“And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.”
My Notes
What Does Revelation 21:6 Mean?
Revelation 21:6 contains three of the most definitive statements in all of Scripture, spoken by the One sitting on the throne. "It is done" — gegonen, it has come to be, it is accomplished. In John 19:30, Jesus said tetelestai (it is finished) on the cross. Here, the same finality applies to the entire cosmic plan. The redemption begun at the cross has reached its full completion. All things are made new.
"I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end" — the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. God contains all of language, all of reality, all of time within Himself. Nothing precedes Him. Nothing outlasts Him. Everything that exists falls between the bookends of His identity. This title, applied to Christ in Revelation 1:8, here appears in the voice of the One on the throne — a union of Father and Son in the consummation of all things.
"I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely" — dorean, without charge, as a gift. The final offer in the Bible echoes Isaiah 55:1 ("come ye to the waters... without money and without price") and John 7:37 ("If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink"). Even here — at the end of all things, after judgment, after the new creation — God's posture is still giving. Still offering. Still free. The last word of the cosmic story isn't condemnation. It's an open fountain.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What does 'it is done' mean for whatever you're currently waiting on God to finish?
- 2.How does knowing God is both Alpha and Omega — beginning and end — change how you experience the confusing middle of your story?
- 3.Are you thirsty? Not theologically — actually, right now, in your soul? What are you thirsting for?
- 4.What does it mean to you that the last offer in the Bible is free water for the thirsty?
Devotional
Three statements. Each one could sustain a lifetime of reflection.
"It is done." Everything — the fall, the flood, the exodus, the exile, the cross, the resurrection, the tribulation, the judgment — finished. Complete. The story that began in a garden ends in a city, and the One who started it says: it's done. Not almost. Not in progress. Done. If you've ever wondered whether God will finish what He started in your life, this is the answer from the end of time itself.
"I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end." Your story has a lot of middle. Messy, confusing, painful middle. But God is both the beginning and the end. He was there before your first breath and He's there after the last page turns. Everything you're living through falls between two letters of His name. Nothing you experience is outside His alphabet.
And then: "I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely." Even at the end of all things, God is still offering water to the thirsty. Freely. Without cost. Without qualification. Just thirst. That's the only requirement — not worthiness, not accomplishment, not perfection. Just: are you thirsty? Then come. The fountain is open. It was always open. And it will never close.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
And he said unto me, it is done,.... The end of all things is come; it is all over with the first heaven and earth;…
And he said unto me - That is, he that sat on the throne - the Messiah. It is done - It is finished, complete; or, still…
It is done - All is determined, and shall be fulfilled in due time. The great drama is finished, and what was intended…
We have here a more general account of the happiness of the church of God in the future state, by which it seems most…
It is done We should read the plural: the word therefore is not an exactrepetition of that in Rev 16:17. If we ask, what…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture