Sunday, July 6, 2014

The Alpha and the Omega

This topic can be very amusing, or it can make your head spin, depending on the type of jw you encounter should they approach you during their preaching work. Biblical hopscotch has never been more evident than with this topic. Are you ready? Alright, let's walk through this one......slowly.

Rev. 1:8 says: "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty."

Any jw will tell you who they believe this is. The Almighty? Well, that is Jehovah. 

Isaiah 44:6-8 says:  "This is what the LORD says-- Israel's King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God. Who then is like me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and lay out before me what has happened since I established my ancient people, and what is yet to come-- yes, let them foretell what will come. Do not tremble, do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago? You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me? No, there is no other Rock; I know not one."

The jws use this to establish Jehovah as the one and only true God. The Almighty. There is no God besides Him. 

Duet. 6:4 says "Listen O Israel: Jehovah our God is one Jehovah." (nwt)

Again, they use this to establish Jehovah being the one true God. 

Isaiah 45: 5, 6 says: "I am the LORD, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me, so that from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting people may know there is none besides me. I am the LORD, and there is no other."

Yes, yes.....WE GOT IT!!!!  Jehovah again. 

John 1:1 reads: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."

NO, NO, NO the jws will cry. The Word was a god. That's what it is supposed to say. 

But isn't Jesus referred to as a Mighty God in Isaiah 9:6? 

Isaiah 9: 6,7: For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this."

Don't even bring up Eternal Father. That might cause a mental breakdown on their part. Just stick with the Mighty God part.

They will tell you that Jesus might be called a Mighty God, but Jehovah is the only Almighty God. (Even though the bible said earlier that there are no other gods besides me)

But isn't Jehovah called a Mighty God in the old testament?

Isaiah 10: 20, 21: In that day the remnant of Israel, the survivors of Jacob, will no longer rely on him who struck them down but will truly rely on the LORD (Jehovah), the Holy One of Israel. A remnant will return, a remnant of Jacob will return to the Mighty God."

Uh-oh!!!  

Jer. 32: 17, 18: "Ah, Sovereign LORD (Jehovah), you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you. You show love to thousands but bring the punishment for the parents' sins into the laps of their children after them. Great and mighty God, whose name is the LORD Almighty (Jehovah).

How come it calls Jehovah the great and mighty God, but also the Almighty God?  

You will hear crickets at this point. But before they attempt to escape, read the following.

Isaiah 48: 12: "Listen to me, Jacob, Israel, whom I have called: I am he; I am the first and I am the last."

The first and the last. The beginning and the end. That is what the Alpha and the Omega mean. The first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. 

So if Jehovah is the Alpha and the Omega, how do you explain the following verses?

Rev. 1: 17, 18: "When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades."

Rev. 2:8: "To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again."

Rev. 1:7:  "Look, he is coming with the clouds," and "every eye will see him, even those who pierced him"; and all peoples on earth "will mourn because of him." So shall it be! Amen.



Jehovah Died????  I thought Jesus was the one who was pierced in the side.

Rev. 4: 8, 9: "Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying: "'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,' who was, and is, and is to come. Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever."

Rev. 11: 17:  "We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign."

Rev. 22: 12, 13: "Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End."

Rev. 22: 20: "He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus."

Who was, and is, and is to come? Begun to reign? I thought Jehovah has always been there. When did His reign start? And didn't Jesus identify himself as the one coming soon?  But the big question is about the First and the Last dying. Let's look at the opening verse one more time.

Rev. 1:8 says: "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty."

From all of those verses, it's pretty easy to see who this is talking about.

The most likely response from a jw will be that it was JESUS that died. But Jehovah is the Alpha and the Omega. Yep, in their baffling reasoning, they will ignore all of these scriptures and try to put a separation in the book of Revelation between Jesus and Jehovah. They HAVE to do that. Because once you piece this puzzle together and realize that the Alpha and the Omega is Jesus, it unravels their entire belief system.