The Alpha
and
The Omega

Last week we completed writing the rough draft for the last Daily Devotional and yes, we were rightfully thankful for the LORD putting that all together. This is not of our doing for all that we include is drawn from the Bible and the LORD’s work upon our life.

While we have read the Bible through many times and continue to do that systematically, writing the devotionals is a more deliberate look at individual passages from each book of the Bible and a meshing together of the common themes. This has given a fresh appreciation for the unity of this autobiography by the LORD about who He is and His purposes. As we reflect back across these 366 devotionals, the thoroughness of the LORD both in who He is and the consistency of what He does rises above the singular events into an overall appreciation of the LORD. In the following, we present three views from across the Bible of the same LORD in different contexts.

Genesis 1 is the Creation narrative:

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. ¹

John 1 is the Beginning narrative:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. ²

Revelation 21 is the Restoration narrative:

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband… And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. ³

Three perspectives on the Creations of the LORD with Genesis focused upon the physical, John on the LORD doing the Creating and then Revelation with the New Creation. In each, the LORD is the One beginning and fulfilling His intention. He precedes the beginning, is the cause of each beginning and enables what is to come. Intent, ability, fulfillment, completion.

Then a couple three more distinctives from each perspective:

GENESIS: And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day. ⁴

JOHN: In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. ⁵

REVELATION: And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. ⁶

In Genesis, the LORD is the original Light for the sun and moon are created on the fourth day and not this first day. In John, the Light is Jesus who also is identified as the Creator of Genesis. In Revelation, the LORD is the only Light needed. Sufficiency is the LORD.

Three more parallels:

GENESIS: Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. ⁷

JOHN: But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. ⁸

REVELATION: The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.” ⁹ 
But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life. ¹⁰

All of us in the LORD’s presence are ‘in His image’ just as originally intended. We become ‘sons’ in the sense of taking on His character, having His desires as our desires. No one not ‘in His image’ is allowed in this Presence.

One more parallel:

GENESIS: And out of the ground the LORD God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. ¹¹
JOHN: Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” ¹²
I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me, he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. ¹³
REVELATION: Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. ¹⁴

Life wholly and fully in the LORD, His provision, untainted, without corruption, all that is needed and completely satisfying.

It has been a refreshing journey for me through the Bible and I trust it has blessed you as well. Be encouraged to read and know the LORD through His autobiography. And find more of your own parallels throughout your Bible as there are many more.
You can do it!