The Terminator is coming ∙∙
“I am the Alpha and the Omega – the beginning and the end,” says the Lord God. “I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come – the Almighty One.” – Revelation 1:8
Revelation 22:12-13
12 “Look, I am coming soon, bringing my reward with me to repay all people according to their deeds.
13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”
In 1791, President George Washington identified a 100-square-mile area on the Potomac River for the national capital. To mark the coordinates of the ten-mile square, rough surveys were conducted, and boundary stones were placed. These stones are recognized as the oldest federal monuments.
The ancient Romans used boundary stones called termini to demarcate land borders and safeguard personal property. According to Roman belief, the stones were quasi-sacred and under the watchful eye of a god, Terminus, typically depicted by a sculpted head or bust atop the stone. Interestingly, the god Terminus was frequently represented with no hands or feet, conveying the idea of the immovability and permanence of the boundary. Ovid wrote a hymn: “O Terminus, whether you are a stone or a stump buried in the field, … You set bounds to people and cities and vast kingdoms.”
For eons, people fought over land. Now, Terminus has settled all boundary disputes. There would no longer be any arguments about where one’s property ended, and another’s began. Terminus was the new sheriff in town and, thus, the peacekeeper. Moving the stones was now a capital offense.
What about disputes between nations, tribes, and peoples? Who settles them? Who controls the outcome of history and the human timeline? Who began time itself, and will one day end it?
Revelation 1:8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega – the beginning and the end,” says the Lord God. “I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come – the Almighty One.”
The coming one is the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Alpha and Omega. He is eternal and is not limited by the space-time continuum. He is at the beginning of all things, and He is at the end of all things.
But there is more. Time is a created thing. The Lord Jesus Christ is the creator of time itself. He created time so that people could experience sequence. Adam and Eve were placed into time.
REFLECT & PRAY
The Father has chosen you; He wants you. You only have to come alongside.
Father, thank You for allowing the end of all things to be in the capable, powerful, and authoritative hands of Your appointed Terminator, the Lord Jesus Christ.
INSIGHT
The Romans were mistaken. They believed in an imaginary god whom they called Terminus. The Lord Jesus Christ is the real, authentic Terminator. He is the one whom the Father appointed as the Sheriff to settle all disputes and bring peace to the earth. He is the ultimate authority. The buck stops with Him.
Life in the 21st century is discomforting, if not frightening. In so many ways, our world is topsy-turvy and full of utter disorder and confusion. How will it all end? The task of completing all things has been entrusted to the Lord Jesus Christ by the Father Himself.
Isaiah 46:9-10
9 Remember the things I have done in the past. For I alone am God! I am God, and there is none like me.
10 Only I can tell you the future before it even happens. Declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times, things are not yet done. Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish.
Revelation 1:8a “I am the Alpha and the Omega – the beginning and the end.”
Alpha and Omega refer to the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, respectively symbolizing the beginning and end. The anchor points of time. He was there at the beginning and will be there at the end. When polar opposites are used in Scripture, they often highlight everything between them. Thus the complete human timeline is on the table. This signifies more than just His presence; it highlights His ultimate authority and control over history.
Revelation 1:8b “I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come.”
The Lord Jesus Christ has eternally existed. He will always exist. He has no beginning or end, and nothing can outlast Him. He is without beginning or end. He is eternal and transcendent. Nothing remains hidden from Him. He harmonizes past, present, and future under His authority and dominion. He is supreme and has all-encompassing control over all things, even time itself.
Revelation 1:8c the Almighty One.
The Greek word translated Almighty One is pantokrator. The term pantokrator literally means “the one who has his hand on everything,” hence, omnipotent ruler over everything. It comes from the Greek pas – all and krateo – to hold or to have strength. The Septuagint used pantokrator to translate the Hebrew phrase Yahweh Sabaoth, The LORD of Hosts, The LORD of Heaven’s Armies (Psalm 24:10). The Lord Jesus Christ has authority and sovereignty over all things.
This passage contains two distinct wordplays. The first pertains to the supreme leader of Rome, while the second relates to the enemy of our souls.
The Roman Emperor was known as the autocrator, or self-ruler, commanding over his conquered territories. In contrast, as the pantokrator, Jesus Christ reigns over all, including the Roman Empire itself.
The adversary of our souls is referred to as the kosmokrator, meaning world ruler or ruler of this world. This enemy holds limited, temporary control over the world. However, the Lord Jesus Christ governs everything, including the enemy and his limited realm, the earth.
The Father sovereignly directs all history to its final, inevitable, predicted outcome.
As described in Matthew 24:30, the ultimate sign of the Son of Man’s arrival will manifest in the sky, causing profound mourning among the people of the earth. They will witness the Son of Man arriving on the clouds of heaven with immense power and glory.
Jesus Christ is not only the Terminator of the old; He is the Creator of the new. In the present age, only the children of the King recognize His true identity. However, at His return, He will reveal Himself to all. At that moment, He will be acknowledged and revered by all those who believe in Him as the eternal King and ruler of the Father’s kingdom, taking command of the earth and all its inhabitants.
Revelation 21:4-6
4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death, sorrow, crying, or pain. All these things are gone forever.”
5 And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!”
6 And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega – the Beginning and the End.
Revelation 22:12-13
12 “Look, I am coming soon, bringing my reward with me to repay all people according to their deeds.
13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”
¯\_(ツ)_/¯4-11-3
© Dr. H 2024
Dr H Reflections 