Alpha and Omega the key that opens Revelation
In Matthew 20:16 Jesus presented to His followers a new axiom-- the last shall be first and the first shall be last. As we begin our examination of the Bible, we are going to implement this new axiom into our examination. This commentary will begin with the last book of the Bible-- that of Revelation. And we are going to open the commentary with an examination of the last chapter of Revelation. The last chapter of the last book will be our first excursion into the scriptures. The last shall be first.
The book of Revelation, either by chance, or by design, has a total of 22 chapters. This would make the book of Revelation a type of acrostic writing because the Hebrew alphabet consists of 22 letters. Now some would argue, "But, the book of Revelation is written in Greek, not Hebrew." Indeed. The book of Revelation is written in Greek, not the Hebrew of the Old Testament. And the Greek alphabet contains 24 letters, not 22 as does the Hebrew. But the book of Revelation with its 22 chapters can still be evaluated as an acrostic writing having parallels to the Hebrew alphabet of 22 letters.
The 22 Hebrew letters begin with Alef and end with Taf. The Greek letters begin with Alpha and end with Omega. Alpha and Omega. The first and the last.
As regards scripture, first came the Hebrew, and last came the Greek. But the Greek will be first, though it was last. And the Hebrew will be last, though it was first. Look at the first two letters of Greek and Hebrew:
First is Alpha... from the Greek. And next is Bet... from the Hebrew. Alpha. Bet. Hence the English word alphabet. The entire word of God is composed of the alphabet. Where the last is the first and the first is the last. Greek becomes first... Alpha. (though it was last) And Hebrew becomes last... Bet. (though it was first) Jesus Christ is the Word of God. In Revelation He declares He is the First and the Last. He is the AlphaBet. We're beginning our examination of the book of Revelation with the last chapter of the book. But the very information we're seeing here in the last chapter is addressed in the first chapter:
"I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,”
(Revelation 1:11)
Alphabet. First and Last. Alpha and Omega. All of these are acrostic elements. An acrostic is a writing that uses the letters of the alphabet to establish a pattern. Acrostics are often used, in their simplest form, to teach children. Here is an example:
- A is for apple.
- B is for boy.
- C is for cat.
- D is for dog.
Here we read four simple sentences, each with four words. The first letters in these four sentences are the first four letters in the English alphabet. A, B, C, and D. These four simple sentences demonstrate the core concept of an acrostic writing. A progressive incorporation of letters of the alphabet.
Many Bible students understand that some of the writers of the Bible employed the acrostic technique in their writing of the scriptures. Perhaps the most well known example is that of Proverbs 31. The thirty-first chapter of Proverbs, written by King Solomon, is an ode to the perfect woman. It is a poetic writing describing God's bride who is to be the perfect bride. There are 31 verses in Proverbs 31. Divided into two groups. Nine verses for an introduction. Followed by 22 verses to deliver the message. The last 22 verses correspond to the Hebrew alphabet. The first of these 22 verses begins with the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet... Alef. The second of these begins with the second letter of the Hebrew alphabet... Bet. This pattern continues all the way through the twenty-second and last verse which begins with the twenty-second and last letter of the Hebrew alphabet... Taf. Each of these 22 verses describes some aspect of the perfect bride. And once the reader has read all 22 verses, the perfect bride will have been completely described. Because all 22 characters of the Hebrew alphabet will have been employed in her description.
[It is also interesting to observe that the New Testament is written to the New Testament Church, the bride of Christ. That New Testament is composed of 27 books. Of those books, the four gospels and Acts cover the life of Jesus Christ and His apostles. (5 books) Then these are followed by 14 epistles of Paul, and 7 general epistles. (21 books) And last the book of Revelation. That's 5 books followed by 21 epistles. Then Revelation. But notice that the book of Revelation as written by John was to be delivered to the seven churches of Asia Minor. In this regard, the book of Revelation is an epistle like the seven general epistles which were to be distributed to all of the churches. So we have five books. Followed by 21 epistles. Followed by 1 epistle. Which means we have 5 books followed by 22 epistles. Did you catch that? Twenty-two epistles. In standard English we don't call them epistles. We call them letters. So we have 5 books followed by 22 letters. 22 letters.
The book of Proverbs has an introduction of 9 chapters followed by 22 chapters describing the perfect bride. And each of these 22 chapters corresponds to one of the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
In parallel, the New Testament has 5 books followed by 22 letters. And these 22 letters are written to the New Testament Church. The Bride of Christ.
Proverbs is a 22-letter acrostic describing the perfect bride, and the New Testament is a 22-letter acrostic instructing the perfect bride.]
Now let us proceed with our Revelation examination. The last chapter of the Bible, Revelation 22, opens with a statement about two characters. Here it is:
Rev 22:1 [NKJV]
And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb.
The two characters in this verse are God, and the Lamb. Notice that the use of the word “throne” here is singular in the Greek rather than plural. There is only one throne being referenced in this verse, not two. This verse does NOT indicate that there is a throne of God, and there is a separate throne of the Lamb. Rather, the verse indicates that there is one throne of both God, and the Lamb.
The erroneous assumption made almost universally by readers of this verse is that "God" and "the Lamb" are two terms referring to two separate individuals, God the Father and Jesus Christ. This is not the case. "God" and "the Lamb" are names (or titles) being used to reference only one individual. One being-- the Alpha and Omega who is Jesus Christ. Alpha and Omega is a new name given to Jesus Christ here in the book of Revelation. This name is composed of two Greek characters. Alpha. And Omega. God has given Himself this new name to explain to us that He is a 2-in-1 Being. His existence is composed of an Alpha component and an Omega component.
