Revelation 1:8

Context

Chapter 1 of Revelation moves from a prologue (1:1–3) to a greeting addressed to the seven churches (1:4–6) and then to a proclamation of Christ's Second Coming (1:7). Verse 8 concludes this opening section, with God speaking directly in the first person. Beginning in verse 9, the account of the vision that John saw on the island of Patmos unfolds. The phrase "which is, and which was, and which is to come" has already appeared in the greeting of verse 4 as a designation for God the Father.

Alpha (Α) and Omega (Ω) are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, signifying the one who encompasses both the beginning and the end. "The Almighty" translates the Greek pantokratōr. In the Greek translation of the Old Testament (the Septuagint), this word was used chiefly to render "the LORD of hosts." In the New Testament, every occurrence apart from 2 Corinthians 6:18 is found in Revelation.

Interpretation

• Theocentric reading: Many commentators identify the speaker as God the Father. On this reading, the verse declares the eternity and sovereignty of the God who governs both the beginning and the end of history. It is understood as offering comfort to a church suffering persecution under the Roman Empire: the Lord of history is God, not the emperor. Many interpreters also see in it an echo of "I AM THAT I AM" in Exodus 3:14.
• Christological reading: In Revelation 22:13, Christ applies the same title, "Alpha and Omega," to himself. In 1:17 as well, Christ declares, "I am the first and the last." Most denominations that confess the Trinity, including Presbyterian, Methodist, Holiness, Baptist, and Full Gospel churches, read these passages together as grounds for affirming that Christ possesses the same divinity as God.
• Eschatological reading: This reading notes that the third phrase is not "which will be" but "which is to come." It connects verse 8 with the proclamation of the Second Coming in verse 7, understanding the verse to mean that God will come at the end of history to bring his work to completion.

Debates and Issues

• Identity of the speaker: The "Lord God" of verse 8 is generally understood to be the Father. However, because the same titles are also applied to Christ, some readers take verse 8 itself as the words of Christ. Jehovah's Witnesses regard "Alpha and Omega" as a title belonging exclusively to Jehovah God and reject interpretations that use it as evidence for the divinity of Christ.
• Textual variants: The King James Version, which follows the Textus Receptus, includes the additional words "the beginning and the ending," and it reads simply "the Lord" in place of "the Lord God." The Korean Revised Version and the New Korean Revised Version do not follow this reading.

In the Korean Church

Because the verse speaks of the God who governs the beginning and the end, it is frequently quoted at watch night services and in New Year's sermons. The letters Α and Ω appear in pulpit decorations and on framed Scripture verses. In liturgical churches such as the Catholic Church and the Anglican Church of Korea, they are also inscribed on the paschal candle used at Easter.

Related Passages

• Revelation 1:4
• Revelation 1:17
• Revelation 21:6
• Revelation 22:13
• Isaiah 44:6