Studies of the original languages of manuscripts from which our Bible is derived often lead to numerous shades of meaning and insightful interpretations that prove both enlightening and encouraging to the Bible student. Such is the case with a revelation that is presented in Cosmic Codes by Chuck Missler, a highly technological book about hidden messages that are embedded in the Bible. This book is highly recommended to and for the serious Bible student. The following is only one nugget contained in this treasure trove of Biblical knowledge.

God identifies Himself in several places in the Old Testaments by referring, with some variation, to Himself as “the first and the last;” and in the New Testament by the same expression with the words, “Alpha and Omega” and “Beginning and the End.” For instance:

Isaiah 41:4

Who has done this and carried it through, calling forth the generations from the beginning? I, the LORD--with the first of them and with the last--I am He.

Isaiah 44:6

"This is what the LORD says--Israel's King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from Me there is no God.

Isaiah 48:12

Listen to me, O Jacob, Israel, whom I have called: I am He; I am the first and I am the last.

Revelation 1:8

"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty."

Revelation 1:17, 18

When I saw Him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then He placed His right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.

Revelation 2:8

To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of Him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again.

Revelation 21:6

He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life.

Revelation 22:13

I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

This phrase is God’s way of saying that He encompasses all time and eternity-He is, in fact, true and complete reality. It is confirmation that nothing can exist without Him. Nothing can come before Him, and nothing can come after Him. It testifies to His attribute of Omnipresence, the fact that He is everywhere at the same time. There is no matter or space or dimension that can elude Him. He is all encompassing-He is God.

Knowing this, there is an interesting passage in the Old Testament. It is a passage that refers to the time when the Jews will recognize finally that Jesus Christ is their Messiah. The passage is found in Zechariah 12:10:

And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on Me, the One they have pierced, and they will mourn for Him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for Him as one grieves for a firstborn son.

This passage presents the Messiah of Israel as “the One they have pierced,” which is a direct (prophetic) reference to Jesus Christ whom was pierced while on the cross of Calvary. But what is most intriguing regarding this verse is found in the original Hebrew text where a very small two-letter word is inserted between “me” and “the One they have pierced.” This two-letter word was not translated from the original text into our English text. It is composed of two letters, the aleph and the tau, the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet. The aleph can signify the first in a list or rank; the tau, the last in a list or rank.

This two-letter Hebrew word is the equivalent of the Greek, “Alpha and Omega.” It also suggests a more insightful translation of this verse, as follows:

“…They will look on Me, the first and the last, the One they have pierced….”

Even though by the context this verse speaks of Jesus Christ, the understanding of the Hebrew text only confirms this truth. There is no doubt that the phrase “the first (Alpha or Beginning) and the last (Omega or Ending)” clearly refers to Jesus Christ as seen in Revelation 1:17, 18.

In the original Hebrew text, the same two-letter word is used in Genesis 1:1.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Here the two-letter word consisting of the aleph and the tau falls between “God” and “created;” therefore, a better rendering of this verse would be, “In the beginning God, the first and the last, created the heavens and the earth. In fact, this two-letter word is used seven times in the Genesis account of creation, which is further confirmation that Jesus Christ is the person of the Godhead who primarily was involved in the creation of the universe. But then a student of God’s Word already knows this-see John 1:1-3, 10; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 1:2, 10; 11:3.

The bottom line is that “hidden” in the original text of Scripture runs a thread of revelation, represented by a small two-letter word, which reveals Jesus Christ. It is important to note that Jesus Christ is the primary focus of the Bible, from its “beginning” to its “ending.” From the beginning the focus is “forward,” and from the ending the focus is “backward”-a focus that becomes clear at the foot of the cross.

It is the cross and what happened on it that is the most critical event of all history. On the cross Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, took upon Himself your and my sins-all of them, and He paid the price required by a Holy God for these sins. He died both spiritually and physically, was buried but rose alive on the third day. He did this for you and for me, so that if we only turn (repent) from ourselves or any other works-oriented system in seeking God’s approval, and we by faith alone accept Jesus Christ and what He did for our personal salvation, we will be saved and have eternal life-never to be taken away.