What we are also going to find in this examination of Revelation is that within John's vision we are presented with two additional characters which parallel the two alphabet characters of Alpha and Omega. But these two additional characters are not letters of the alphabet. Rather they are character images within John's vision. Visual characters that John sees and that participate within the vision. Much as characters participate within a novel or film. In the study of literature we learn that most often, novels are written centered around one main character, and this character is known as the protagonist. In the very popular film series The Hunger Games, the
protagonist is a female-- Katniss Everdeen. She is the central character appearing in the film.
Where most characters appearing within drama films are humans, characters appearing within sci-fi and fantasy film genres are often animals, super-humans, spirits, or even machines. Characters appearing within a film are not limited to human beings. And we will find this to be true in John's vision as well.
The two character images appearing in John's vision which correspond to the two alphabet characters of Alpha and Omega are introduced in Revelation chapters four and five. First is the last. The Omega. This is the character image of "the Lamb" that stood as though it had been slain. Apparently having a blood stain upon its wool. Having seven eyes. And seven horns. (Revelation 5:6)
And this character image of the Lamb was standing next to the "one who sat on the throne" which is the second of the two character images. (Revelation 5:7, 4:2) The One who sat on the throne is the character image appearing in John's vision corresponding to the Alpha component of the new name Alpha and Omega. The Lamb that stood as slain is the character image appearing in John's vision corresponding to the Omega component of the new name Alpha and Omega.
Each of these two character images are fantastical characters [example of fantastical characters] that appear in John's vision. But each one represents or symbolizes something real. The character image of the One who sat on the throne symbolizes the reality of YHWH, the God of the Old Testament. The character image of the Lamb that stands as slain symbolizes the reality of Jesus Christ, the God of the New Testament. These two character images appearing repeatedly in John's vision represent the Alpha component and the Omega component of the Alpha and Omega.
And these two components represent one reality. One Divine Individual. The one Individual who is the Alpha and Omega. YHWH--Jesus. The Creator--Savior.
This new name of Alpha and Omega is presented to us in the book of Revelation to reveal to us that the divine Individual we commonly call Jesus Christ is in reality a 2-in-1 Individual. He is a singular individual with two components comprising His identity. He is our Creator. And He is our Savior. This Individual has performed two things--
- As YHWH-- this single Individual created the entire universe and all that lives therein.
- As Jesus-- this very same Individual gave His life for all those that He created.
He is YHWH--Jesus.
He is the Creator--Savior. The beginning and the end. He is the beginning of life. The Creator. And He is the end of death. The Savior.
As John tells us, He is the root and offspring of David. (Revelation 22:16) He is the root of David-- the Creator who gave life to Adam which continued on 35 generations to David. And He is the offspring of David-- the Promised Savior prophesied to become a descendant of King David. Which is Jesus Christ. (appearing after an additional 42 generations for a total of 77) (Luke 3)
Over 98% of the terms appearing in the book of Revelation as titles, names, or descriptors of God are used to reference the Alpha component or the Omega component of the Alpha and Omega. YHWH--Jesus.
This understanding leads us to the central theme of Revelation, the primary reason Revelation was written. This primary purpose for the book of Revelation is found in the title of the book, taken from the first verse. It is true that our oldest copies of this book do not contain a title for the book, but the title given to the book many years later, is taken from the first verse. That title is The Revelation of Jesus Christ.
Though this title is an accurate and appropriate name for the book, the title is overwhelmingly misunderstood. One renown preacher of the early twentieth century often commented on the "Bank of Morgan." Explaining that the word "of" in this name is used to convey the idea of ownership. The Bank of Morgan is the bank that is owned by Morgan. In this name, the word "of" denotes ownership. This preacher went on to explain that the same word "of" in The Revelation of Jesus Christ also was employed to convey ownership. Indicating the book of Revelation was given to Jesus Christ and thereby is owned by Him.
Unfortunately, this explanation is erroneous. The word "of" in The Revelation of Jesus Christ is not intended to convey ownership. By definition, a revelation is an act of revealing. Thereby, the revelation of Jesus Christ means the revealing of Jesus Christ. Or more explicitly, The Revealing of the True Identity of Jesus Christ.
The primary purpose for the book of Revelation is to reveal the true identity of Jesus Christ. And that identity is a two-in-one identity. Hence the new name-- Alpha and Omega.
The term “God” (theos in Greek) is repeatedly used by John throughout Revelation to refer to the “one who sat upon the throne.” This one who sat upon the throne is first introduced to us back in Revelation 4:2.
In Revelation 3:21 Jesus states that He is now set down with the Father on the Father's throne; the verb tense in this verse is present, not future. And the verse goes on to state that Christ will in the future sit down on His own throne. In Matthew 19:28 Jesus states that the Son of man at the time of the regeneration (the time of Christ's return) shall sit on the throne of His glory. The verb expression in this verse is future tense.
The throne mentioned here in Revelation 22:1 is the throne upon which Jesus shall sit in the regeneration of God's Kingdom at His future return. This is not the throne of the Father. Today Jesus is seated with the Father on the Father's throne. But at His return, Jesus Christ will sit upon His own throne over the Kingdom of God on earth.
The “throne of God and the Lamb” mentioned in 22:1 is referring to the singular throne upon which Jesus shall be seated. “God and the Lamb” is a reference to the two components of the Alpha and Omega, the two-in-one being we know as Jesus Christ. God references the Alpha component. And the Lamb references the Omega component.
Now back again to Revelation 4 where we are introduced to the two character images of the one who sat on the throne and the Lamb who stands as slain. Look at the verb tenses used here. The one who sat is past tense, and the Lamb who stands is present tense. In the past the one Divine Individual represented in these two character images sat on the throne as YHWH. Presently He now stands as resurrected, but not yet seated. In the future He shall again be seated on His throne. The "one who sat upon the throne" and the "Lamb who stands as slain" are two character images in John's vision that represent the Alpha and Omega, which is Jesus Christ's dual existence as YHWH of the Old Testament and the Son of Man of the New Testament.
