“‘Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end’” (Revelation 22:12–13 ESV).
The apostle John, writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to the churches who would read and keep this prophecy, recorded the closing words of Jesus as a final summons to readiness and faithfulness. In this epilogue of Revelation, Jesus spoke directly to believers living between His first and second comings. He announced, “I am coming soon,” emphasizing that His return was literal and imminent, meant to shape how the church lived at all times.
He declared that He would bring His “recompense,” reminding the readers that He would personally administer reward and judgment according to deeds, not as a means of salvation, but as a righteous evaluation of every life. This is consistent with New Testament teaching about the Bema Seat of Christ (cf. 2 Cor. 5:10) where believers will receive rewards based on what they have done in obedience to Christ, not to earn salvation but as divine reward for faithful service and obedience.
Finally, Jesus identified Himself with His divine titles: “the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”Thus affirming His eternal sovereignty over all of history. The One who would return was not merely a messenger of God but the sovereign Lord of all, ruling from eternity past to eternity future.
Because our King is coming soon, we are called to live as people who truly believe He could return at any moment. Let us not drift into complacency or spiritual sleep, but cultivate watchful expectancy. Knowing that Jesus brings His recompense, let us pursue holy living, not to earn His love, but to honor Him with faithful obedience. Our choices, service, and perseverance matter because they will one day be laid before Christ. And because Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega, we rest in His sovereign control over our lives and our future. When fear or weariness presses in, let us remember that history is not spinning out of control, it is moving toward the return of our Coming King, our certain hope.
PRAYER: Dear Father, we thank You that Jesus is coming again, just as He promised. Help us to live holy lives with watchful expectancy and faithful obedience as we wait for Him. Keep our hearts anchored in the truth that Christ reigns as the Alpha and the Omega over all things. Strengthen us to live today in light of that certain hope. In Jesus’ name, amen.