There are three references in scripture to the Alpha and the Omega
(Revelation 1:8) “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says Jehovah God, “the One who is and who was and who is coming, the Almighty*.”
*“The Almighty.” Greek, ho Pantokrator; Latin, Omnipotens, Hebrew 'El Shaddai, “God Almighty”
Clearly the reference here is to the father,
The reference is to God the Almoghty who is the one coming on the clouds as the Son of Man.
"Behold He comes with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the land will mourn over Him. Yes, amen.
I am the Alpha and the Omega, says the Lord God, He who is and who was and who is coming, the Almighty." (Rev. 1:7,8)
The most immediate indication of who is speaking and why is verse 7, Christ is coming with the clouds. And those who pierced Him and mourn are the Israelite tribes of the Good Land. This passage is definitely a reference back to
Zechariah 12:9-10.
Zechariah 12:9-10 - "And in that day I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. (v.9)
And I [Jehovah] will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and of supplication;
and they will look upon Me; whom they have pierced; and they will wail over Him with the wailing as for an only son and cry bitterly over Him with bitter crying as for a firstborn son." (v.10)
The Apostle John sees this vision and writes of it in
Revelation chapter one. Every eye will see Christ coming and even the Jewish tribes of the Holy Land who pierced Him when they cried out for Him to be crucified some two millennium plus earlier.
It is every eye in the
Holy Land in the Middle East who shall behold Him coming. Whether every eye all over the planet sees this, I do not know. But
"and all the tribes of the LAND will mourn over Him ..." (Rev. 1:7) refers to the Israelites tribes of Zechariah's prophecy who pierced Jehovah God and will eventually recognize that and mourn for Him.
" ... and they will look upon ME [Jehovah] whom they have pierced; and they will wail over Him (Jehovah as a Man - the Messiah and Son of God)
with a wailing as for an only son and cry bitterly over Him ..."
Very logically therefore, God Almighty adds His own seal to the vision of John in the next verse -
"I am the Alpha and the Omega, says the Lord God, He who is and who was and who is coming, the Almighty" (v.8)
Of course the previous verse 7 has indicating that He is COMING -
"Behold He comes with the clouds ..."
Jehovah God, Christ never referred to himself as Almighty God and no one ever addressed him as Almighty God.
There are many many names for God in the Old Testament. It is not at all necessary that we have a specific New Testament passage where Jesus refers to Himself by that specific name.
If one utilizes this as a criteria then he can also insist that everywhere in the Old Testament it is mandatory that God use each and every name in every passage to "prove" that the Bible is speaking of the same Person.
Saying "Jesus did not refer to Himself as
El Shadai or
Jehovah Jira or
Jehovah Nissa or several other of the names associated for God in the Tanach is a faulty test.
The scheme and concept of beginning and end is expressed in a number of different ways.
Alpha and Omega in meaning is reflected in the phrase
"the Beginning and the End" or
"The First and the Last" . And it is definitely Jesus as the Son of Man who says that He is the First and the Last in verses 17.
"And when I [John]
saw Him [one like the Son of Man]
, I fell at His feet as dead; and He placed His right hand on me, saying, Do not fear, I am the First and the Last ..." (v.17)
The One coming on the clouds is God as a man.
The One putting His right hand on John comforting him is also God as a man. So the Trinity is a realistic revelation from the Bible of God's nature.
There is a prophetic reference in Isaiah to a mighty god, but its a different word entirely and simply means a powerful spiritual entity.
The mighty God is also
Jehovah.
The 1901 American Standard Bible, formerly used by the Watchtower, definitely said that Jehovah was the Mighty God -
" ... the great, the mighty God, Jehovah of hosts is his name ... "( Jeremiah 23:18 1901 ASV)
The Almighty God Jehovah is also the Mighty God Jehovah.
(Revelation 21:5-7) And the One seated on the throne said: “Look! I am making all things new.” Also, he says: “Write, because these words are faithful and true.” And he said to me: “They have come to pass! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To anyone thirsting I will give from the fountain of the water of life free. Anyone conquering will inherit these things, and I shall be his God and he will be my son.
It doesn't matter. The phrase
"Alpha and Omega" amounts to the same truth as
"the First and the Last" which amounts to the same truth as
"the Beginning and the End" .
And though there is distinction between Father and Son and Holy Spirit there is no separation for Each lives in the Other.
Hebrews 1:13 speaking of the Son of God also refers to the children that God has given to Him -
" ... He is not ashamed to call them brothers, Saying, 'I will declare Your name to My brothers; ... And again, 'I will trust in Him' And again, 'Behold, I and the children whom God has given Me.' " (See Hebrews 1:11-13)
That is all the time I am spending on this today.