The expression “God and the Lamb” used here in Revelation 22:1 refers to the two character images appearing in Revelation 4. The one that sat on the throne, and the Lamb that stands as slain-- symbols for YHWH and Jesus Christ respectively. These two character images represent one divine Individual. The two-in-one Alpha and Omega.
With this understanding that "God and the Lamb" is an expression referring to the Alpha and Omega, we can now proceed to the next verse.
Rev 22:2 [NKJV]
In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
Notice the last words, "the healing of the nations." This is a prophetic term having symbolic meaning. Why is it that nations need healing? The individuals who make up the populations of those nations need physical/biological healing from disease. But why does a nation need healing? Remember, (as covered elsewhere in our discussions) human disease is simply the micro version of the grand scale internal conflict that takes place within Satan's kingdom, a kingdom Jesus described as divided against itself. Satan's kingdom is a diseased kingdom. By design. (not by chance or side effect) The subject nations that make up Satan's kingdom will be healed by Jesus Christ, the Healer. The One who removes internal conflict. These nations will have their corruption/infection removed from their governments. Corruption, infighting, graft. These are just a few of the many manifestations of national disease. Disease that infects governments.
The core essence of all governmental disease is competition. Internal conflict. Infighting. Nations that are now a part of Satan's kingdom, (the whole world) which is a kingdom divided against itself, will no longer be divided against themselves when Christ returns. The Great Healer is coming to remove all competition. All conflict within government. And all conflict between governments. Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace as declared by Isaiah. His kingdom will be filled with peace, not strife. And cooperation, not competition. Jesus stated that any kingdom divided against itself cannot stand. (Matthew 12:25) He is coming to remove all competition and conflict within and between governments. This removal of governmental competition is the healing of the nations declared in Revelation 22:2.
Next verse.
Rev 22:3 [NKJV]
And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him.
The curse mentioned here is likely connected to the leaves of the Tree of Life John mentions in the previous verse which are for the healing of the nations. This curse would therefore seem to be the curse of Domination of the Fittest cast over all biology at the time of Adam's fall in the Garden. (incorrectly called Survival of the Fittest throughout society today) [explanation of Domination as opposed to Survival] This curse was placed upon Adam and Eve at the Garden of Eden; which brought on mankind all manner of disease, and consequently death, through competition of all living things competing against each other. This is the thorns and thistles curse mentioned in Genesis 3:18. From this curse humans have suffered every disease known to man. Where organs, tissues, and cells fight against each other within the human body. This Domination of the Fittest curse is the origin of disease. The core concept or idea at the center of this Domination of the Fittest curse is competition. The thorns and thistles mentioned in Genesis signify the weaponization of plants, indicating a new condition of competition that had not previously existed. With this curse every form of biology on planet Earth became infected with competition. (not just the plants)
This curse of competition includes microorganisms that attack the body. Internal competition. The curse of Domination of the Fittest is the curse of competition of every kind, including the competition of microorganisms that attack the body internally. What we call disease.
But the Healer is coming to remove this curse. He will remove all forms and manifestations of competition. Not just the competition within our physical bodies, but the competition within our governmental bodies as well. Nations, and states, and counties, and cities will no longer be divided against themselves, and no longer compete against each other. The removal of the curse mentioned here in verse 22:3 is the removal of competition, and the resulting healing of the nations.
Now notice the first words of this verse again. And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it. In this verse, the throne is being connected to the removal of the curse. (or vice versa) The curse is competition. The throne is that of the Prince of Peace. The Prince of Peace will have no war. No fighting. No competition. His kingdom is one of cooperation, not competition.
Because the throne of God and of the Lamb is in this new kingdom, and because that throne is a throne of peace from which the Prince of Peace rules, it thereby follows that the curse of competition cast over all mankind (the thorns and thistles curse) shall be removed. The previous verse mentions the leaves of the Tree of Life for the healing of the nations. These healing leaves would represent a reversal of the thorns and thistles curse.
As in verse 1, here in verse 3 there is but one throne (singular) “of God and of the Lamb.” The verse does not use the word thrones (plural). It does not state “and their servants shall serve them”; but rather “his servants shall serve him.” His and him are singular. (understood from the singular throne) This is one individual with one throne. Once again, God and the Lamb is a reference to the two-in-one Individual who is the Alpha and Omega. YHWH--Jesus. The first and the last. One divine Individual with one throne.
Next verse.
Rev 22:4 [NKJV]
They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads.
Jesus Christ is the Messiah promised to return to dwell with His people. He will live here on planet Earth, dwelling with all humans. And all humans shall see His face. Symbolically speaking, His name shall be on their foreheads. That name is Alpha and Omega. The two-in-one King and High Priest. All humanity shall become part of His family, and take on His name. As a bride commonly takes on the name of her husband. Those who are resurrected into His kingdom shall rule the Kingdom with Him as princes and princesses-- brothers and sisters of the King.
[explain that no human has seen the face of God the Father. They shall not see His face. He does not manifest Himself into a physical body.]
Next verse.
Rev 22:5 [NKJV]
There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.
Notice the last words. Forever and ever. As Daniel explained to Nebuchadnezzar over 2500 years ago, the kingdom that is to be established by our Messiah will be an everlasting kingdom. The kingdom established by the Stone cut without hands, which kingdom shall grow into a mountain. (Dan 2:44) The King of that kingdom shall reign with His spiritual brothers and sisters over that kingdom for ever and ever.
The Lord God gives them light. These two words “Lord God” appear four times in the book of Revelation. And “Lord God Almighty” appears five additional times. Both of these terms are used to refer to YHWH, the God of the Old Testament, who became Jesus Christ. Prior to God calling Moses, God was known as El Shaddai-- meaning God Almighty. As recorded in Exodus, YHWH informed Moses at the burning bush that he was to lead the ancient Israelites out of Egypt and God's name would no longer be El Shaddai, but rather He would be known by a new name-- I AM. Or YHWH. (Exodus 3:1-22) YHWH means the self-existent one. Hence, I AM. (I Exist) Also notice that after Moses had approached Pharaoh in Egypt, YHWH made this statement to Moses.
