This is the first of three-part series on Alpha and Omega in the book of Revelation.
It is our belief that Alpha and Omega all through the book Revelation is in reference to the God and Father of Jesus, not to Jesus, who is the son of His God. We find the phrase — Alpha and Omega — in Revelation 1:8; 21:6; 22:13 — all three of which, if we examine the scriptures closely, can be seen to refer to Jehovah, the God and Father of Jesus. In this post, we will examine the first of the scriptures, Revelation 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.” — Revelation 1:8, New American Standard Version
The scripture itself, the context, as well as other scriptures, show that it is the God of Jesus who is being quoted as speaking in Revelation 1:8, not Jesus himself. The Revelation is from the God and Father of Jesus, who, in turn gives the message to his angel, who in turn gives the message to John. Revelation 1:1 uses the word “God” — not to designate three persons, but rather it designates one person, the one that Jesus refers to as “my God.” (Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34; John 20:17; 2 Corinthians 1:3; 11:31; Ephesians 1:3,17; 1 Peter 1:3; Revelation 3:12) All through the New Testament (as well as the Old Testament), the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is presented as one person, and always as distinct from His son. — Acts 3:13-26; Hebrews 1:1,2.
Nevertheless, in Revelation 1:1, there are four persons involved in the transmission of the Revelation, and, throughout the Revelation, sometimes it is Jesus who is being quoted, and sometimes it is John who is speaking, and sometimes it is the angel who is quoted, and sometimes it is the God and Father of Jesus who is quoted.
In Revelation 1:8, the Alexandrian manuscripts, the Complutensian edition, and the Latin Vulgate, the Syriac, and Arabic versions, all read, “the Lord God”; and the Ethiopic version only has “God”. Most modern translations have “the Lord God”, which expression was used as a substitute for the expressions “Jehovah God” or “the Lord Jehovah”, that appear many times in the Old Testament. This can be seen by comparing Acts 3:22; 7:37 with the Hebrew of Deuteronomy 18:15. In all instances where the phrase occurs in the NT, it is in reference to Jehovah, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus; the phrase is never used of Jesus. — Luke 1:32; 1 Peter 3:10-15; Revelation 11:17,19; 15:3; 16:7; 18:8; 21:11; 22:6.
Likewise, with the phrases “the Lord our God” and “the Lord your God”: These phrases are always used in reference to Jehovah, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus. — Matthew 4:7 (Deuteronomy 6:16); Matthew 4:10 (Deuteronomy 6:13; 10:20); Matthew 22:37 (Deuteronomy 6:5); Mark 12:29 (Deuteronomy 6:4); etc.
Jesus is differentiated from He “who is and who was and who is to come” in Revelation 1:4,5, which is basically the same phrase used in Revelation 1:8. The expression “his throne” in Revelation 1:4 designates He who is, was and is to come, as the one sitting on the throne of Revelation 4:2,4,9,10; 5:1,7,13; 6:16; 7:15; 19:4; 21:5, and we know that this one who is sitting on the throne is NOT Jesus, for Jesus is depicted as the Lamb who who takes the book from the He who is sitting on the throne. — Revelation 5:6,7. Likewise, Revelation 1:5,6 refers to Jesus and the church members who are made a kingdom and also priests to “his God and Father” (World English Bible translation), that is, the God and Father of Jesus, which gives further differentiation between Jesus and his God and Father. Verse 7 refers to Jesus as coming with clouds. Verse 8 turns to quoting Jehovah, the One referred to in verse 4. In verses 9-10 John begins to write of himself. In verse 11, John begins to quote Jesus. In verses 12 through 16, John himself is writing of what he saw. In verse 17, John reports that he falls before Jesus as dead, and tells of what Jesus does and says.
Thus, Jesus is not being called Alpha and Omega in Revelation 1:8, nor is he being called “Almighty”.
Only the God and Father of Jesus is called the “Most High” in the scriptures: Genesis 14:22; Psalm 7:17; 83:18; 92:1; Luke 1:32; John 13:16.
Links to more studies related to Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, may be found at:
https://jesusnotyhwh.blogspot.com/p/alpha-and-omega.html
Updated: February 1, 2010; December 4, 2018; December, 2020
Continued in Revelation 21:6 and Revelation 22:13.
The Son of Jehovah 
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Hello there, good to see a somewhat like mind. I have been arguing that the early Christians did not believe Jesus to be God. I have to ask you opinion, why are both Jesus and God called First and last or Alpha and Omega. It does cause confusion.
