Translation
Then He said to me, “It is done.
Go to footnote numberI am THE ALPHA AND OMEGA,
the beginning and the end.
Go to footnote numberTo the one who is thirsting I will give freely from the spring of the water of life.
Go to footnote numberParaphrase
Then He said to me, “It is accomplished.
I ENCOMPASS AND CONTAIN ALL THINGS, they find their source, their existence, their purpose and their fulfillment in me.
To the one who is spiritually needy I will give freely from the refreshing source of life-giving life.
Footnotes
1
“It is done!” The verb tense here is a perfect, meaning that it was finished in the past, but its consequences still stand. That which God has desired is now accomplished; it has happened; it has become reality. He said He would make all things new; He did. He has created a new system, and that system is based on the atoning work of Jesus. It is finished in God’s eyes even if He is still at work in us to make it reality in our lives.
2
“Alpha and Omega” indicates His power; if He controlled the beginning of everything (creation) and if He controls their ultimate destiny, it means He also has power over everything in between. This phrase is inserted to demonstrate that He has the power and authority to do what He wants; He has the authority to make a totally new system whereby all things function. Jesus has replaced the system of the Law, although the basic concepts remain the same. He also has the authority to punish the wicked, as is mentioned in the next few verses.
3
“Water of life” is a redundancy, a repetition of the same meaning, for the meaning of water that fits best is that of “life.” “Life-giving life” sounds strange, but it is an accurate repackaging of the original meaning. When this is united with the imagery of “a spring” it makes three times that the same idea is emphasized. Here then is true life, life as it was meant to be. It reminds us of Jesus’ earlier mention of a kind of life that is “abundant, full, and overflowing” (Jn 10:10).