I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name LORD I was not known to them.
(Exodus 6:31)
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob did not know God by the name of YHWH. They knew Him by the name God Almighty. [explain all caps LORD is YHWH]
YHWH's previous name, El Shaddai, or God Almighty is an exact match to the name John uses in Revelation. Lord God Almighty. In Revelation 1 verse 8 Jesus Christ identifies Himself as the Alpha and Omega, but He also identifies Himself as the Almighty in that same verse. The nine appearances of "Lord God" and "Lord God Almighty" in the book of Revelation are all references to YHWH, the God of the Old Testament who prior to the Exodus was known by the name, God Almighty.
We see this undeniably verified in the next verse, verse 6.
Rev 22:6 [NKJV]
Then he said to me, “These words are faithful and true.” And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show His servants the things which must shortly take place.
"These words" indicated in this verse are stated to be “faithful and true.” And in chapter 3 verse 14 we are told that Jesus Christ is the faithful and true witness. Then in chapter 19 verse 11 the one who sat on the white horse is called Faithful and True. In chapter 21 verse 5 the one who sat on the throne declares that his words are true and faithful. (True and faithful is a reversal of faithful and true. One expression references YHWH while the reversal references Jesus Christ. The first and the last. The last becomes first, and the first becomes last.) In all four cases this expression of faithful and true is connected to Jesus Christ, or YHWH who became Jesus Christ.
But who in verse 6 is the “Lord God of the holy prophets” who sent his angel/messenger to show his servants the things which must shortly take place? Is not the “Lord God of the holy prophets” the very divine Individual who spoke to those prophets? The very One who spoke to Moses at the burning bush and later on the mountain of fire. The One who spoke to Isaiah, who spoke to Daniel through dreams, who spoke through His own voice to Samuel the prophet. The same being who inspired the prophet Amos to record that YHWH surely does nothing except that He first reveal His secret to His servants the prophets. (Amos 3:7)
Where Revelation 22:6 states that the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel or messenger to show His servants the things which must shortly take place, is this not clearly a reference to YHWH of the Old Testament, the very Individual who Amos declared would do nothing without first revealing His secrets to His servants the prophets?
YHWH is the God who selected special men throughout ancient biblical times to become His prophets or messengers sent to the people. And He delivered His messages to those prophets, sometimes speaking directly to them with His own voice, sometimes giving them visions and dreams, sometimes sending angels to deliver messages to them, and sometimes even appearing before them in person. It would appear quite clearly that the “Lord God of the holy prophets” mentioned in verse 6 is YHWH of the Old Testament who inspired those prophets to record some 300 prophecies about a future Messiah; prophecies which actually foretell His (YHWH's) own future coming to planet Earth as the final Great Prophet.
As verse 6 states, these words are “faithful and true.” They are faithful and true because they are stated by the faithful and true witness, the one who rides a white horse and is called Faithful and True; the Word of creation, who is YHWH, who became Jesus Christ. The Lord God of the holy prophets mentioned in verse 6 is YHWH of the Old Testament who became Jesus Christ of the New Testament.
Now read the latter part of verse 6 again: And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show His servants the things which must shortly take place.
At first glance, this statement in verse 6 would appear to parallel Revelation chapter 1 verse 1 which states: The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place.
But let us consider Jesus' parable of the vineyard owner who leases out his vineyard to a group of rebellious workers. (Matt 21) This parable tells us that Jesus Christ was the last in a long line of prophets that YHWH sent to His people as messengers. But the people consistently rejected those messenger prophets. So the vineyard owner finally sends one last messenger. His son. Jesus Christ is the final prophet sent by YHWH, the very One who sent all of the previous prophets to the people. And Jesus Christ is YHWH. YHWH became the Son of God-- the Messiah He promised to send. This Messiah was the last of the messenger prophets.
After proclaiming this parable of the vineyard owner to the people, the last words recorded in Matthew chapter 21 are, “they (the people) took him for a prophet.” (Matthew 21:33-46) Indeed Jesus was the last of all the Old Testament prophets. YHWH sent a long line of prophets, messengers, to repeatedly deliver a message to the people over hundreds of years, but those people consistently rejected these prophets; so YHWH finally sent Himself as the Son of Man to deliver His message. The message of repentance. The message to repent and believe the gospel.
Continuing with verse 6 here in Revelation 22, John states that this Lord God (kurios theos in the Greek) sent his angel or messenger to show His servants the things which must shortly take place. (ultimately what must shortly take place, or be done as translated in the KJV, is judgment. Hence the word must, as explained elsewhere herein.) Three characters appear in this verse-- the Lord God, a messenger sent by the Lord God, and His servants who were to receive the message. The Lord God is YHWH. And the messenger sent by the Lord God is Jesus Christ. Who is YHWH.
YHWH was true and faithful. He did fulfill His promise. He did send a final prophet to deliver His message, and become the Savior of the people. YHWH did all of this Himself. He promised to send a Savior. And He became that Savior. He sent Himself. He became His own messenger. My Messenger.
YHWH became Jesus Christ in the flesh, the last prophet. Jesus is the faithful and true witness who YHWH promised to send. He is depicted here in John's Revelation vision as riding a white horse and given the name of Faithful and True.
This Lord God mentioned in verses 5 and 6 is mentioned seven more times throughout the book of Revelation. And in connection to this Lord God, John mentions the "one who sat upon the throne" eleven times. As we have already seen, this "one who sat upon the throne" is a character image that appears in John's vision. This character image is a symbol representing the Lord God described in verses 5 and 6. The Lord God of the holy prophets. And that Lord God is YHWH.
