"The Secret of GOD", as revealed by John in the Revelation of Christ in 1:8, with a renewed mind and our victory as foretold.

Picking up with verse 8 where the it states that GOD is LORD over all things.


Revelation 1:8, 9-11 "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, what thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; Unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea." (KJV)

Revelation 1:8, 9-11 "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."
I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet saying, "Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea." (ESV)

Revelation 1:8, 9-11 "The GOD who is LORD over all things says: I am the Alpha and the Omega - my I-am-ness defines time - I am present, past and future. (The union of Alpha and Omega, in Greek, makes the verb נָפַח, I breathe. And in Hebrew the union of the first and last letter in their alphabet, Aleph and Tau makes בָּרָא, which the Rabbis interpret as the first matter out of which all things were formed, look at Genesis 1:1. The particle et, is untranslatable in English but, says Rabbi Aben Ezra, "it signifies the substance of the thing!" Jesus is the [1, G1 and G5598] Alpha and Omega in whom we live, and move, and have being! He is indeed closer to us than the air we breathe! Don't waste a day waiting for another day!

The clause, "the commencement and completeness; The genesis and conclusion of everything," is wanting in almost every MS and version of importance. It appears to have been added first as an explanatory note, and in process of time crept into the text!. ("Adam Clarke")

Even though this does not distract from the context of the thought, it is an example of how commentary notes, in time, could become part of the text. We have no original manuscript-the thousands of manuscripts we do have are handwritten copies of copies for centuries and, unlike my own commentary notes where I have used italics and brackets, there were no such thing in those days which means this could easily have happened where a scribe's notes became text! The majority of these do not alter the meaning of the text however, but some do, which makes it an important observation.)

I am John, your brother and companion in tribulation in the midst of which we are equally participants in the authority of the kingdom and the steadfastness of Jesus Christ. I was on the Isle of Patmos because of the word of GOD and because of the testimony of Jesus Christ. I was in a spiritual trance where I witnessed the [1]Day of the LORD. I heard a loud voice [2]behind me, clear and distinct, like the sound of a trumpet! (The [1]Day of the LORD is the very day to which the prophetic voice of the Spirit of Christ pointed-Jesus the Messiah, is the fulfillment of this day! The word [2, G3694] opiso, points to that which is behind in place and time. The fact that John hears a word behind him is so significant! It means that what he hears already happened within its prophetic context! This reminds of the incident recorded in Genesis 22:7-8 where Abraham was asked by Isaac, "We have the fire and the wood; But where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" Then in Gen. 22:13, we read that Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by its horns! Jesus refers to this in John8:56-58 when he says, 'Abraham saw my day!' And, 'Before Abraham was, I am!' [Look for the extended notes on the Day of the LORD in the Introduction to Revelation as well as at the end of Rev. 17.]) This is what I heard the voice say, "Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and to Laodicea." (The Mirror, with editing.)

Until our next visit the LORD willing, when we shall carry on from verse 12. May He richly bless both you and yours with understanding.