Revelation 1:8

Sons;

Today's verse for class was Revelation 1:8 - "'I am the Alpha and Omega,' says the Lord God, 'who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.'"  John, the author of Revelations, is exiled on the Mediterranean island of Patmos, when God gives him this experience (vision? altered reality?) of future events.  To start this off, however, God gives John His credentials - sort of, "This is who I am."  

God's self-identification (which is, really, the only identification that counts) displays, I think, God's relationship to time.  In saying "Alpha and Omega" He is saying, "the Beginning and the End."  He is the one who created the universe, and will end it when the time comes.  "Who is and who was and who is to come," refers to the idea of permanence - He is the same now as He was, He will be the same as He is now, and that state is one that exists beyond the beginning and ending of time as we currently understand it.

Much has been made of God's relationship to time, though many don't realize they are asking that.  For instance, the question of free will versus God already knowing what will happen, is really a question of time.  That question is: is God stuck in time with us and unable to see the future, or is He somehow beyond time?  We experience time as an arrow, a straight line from a starting point to a definite end (whenever that is).  How does God see it?

This is my theory.  God sustains the universe, setting it into motion and continually perpetuating its existence through His power.  However, it is a created thing - the universe is subject to the physical laws God created, but He Himself is not bound by those physical laws.  The created cannot be greater than the creator.  As creator, God is beyond the concept of time as it applies to us.  God sees all of time in this universe all at once, as if He were holding the universe in His hand and it all plays out at the same time.  That is how God gives us free will but still knows what will happen - because He sees our actions, the results, and how it all fits together into His plan at the same time.  A large concept, I know.

So, of what practical relevance is this?  Well, it's useful to know that our future actions are not determined for us, as if we were puppets, but it's very comforting to know that God knows how it's all going to work out, and makes sure to actively work in our lives (and this universe) to keep His promise that we will have a future and a hope, that all things work together for good for those who love Him.  Also, it speaks to the nature of God, to wit: God is so far greater than we are, that we simply have no way to fully understand Him.  Even though I can say how God sees time, I have no idea what that experience would be like, and there will never be a way (in this world) to explain it.  God is Almighty, and that is enough for us.

Love,

Dad