The character image of the One who sat on the throne, and the character image of the Lamb with seven eyes who stands next to that throne, together are a representation of the Alpha and Omega, who we know to be Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Alpha and Omega. He has a two-in-one existence. The Alpha component of His identity is YHWH of the Old Testament, and the Omega component of His identity is Jesus Christ of the New Testament. The character image of the one who sat on the throne is a representation of YHWH. And the character image of the Lamb with seven eyes is a representation of Jesus Christ.
Now we can take note of another observation. Revelation 22:6 is a parallel to Revelation 1:1. But these are not descriptions of the same event. In 22:6 we see a description of YHWH sending a messenger to the people, and that messenger is YHWH Himself in human form as Jesus Christ. YHWH promised the ancient Israelites that He would send them a Deliverer and Savior. He just didn't tell them that He, YHWH, would be that Deliverer. That He would be sending Himself. This is depicted in Revelation 22:6.
Now back in Revelation 1:1 we see Jesus Christ delivering a message to His angel, (or messenger) and that messenger is sent to deliver the message to His servant John. This event is a different event than that described in Revelation 22:6, but this event does follow the same pattern as that of the 22:6 event.
Verse 22:6 is a description of YHWH fulfilling His promise to send a messenger/savior to the people. The pattern here is that of a divine being sending a messenger to deliver a message to the people, and the divine being becomes the messenger. The same pattern is described in verse 1:1. Jesus, a divine being, sends a messenger to deliver a message to John. And the divine being, Jesus, is the messenger-- MyMessenger or My Angel. (as mentioned in other scriptures and described elsewhere herein) The divine being is delivering the message Himself. And that is the exact pattern described in Revelation 22:6, a divine being sends a messenger to deliver a message, and that messenger is the divine being.
The pattern we see here is not limited to the first and last chapters of Revelation. This same pattern appears elsewhere in scripture. For instance leading up to the judgment of Sodom. Where the Lord (YHWH) appears to Abraham along with two angels to confirm the prophesied birth of Isaac, and to warn Abraham of the destruction coming upon Sodom and Gomorrah. (Genesis 18)
We read in this passage that after eating a meal with Abraham, YHWH and His two angels arise and proceed to walk towards Sodom. YHWH, the Lord, then states to the two angels that He should not keep secret the judgment He is about to bring upon Sodom, but should reveal this fact to Abraham. The passage then appears to indicate that once YHWH makes this information known to Abraham, Abraham blocks the path of YHWH and begins to argue with Him. To plead with Him not to bring this destruction for the sake of others.
It also appears that the two angels separate from YHWH at this time and continue their journey to Sodom even as Abraham impedes YHWH, detaining Him as he attempts to convince YHWH to change His plans for the destruction.
In the beginning of the next chapter (19) we see that the two angels enter the city of Sodom where they are approached by Lot who is seated at the city gates and sees the angels entering the city. Elsewhere in the passage the two angels are described as "men" which would indicate that the angels appear in human form. But the two would in some way appear distinguishable from humans. Else Lot would have no reason to approach them. (It is possible that Lot was able to distinguish the two travelers as different from other men because they announced themselves as servants of God and publicly prophesied at the city gates. Announcing a warning of impending destruction upon the city. Lot being a servant of God would recognize that these two preachers were messengers from God.) Though the passage does not state the details explicitly, it would appear that the Lord (YHWH) also enters the city later that evening, having been delayed by His conversation with Abraham who pleads on behalf of other inhabitants of Sodom not to bring destruction on the city. Notice verse 17--
So it came to pass, when they had brought them outside, that he said, “Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed.”
Notice the words "they" and "he" mentioned here. It appears that "they" is referencing the two angels who brought Lot and his family out of the city. But then "he" declares to Lot to "Escape for your life!" "He" would appear to be the Lord (YHWH) speaking to Lot. Now notice verses 21 and 22--
And he said to him, “See, I have favored you concerning this thing also, in that I will not overthrow this city for which you have spoken. Hurry, escape there. For I cannot do anything until you arrive there.”
(Genesis 19:21-22)
Notice again the use of the pronoun "he" and not "they." It appears the one speaking to Lot is not "they," the two angels, but rather "he," the Lord. And it appears that this "he" speaking has the authority to decide what cities will be spared from the destruction. Also notice the statement of the Lord to the two angels, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?" (verse 17) What "I" am about to do. We can deduce from this statement that it is not the two angels who are about to bring destruction, but rather the Lord Himself. "What I am about to do." This authority would only reside with the Lord who spoke with Abraham the previous day, telling him what "He" was about to do. So it appears that it is not only the two angels who entered the city, but the Lord also entered the city later that evening, and He is the one speaking with Lot, telling him to leave the city. Now notice verses 24 and 25--
Then the Lord rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the Lord out of the heavens. So He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground.
(Genesis 19:24-25)
Notice the statement. The Lord rained brimstone and fire... from the Lord out of heaven. Two "Lords." One below, calling down fire from the One above. This would appear to denote a physical manifestation of YHWH appearing as a messenger here on earth calling upon YHWH in the spirit realm to rain down destruction on the city of Sodom.
The events here would also seem to follow a parallel pattern to Abraham's experience with Melchizedek, king of Salem. Where YHWH exists as the God Most High in heaven, yet at the same time exists as the High Priest Melchizedek here on earth.
Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High.
(Genesis 14:18)
YHWH is indeed God Most High. But YHWH was at the same time Melchizedek here on earth.
These passages show us that God can exist as two individuals at the same time. One in the spirit realm, and one manifested in the physical realm, with the one in the physical realm serving as a messenger for the one in the spirit realm. And the two Individuals, though one God, can interact with each other. Such is the case depicted in chapter 1 of John's Revelation vision.
Now, once again, read the latter part of verse 6 in Revelation 22:
And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show His servants the things which must shortly take place.
