(c) There is the idea of author. The Greeks said that Zeus was the beginning, the middle, and the end. The Jewish rabbis took over this idea and applied it to God, with their own interpretation. They said that, since God was the beginning, he received his power from no one; since he was the middle, he shared his power with no one; and since he was the end, he never handed over his power to anyone.
Come, Lord Jesus
In our Facebook discussion Barry Amor helpfully points out:
'It's strange that they say the speaker is not identified in Rev 22 v 13 yet are quite happy to say that it is in fact Jehovah speaking (see the 15 Jan 2009 WT page 30 https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2009046#h=11:0-12:0) where they also identify Jesus as the 'First and the last' in Rev 1 v 7. In that article they make attempts to differentiate the 'first and last' of Jehovah and that of Jesus trying to show that both being the 'first and the last' doesn't mean they are both God. If they identify the speaker because He is called the 'Alpha and the Omega', which is a name given to Jehovah, then surely the same would apply to that speaker being called 'First and Last' which Jesus is identified as.
Additionally, in verse 16 it is Jesus who is speaking and it would be a desperate move to separate the speaker in verses 12-15 and He in verse 16.
In Rev 22 v 12 the speaker is said to be He who is '...coming soon...' which would clearly identify Him as Jesus, but to make it even clearer in Rev 22 v 20 the speaker says "Yes, I am coming soon" to which the writer responds "Amen, come, Lord Jesus". There can be no doubt that it is Jesus who is the one 'coming soon' in this passage and so is the one speaking in Rev 22 v 13.'
So, who died on the cross for your sins and mine? The same character we find in Revelation called the first and the last, the Alpha and Omega.
Comments