Jesus is not the first and the last?
Revelation 22:13-16 KJV
I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. [14] Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. [15] For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. [16] I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.
Please just stop Keypurr. This is tiring. Again and again you say something and we just pull up the verse that says opposite. "I am the first and the last.. I JESUS.."
Though I don't agree with Keypurr on everything he says, he's more correct than you are about basic teachings, like Jesus being God's SON and not God.
Jesus is NOT referred to as "Alpha & Omega" in Revelation. It is the Father, YHWH,
Jesus' God (Rev.3:12), who is referred to in Rev.22:13.
It is evident that a number of persons are represented as speaking in this chapter: verses 8 & 9 show that
the angel spoke to John; verse 16 obviously refers to
Jesus; the first part of verse 17 refers to "
the spirit & the bride"; and the one speaking in the last part of verse 20 is
John himself. "The Alpha & Omega" of verses 12-15 can reasonably be said to be in reference to the same one who is referred to in two other occurrences---the Father, Jehovah. Let's look at those two verses.
First it must be said that the rendering of Revelation 1:11 in the KJV does not receive support from some of the oldest Greek manuscripts (Alexandrine, Sinaitic, Codex Ephraemi, etc.) and is omitted in many modern translations.
So there is
Revelation 1:8 to consider. Many commentators apply this to Christ, but
a more careful examination will lead us to the conclusion that the reference is to Jehovah, the Father (of us and of Christ; see John 20:17). It is
ASSUMED, by those that believe Jesus is God, that this verse refers to Christ, but there is no basis for that. The "Almighty" is always in reference to YHWH, Jehovah, throughout the Bible.
Barnes' Notes on the New Testament(1974) says: "
It cannot be absolutely certain that the writer meant to refer to the Lord Jesus specifically here."
How about
Revelation 21:6? If close attention is paid to the verse, one can see that it is not Jesus who is speaking. The speaker is identified as God, and that is not Jesus. The verse states: "Anyone conquering will inherit these things, and I shall be his God and
he will be my son." The point: Jesus referred to those who are joint heirs with him in his Kingdom as
BROTHERS and not "sons," so the speaker is logically Jesus' Father, Jehovah.
Two final points, for those that care enough to really think about this:
(1) Going back to Rev.22:12 & 13, the saying, "And behold, I come quickly," (v.12)does not have to mean
Jesus, because Jehovah ALSO speaks of HIMSELF as "coming" to "punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity," as at
Isaiah 26:21.
Malachi 3:1-6 even speaks of
a JOINT coming for judgment on the part of Jehovah and his "messenger of the covenant," which I'm sure all would agree means Jesus. Jehovah AND Jesus are coming!
(2) At
Revelation 1:17 it is definitely Jesus who says, "I am the first and the last," but if you look at an Interlinear Bible, you can see that it is not translated "Alpha & Omega." The Greek is totally different! I wish I could show you here by posting the Greek letters. Could somebody do that---post the Greek in verse 1:8 for "Alpha & Omega," and in verse 17 for "the first and the last"? It does not call Jesus "the Alpha & Omega" in verse 17. Those two verses have different meanings. (
The Interlinear Bible in Hebrew, Greek & English, Hendrickson)
So you are very wrong, Rosenritter. Do some more research.