As we've already covered, the Lord God of the holy prophets is YHWH who sent all of the ancient prophets as messengers to the people. Then, lastly, He sent Himself as the final prophet. This is the angel (messenger) mentioned here in verse 6 which He sent to show His servants the things which must shortly take place. YHWH, the Lord God of the holy prophets, sent His angel/messenger, Jesus Christ, to show His servants things which must shortly take place.
Having seen this repeated pattern, we can now draw a conclusion. When we read the nine verses of Revelation containing either Lord God, or Lord God of the holy prophets, or Lord God Almighty we can know that this is a name used for YHWH of the Old Testament, the Word of Creation who later became Jesus Christ. This God is symbolized in John's vision by the character image of the one who sat on the throne. And indeed, YHWH is described in multiple Old Testament scriptures as being seated on the Mercy Seat (throne) over the ark of the covenant kept in the Holy of Holies within the tabernacle of the ancient Israelites.
Revelation 1 and Revelation 22 give us a cascading pattern. A pattern within a pattern. This pattern is a two-part pattern. A pattern that contains part 1 and part 2. Revelation chapter 22 gives us the detail of part 1 that occurs first. And Revelation chapter 1 gives us the detail of part 2 that occurs last. (The first will be last and the last will be first.) Part 1 is where YHWH sends a Messenger to deliver a message to the people of ancient Israel, and YHWH becomes that Messenger. (as Jesus in the flesh) This took place nearly two thousand years ago.
Part 2 occurs approximately 60 years later when John receives his vision on the Isle of Patmos. This second part is described in Revelation 1 where Jesus Christ sends a Messenger to deliver a message to John. That message is contained in a vision which Jesus projects into the mind of John. By projecting the vision into John's mind, Jesus is functioning as the messenger Himself. He is MyMessenger delivering the message to John.
The messenger described in chapter 1 verse 1 is not an angel within John's vision. The character image of the angel/messenger appearing within John's vision is imaginary. Imaginary. To imagine. To generate an image within one's mind. There is no real angel. Only the image of an angel/messenger appearing in John's mind.
An imaginary character image has no power to beam information into John's brain. Does a character image displayed upon a movie screen have any power to fire ray beams into the audience and harm children watching a film? No. An image on the screen is imaginary. It has no power. Likewise, the character image within John's mind during his vision is imaginary and as such has no power. So where is the power coming from to beam the information into John's mind when John receives the Revelation vision? It is coming from MyMessenger. The Messenger of the Lord. Which is the Lord Himself. Jesus Christ is the Messenger sent to deliver the message. Jesus Christ is the one who is delivering the message to John by beaming the information into John's mind. The same being who beamed information into Nebuchadnezzar's mind and Daniel's mind and Pharaoh's mind and Joseph's mind. (projecting prophetic dreams into their minds) This divine messenger is the DreamMaker. He projects prophetic dreams or visions into the minds of chosen humans.
[The Bible is one gigantic prophecy written entirely before the creation of the physical realm. With every word of that prophecy being fulfilled exactly as written. Fulfilled in the lives of those mentioned in the book.]
Here is another interesting observation connected to what we are seeing here in Revelation: Joseph was in captivity in Egypt when he received information from YHWH about Pharaoh's dreams. Daniel was in captivity in Babylon when he received information from YHWH about Nebuchadnezzar's dreams. And John also was in captivity on Patmos when he received information from Jesus through the Revelation vision. All three were in captivity when given understanding of prophetic visions. Just a curious observation. (Others studying the scriptures made this same observation long before this author.)
YHWH's Old Testament promise to send a Messiah, which is a promise to send a Messenger and a Deliverer, is a two-part promise. The first part of the promise was fulfilled when YHWH was born in the flesh as Jesus Christ, then delivered the gospel message to mankind, and finally was crucified and resurrected. YHWH promised to send the people a messenger, then He became that Messenger, and by delivering the message in the flesh (living a perfect life/actions speak louder than words) He became their Savior. This was part 1 of the Old Testament promise to send a Messiah. A Messenger-Deliverer to free the people being held captive by the strong man. (Satan) (Matthew 12:22-30)
Part 2 of the Old Testament promise to send a Messiah would only be revealed 60 years after Part 1 was completed. And this second part will not be completed until an additional 2,000 years have expired. This shall occur when Jesus Christ returns to bind Satan the Devil and block him from enslaving humanity. At that time Satan, the strongman, shall be cast into the bottomless pit and the Holy Spirit shall be distributed to all humans, setting them free from sin by empowering them to live lives of righteousness. The Deliverer shall have delivered the people out of the hands of their captor.
[ Part 1 ____ Part 2 ]
60-year Gap
The description given in Revelation 22:6 presents us with an understanding of what actually happened when Part 1 of the promise was completed 1900+ years ago, after Jesus' crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension.
Part 2 of the promise was revealed approximately 60 years after the completion of Part 1. This revealing of Part 2 happened when John was given the Revelation vision circa AD 90. The revealing of Part 2 of the messianic promise is recorded in Revelation 1. But the completion of Part 2 will not take place until the 2,000-year Church Age or New Testament Era is finished when Jesus Christ returns to establish His kingdom on earth. It is at that moment that Jesus Christ will become the Deliverer who delivers us out of bondage to sin by binding Satan the Devil and releasing the Holy Spirit to empower all humans to live sinless lives.
Prior to John's Revelation vision, the world of Christendom understood that Jesus Christ was the fulfillment of the messianic promise. The Jews living in Judea immediately prior to the birth of Christ knew as well that a promised messiah was recorded in scripture, and that messiah was expected to appear very soon. For this reason the Sadducees and Pharisees sent representatives to John the Baptist baptizing at the River Jordan inquiring whether he was the promised messiah. (John 1:25) But neither the Jews nor later the Christians understood that the messianic promise was a two-part promise. They perceived it to be a singular promise or one-part promise. The Jewish people believed that a messiah would soon arise, and that messiah would immediately establish his kingdom and deliver them from servitude to the Roman Empire. To explain this we might employ the following diagrams.
