3801. ho ón kai ho én kai ho erchomenos

Lexical Summary

ho ón kai ho én kai ho erchomenos: "He who is, and who was, and who is to come"

Original Word: ὁ ὢν καὶ ὁ ἦν καὶ ὁ ἐρχόμενος
Part of Speech: Phrase
Transliteration: ho ón kai ho én kai ho erchomenos
Pronunciation: ho own kai ho ane kai ho er-kho-men-os
Phonetic Spelling: (ho en kai)
KJV: which art (is, was), and (which) wast (is, was), and art (is) to come (shalt be)
Word Origin: [a phrase combining G3588 (ὁ - those) with the present participle and imperfect of G1510 (εἰμί - am) and the present participle of G2064 (ἔρχομαι - came) by means of G2532 (καί - also)]

1. the one being and the one that was and the one coming, i.e. the Eternal, as a divine epithet of Christ

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

to come

Ho erchomenos (ho own kahee) ho ane kahee (ho er-khom'-en-os) a phrase combining ho with the present participle and imperfect of eimi and the present participle of erchomai by means of kai; the one being and the one that was and the one coming, i.e. The Eternal, as a divine epithet of Christ -- which art (is, was), and (which) wast (is, was), and art (is) to come (shalt be).

see GREEK eimi

see GREEK kai

see GREEK ho

see GREEK erchomai

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
see ho,, eimi, kai and erchomai.

Topical Lexicon

Divine Title and Theological Meaning

Ὁ ὢν καὶ ὁ ἦν καὶ ὁ ἐρχόμενος, literally “the One who is and who was and who is coming,” functions in Scripture as a three-part confession of God’s self-existence, immutability, and sovereign approach toward history. Each participle unfolds a distinct dimension of His eternal being:
• Ὁ ὢν – the One who IS: present, self-sufficient, ever-active.
• Ὁ ἦν – the One who WAS: Lord of past ages, covenant keeper across generations.
• Ὁ ἐρχόμενος – the One who IS COMING: the inevitable, personal arrival of God to judge, to save, and to consummate His purposes.

Old Testament Roots and Continuity

The phrase echoes Exodus 3:14, where God reveals His name to Moses as “I AM THAT I AM.” The Septuagint renders that disclosure with ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ὤν (“I am the One who is”), laying linguistic groundwork for the Revelation formula. Isaiah 41:4; 44:6; 48:12 further underline the themes of God’s eternal existence, a continuity that the Johannine Apocalypse draws forward into New-Covenant revelation. Thus the title bridges Testaments, affirming that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is identical with the Lord of the Church.

Usage in Revelation and Apocalyptic Worship

Although Strong’s 3801 is catalogued as a phrase rather than a stand-alone lemma, the expression appears in key doxological settings:
• Revelation 1:4-5 – “Grace and peace to you from Him who is and was and is to come …”.
• Revelation 1:8 – “I am the Alpha and the Omega, says the Lord God, who is and was and is to come—the Almighty.”
• Revelation 4:8 – The four living creatures cry day and night, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”

A textual variant omits the final clause in Revelation 11:17, yet even there the praise context assumes His forthcoming reign. In every occurrence the phrase frames worship, anchoring praise in God’s timeless character while orienting hope toward His imminent intervention.

Christological Implications

Revelation first applies the formula to the Father (1:4) and then allows the Son to claim it (1:8), illustrating the shared divine identity of Father and Son. Jesus Christ, “the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth” (Revelation 1:5), embodies the One who is, who was, and who is coming, thereby reinforcing His full deity and unbroken continuity with Yahweh. The title complements Johannine “I am” sayings (John 8:58), integrating Gospel revelation with apocalyptic vision.

Eschatological Hope and Pastoral Comfort

Because the living God is unchanging, past mercies guarantee present grace, and both assure future deliverance. The participle ὁ ἐρχόμενος assures persecuted believers that history moves toward a certain climax: the visible return of Christ, final justice, and the restoration of all things (Acts 3:21). The title therefore transforms trial into anticipation; worship into warfare; history into hope.

Liturgical and Doctrinal Reception in Church History

Early Christian hymns and creeds echoed the phrase to safeguard orthodoxy against Gnostic and Arian distortions. The Trisagion of Eastern liturgy (“Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal”) rests on Revelation 4:8. Nicene formulations of God’s eternal being (“Light from Light, true God from true God”) preserve its insight. Reformers cited the title to affirm Scriptural sufficiency and divine sovereignty during societal upheaval, and confessional documents continue to invoke it when summarizing the doctrine of God.

Practical Ministry Application

1. Preaching: Exalting God’s three-fold title anchors expository messages in the character of God rather than transient circumstances.
2. Counseling: Believers facing grief find consolation in the God who WAS faithful, IS present, and IS COMING with redemption.
3. Evangelism: The certainty of ὁ ἐρχόμενος urges proclamation of repentance and faith while grace is offered (2 Peter 3:9-10).
4. Worship Planning: Incorporating the phrase in prayers and songs cultivates a God-centered liturgy that spans past, present, and future.

Related Names of God

• Ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ὤν – Exodus 3:14 (LXX)
• Ἄλφα καὶ Ὦ – Revelation 1:8; 22:13
• Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ὁ Παντοκράτωρ – Revelation 4:8

Together these titles declare that the God who calls, redeems, and reigns is eternally the same and soon to come in glory.

Forms and Transliterations

παγετώ

Englishman's Concordance

ὀχυρωμάτων — 1 Occ.
ὀψάρια — 1 Occ.
ὀψαρίων — 2 Occ.
ὀψάριον — 2 Occ.
Ὀψὲ — 3 Occ.
ὄψιμον — 1 Occ.
ὀψία — 1 Occ.
Ὀψίας — 14 Occ.
ὄψιν — 1 Occ.
ὄψις — 2 Occ.
ὀψωνίοις — 2 Occ.
ὀψώνιον — 1 Occ.
παγιδεύσωσιν — 1 Occ.
παγίδα — 3 Occ.
παγίδος — 1 Occ.
παγίς — 1 Occ.
πάθημα — 1 Occ.
παθήμασιν — 4 Occ.
παθήματα — 4 Occ.
παθημάτων — 7 Occ.