Revelation 22:12 “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay everyone for what he has done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”
Most Christians will tell you that Yahushua is speaking here.I will be honest from the get go.I have no idea.The speakers change in Revelation constantly.Reasoning why I think it's very possible that he is NOT speaking here:
In verse 16 Yahushua says "“I, Jesus," and there are only two other times this occurs in Revelation.It is with John and BOTH times John is BEGINNING to speak,not continuing to speak.(one example is verse 8 in the same chapter.The other instance of this construct is in Rev. 1:9)So if we are to follow that precedent then it would mean Yahushua is beginning to speak in verse 16,not before.I have seen some commentaries and reasoning from Christians who think it's the angel speaking,following from verse 9 on.This would make sense because in Revelation 1 :1 it says this:
"The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John."
So ultimately,God GAVE this entire revelation to Yahushua who gave it to an angel who gave it to John.It is God speaking ultimately through the agency of others.I guess this would mean that even if Yahushua is speaking in verse 12 that it could be God speaking through him,as he has done through angels and prophets in the past.Again,Yahuwah had to *give* the revelation to Yahushua!In no way can an omniscient Almighty God be GIVEN something and he be either Almighty OR omniscient.Though Yahushua has been *given* all power,looks like it's still being upheld consistently by his own God.It would also be the case for the angel as well(*if* it is the angel speaking in verse 12,following from verse 9) that it is ultimately Yahuwah speaking though Yahushua through the angel to John because we all know the angel isn't the Alpha and the Omega,which means the beginning and the end.
What I'm going to do here regardless is present a case as to why Yahushua could very well be called the Beginning and the End in a separate application to him as to that of his father.It could be the same reason we *know* without a doubt that he is called the First and the Last.Not because he's Yahuwah,but,*in context*(which needs obviously to be what we heed determinedly when interpreting)always has to do with his death and resurrection as opposed to his never having a beginning and never dying at all!
Revelation 2:8:These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who *died and came to life again.*
Trust me when I say that a God who cannot die cannot be brought back to life again either.Yahushua did not say that only a portion of him died or that he was awake (or alive)while he was dead.
Revelation 1:17:I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the Living One; *I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever!* And I hold the keys of death and Hades.
Notice in BOTH instances the context is his death and resurrection.God cannot die,obviously.So Yahushua is the FIRSTBORN(the first) from the **dead** and is now gifted an immortal life and one who can GIVE immortal lives to others like his father can.This is why he is so termed a life giving spirit..it has to do with the spirit in his glorified body being one which gives life to the world by the power,allowance,and decree of God.(1 Cor. 15:45,Romans 6:23)The *last* has to do with both his inability to ever perish again and all things now being upheld by and in and through him.He's the last directly raised by Yah as all others will be by & through him.Also,he is one of a kind like his father is.As the uniquely begotten heir and savior of the world.The First and Last of his kind.But to stay safely strictly within context,it has to do with his death and resurrection.And we must,again,heed the qualification of the context and not just throw it away so that we won't have to recognize the qualification for the threat it is to our own ideas.
from http://www.nazarene-friends.org/magazines/1999/1999-01.htm#OMEGA:
"A check of the context shows this “First and Last” was with definite limitations, was relative to just the matter of Christ Jesus’ death and resurrection, as verse 18 shows. Christ was the first one raised in the first resurrection, and the last one that will be raised directly by Jehovah God. Others who follow in that resurrection will be raised by God through Christ. (John 6:40; 1 Cor. 6:14) In fact, this limitation is also shown by the footnote on “First” in Revelation 1:17 in the New World Translation, where “First” is shown to mean “Firstborn” by one ancient manuscript. Christ was the firstfruits of those asleep in death. (1 Cor. 15:20) When “First and Last” is again applied to Christ Jesus, at Revelation 2:8, note that again it is with respect to death and resurrection. But when it speaks thus of Jehovah *no limitation is set on the meaning.*"
from http://godandson.reslight.net/alphaomega.html:
"We have no reason to restrict the term in application to God Almighty, except to satisfy the whims of those who wish to use it thus to prove that Jesus is Yahweh, which, in effect, would make the whole argument circular, that is, 'we believe that Jesus is Yahweh, thus we believe that the expression first and last must be used in application to God Almighty only, and thus this proves that Jesus is Yahweh."
