A
Definition
Alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet, while Omega is the last. Used together, these letters express the meaning “the first and last.” Alpha and Omega therefore serve as a designation of completeness and primacy, and in the biblical passages where they occur they are associated with Christ’s divine eternity. In early Christian symbols, the two letters were frequently combined with the cross or with Christ’s monogram as a sign of his divinity.
Biblical Usage
Alpha occurs with Omega in Revelation 1:8, 11; 21:6; and 22:13, where the pair signifies “the first and last.” This designation is applied to Christ and expresses his divine eternity. The letters are also associated with related biblical descriptions of the first and the last.
Historical Background
Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. In the symbols of the early Christian Church, they were frequently joined to the cross or to Christ’s monogram to denote his divinity.