Revelation 22:13, 16
13 “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”
16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”
Most of Jesus’ “I Am” statements are in John’s Gospel. These are statements that Jesus uses to tell us about himself. Here in Revelation, we find some bonus “I Am” statements from the risen Christ.
Notes
Time. The Christian premise is that Jesus has a role in Creation. He is identified in the Gospel of John, Paul’s Letter to the Colossians, and the Letter to the Hebrews as the agent of Creation. All things were created through him. Jesus is telling us in the passage above that he will finish what he started. Christ was there at the beginning, and he will be there for us at the close of the age.
Light. Even now, there is light. Jesus has brought an end to our night of sin and ushered us into a new day of understanding, grace, and joy.
Symbols
The Bright Morning Star. The first light at the end of the night is ushering in a new day. Jesus, the light of the world, brings divine guidance and illumination to our souls. I am using a six-pointed star. This star is known as the Creator’s star because of the six days of Creation.
Alpha and Omega. These are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. In Christian symbolism, they refer to the eternal nature of our Lord. Besides the passage in Revelation 22, we also find a reference to these letters in Revelation 1:8 and Revelation 21.6.
Outer Circle. The circle is the Christian symbol for God because it has no beginning or end. This element is another symbol of the eternal nature of our Lord.
Theological deep dive – The eternal Son as the agent of Creation. Part 1
This discussion goes reasonably deep, but it is utterly fascinating.
Hebrews 1:2 – but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.
John 1:3 – All things were made through him [the Son], and without him was not any thing made that was made.
Colossians 1:15-16 – 15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by means of him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.
We have three very consistent verses from different books of the New Testament.
All three persons of the Trinity acted in the Creation. The Father is the creator, the Son is the agent of Creation, and the Holy Spirit hovered over the waters. In other words, the Son is the active cause that brought into being the universe according to the plan conceived in the Father’s mind. The Son acts as the Father’s agent or instrument.
How did the NT writers come to the truth that Creation was made through the Son? In Part 2, we will explore the answer to this question. The discussion is fascinating.
Devotional Journaling
The Christian Mandalas devotional coloring journal containing this drawing page may be found here:
Christian Mandalas: The Art of Journaling: A Devotional Coloring Journal