Alpha and Omega
Alpha and Omega (Gr. "το 'Αλφα και το Ω") is an appellation of God in the book of Revelation (verses 1:8, 21:6, and 22:13). Its meaning is found in the fact that Alpha(Α) and Omega(Ω) are respectively the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. Twice when the phrase appears, it is clarified with the additional title "the Beginning and the End" (21:6, 22:13).
Some thus see the term "Alpha and Omega" as a paraphrase of Isaiah 44:6: "I am the first and the last." While the context in the Book of Revelation is clearly related to this, Jewish scholarship has revealed it also to be Hellenized form of a well-known rabbinical dictum: "The seal of God is Emet (Truth)," the word Emet being derived the first, the middle, and the last letters of the Hebrew alphabet, interpreted by the ancient rabbis as symbolizing the beginning, middle, and end of all things.
Revelation 1:11 in the King James Version quotes the resurrected and glorified Jesus as the one who states: “I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last.” Other verses in Revelation describe the “Alpha and Omega” as being either God or His angel. However, the occurrence in 1:11 is not found in some of the oldest Greek manuscripts, including the Alexandrine, Sinaitic, and Codex Ephraemi rescriptus. It is, therefore, believed by most critical scholars to be spurious and is omitted in some modern translations.[1]
Traditionally, however the phrase is used in Christianity as evidence for Jesus' divinity and unity with God the Father. Therefore the letters Alpha and Omega in juxtaposition are often used as a Christian visual symbol.
This phrase is interpreted by many Christians to mean that Jesus existed from the beginning of time (as the second person of the Trinity), and will exist eternally.
Emet (אמת), literally "truth," one of the names of God in Judaism, has been interpreted as consisting of the first, middle and final letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
Jewish background
The Hebrew for truth is Emet. It is composed of three letters: Aleph=Alpha, Mem=My, and Thaw=Theta. The Aleph and the Tav are the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet, equivalent to the Alpha and Omega in the New Testament scripture, which are in Greek. Thus the term Emet begins with the first letter of the alphabet and ends with the last. This led the Jewish sages to find in this word a mystical meaning.
The Aleph or the first letter of Emet (truth) denotes that God is the first of all things. There was no one before Him of whom He could have received the fullness of truth. The Thaw, or last letter, in like manner, signifies that God is the last of all beings. There will be no one after Him. Thus Emeth is a sacred word expressing that in God truth dwells absolutely and in all plenitude.
It is a Jewish saying that the blessing on Israel in Leviticus 26:3-13 is complete because it begins with Aleph and ends with Thaw. Yawheh's absolute perfection is expressed in Isaiah 41:4 and 44:6 by the phrase, "I am the first and the last". The phrase fitly expresses the idea that God is eternal, the beginning and end of all things.
In the Talmud (Yoma 69b., and Sanh. 64a.), the following is related: "The men of the great synagogue prayed to God to remove from the earth the Evil Inclination, as the cause of all trouble. Immediately a scroll fell from heaven with the word Truth written thereon, and thereupon a fiery lion came out of the sanctuary. It was the spirit of idolatry leaving the earth". "This legend shows", says Rabbi Hanina "that the seal of God is truth".
In the Hebrew Bible, when God passed before the face of Moses on Sinai He proclaimed himself as "YHWH, YHWH, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin" [(Exodus 34:6-7). God's being is fullness of goodness and truth and are considered foremost among God's moral attributes. God is an infinitely pure spirit and his being embraces Emotion, Intellect, and Will. Truth is the final object of the intellect, and goodness is that of the will, while beauty is the object of emotion. In the Psalms these are praised and invoked with holy and loving fondness, in verses such as Psalms 24:10, 34:11-12, 56:4, 84:11 etc.
Christian usuage
This manner of expressing God's eternity by means of the first and last letters of the alphabet seems to have passed from from the synagogue into the early church. In place of the Aleph and Thaw, the Alpha and Omega were substituted. But the substitution of the Greek letters for those of the Hebrew tongue inevitably caused a portion of the meaning and beauty in thus designating God to be lost, for the Greek letters Alpha and Omega have no relation to the word Truth. Omega is not the last letter of the Greek word aletheia (truth), as Thaw is of the word Emet. In the Greek, the sacred and mystical word "Truth," expressed in Hebrew through the letters Aleph and Thaw, had to be sacrificed.
The Gospel of John, after stating that the "Word was God," says, "and the Word dwelt among us full of grace and truth". Grace here carries the idea goodness, and the phrase is virtually identical with Exodus 34:6, "full of goodness and truth." Thus, the writer of this verse expressed the two great divine attributes, Truth and Goodness, assigned to Christ in all their fullness. What Moses has said of God, John the Evangelist says of Christ.
In the Book of Revelation, the "Alpha-Omega" taking the place of its Hebrew equivalent seems to represent both God, God's angel, and Christ. This provides an argument that its author believed in the divinity of Christ. However, this argument has been weakened by textual criticism, which reveals that at least one reference to Jesus as the Alpha-Omega is not found in some of the earlier and best manuscripts.
In Christian art
In early Christianity, the Alpha and Omega were often used as the monogram of Christ. These letters thus became Jesus' crest. The "Alpha-Omega" symbol was written under the arms of the cross within a circle or triangle. In later centuries the cross took the form of the "Chi Rho," derived from the first two letters of "Christ" in Greek. Sometimes the Alpha is found on the right and the Omega on the left to indicate that in Christ the beginning and the end are joined into one. This crest is found on the coins of both Emperor Constans, Constantius, Magnentius, although it should be noted that Constantius was an Arian and thus a "heretic."
The early Christians had the two letters engraved on their signet rings. Sometimes the Alpha and the Omega are written in the Nimbus, or halo, of Jesus as the Lamb of Revelation. Examples include the paintings in the catacombs of Petrus and Marcellinus in third century, as well as the frescoes and mosaics of several ancient churches, including the chapel of Saint Felicitas and the Saint Mark's church in Rome, and the world-famed mosaics of Ravenna.
In the course of time Alpha and Omega ceased to be used as the monogram of Christ for church paintings and ornaments, in Catholic tradition. However, it continued to be used in Orthodox iconography and has also found popularity in Anglican and other Protest traditions. The symbol can often be found on Christian tombstones as well.
More recently the Alpha and Omega has been used on Christian tee-shirts and baseball caps and has also been adopted by mystical and neo-pagan artists. Tattoo artists often include the symbol in their repertoires, and it has also been used as the logo for a winery, the name of several bands, and various advertising campaigns.
Notes
- ↑ Robert Young, Concise Commentary on the Holy Bible p. 179. Baker Book House, 1977.
External links
- Catholic Encyclopedia Retrieved September 21, 2007.
- Jewish Encyclopedia Retrieved September 21, 2007.
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