The singular promise of a Deliverer was the view held by the Jews. And even now by Christians. But this was an incomplete understanding. John's Revelation vision reveals to us that the messianic promise was actually a two-part promise. Here is a better explanation:
Described in Revelation 22
- Promise made Circa 4,000 BC
- Completed Circa 2 BC-AD 32
Described in Revelation 1
- Promise revealed Circa AD 90
- To be Completed Circa AD 2030+
Prior to the explanation written herein, the Messianic Promise has been seen as a single promise fulfilled approximately 2,000 years ago. But this assertion is incorrect. The promise of a Messiah given in scripture is a two-part promise. And it is the book of Revelation that reveals this fact. Revelation 22, the last chapter, uses prophetic imagery to describe the first part of this promise. And Revelation 1, the first chapter, uses prophetic imagery to describe the second (last) part of this promise. The first shall be last, and the last shall be first. Revelation 1 and Revelation 22 do not describe the same event. Revelation 22 describes the appearance of the Messiah. The Messenger. But Revelation 1 describes the second appearance or return of that Messiah. The Deliverer. The wording of the two passages is similar, and each parallels the other. But the two passages describe different events separated by 2,000 years.
The revealing of Part 2 took place approximately 60 years after Part 1 had been completed. This revealing of Part 2 was contained in the Revelation vision given to John circa AD 90. But Part 2 will not be completed until the return of the Messiah at the end of the age. We are now very much nearing that return.
Here again are the two scriptures which describe the two parts of the messianic promise:
And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show His servants the things which must shortly take place.
(Revelation 22:6)
…gave Him to show His servants— things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John,
(Revelation 1:1)
These are not two descriptions of the same event. Revelation 22:6 describes the appearance of the Messiah who was sent as a messenger by YHWH-- a God being sending Himself as a messenger. Revelation 1:1 describes another event approximately 60 years later where the Messiah sends Himself as a messenger to John-- a God being sending Himself as a messenger. The second event is an exact parallel to the first event.
In the first event the God being sends Himself as the messenger to deliver the message to the people. In the second event the God being sends Himself to deliver the message, but it is John who is to pass the message to the people. It can be argued that the second event is different than the first event because in the first event it is Jesus Christ who delivers the message to the people, while in the second event it is John who delivers the message to the people. However, the depictions given within John's Revelation vision show us that John is a type of Jesus Christ. So when John delivers the message to the people, he symbolizes Jesus Christ delivering the message to the people.
Multiple passages within Revelation demonstrate that John is intended to be seen as a prophetic type of Jesus Christ. Verse 17 of Revelation 1 tells us that John falls as dead, but figuratively is brought back to life. Just as Jesus Christ died but was brought back to life.
In verse 10 of Revelation 10 John takes a scroll from the hand of the creator-messenger, the messenger described as representing the creator of all living things. Here is part of the passage:
The angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised up his hand to heaven and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and the things that are in it, the earth and the things that are in it, and the sea and the things that are in it, that there should be delay no longer, but in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God would be finished, as He declared to His servants the prophets.
(Revelation 10:5-7)
The angel or messenger who John saw in the vision swears by the One who created all living things. And this creator is stated to be Him who lives forever and ever. Here are two more verses that mention Him who lives forever and ever--
Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying:
11“You are worthy, O Lord,To receive glory and honor and power;For You created all things,And by Your will they exist and were created.”
(Revelation 4:9-11)
And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying:
“Blessing and honor and glory and powerBe to Him who sits on the throne,And to the Lamb, forever and ever!”
Then the four living creatures said, “Amen!” And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped Him who lives forever and ever.
(Revelation 5:14)
These verses confirm that Him who lives forever and ever is the creator of all things. And we know this creator to be YHWH of the Old Testament who was the Word who spoke the commands which brought about the creation event. These verses also indicate that the character image of Him who sits on the throne represents Him who lives forever and ever-- the self-existent One. Having neither beginning of days nor end of life. Him who lives forever and ever is YHWH, the very Individual who created all living things.
Now back to our examination. We saw that in verse 10 of Revelation 10 John is depicted in the vision as taking the scroll from the hand of an angel/messenger who swears by Him who lives forever and ever who created all living things. This angel/messenger is a character image within John's vision intended to parallel the One who sat on the throne who lives forever and ever who created all living creatures. The angel/messenger swears by Him who lives forever and ever, because the angel/messenger is a character image intended to represent Him who lives forever and ever.
John is being directed in the vision to mimic the Lamb with seven eyes. The Lamb with seven eyes "takes" the scroll from the One who sat on the throne. Then in chapter 10 John is directed to "take" the scroll from the angel/messenger who swears by Him who lives forever and ever who created all living things. We might diagram it like this:
John's actions of taking the scroll from the angel/messenger are an exact parallel to the Lamb with seven eyes taking the scroll from the One who sat on the throne. In the vision, the character image of John is being instructed to perform actions that exactly parallel the actions of the Lamb. This character image of John participating in the vision is being portrayed as a type of Jesus Christ, just as the character image of the Lamb is a representation of Jesus Christ. And this is what we are expected to recognize. We are intended to recognize this parallel pattern.
Additionally, the angel/messenger is described with the appearance that parallels the appearance of the Son of Man described in chapter 1 of Revelation. (Revelation 1:12-17) So it appears that John is taking the message (scroll) from Jesus or a messenger made to look like Jesus. The character image of this angel/messenger is made to resemble the Son of Man so that it appears that the character image of John in the vision is taking the scroll/message from MyMessenger, a messenger sent by Jesus Christ resembling Jesus Christ.
