I AM the First and the Last

Isa 44:6 Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.

Throughout the scriptures God tells us plenty of times that He alone is God, and that there is none before Him, nor will there be any after Him. He makes no apologies and expects all to reverence Him. Jehovah declares plainly that He is the King of Israel, that He is his redeemer, and that He is the First and the Last!

Isa 48:12 Hearken unto me, O Jacob and Israel, my called; I am he; I am the first, I also am the last.

Here again the LORD says that He is the first and the last. A thought of ‘before Him’ is not possible, and anything ‘after Him’ is inconceivable. He is the beginning and the end! This is the God that began all things, and the God that will bring all things to completion, His name is JEHOVAH!

Isa 44:24 Thus saith the LORD (Jehovah), thy redeemer ( see also 44:6), and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself;!

I love the attitude of our God! With authority He demands that all glory and honour be unto Him alone! He does not want us to get confused and start thinking that maybe there is another God somewhere. He does not want us to think that maybe He used a little help from someone else. Not only is He bold and confident, He seems a little jealous that none would rob Him of glory that rightfully belongs to Him alone. He created the earth alone and by Himself!

This is the God that has revealed Himself to the holy prophets and apostles. He has revealed Himself as ONE God that desires all praise, honour, and glory for Himself. He has no desire to share it.

To Pharoah, He proved that He was the only God when He defeated all of Egypt’s dumb idols with ten miraculous plagues. To Moses He revealed Himself as the great I AM! To the children of Israel He clearly revealed Himself as jealous, all powerful, and Holy. To the prophets He declared things to come, showing that He knows the beginning from the end, making it clear that there is none like Him, nor is there any beside Him! He, Jehovah, is clearly the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the Ending!

He has revealed Himself to the rest of the world as a man called Jesus Christ. The Apostle speaks of this man Jesus as the ONE that created all things.

Col 1:15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
Col 1:16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: Col 1:17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

The writer of the book of Hebrews has similar things to say of Jesus.

Heb 1:3 Who (Jesus) being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;!

The Apostle John, who was one of Jesus’ most loved disciples, also has something to say of Jesus being the creator, the first and the last.

John 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.

Clearly all things everywhere were created and are upheld by the word of Jesus’ power. Jesus is the creator God of the Old Testament, revealed to us in the flesh of a Man.

In the last book of the Bible God reveals Himself one last time in a book called the ‘Revelation of Jesus Christ’. In it Jehovah reveals Himself again as the First and the Last!

Re 1:11 Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last... John the revelator sees the first and the last walking about as the Son of Man. He records his thoughts for us like this, Re 1:17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last!

This Son of Man was so dreadful to look upon that the great Apostle fell over as though he were dead; but Jesus tells him that he doesn’t need to fear, for He is the first and the last! In the next verse He makes Himself very clear as to who exactly this Son of Man is.

Re 1:18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
In chapter 2:8 He again makes Himself known as the first and the last when He says, ‘And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive.’

Who is the ‘first and last’? He leaves absolutely no room to wonder! There is but one Son of Man that was dead and is now alive forevermore! He is our great God and saviour, Jesus Christ, Immanuel (God with us), the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the ending, JEHOVAH!

Re 22:12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. Re 22:13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.

In the end, when all the world stands before God they will all confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, and they will all bow their knee to Him. He has given us a clear witness in His word and yet many reject this witness making God a liar. 1 John 5:10.
Surely the Apostle Paul was correct when he said that the mystery of godliness was very great, I don’t think there should be any controversy about it. The mystery of the Godhead is indeed very great! But it is in this very mystery that all the riches of wisdom and knowledge are hid! May we seek to understand this great mystery rather than dismiss it. God bless you.

Col 2:2 That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;
Col 2:3 In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

1Ti 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.