Basically,in summary,Yahushua's being the first and last,in context,is in reference to the ceaseless life he received after being the FIRST one resurrected.
*If*(again that's an IF) Yahushua is called the beginning and the end,it's possible,based upon my own conjecture,that the reasons *may* go beyond why he's the first and the last in their contexts provided.Quite possibly,there's a more profound meaning behind it without him having to be the Most High God.After all, the Most High is *his* God,the God of Yahushua.Let's think upon some things.Keep in mind the whole time that this is all based on just a *possibility* that Yahushua is speaking about himself in Rev 22:12.
Yahushua is the fulfillment of all God's plans for mankind and kingdom plans for the world from the beginning to the end of time.Now THAT'S an extraordinary truth.
Yahuwah says:
Isaiah 46:9 I am God, and there is none like me,
10 declaring the end from the beginning
and from ancient times things not yet done,
saying, ‘My counsel shall stand,
and I will accomplish all my purpose,’
In Yahushua it was all accomplished & finished and shall be held together and perfected,by fulfilling God's word and plans.God said:
Isaiah 55:11 so shall my *word* be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
John 1:14 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.
When this miraculously conceived and specially anointed servant of Yahuwah's grew up & had to die for the life of the world,when he was at the brink of death said:
John 19:30 “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.(he breathed his last..his spirit ,or breath & force of life, went to God who restored it to him on the 3rd day.)
Of course,he was raised as a life giving spirit.In that he can give life to the world now that God gave him the ability to do so..filled to the tip top fully with Yahuwah's holy spirit corporeally,bodily..(Col. 2:9)
When he was raised from death to glory,he was the *beginning* of a new creation.
Revelation 3:14 “And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the *beginning* of God's creation.
Colossians 1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the *beginning*, the *firstborn* from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.
God cannot be the firstborn from death for he simply cannot die.So we know this is about a SON who had the capacity to die at that time.No indication anywhere whatsoever that only a nature perished to save mankind.This is a scripturally baseless position.Yahushua's position was that *he* did.He said "I was dead.""I" in Greek demands a mind and an ego.No,it simply wasn't good enough for a body with no Yahushua in it to "perish" as if this can even be done.How the traditions of men have nullified God's word!
And since Christ's body is that in which we are given life he is the *end* of God's creation and kingdom decrees as well.Because in him we consist.
Colossians 1:17 he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
He's also the "last" and the "end" because he was given a ceaseless immortal life by the One who raised him from a genuine death,the One to whom he cried out profusely to save him from death by resurrecting him to the glory he was to inherit.He was heard for his reverent submission TO God,not because he IS (that same) God.(Heb 5:7)
2 Corinthians 13:4 For he(Yahushua) was *crucified*(this means he was really killed) in weakness(that's how he humbled himself even though he was a mighty king..Phil 2:4-11), but *lives by the power of God.* (see also John 5:26)For we also are weak in him, but in dealing with you we will live with him by the power of God.
From Genesis 3:15 where it was prophesied that Yahushua would crush the head of the serpent all the way to John 19:30 where he says "It is finished" ,fulfilling also 2 Cor. 1:20 where by means of him what God declared from the beginning to the end was fulfilled to perfection,we find good reason logically for Yahushua to be able to call himself the Beginning and the End in a beautiful but separate application from that of his father.Here's a text that sums up why beautifully for those with discernment:
2 Corinthians 1:20:For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ. And so through him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God.
Unlike his father,Yahushua had to be *given* life and also the power to give us life.
Revelation 1:17,18: “Fear not, I am the first and the last, 18 and the living one. **I died**,and behold **I am alive forevermore**, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.
So he is the *beginning* of God's new creation and plans for a kingdom & the *end* and *last* having been granted an unending immortality and the power to give life to mankind by his own lifegiver and sustainer on the 3rd day.When his body was raised (he was *always* in it of course!)literally,his "other" body(we the Christians..1 Cor. 12:27)was also raised figuratively,metaphorically.
Power to give life wasn't (yet) inherent in his being(for he had to die before he was raised in glory or our faith is in vain.)God *gave* him the gifts he now has.
