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: "Israel's King and Redeemer, the [[Yahweh|Lord}} Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God." While the context in the Book of Revelation is clearly related to this, Jewish scholarship has revealed the Alpha and Omega also to be Hellenized form of a well-known rabbinical dictum: "The seal of God is Emet (Truth)," the word Emet (אמת) being derived the first, middle, and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
In the early church, the symbol became Christ's monogram and is still used in Christian art, often in combination with the Greek letters Chi and Rho, the first to letter of the word for Christ in Greek. Traditionally, 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. An alternative Christian alternative is that Christ, as the "last Adam" and perfected man, represents the fulfillment of God's ideal relationship with humanity, rather than being God Himself.
Jewish background
The Hebrew for truth is Emet. It is composed of three letters: Aleph, Mem, and Tav. 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 was originally in Greek. The fact that the word Emet begins with the first letter of the alphabet and ends with the last led the ancient Jewish rabbis to see in this word a mystical meaning.
God's absolute perfection is expressed in Isaiah 41:4 and 44:6 by the phrase, "I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God." The phrase fitly expresses the idea that God is unique and eternal, the beginning and end of all that exists. As the first letter of Emet, Aleph 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 Tav, or last letter, in like manner, signifies that God is the ultimate being. There is no one higher than He, and there will be no one after Him, since He is eternal. Thus Emet is a sacred word expressing that in God truth dwells absolutely and in all plenitude.
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 (Emet) written on it, and a fiery lion immediately came out of the sanctuary. It was the spirit of idolatry leaving the earth." Said the ancient sage Rabbi Hanina, "This legend shows that the seal of God is truth."
Truth as the seal of God
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, possibly through the Book of Revelation itself, universally recognized by biblical scholars as having been written by an author whose first language was either Hebrew or Aramaic. In place of the Aleph and Thav, the Alpha and Omega were substituted in the Greek text. However, the substitution of the Greek letters for those of the Hebrew tongue inevitably caused a portion of the meaning and beauty in thus designation of God to be lost, for the Greek letters Alpha and Omega have no relation to the word "Truth." Although Alpha is indeed the first letter of the Greek word aletheia (truth), Omega is not the last letter, as is Tav in the word Emet. In the Greek, the sacred and mystical word "Truth," expressed in Hebrew through the letters Aleph and Tav, 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, in which God is described as "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 the Hebrew Bible had said of God, John the Evangelist thus says of Christ.
In the Book of Revelation, the "Alpha-Omega," taking the place of its Hebrew equivalent, represents both God and Christ in different verses, as well God's angel. This provides evidence that the book's author believed in the divinity of Christ. However, this argument has been weakened by textual criticism, which reveals that the most direct reference to Jesus as the Alpha-Omega is not found in some of the earlier and best manuscripts. In traditional renderings of Revelation 1:11, it is the glorified Jesus who states: “I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last.” However, the occurrence in 1:11 is not found in some of the oldest Greek manuscripts, including the Alexandrine, Sinaitic, and Codex Ephraemi rescriptus. There verse is, therefore, believed by most critical scholars to be spurious and is omitted in many modern translations.[1] An alternative interpretation of Jesus as the Alpha and Omega is that he represents the fulfillment of God's original ideal for the relationship between humans and God, rather that being identical with God the Father.
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 often 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 the emperors Constans, Constantius, and Magnentius. Since Constantius was an Arian and thus a "heretic," this tells us that the symbol was not limited to "orthodox" use.
The early Christians sometimes had the two letters engraved on their signet rings, confirming the Jewish concept (whether consciously or not) of a connection to the Truth (Christ) as the "seal of God." Sometimes the Alpha and the Omega are written in the nimbus, or halo, of Jesus as the Lamb of Revelation. Examples of the Alpha and Omega in Christian art include the paintings in the catacombs of Peter 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 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 Protestant traditions. The symbol can often be found on Christian tombstones as well.
More recently the Alpha and Omega has been used as a logo on Christian tee-shirts and baseball caps and has also been adopted by various mystical and neo-pagan traditions. 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 in various other ways.
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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