The Fullness Of The God-Man
"I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, says
the Lord, who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty." —Revelation
1:8.
Here the voice of the Son of God breaks in and interrupts
the utterance of the apostle. John had been speaking of Jesus; and now Jesus
speaks. He speaks of Himself, but in new figures, and in a new style of
language. We are carried back to the first chapter of the Gospel of John,
and the first chapter of the first Epistle of John; yet the language is not
the same. It is a peculiar declaration of the eternity and infinity of the
Christ of God—a declaration specially suited to the present book, as
unfolding the ages yet to come, in which this glorious One is to be all in
all. It is the ascription to Christ of one of the special and incommunicable
names of Godhead. In verse 4 this name is given to the Father; now it is
given to the Son, or rather to Jesus Christ—'the Christ of God,' the 'Word
made flesh.'
The name as given in full is, 'the Alpha and the Omega;
the beginning and the ending; the first and the last; the Lord; who is, and
who was, and who is to come; the Almighty.' This is the full name, when its
various parts are put together. It is the unfolding of the one name,
Jehovah; for as the sunbeam is composed of many parts and colors, so is this
great name 'Jehovah' divisible into such parts as the above, which proclaim
to us the manifold fullness of God, and reveal to us His divine character
and nature as the infinite and eternal Lord.
The following may be given as the meaning of the above
symbols—Christ the fullness of all things, created and uncreated. We may
thus set them in order—
I. In Christ is the fullness of WISDOM and KNOWLEDGE.
He is 'the Alpha and the Omega;' and as these letters form the
beginning and ending of the Greek alphabet, we suppose they are meant to
denote all that can be contained in the language of man. Wisdom beyond that
of all Greek philosophy is in Him; 'in Him are hidden all the treasures of
wisdom and knowledge.'
II. In Christ is the fullness of all CREATION.
He is 'the beginning and the ending.' The 'first-born of every
creature' is His name (Colossians 1:15). 'He is the beginning' (Colossians
1:18), as well as 'in the beginning' (John 1:1); and as such, He is the
Creator of all things in heaven and in earth (Colossians 1:16); the
circumference as well as the center of the universe.
III. In Christ is the fullness of all SPACE.
He is 'the first and the last.' That which man calls space, from its one
extremity (if we may use the word) to the other extremity is all in Him.
IV. In Christ is the fullness of all TIME.
He
is 'from everlasting to everlasting, God.' Past, present, and future are
His. 'Who was, and who is, and who is to come.' The fullness of the past
eternity is His; the fullness of the future eternity is His; and the
fullness of the vast present is also His. The infinity of time belongs to
Him; He is Himself that infinity. The eternal past is His; and His is the
eternal future. He is living eternity.
V. In Christ is the fullness of all POWER.
His
name is 'the Almighty;' the Lord God Omnipotent, to whom all power is given
in heaven and on earth. As the Creator of the vast universe; as the
sustainer of all being; as the Redeemer of His Church; as 'the Lord strong
in battle;' as 'able to save to the uttermost,' 'mighty to save;' as the
binder of Satan; as the destroyer of Antichrist; as the renewer of the
earth—He is Almighty. And when the great day of His wrath is come, who shall
be able to stand?
Thus, Jesus here reveals Himself in this book of the
Revelation; for all these excellences come forth into special manifestation
in this glorious book, which may well be called the fifth gospel—the record
of Christ in heaven—the unveiling of His love and power. He is the same
Jesus, with unchanged heart, and undiminished love, bending in grace and
pity over this earth, 'His well-beloved world;' as it has been called. For
here we have the 'long-suffering' and the 'salvation' of which Paul and
James and Peter speak in their epistles—'The Lord is very pitiful and of
tender mercy;' 'not willing that any should perish, but that all should come
to repentance;' 'who will have all men to be saved and to come to the
knowledge of the truth.'
All fullness is in Jesus—the fullness of the God-man;
divine and human fullness; the fullness of love and power; the fullness of
grace and glory. It is the very fullness which we need—and it is accessible
to us; free to us; brought down to earth and placed at our side; pressed
upon us, that we may take it and use it all. It is a fullness which eye has
not seen nor ear heard. It contains 'unsearchable riches.' Being the
fullness of Him who is bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh, it is
altogether suitable, so that no one can say there is not in it provision to
suit my need. It is of this fullness that He Himself speaks elsewhere, when
he says, 'I counsel you to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that you may be
rich; and white clothing, that you may be clothed; and eye-salve with which
to anoint your eyes, that you may see.'
In this fullness there is something infinitely
attractive. It is as gracious as it is glorious. It is fitted to win us. It
is God's provision for the needy. How large and excellent!
From this fullness no one is excluded. It is open on
every side, that all may partake. 'Every one' and 'whoever' are the words in
which the invitation is made. What can be wider or freer? How could eternal
life be brought nearer, or made more accessible? Jesus stands beside you; He
presents you with Himself. What more could He do? What more could you ask or
need than this?