The God that will be "all in all" from 1 Cor. 15:27-28 is not a triune One and is the God of Yahushua.Yahuwah lets everyone know there who the only supreme God is in the end,though he gladly and lovingly,exceedingly even,gives remarkable gifts to his beloved children,especially Yahushua!(James 1:17,Matt 7:11)Because GOD IS LOVE.(1 John 4:8)
The Beginning and the End that Yahuwah is is completely wrapped up in the Beginning and the End that Yahushua *might be* in Revelation.Why?Simply because Yahushua perfectly and completely fulfilled God's declarations and prophecies to and for mankind from the beginning to the end,satisfying this principle by his miraculous birth,obedient inspiring life,heartwrenching death,and profound extolling.Deeming possible the gifts God desires to shower upon the earth and mankind in Christ,our forerunner to an unfathomable glory.Yes,God declared the end from the beginning and Yahushua fulfilled it by the word,decree,will and spirit of his father.
This "beginning and end" phenomenon is also wrapped up in what their names mean,entangled with one another because Yahushua is the Lamb by which Yahuwah gives life.:)Revelation 13:8 signifies that Yahushua was slain before the world was even founded & this may indicate exactly how it was God created all things in Christ.He foresaw and thoughtfully decreed the reconciliation of fallen mankind as new creatures in Yahushua before Yahushua even took a breath.(1 Peter 1:20,Romans 4:17)Before Adam even fell.
Yahuwah means "he causes to become" or "self existing one" and Yahushua means "Yahuwah is salvation."Yahuwah caused all His kingdom plans and His decrees to give life to a faithful righteous world to be fulfilled in his word of life,Yahushua, who epitomized his saving power and executed its brilliance,gloriously.Obediently & faithfully bringing God's plans from the beginning to the end of time to unstoppable life!(1 Cor. 1:18,1 John 1:1-4)
Yes,God's decrees from the beginning to the end of time..those which he declared and typified and prophecied throughout the OT with his promised dear Messiah at the heart of it all(as the foreordained *word of life* in his heart & plans to be manifest at the right time..Job 10:13,23:13,14,Gal. 4:4)became AMEN in his servant/Lamb/image/heir/agent/beloved/Son/king of the world/High Priest/Messiah.Yahuwah decrees.Yahushua fulfills that which his father decreed from the beginning to the end in his father's benevolent and perfect counsel.Working as one in the unity of God's holy spirit.
The crucial,faithful,and true tale here is the good news that we can be like and in Yahushua and inherit a kingdom along with him in glory *because* he is the beginning of God's new creatures and been granted an immortality without end!We can receive Christ's resurrection to the same glorious image as his!We shall see him then as he is,which we cannot possibly fully fathom currently in our fallen state of affairs.
2 Corinthians 4:6:For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Yes,first God shined through Yahushua so that he could also shine through us by means of Christ's accomplishments and salvation.Yahushua was his greatest gift to the world,a manifestation of his own personality and plans for a kingdom!His own saving power and his own peerless love.Christ was the first..and the last in that,as mediator,we have this privilege given us in him as his body.
2 Corinthians 3:18:And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
We can have a taste of that glory now,being born again,but not fully and exceptionally encompassing its majesty till it's perfected in a resurrection at the last day.
Trinitarians often say that if Yahushua reflects and is the image of God's glory that it means he's God,inexplicably.This argument,if consistent,would mean that we're Christ and God.Impossible,of course.
1 John 3:2-3:Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure
This is the whole beautiful reality of God's word of life manifest to the world!It means our ultimate glorification and exaltation along with Yahushua's if we're faithful!We will never compare to Yahushua in that he has inherited a name and inimitable stance far above what anyone else's could ever be,but we are promised his resurrection and to be kings and priests with him.And eternal life in & through him.:)..Again,precisely because in him we say "AMEN!" to all God's promises and plans for mankind from the beginning to the end of time.
Yahushua so prays poignantly something we'd be blessed to comprehend :
John 17:22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.
That my friends is one of the most beautiful things I have ever heard.Yahushua,our big brother as the foreordained firstfruits of God's soon to be immortalized creatures pleading for our glory to be like his and his father's love to be as extraordinary for us as it was for him.We have MUCH to be thankful for!To Yahuwah and his firstborn immortalized glorified exalted Son.Yes,we are immortalized,glorified,and exalted along with him in God's kingdom decrees, in his faithful and true salvation plans.
May Yahuwah bless you all!
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