Rev 1: 7-8 - The Day of the Lord Anticipated

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7-8 Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen. 8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”


This worthy Jesus, this Son of God, this eternal Being who took on mortal human form to conquer sin and death and to set at nought the deeds of the devil - this conquering King who embraced His humiliation for our sakes is coming back with the armies (clouds) of heaven. Instead of a rag-tag band of weak and wavering men, this time He will come with a Kingly and heavenly retinue as befits His true status.

This is no secret appearance, but a public, visible, terrible, enduring lightning flash that illuminates all points simultaneously. There will be no doubt when the heavens unfold like a scroll and He once more steps out of eternity and into time. Every eye will see Him.

Yes, we all pierced Him - some literally, but all of us by the attitude of rebellion in our hearts. It was God’s purpose that He be pierced for our transgressions, and it was our responsibility that it was necessary. Yet even those who crucified Him literally will see Him, for though the dead in Christ shall rise first, all shall be resurrected in the body to receive due recompense for the deeds done therein.

We Who know Him do indeed already mourn in this life and are comforted in part now. But when He is revealed in glory, all shall mourn - both saved and unsaved. Humanity has killed its God and Maker in effigy, in heart and in fact.* How could we not mourn, for He bears the marks of our treachery eternally? But for we who believe, for the children of God, His appearing is not only a cause for mourning, but also a cause for joy. For this God Whom we killed* made our mendacity and rebellion a part of the very means of our salvation. How in all eternity shall such a thing be fully told?

For the lost, however, their mourning will be entirely without comfort eternally. It may contain some horror at what has been done, but it will contain, perhaps, far more regret towards self, bathed in the realization that it is too late to repent and that there is no appeal. What weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth there will be then.

For in His appearing He declares "I Am the Alpha and the Omega". This book is, perhaps, the final "I AM" of the Apostle’s testimony, having presented us with 7 great "I AMs" in his gospel. Here, He declares His sovereignty without any veil, without parable and with thunderous proclamation. He Who died is the Lord our God. He is the Almighty. He is the Son, yes, but fully God.

[* Strictly speaking God never died. The Son died in His humanity. But that humanity revealed the God that we wanted dead and so we did what we could do overcome the light.]