When John takes the scroll, he is told that he must "prophesy again." This prophesying is a parallel replication of what Jesus did, bearing witness by announcing the coming Kingdom of God. YHWH sends Himself as the messenger Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ prophesies the message. John is presented in the Revelation vision as a type of Jesus Christ, and John is commanded to prophesy "again." To duplicate what Jesus has already done in preaching the Gospel.
Once again in the vision John parallels the actions of Jesus Christ. John measures with a reed. Measuring is a type of judging. An inspector measures the many, newly constructed components of a building to determine whether that new building is accurately constructed to match the drawings and plans for the building. This measuring is a type of judging. The inspector judges whether the building meets the requirements indicated in the drawings and plans for the building.
The character image of John appearing in the vision was commanded to take a rod and measure the Temple building. This measuring is an act of judging. John was to measure or judge whether the Temple was ready. Of course we know that it is Jesus Christ who is given all judgment. (John 5:22) John was functioning as a type of Jesus Christ, the Judge. The One who judges the Church. John was to measure the Temple or church building. A type of judging the Church.
Revelation 22 uses prophetic imagery to describe the first part of the Messianic promise. YHWH promised to send the ancient Israelites a Deliverer. And that Deliverer would come delivering a message. What He did not tell them was that He (YHWH) would become the Messenger delivering the message Himself. This Messenger was to become the last in a long line of prophets. And that's what prophets are. They are messengers. Sent by God to deliver His message to the people. Every single prophet of the Old Testament was first and foremost a messenger delivering a message. YHWH's promise to send a Deliverer was the promise to send a messenger, delivering a message. And He became that Messenger. He came delivering a message not just to the ancient Israelites, but to the whole world. That message is the gospel of the Kingdom of God. The Good News that a new kingdom is coming. YHWH made the promise to send a Messenger. He then became that Messenger. He delivered the message in the flesh. And ultimately through the flesh. Actions speak louder than words. Through His actions, living a sinless life in the flesh, He delivered the message. He spoke through His actions. A perfect oratory. A perfect example of how to live.
Now look again at Revelation 22:6.
Then he said to me, “these words are faithful and true.” And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show His servants the things which must shortly take place.
We have already seen that “the Lord God of the holy prophets” is YHWH who sent messengers to the people. Verse 6 tells us this Lord God sent His angel to show His servants things which must shortly come to pass. It is important to understand that the word “angel” here is the same Greek word for “messenger” (aggelos) and should be translated messenger. So the Lord God sent His messenger. Specifically to show His servants the things which must shortly take place. That messenger was Himself. YHWH sent Himself in the form of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ delivered the message from YHWH, and He delivered it to “His servants.” YHWH's servants.
By employing a little observation we can see that there are several layers of meaning in the expression “His servants.” On a middle scale, YHWH's servants would mean all of the people of ancient Israel who had been promised to receive a Deliverer. This would be millions of people over hundreds of years. On a more grand scale, these servants of the Lord God would be everyone who has ever chosen to serve God all through human history, including forward in time to the completion of God's plan. But speaking prophetically, specifically to the book of Revelation, these servants of the Lord God of the holy prophets would be a representation of all of the people who received the Holy Spirit during the Old Testament age and served their God, YHWH.
The Holy Spirit did not become available to large numbers of people until the beginning of the New Testament age when the Spirit was imparted to some three thousand people on the Day of Pentecost approximately 2,000 years ago. Prior to this day, all through the Old Testament age, only a few hundred or perhaps a few thousand or ten thousand men and women were hand picked by God to receive His Holy Spirit. These are “His servants” mentioned in verse 6. These are those who were to receive the message. But of these only those living at the time when Jesus Christ preached the gospel would receive the message.
We also should notice that John is a type of Jesus Christ. We see this through the imagery depicted in John's vision. Notice the parallels. In verse 17 John says:
And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen.
(Revelation 1:17-18)
John fell at the feet of the One who spoke to him. As dead. And then this One told John not to be afraid, because He, the One speaking, had been dead but now lives. Clearly a reference to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Who now has power over death. John says this One laid His right hand upon him. And though John does not elaborate what then occurred, we are left to conclude that he, John, stood up after the right hand (the hand of God) was laid on him. John falling down as dead, and then standing up is an exact parallel to the One speaking, who was dead but now lives. John also states that the One speaking appeared as the Son of Man, a reference to the Messiah. It is not difficult to conclude that the One speaking in John's vision is a representation of the resurrected Jesus Christ.
This One speaking to John also states that he possesses two keys. The keys of Hades and of Death. The context in these verses is that of life and death. The keys of Hades (Greek word for grave) and of Death are prophetic symbols representing the power to resurrect people out of the grave, and the inverse power to bring death, thereby placing people in the grave. By touching John with His right hand, the One speaking in the vision has symbolically resurrected John back to life. Exercising His key of Hades, He has opened the door of the grave to bring John back to life. This is all being symbolized through imagery within the vision.
So the events within John's vision depict John as having been resurrected, after having fallen down as dead. An exact parallel to Jesus Christ who was dead, but now lives.
We began our study of the scriptures with an examination of the first verse of the last chapter. And we observed that this verse introduced two characters-- God, and the Lamb. Let's read that verse again.
Rev 22:1 [NKJV]
And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb.
What we have observed in our examination here is that these two characters of God and the Lamb are symbolized by two characters of the Greek alphabet-- Alpha and Omega. And they two are one. One Divine Individual. The one we call Jesus Christ.
There are seven verses in Revelation which mention the one who is, and was, and is to come. Here is the list: Revelation 1:4, 1:8, 4:8, 11:17, 21:6, and 22:13. (Verse 4:8 is unique in the list.) Who is this one who is, was, and is to come? And why is it important to know? And how is it connected to what we've covered here? This is part of what's next.
continued in Part 2
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