My thought on this is the reason for the early Christian confusion between Jesus and God, his father, is due to a failure to grasp the ideas of Jewish mystics like Philo and the early Kabbalist about God. for them God lies beyond all rational comprehension and hence any thing that you can see or understand isn’t God but something he emits from Himself. It is like the Angel of the LORD in the old testament, its called the Angel(messenger) because while it says Gods words and is worshiped, it is not really God because it is an image God made to be seen by men. Jesus thus could be an image of God, say his words, have Hos power, but still not be God the Highest. Only that being is God, nothing it creates could claim to be the supreme lord. let me know what you think.
A close examination of the scriptures reveal that Jesus is never referred to as “Alpha and Omega.” That title is applied only to his God and Father.
http://godandson.reslight.net/?p=325
http://godandson.reslight.net/?p=66
Jesus is, however, referred to as the first and the last regarding his death and resurrection, being first and the last of the firstborn of the dead. The God and Father of Jesus, however, never dies.
http://godandson.reslight.net/?p=154
http://godandson.reslight.net/?p=911
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The concept that Jesus is not God stems from Arius of Alexandaria. What you going to do with scores of texts in the Bible that says Jesus is divine Son of God? You mean to say the Bible contradicts itself?
Responding to “Sailer”, February 29, 2012 at 2:40 am:
The concept that Jesus is not his God stems from the Bible itself. No where in the Bible is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob ever once revealed to be more than one person. On the other hand, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is revealed to be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus. — Exodus 3:14,15; Deuteronomy 18:15-20; Acts 3:13-26; Ephesians 1:3; 1 Peter 1:3; Hebrews 1:1-3.
That the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Exodus 3:14,15) is revealed as one individual or person may be seen from scriptures such as Isaiah 61:1; Acts 3:13-20; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Hebrews 1:1,2; 1 Timohy 2:5,6;
Although there is no scripture that actually says “divine” son, Jesus is indeed the divine Son of his God. In the expression, “Son of God”, who is meant by the word “God”? Is Jesus the son of a triune God, which would, in effect, make himself the son of himself. Yes, one can call upon the spirit of human imagination so as to assume that “God” in the expression “Son of God” means only the alleged “first person” of the alleged triune God, but the Bible is fully in agreement with itself without the need to call upon human imagination so as add concept after concept to the Bible to make the Bible appear to agree with the added-on triune God dogma, which dogma, in effect would deny the basis for which Jesus came in the flesh.
Regarding the straight-forward teaching of Scripture, without adding to the scripture the triune God concept:
Jesus is Not Yahweh (Jehovah)
http://godandson.reslight.net/?p=45
Regarding the divinity of Jesus:
http://godandson.reslight.net/?cat=4
Regarding Jesus as the Son of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob:
http://godandson.reslight.net/?cat=384
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My friends this is not speaking of the Father but of Jesus because we can clearly see in this verse that it says: “I am the Alpha and Omega, The beginning and the End, Says the Lord, who is, who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” This is scripture and speaks for itself so who is, Jesus Christ, Who was, Jesus Christ and who is everybody waiting to come again? Not the Father my friends but Jesus Himself. The scriptures here prove that Jesus is the Almighty because the father gave All authority to His son Jesus Christ and He glorified His Son and His Son glorified Him (The Father). We must just believe the word and not try to explain too much because then we move away from faith in the uncompromising word of God. At the mouth of two or three witnesses let every word be established and Thomas has confessed Jesus To be God, Isaiah Has prophesied that Jesus will be God the Almighty in Chapter 9:6, The Demons has confessed Him to be God, the angels has said you shall call His name Emmanuel which means God with us. Believe the bible and ask Holy Spirit to help you walk in unwavering faith in His word. Amen!
Jerome,
As pointed out, it is very plain that He who is, was and is come is not Jesus, but rather is the God and Father of Jesus; Jesus’ Father is the only person in the universe who is the source of all. — 1 Corinthians 8:6; Revelation 1:1,4,5. The scripture speaks for itself, that it is not Jesus who has always has been, is, and always will be iin coming future. Revelation 1:4,5 distinguishes He who is, was and is to come from Jesus, thus it is not Jesus who is speaking in Revelation 1:8, but rather it is the only true God who sent Jesus. (Isaiah 61:1; John 17:1,3)
Only the God and Father of Jesus is the Almighty, the source of all. (1 Corinthians 8:6) There are not two or more persons all of whom are the sources of all. If the Father gave to Jesus the power of being the Almighty — the source of all might — then that means that Jesus was not the Almighty until he was made the Almighty by the Father. But then, that would mean that there are two Almighties. It is the God and Father of Jesus, the only true God, the only who is the source of all, and therefore the only who is Almighty, who has made Jesus both Lord and Christ (Ezekiel 34:23,24; Isaiah 61:1,2; Acts 2:36), and has exalted him to the highest position in the universe, far above the angels, next to the only Most High. Jehovah did exalt his Son to position of being the Almighty. — Acts 2:33,36; 5:31; Philippians 2:9; Ephesians 1:3,17-23; 1 Corinthians 15:27; Hebrews 1:4,6; 1 Peter 3:22.
