13
“Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn over him. So it is to be. Amen” (Revelation 1:7 CSB). We should note the significance of the phrase, “every eye will see him, even those who pierced him…” here in Revelation 1:7. This can only refer to the events that took place at Jesus’ crucifixion. This passage, along with its reference to those who will “mourn because of him” (NET), also carries a strong emotional component, for it conveys the image of those who wail and beat their chests to express their grief. (1)
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty” (Revelation 1:8 NIV). 
In the original language of this passage, Alpha and Omega function much like the letters A and Z, for they each represent the first and last letters of their respective alphabets. Thus, we can understand this reference to mean that Jesus is the first, the last, and the “A to Z” of everything. Therefore, our text from Revelation 1:8 establishes Jesus as the beginning and the end of all things.
“I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Revelation 1:9). Patmos is a ten mile (16 km) long, six mile (10 km) wide island near the coast of the modern-day nation of Turkey. Church tradition tells us that John was exiled to Patmos for a period of eighteen months. One source discusses the role of the ancient Roman emperor Domitian to explain how and why John ended up on this island in the midst of the Aegean Sea…
“The emperor Domitian, who was naturally inclined to cruelty, first slew his brother, and then raised the second persecution against the Christians… Among the numerous martyrs that suffered during this persecution was Simeon, bishop of Jerusalem, who was crucified; and St. John, who was boiled in oil, and afterward banished to Patmos.” (1) If Domitian or one of his subordinates attempted to kill John with boiling oil, then it seems reasonable to assume that God miraculously spared his life. If He had not done so, then John would have never had the opportunity to serve as the human author of the Biblical book of Revelation.
In the original language of this passage, Alpha and Omega function much like the letters A and Z, for they each represent the first and last letters of their respective alphabets. Thus, we can understand this reference to mean that Jesus is the first, the last, and the “A to Z” of everything. Therefore, our text from Revelation 1:8 establishes Jesus as the beginning and the end of all things.
(1) G2875 – kopto – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (kjv). (n.d.). Blue Letter Bible. https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g2875/kjv/tr/0-1/
(2) John Foxe, The Project Gutenberg eBook of Fox’s Book Of Martyrs (n.d.). https://www.gutenberg.org/files/22400/22400-h/22400-h.htm [pg 20]