Onomaticon: Alpha & Omega, Light of the World, and Dayspring
Alpha & Omega
Most people have heard the term “Alpha and Omega”. One thing to realize about any name of God is just how much power is implied behind it! My research turned up many different definitions of this simple yet powerful description of God. Alpha and Omega means the first and the last, the A and Z of the Greek alphabet. But there’s more to it than that. It doesn’t stop with the first and the last — He is also calling Himself everything in between! One definition I found said that Alpha and Omega means the most powerful. God wasn’t being light when he said that he was Alpha and Omega. He was said that He was there in the beginning, that He’ll be there in the end, that He is going to be there in the middle, and that He is the most powerful!
Light of the World
This name seems pretty simple: when God calls himself the Light of the World, our automatic response is to think it means Jesus was the light in the dark world and leading the way. That’s the truth, but we can also see a deeper meaning. Light itself is a pure substance and when it is there, it exposes what the darkness has hidden. By calling Himself the light of the world, God was telling us that the world is a dark place, but when we call on His pure name, He will expose what the darkness has hidden. He will show up the lies that have been told to us. He will guide us, but won’t be a burden. Light is healthy for us and we need the light in order to survive. God is a healthy light and is always shining down on us.
Dayspring
There is only one reference of God calling himself the Dayspring in the Bible, in Luke 1:78. Dayspring means ‘dawn’ or ‘daybreak’. The very beginning, the first thing that happens In a day is the breaking of dawn. Isn’t it amazing that God referenced himself to that? He is saying that He is the first thing that happens when our life truly begins. The brilliant day can unfold, but only after dawn breaks. In a subtle way, God is telling us through this name that he needs to be first in our lives: the very first thing that we should go to. Otherwise dawn will never come and we will continue to live in darkness. Let Jesus be your dayspring, and let him affect your life.
Your insights are clear, concise and easy to understand. They make me appreciate God for being who he is.