“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. ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega’, says the Lord God, ‘who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.'”
– Revelation 1:7–8
This introduction to the book of Revelation is astounding in its imagery. From the very beginning of this book, we’re reminded that there’s coming a day when Jesus is going to return, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him. This picture of even those who played a part in the crucifixion of Jesus. But, not just those people physically in the first century, but all people who have turned from Jesus. And those who have not believed in Jesus, one day they will all see him as the Lord and King over all.
There’s coming a day when Jesus will return and will bring an end to suffering, evil, and injustice. We live in light of that day.
Revelation 1:7–8 Reminds Us of the Reality of The Lord’s Coming
That’s why it says in verse seven “all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him” because this will be a day of reckoning and judgment for all who’ve not trusted in Jesus. All who’ve turned from him. This will not be a good scene. This will be a horrifying scene in that sense. All the tribes of the earth wailing on account of him.
For those who have trusted in him to save them from their sins. For those who have longed and looked for his coming, this will be a day that is filled with joy and awe and wonder. When Jesus says in Revelation 1:7–8, “I’m the Alpha and the Omega, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty”, Revelation, this book is pronouncing that Jesus was in the beginning and he will be in the end Lord and God over all.
These Verses Cause Us to Look Toward This Day With Anticipation
This imagery and this reality causes us who have trusted in Jesus to have a deep sense of anticipation and expectation. We look around. As I look around at the newsfeed today on my phone and I just see all kinds of evil and wickedness and injustice. But I know that there’s coming a day and it could be today. It could be today, it could be before the end of this day when you’re listening to this when Jesus comes on the clouds. He will bring an end to suffering and evil and injustice. That’s why this whole book of Revelation leads us to the very end and the very last chapters.
Revelation 1:7–8: Prayer of Praise
It’s just going to pray, “And come, Lord Jesus, come quickly, come quickly.” We live today in light of the coming of that day. We live today because we want to be ready for that day. And we want to be walking with Christ. Worshiping Christ on the day when he comes on the clouds and every eye sees him. We pray, oh God, we praise you, Jesus. We praise you as the Alpha and the Omega who is and was and is to come. You are the Almighty. You were there in the beginning. In the beginning, when nothing else was, you were. You are eternal. From before anything else you have always existed, and you brought this world into being. You spoke and it was created. You are the Alpha and you are the Omega.
Revelation 1:7–8: Prayer of Hope
We know there is coming a day, Lord Jesus, when you will return. And you will usher in a new heaven and a new earth. You will bring an end to all sin and all evil and all injustice. We long for that day. Oh, God, we long for that day that you speak of in Revelation 1:7–8. I long for the day when sin will be no more in my life. We long for the day when sin will be no more in our lives, injustice will reign no more, evil will be gone, and death will be totally swallowed up. Lord Jesus, come quickly we pray.
Prayer: Anticipation of the Day
Help us today. Help us to live in anticipation of that day and help us to walk with you today. Additionally, help us to run from sin today and help us to proclaim the gospel today. We pray knowing that this will be a day of reckoning, of judgment for those who have not trusted in you, and the salvation that is possible in you. God, we pray that you will help us to share the gospel with urgency today. Help us to share the gospel right where we are.
Prayer: The Spread of the Gospel
God, we pray for the spread of the gospel to all the tribes of the earth today. That all peoples might know your grace and your love that’s available through the cross before the coming of that day when you return and every eye sees you and every knee bows and confesses you as Lord. God, we long for that day and we pray that you’d help us to live for that day today. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
David Platt serves as a pastor in metro Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical.
David received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of Don’t Hold Back, Radical, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Before You Vote, as well as the multiple volumes of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.
Along with his wife and children, he lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
