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Al �Awwal wa Al�Akhir
Posted : 20 Mar, 2011 08:18 AM
Al �Awwal wa Al�Akhir
Brothers,
The Qur'an says that al'Awwal, meaning "The First", and al'Akhir, meaning "The Last", are two of the names of God.
He is the First and the Last, the Evident and the Immanent:
and He has full knowledge of all things. al-Hadid 57:3.
But let�s analyze the Holy Scripture which existed before Islam, i.e. Taurat/Torah and the New Testament Scriptures to see what it means God is the First and the Last and to understand who deserves to be worshipped by us.
In the Holy Scripture, God used this title for Himself:
Isaiah 44: 6
Thus says the Lord, Israel's King and redeemer, the Lord of hosts: I am the first and I am the last; there is no God but me.
Isaiah 48:12
Listen to me, Jacob
Israel, whom I named!
I, it is I who am the first,
and also the last am I.
But brothers, not only God claimed to be the First and the Last but a Man called Jesus Christ!
How is it possible that a Man can be the First and the Last?!
Let�s consider it today.
Just do not forget that this Man Jesus was killed for His BOLDLY claims to be God! He said that He is God. I remember how some of you were doubtful whether He could be just a Man or God. However you have studied His Holy Scripture and you were able to see His claims to be God. But let�s consider a few such claims today too.
Jesus Christ manifested His eternal abiding glory to His disciple Apostle John while John was imprisoned on the isle of Patmos, revealing Himself as what He truly was and will forever be, God Almighty. Let�s look at this:
"I am the Alpha and the Omega, says the Lord God, who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty. Revelation 1:8
What does it mean?
It means that Jesus said that He is the Lord God. He said that He is to come back again and He said that He is the Almighty.
"I am the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.".....(16) I Jesus have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. Revelation 22:13, 16.
And He said to me, �It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. Revelation 21:6-7
What does it mean? It means that Jesus is God and He will give eternal life to every one who wants it. These people, who will get eternal life, will inherit all things. Jesus will be their God and these people will be sons of God.
But what does mean the words the Alpha and Omega?
The words Alpha and Omega in Greek is in Hebrew Alef 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 written in Greek. Jesus said that He is the Word of God/Kalimat-Ullah (according to al Quran), thus He is the Alef and Tav.
I am Aleph, א, and Tav, ת, the Beginning and the End.
Isaiah 44:6 reads, "I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God."
Aleph denotes that God is the first of all beings and that He is the originating Cause of all creation. The Tav 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.
Look what Jesus told to the apostle John:
When I saw him (Jesus), 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. (Revelation 1:17)
"Behold, I (Jesus) am coming soon!
My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done.
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
Blessed are those who wash their robes,
that they may have the right to the tree of life
and may go through the gates into the city.
Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star." (Revelation 22:12-16)
What does it mean?
Jesus said that He is God. That He is the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End and He comes back to judge us. He offers us to wash our robes and hands stained with our sins through REPENTANCE and FAITH in Him to be forgiven and to get access to the Kingdom of Heaven entering through gates into the city. Outside will be those who are stained by sins and blood and immorality. They are those who rejected God by rejecting the God Jesus.
Then Jesus said:
I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death. Revelation 1:18
We see God identifying Himself as the "Alpha and the Omega", and "The First and the Last". But in verse 18 (see above), God says, "I died, and behold I am alive for evermore".
Then, in Revelation 2:8 we read, "And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: 'The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life.' "
God is "the first and the last, the Alpha and the Omega", but did God the Father die?
Something else to consider the words of the Son of God Jesus in Revelation 2:18, we read,
"And to the Angel of the Church in Thyatira write: "I am he who searches mind and heart". In Jeremiah 17:10 (The Old Testament), God says to the prophet Jeremiah "I the Lord search the mind and try the heart".
You can see here another thing that is interesting -the Trinity concept or TRI-UNITY of God- is being identified: Rev. 2:8 "The words of the first and the last (God the Father) who died and came to life (Jesus) ". Rev. 2:11 "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."
What do we see here?
We clearly see that God is ONE and He is the God the Father and the God the Son and the Holy Spirit. Thus, it was not a blasphemy when Jesus claimed to be God. He was not guilty when He was sentenced to death. He is really God and He is coming back. Moreover, God said that "I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God." Isaiah 44:6
By saying that God clearly said that Islamic god could NOT be God. There is only One God who is God Jesus and the God the Father and the Holy Spirit. By denying the Divine nature of God, Muslims reject God. Moreover, by rejecting the Almighty God Jesus, Muslims rejected God of their father Ibrahim. That�s why you Muslims will be judged for your sins. Because you could believe in the Creator of the universe God Jesus and be forgiven of all of your sins just THROUGH FAITH in Him but you do not want to believe in Him.
The words the First and the Last express eternity and omnipotence of God. Thus Jesus is God Almighty and He is All-powerful One of eternity past and eternity future.
How is it dangerous to FIGHT against such God and reject Him!!!
Who is this God Jesus?
He is Kalimat-Ullah as you read it in Quran. He is the Word of God.
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made� He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him� And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth." John 1:1-3, 10, 14.
Ask God Jesus to forgive your sins and He-Jesus- who claimed to have the power to give life- will forgive you:
For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. (John 5:21)
Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse.
And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns.
He had a name written that no one knew except Himself.
He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.
And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron.
He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written:
KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
Revelation 19: 11-16
He (Jesus) who testifies to these things says,
�Yes, I am coming soon.� Amen.
COME, LORD JESUS."
Revelation 22: 20
Summary: According to these inspired texts, we have studied today, the Lord Jesus is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the One who is coming soon. In other words, Jesus Christ is the very Lord, the God of the hosts and of the prophets and is therefore the Almighty!
Now it is the time to get forgiveness of all your sins from this Perfect and Almighty God!
Revelation 1 (New King James Version)
Revelation 1
Introduction and Benediction
1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants�things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John, 2 who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw. 3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.
Greeting the Seven Churches
4 John, to the seven churches which are in Asia:
Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth.
To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, 6 and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
7 Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.
8 �I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,� says the Lord, �who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.�
Vision of the Son of Man
9 I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. 10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord�s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, 11 saying, �I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,� and, �What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.�
12 Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. 14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; 15 His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; 16 He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. 17 And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, �Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. 18 I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death. 19 Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this. 20 The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches.
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