NOTES for Rev 22:13

¹³I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.

The traditional ideas of the overwhelming majority of the earth's peoples about the structure of the universe presuppose the existence of two or three worlds. Most often this means the upper world, the world of gods and higher spirits; the middle world, the world of human beings; and the lower world, the world of the dead or the world of shades, where lower, evil spirits usually dwell together with the shades of the dead.

In some cases the middle and upper worlds are joined, but the lower world is always perceived as separate, set apart from the world of the living. In principle, the biblical picture of the world is not fundamentally different from the traditional one: it speaks of "the heavens," the spiritual world, the world where God abides, the world that can be considered "upper"; of the "middle" world of the living; and of the "lower" world of the dead, which in Hebrew is called Sheol (in the Greek-language biblical books Sheol is called in Greek "Hades").

The biblical picture of the world begins to change already in the time of the later prophets, to whom the reality of the messianic Kingdom was revealed (they also sometimes called it the Kingdom of God). And in the liturgical, worshiping experience of the First Temple era, the Kingdom was revealed to the people as visions of the Throne of Glory, that Throne of God which some prophets also saw, for example Isaiah of Jerusalem.

These revelations changed the view of the people-community regarding the "upper world." The Kingdom of God, which was associated exclusively with "the heavens" and remained alien to the world of people, according to the testimony of the prophets was someday, with the coming of the Messiah, to enter the world of people as well. In the context of the prophetic tradition, the Savior's words about the Kingdom that has "drawn near" become understandable. He in fact came so that the Kingdom could enter our world, transforming it.

But if the whole world becomes part of the Kingdom, all the former divisions within it cease to be relevant. Now, after the coming of the Messiah, one can no longer speak of "the heavens" existing separately from the "middle world": the Kingdom now enters our world, and the former boundary between it and our world no longer exists. On the other hand, there is no longer a "lower world," Sheol in its former quality, since in that quality it is incompatible with the Kingdom.

Only the Kingdom remains, expanding its spiritual space in our world, and what the New Testament books call "the outer darkness." This darkness external to the Kingdom exists because in the world there are powers and people for whom the Kingdom is unacceptable and who, in turn, are incompatible with the Kingdom. They are the ones who find themselves in the outer darkness, on the underside of the transformed world. Not because they are driven out, but because of the choice they make of their own will.

Other notes

For Rev 22:6-21

⁶And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.

⁷Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.

⁸And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.

⁹Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.

¹⁰And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.

¹¹He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.

¹²And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.

¹³I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.

¹⁴Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

¹⁵For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.

¹⁶I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.

¹⁷And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

¹⁸For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:

¹⁹And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

²⁰He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

²¹The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

John worships the angel, but the angel stops him. Yes, the apostle, and we together with him, witnessed the great power... Read more

John worships the angel, but the angel stops him. Yes, the apostle, and we together with him, witnessed the great power of angels. But like us they are only servants of the One who sends us a warning about how we must conduct ourselves in the coming trials and what we should be prepared for. The Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end—He is everything. Every person is capable of recognising that he is weak and feeble, and that he is a rather unpleasant being when one looks at everything that fills him within. Yet at all times—both now and when the apostle John wrote down what he had seen without hiding anything—people were equally weak and sinful. But every day can begin with the words with which Holy Scripture ends: “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.”