Yes, we should believe the Word, and not add all kinds of assumptions to the Word so as make Jesus appear to be the Almighty, when he is not. Nevertheless, that is exactly what has been done by the men who have developed both the trinity dogma and the modalist dogma. The truth is that it is very plan that in Revelation 5, Jesus is depicted as being the Lamb that was slain, not as He who is, was and is to come, who sits on the throne.
The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, by means of his holy spirit, reveals through the scriptures that He Himself (Jehovah/Yahweh) is the only true God, the unipersonal God and Father of the Lord Jesus, and the only source of all. Jesus has One who is the Supreme Being over him; Jesus is not the Supreme Being, but he does worship and pray to the Supreme Being, and it is this only true Supreme Being whom he worships, prays to, and who anointed and sent him, and whose will Jesus carried out in willful obedience. — Deuteronomy 18:15-19; Psalm 45:7; Isaiah 61:1; Matthew 4:4; Matthew 4:7; Matthew 4:10; Luke 4:4; Matthew 4:7; Matthew 4:10; Matthew 22:29-40; Matthew 26:42; Matthew 27:46; Mark 10:6; Mark 14:36; 15:34; Luke 4:8; Luke 22:42; John 3:34; 5:30; 6:38; 10:36; 17:1,3; 20:17; Acts 3:13-26; Romans 15:6; 1 Corinthians 8:6; 2 Corinthians 1:3; 11:31; Ephesians 1:3,17-23; 4:6; Philippians 2:8; Hebrews 1:9; 10:7; 1 Peter 1:3; Revelation 2:7; 3:2,12.
The only true God, the God and Father of Jesus, never is “given” power at all; THE GOD AND FATHER OF JESUS IS POWER INNATE, the source of all. (1 Corinthians 8:6) The only true God, the God and Father of Jesus, does give to Jesus power, but not the power of being the source of all power, since it is obvious in that all that is given from the only true Supreme Being, that of being the only true Supreme Being is exempt from being given to anyone. (John 17:1,3; Ephesians 1:3,17-23; 1 Corinthians 15:27) All is still “of” the only true Supreme Being, “through” the one whom only true Supreme Being has made — appointed — as “Lord” over the church and the world; the one appointed only has power “through the strength of Jehovah”, “his God”. — Psalm 2:6; Isaiah 9:7; 11:2; 61:1-3; Ezekiel 34:23,24; 37:24; Jeremiah 23:5; Micah 5:4; Matthew 28:18; Luke 1:32,33; Acts 2:36; 5:31; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Ephesians 1:3,17-23; Philippians 2:9-11.
I have no scriptural reason at all to think that Thomas thought that the Son of God that he was speaking to was the Supreme Being of whom he was the Son.
http://jesusnotyhwh.blogspot.com/p/scriptures-examined.html#john20-28
In Isaiah 9:6, the Hebrew phrase often translated as “Mighty God”, is more than likely not referring to Jesus, but is part of the single name that is given to the Son, and is referring to the God and Father of Jesus, not Jesus himself. Even if should be applied to Jesus, the most direct scriptural reasoning should not be to imagine and assume that it means “Almighty God”, but rather that it is being used similar to the way it is used in Ezekiel 32:21. I do not of any translation that renders the phrase in Ezekiel 32:21 as “Mighty God”, but all I know of render it similar to the way it rendered in the King James Version, “”The strong among the mighty”. The KJV renders the form of the word EL in Ezekiel 32:21, not as God, Gods, god or gods, but as “strong”.
http://jesusnotyhwh.blogspot.com/p/scriptures-examined.html#isa9-6
The demons no where confessed Jesus to be the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, God Most High, but they recognized him as the Son of the Most High. — Mark 5:7; Luke 8:28.
I have no scriptural reason to imagine and assume that because Jesus is given the name Immanuel, that one should read into this that Jesus is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, any more than I would think that one who bears the name Samuel is God. The only true God is indeed with His people through Jesus.
http://jesusnotyhwh.blogspot.com/p/scriptures-examined.html#mat1-23
For more studies related to Revelation 1:8:
http://jesusnotyhwh.blogspot.com/p/scriptures-examined.html#rev1-8