August 20, 2022
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” Revelation 1:8
Jesus identifies Himself in terms that we can understand. As the Alpha, we are reminded that He is the Creator. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made (John 1:3). He crowned creation week with the seventh day which was designated by the Creator for resting from work. He gave us the perfect example by resting Himself. The number seven denotes completion, perfection. The seventh day is a “temple in time” created for quality time with Him. It is a standing reminder of the everlasting joy of eternity with our Creator and Redeemer after our work on earth is done. The seventh day is the Lord’s Omega of creation week.
Read Genesis 2:2-3. It contains a triple-parallel set of statements in Scripture: the seventh day is mentioned three times for emphasis. This blessed and sanctified day follows the sixth day, when He created the first man and woman. The number six is the number of man. We are made with a built-in need of Him. Without Him, we are not complete. Six plus One . . . !
So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Genesis 1:27
This brief verse contains a double and a triple parallelism. Take another look. The word created is stated three times and image is there twice. In His foreknowledge, God knew that His role as Creator would be attacked by His enemy, who desires to destroy the image of God in each of us by causing us to forget our need of Him; but the Spirit steadily calls us to return wholeheartedly!
Satan’s end-time—and most vehement—attack upon Jesus as our Creator arrived in 1844. The theory of evolution burst upon the earthly scene, and sinful man was only too happy to embrace a godless “explanation” of our origin. Sadly, this relatively new theory—which has permeated every avenue of public and private education (almost!)—effectively obliterates the concept of creation week in the minds of many. The grace of God provides for us in the first chapter of Genesis a six-fold parallelism: the evening and the morning were the [first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth] day (vs.5,8,13,19,23,31). This is an explicit and emphatic lead-up to the seventh day. Could it be that our loving Creator is helping us to recognize and resist the false—yet very popular—idea that His appointed day of rest and worship is Sunday?
God’s word is complete and provides more than everything we need to discern our cruel enemy’s subtle and blatant attempts to stunt and twist our thinking. God has powerfully been leading His people out of numerous errors that crept in among us. HE IS STILL AT WORK, and He desires to thoroughly prepare His people for His return. Submit every aspect of your life to Him today!
When Christ, who is our life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Colossians 3:4