God's Truth
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In Revelation 1: 8 God (he who sits on the throne) calls himself "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending... the Almighty. Then in Revelation 1: 11, Messiah calls himself "Alpha and Omega," the beginning and the end. Was he identifying himself as "he who sits on the throne?"
KJV Revelation 1: 11 "Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, and, what you see write in a book, and send it to the seven congregations which are in Asia; to Ephesus, and to Smyrna, and to Pergamos, and to Thyatira, and to Sardis, and to Philadelphea, and to Laodicea."
That it is Messiah here talking in Rev. 1: 11 there can be no doubt for in verse 17 he repeats, "I am the first and the last," and then in verse 18 he says "I am he that lives, and was dead:" So, we know of a certainty that Messiah called himself Alpha and Omega, and the first and the last, but he did not call himself "the beginning and the end" here. However in Revelation 3: 14 Messiah calls himself the "beginning of the creation of God," then in Revelation 22: 13 he calls himself the "beginning and the end."
Then people that say Messiah is God put forth the notion that when Messiah called himself "Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end," he was calling himself God, since God called himself by the same titles in Revelation 1: 8. You have to love their persistence, but I'm about to show you how this cannot be true, because Revelation clearly distinguishes between "he who sits on the throne" and "the Lamb of God." First, lets discuss how God and Messiah could both be called by these same titles, and how, just because they both have the same title, it doesn't mean they are the same person.
To understand what Alpha and Omega and first and last mean, we need only understand that God is doing a work in the earth. He started it on day one of creation, and He's going to finish it. Of course God is the Alpha and Omega of his work, the beginning and the ending, but what about Messiah? How is he the beginning and the ending of God's work on the earth? Well, if you have to ask that you haven't been paying attention, and you have never read your Bible! Messiah IS God's work on the earth, and the culmination of His plan from the very beginning to the very ending! Messiah said it when he said in Revelation 3: 14, "the beginning of the creation of God."
How can God be a part of the "creation?" God and Messiah are both "Alpha and Omega," and "beginning and the ending."
We know that God was talking in Revelation 1: 8 when he said "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending," then he says "he which was, and is, and is to come the Almighty." Also, in Revelation 1: 4 John says "grace be to you and peace from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before HIS THRONE." Thus, John starts out by talking about God almighty, continuing all the way down to verse 11. If any one wants to dispute this, just go get a King James Red Letter Edition. The words of Messiah are all in red, and you will see that verse 1: 8 is not in red. Thus, even the ancient scholars agree it's God talking in verse 1: 8 and not Messiah.
Then, in other places in Revelation, Messiah uses two of those same titles for Himself, "Alpha and Omega," and "the beginning and the ending." So, because Messiah uses two of the titles from verse 1: 8, everyone wants to assume that the other titles apply, too, including "the Almighty."
Just because God and Messiah are both Alpha and Omega and Beginning and Ending, does't mean they are both "the Almighty!" In Revelation Messiah never sits on the throne in Heaven! Revelation chapter 4 describes the throne, and it never mentions Messiah in there. Then in
Revelation 5 it says:
Revelation 5: 1
"And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals."
The one that opens the book according to verse 5 is "the Lamb of God, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah."
Revelation 5: 5
"And one of the elders said to me, Weep not: behold the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof:"
The Lion, my friends, is Messiah! So, is Messiah sitting on the throne? He's already got the book in his hand then, and should open it any minute, right? WRONG!
Revelation 5: 7 "And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne."
This is the most stark proof that Messiah is not God, otherwise, God is taking the book from himself!
One more thing must be said about the titles "Alpha and Omega, and beginning and ending." These are titles of authority over the Earth. Messiah has been given rulership over the earth even as we speak! When a King hands over his authority on a matter to another, that person becomes the King's authority. Wherever the person who has been given the authority acts in this authority, he acts in the King's stead, and is treated as if the King himself were standing there! Right now, Messiah has been given God's authority over the Earth! (Like when Moses was giving a speech said he was God in Deu 29:6.)
Pay attention here...
1 Corinthians 15: 24- 27
"24 Then comes the end, when he (Messiah) shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
25 For he must reign, until he has put all enemies under his feet.
26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
27 For he has put all things under his feet. But when he says all things are put under him it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him."
The word, excepted, used here is the greek word "ektos" which means "aside from," or "besides," or "other than," or "someone else." It's saying here clearly and with out mistake that God is "excepted" or is "someone other than" Messiah. They aren't the same.
1 Corinthians 15: 28
"28 And when all things shall be subdued to him, then shall the Son also himself be subject to him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all."
In light of all the overwhelming evidence, how does anyone say that God and Messiah are the same person? Messiah is right now reigning in God's stead on the Earth, but there comes a day when he delivers the kingdom back up to God, and he himself will be a "subject" of the Lord of Heaven, God Almighty. How can any of this happen if they are the same person? :think:
From the studies of J. Dean
oly::sherlock:
Paul
Just believe what the scriptures say.
Jesus says he is the First and the Last. That is what God calls Himself.
Believe.