The Pulpit Commentary — Revelation — Section 51

Vera. 8, 9.-A tramundent Being, and <HerruJrkable chtJracw. HI am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the Ending," etc. Here we have two objects arresting our att.ention and demanding thought. I. A BEING WHOSE EXISTENCE IS TRANSCENDENT. "I am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the Ending, sa.ith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come." Although these words are considered of donbt.ful ·authority, and probably an interpolation, they a.re a representation of the Infinite One. They not only agree with other declarations of him in sacred Writ, but they are repeated elsewhere. Here is; 1. Erernity. "I am Alpha and Omega." (1) Eternity in relation to all the past. "I am Alpha." tha.t is, the First, the 13eginning. There is not a creature throughout immensity that had not a" beginning;" but there is no point in the past in which he w_a.s not. Go back through aJl the million ages and through all the million millenniums, and you reach no point in which he did not exist. He occupied the boun418811lless of immensity alone. No one thought or felt or moved but he. It wu with him to determine as ii!> whether there should be any other existence besides hi& o.wn. The universes that have been, that are, and that are yet to be, were all in his. eternal mind, in archetype and possibility. (2) ll;ternity alao in relation to the future. "The Beginning and the Ending." All tbat have. had.. a be~ning will peradventure · have an end; yea, certainly so, unless he determfoes otb8l'Wll!e. Both the commence- ment and continuance of all things hang on his will ; but he will never have an end. All life may be extinguished, the whole universe go back to chaos and be lost in the abysses of nonentity; but he will be. · 1 See homily• Voices and Visions from Eternity,' on vers. 10-)1, JISVBLATIOS. •  r111 F;teil.1,..:datlfu~ se"•'"";.;.regn~ brln f'ortli· <JreaiitHH~hi' Mid ii~~ sjleecli:. so ~s; ! ' Known through all ages, hope lllld hi;lp of ma.ilj: 011;0 God omnific, sole, original, ... Wise,:woodel'-'Workirig wielder ott!ie whole, Ilifintte, inoonoeivable, immenae,. · , .. .TM Midst witlio11.t beginni~ aad the ~ t Pl'.o.ol. the beginning, and -0f all being ,Last." . · ('Festus-'.) 2. Omnfpo~, ' IC T!i~ ':.A.I~ighty.'': 1here is 'nothing impossible fo.r him to' do lfut ~g~ " His" imppssibl~for God to li.l'.;" to d!W~i ve~ or defrau4i. Th,i& J1lora.l weakl\ess :18 ~Js ~log. ww9r :, .. ~. 0,G:od ia tru,t~, 11,n~ lig~t ~ sh~'!,':, says .Plato.. er TJie Lord is great in b~ hat.p. :Jili! '/fll,Y 1n the. wptrfwtnd_.a11d,1~~lre storm, a~!l the clouds are thll dust <>l hts feet. Be rebuketi:ithe sea, and make~ i't''dty, and·drieth up all: the rivers': :Qa81))1,µ_ laui. Q,isheth,i '+"'~. Q.arm~li imd the. flower ?f Lebanon. l~nguisheth. The ,'hio;q.n- ~ps q.uake Ji,t, hi;.n, ,1!-.d t~e hil. s _melt,. a,nd the ea~th is burtied at his· presence, ·ye~, the wor1d,,i\n1l,,all that 4wllll theretn.'' . · . , · . If. ,A. ~4N, -fHOSJI. . CRARAc_TEB Il!J REMARKABLE. Here . is: }'. A. charaiitef" of cl,istfugffi~!ie.if. ~e{Z,er,,ce desoribetl. . "I, John, w,l:\o also ain your brother,. and com• panio'µ Jparta~erJ~n ·trl~ulaiion." {ohn descrtbes himself: (1) As. a. "_brother." His fieart g!Zws with !lo Chmtly fratermty for ~he good of all the Cl;mrches throughout ~ Jb~ r,9rld •• (2),4s I!- BUJ/ff'er. He is "in tribul1;tion!' The bfstmeil ?n. e,µ-~li \l,re e1,1,bJii(!~ to -~~ife•~g. • 11? \vas ·a. J'.!lllm)>er pf th? krngdom of Qhn~ ,arlov;m~, fa1th~ul, loy~ 8upJ,c:~.of ,h~ spin~~! e'tnp1r~•."~e k1°'~~~ ':1:lld.pat_fell~ ?([which are in] .Jesus ()!)net_." ~fo _t1iaf~ing1ofi1 he '!M 3:,c,o~pamon with ~l '!ho snffen;d, a !ellow• parta~er ~f. th~ir t.n~ulat10I111. :1'.]).!l~e tias ::llways been·lillfi'erm.g 1n .conn~t1on ~lth the th1~qom ';'f q~,1st,.~i:1,d. ~ .th,!' suf.!e.i.~. fee~. a blessed cotnpall\OliSliip: .. D111'ing the first :ii11,ncued· ye3:r~~-.r,i~ution.,~ In, th'is. Jcl~<lom were v~ry -aang~:q:ary and severe:~·· 2• .A ~rapt~ o(iJ.'fSt•n,~~ .~U.ent/6 ,fxsri:~ified by bfoody persecutors. · ~• In the ISie that is· ce,lled' ~a~~os.' ; 1'h~s was th.tscen~. of: h!s .banishm.en~: a rocky island in the lledlterr&t1113J!.; a.bgut lMteen 111iies m circumferep.ce::-a most 'Wild, barren spot; a con- tict ,'setUew~Jl.t; whit;her .t!ie ~oroan.s hl!,~isbe\l all_ criininal ;wr~tches they dee~il uil'fit 0