Who Is, Was, And Is To Come

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.  

Revelation 1:8 

Christ never equivocates about His identity or His eternity. John wrote, ‘the Revelation of Jesus Christ.’ One of his introductory remarks is, ‘Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come…and from Jesus Christ.’ Thus we understand he is referring to the Father as a Person distinct from Christ. When John writes the first words of Christ in the verse which serves as our text, Christ speaks of Himself and says, ‘I am the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End…who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.’ Christ speaks of Himself using the same exact phraseology as John used in referring to the Father. Thus Christ is claiming equality with His Father specifically with regard to His eternity. He seals His declaration with ‘the Almighty.’ As we often say, the words of Christ Himself are the end of all controversy for us. When He makes a categorical statement, as in our text, we accept it as certainly as He states it clearly. Christ is just as eternal as the Father. He ‘is and was and is to come, the Almighty.’ If we accept His verification regarding this, we have every reason to accept everything else He declares Himself to be. He claims to be the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He says no one comes to the Father except through Him.  

Our Glorious, Eternal Savior, 
we rejoice that You are the same substance as the Father. 
We praise You that You are equal in power and glory. 

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning