Alpha - Omega

A question I received:

"Is the God of the Hebrew scriptures, the same as Jesus Christ? The reason I ask, is because they both refer to themselves as "the Alpha and the Omega". Does this mean that their nature is the same?

My reply:

I will put the definitions of the words in each referenced verse, in parenthesis. The scriptures you refer to, are Rev.1:11 KJV ("Alpha&Omega", "most before and last"), 

Rev.1:17-18 ("most before and last")-(Jesus died- Heb.2:14) (God never dies- Hab.1:12) 

Rev.1:8 ("Alpha&Omega", "original and finish/consummation"); 
-------("Lord God: Greek: "Master" -John13:13 KJV) ("Almighty": Greek: "all-holding" -John3:35; Matt.11:27)

Rev.21:6; ("Alpha&Omega", "original and finish/consummation")(John4:10; Rev.22:1; Ps.36:9; John12:49-50) 

Rev.22:13 ("Alpha&Omega", "original and finish/consummation", and, "most before and last")... (all references of which, could be Jesus). Both Alpha and Omega, are Greek letters. They are not found in the Hebrew scriptures. 

  Rev.1:17-18

When it comes to God having the traits of being First and Last; we can however, consider Isa.41:1-2,3-4; 44:6; 48:3-5,6-8,9-11,12-13; Rev.4:8,11; 11:15-17

Nothing about Alpha or Omega, means 'the same nature'. That is not to say that God and Christ are not the same nature [they are both divine spirit, just as all sons of God become (2Pet.1:4; John10:34-35; Ps.82:6)], but that similarity of nature, is not expressed in either "Alpha' or 'Omega'. (https://4womaninthewilderness.blogspot.com/2015/01/who-are-gods.html)

Neither do each of those words mean "uncreated, eternal, atemporal, or timeless".

At John 1:1, it reads; "In the beginning".

That of itself is speaking of a moment in time, a start... not eternity. That verse continues... "In the beginning, the Word/Logos, was."

We are told that the Word exists, "In the beginning" of God's creation

(John1:1; 8:58; 1John1:1; Prov.8:22-24,25-27,28-31; Micah 5:2; Col.1:15-17; Heb.1:2; Rev.3:14; John17:5).

Alpha and Omega simply mean, First and Last.

Can two different identities be first and last, and remain two different identities?

Of course. As a simple example, an only son is the first and last son. If he marries and has an only son, that son is also, first and last. Yet they remain, two different people.

But how does this compare to the identity difference between God and Christ, while both of them are Alpha and Omega... First and Last?

The Bible tells us.

The Logos, was the first of all creation. Jesus Christ is the FIRSTborn of the New Creation (Rom.8:29; 2Cor.5:17; Rev.1:5).

But that NEW creation, finally allows God to enter His Sabbath Rest permanently, and able to declare with finality, all things Good. He made that declaration at the end of the physical creation (Gen.1:31; 2:2), but it did not last (Gen.6:5-6; Rom.8:20-22; John5:17; Heb.4:9-11).

The start/FIRSTborn of that NEW, incorruptible creation, is the resurrection of Christ... the LAST Adam (1Cor.15:45) because from him (the "eternal father" -Isa.9:6) all others receive life. He is the Alpha (FIRSTborn born of the New Creation) and Omega (LAST Adam/man, needing to be created) of the New Creation, because all those after him, come from him.

"So it is written: "The first man Adam became a living being"; the *last Adam, a life-giving spirit."* Does this mean that when God declares Himself Alpha and Omega, that he is saying that He is Jesus Christ? No, because God tells us what He means, by being the first and the last...

Isa.43: "10 “You are My witnesses,” says the Lord,

“And My servant whom I have chosen,

That you may know and believe Me,

And understand that I am He.

Before Me there was no God formed,

Nor shall there be after Me."

So, Is God the *first Almighty God? Is He the *last Almighty God to ever be?

Can any other god be compared to him, or be equal to him ", including His eternal sovereignty?

How then, would He come to be "in the likeness of men"? 

He did not. The Logos/Jesus, did. No creation, compares to the eternally unchanging Father of Jesus Christ. (Phil.2:7; Isa.40:18,25,28; 43:13; Ps.93:2).

So, two different persons can share being first and last, but that does not mean that they are first and last in the same regard, or to the same degree, or must be the same person.

Both Jesus and God can be described as an Alpha and Omega; but that does not mean that they are the same person, or first and last in the same way.

Yes, the Logos emptied himself, became a human, and even died.

Major changes.

Yet God never changes...

(Ps.90:2; 102:24,27; Mal.3:6; James1:17; Gen.21:33; Job.36:26; Jer.10:10; Hab.1:12) 

If He is indeed the peerless God, from everlasting, to everlasting (Ps.90:2)... then He has never died (Hab.1:12).

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