Read: Revelation 1:1-8
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” (v. 8)
After my woman’s Bible study group spent a year studying the book of Revelation, we came away convinced that God gave his people this book to be a source of deep hope in uncertain times. This hope comes from the conviction that Jesus Christ continues to live and to reign, even though present circumstances may make that difficult to see and believe. This is connected to the belief that Christ will come again to fully and finally make all things right in this world.
The words from Revelation 1 point to these enduring truths as God makes himself known as “the Alpha and the Omega . . .who is and who was and who is to come.” This passage is full of past, present, and future tenses. We see the present described in verse 5: “Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness . . .” (NIV, emphasis added). We also see the past: by his death on the cross, Jesus freed us from our sins.
Closely wed to these is the promise of Christ’s return in the future, serving as the source of our hope. “ ‘Look, he is coming with the clouds,’ and ‘every eye will see him’ ” (v. 7 NIV). Christ’s triumphal return will have the final word over all sin, death, brokenness, and suffering. —Kristen Deede Johnson
As you pray, remember that Christ freed us in the past, loves us and reigns over the world today, and will come again to make all things right.
