www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Scripture and Patristic Writings Do the Greeks (or anyone else) have a word for it?

Biblically and philosophically, there's lots of Christian belief centred
around the idea of Jesus as 'alpha and omega', first and last point to/in
the cosmos. I was thinking about this concept, and well - is there a word
for it? Not just in English, but in ANY language? (Just a word for the sort
of ultimate, all embracing, destiny type thing)

Originally posted by Deacon John Montalvo:
Logos

1In the beginning was the Word (Logos), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2He was in the beginning with God.

3All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.

4In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.

5The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

�In love did God bring the world into existence; in love does He guide it during its temporal existence; in love is He going to bring it to that wondrous transformed state, and in love will the world be swallowed up in the great mystery of Him who has performed all these things. In love will the whole course of the governance of creation be finally comprised.�

-and-

�Among all God�s actions there is none that is not entirely a matter of mercy, love and compassion: this constitutes the beginning and end of His dealings with us.�

I think this is what is meant by "Logos" - the eternal "Word" "Thought" "Self-awareness" "Self-Revelation" of God. It is because God's knowledge of God is so perfectly complete that the Knowledge is itself God, different only by being generated hence "God the Son". The prologue of St John's Gospel expresses it well.
However, if there is a single word, then the Greek theologians who inhabit the Byzantine website will know, and I'll consult them when I get home.

Thanks, Dad. Not quite the nutshell I was hoping for, but offers some food for thought which is always appreciated. And chewy.

eth hashshamayim. The word את eth, which is generally considered as a particle, simply denoting that the word following is in the accusative or oblique case, is often understood by the rabbins in a much more extensive sense. �The particle את,� says Aben Ezra, �signifies the substance of the thing.� The like definition is given by Kimchi in his Book of Roots. �This particle,� says Mr. Ainsworth, �having the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet in it, is supposed to comprise the sum and substance of all things.� �The particle את eth (says Buxtorf, Talmudic Lexicon, sub voce) with the cabalists is often mystically put for the beginning and the end, as α alpha and ω omega are in the Apocalypse.� On this ground these words should be translated, �God in the beginning created the substance of the heavens and the substance of the earth,� i.e. the prima materia, or first elements, out of which the heavens and the earth were successively formed. The Syriac translator understood the word in this sense, and to express this meaning has used the word yoth, which has this signification, and is very properly translated in Walton�s Polyglot, Esse, caeli et Esse terrae, �the being or substance of the heaven, and the being or substance of the earth.� St. Ephraim Syrus, in his comment on this place, uses the same Syriac word, and appears to understand it precisely in the same way. Though the Hebrew words are certainly no more than the notation of a case in most places, yet understood here in the sense above, they argue a wonderful philosophic accuracy in the statement of Moses, which brings before us, not a finished heaven and earth, as every other translation appears to do, though afterwards the process of their formation is given in detail, but merely the materials out of which God built the whole system in the six following days.