Dictionary Home / F

First and Last

theological_term theological_term standard

A divine title that emphasizes God’s eternal existence, sovereign rule, and unique supremacy. In Revelation, it is also applied to Jesus Christ, strongly supporting his full deity.

At a Glance

A title for God that means he is before all things, above all rivals, and sovereign over the whole course of history; Revelation applies this title to Jesus.

Key Points

Description

“First and Last” is a biblical title that communicates God’s eternal primacy, absolute sovereignty, and unique identity as the one true Lord. In Isaiah, the phrase functions polemically against idols and pagan claims: the LORD alone is before all things, rules all things, and brings his purposes to completion. In Revelation, the risen Christ speaks with this title, or closely related language, showing that the New Testament writers place Jesus within the divine identity rather than treating him as a mere creature. The title is not primarily a philosophical statement about abstract eternity; it is a covenantal and redemptive claim about the God who acts in history and fulfills his promises. Read within the whole canon, the phrase strongly supports the full deity of Christ while maintaining the biblical distinction between the Father and the Son.

Biblical Context

In Isaiah, “First and Last” is used to declare that the LORD stands alone as the living God and the one who directs the rise and fall of nations, the defeat of idols, and the fulfillment of redemptive purposes. In Revelation, the same language appears on the lips of the exalted Christ, placing him on the divine side of the Creator-creature distinction.

Historical Context

The phrase reflects the Bible’s ancient worldview in which kingship, eternity, and history belong ultimately to God alone. Isaiah uses the title in a setting of confrontation with idolatry, where the LORD’s unmatched sovereignty is contrasted with powerless gods. Revelation reuses this language in a context of persecution, worship, and the hope of final victory.

Jewish and Ancient Context

Second Temple Jewish readers would naturally hear this as language of divine uniqueness, eternal rule, and covenant faithfulness. The phrase resonates with biblical monotheism: the one God is Lord over beginning and end, not one deity among many.

Primary Key Texts

Secondary Key Texts

Original Language Note

Hebrew passages use language of first/last to express the LORD’s unmatched priority and finality; Revelation uses the Greek expressions ὁ πρῶτος καὶ ὁ ἔσχατος (“the First and the Last”) and related titles such as ἡ ἀρχὴ καὶ τὸ τέλος (“the Beginning and the End”).

Theological Significance

The title affirms God’s eternity, uniqueness, and sovereign governance of all history. Applied to Christ in Revelation, it is an important Christological title that supports orthodox Trinitarian confession: Jesus shares the divine identity and prerogatives of the one true God.

Philosophical Explanation

The phrase expresses more than temporal sequence. It means that God is the source, goal, and governor of all reality. He is not one being within the universe but the Lord who stands over time, directs history, and brings every purpose to its appointed end.

Interpretive Cautions

Do not reduce the title to a mere metaphor for importance or greatness. Do not separate the Isaianic and Johannine uses so sharply that the New Testament application to Christ is weakened. At the same time, do not use the title to erase the personal distinction between the Father and the Son.

Major Views

Conservative interpreters generally see the Isaiah texts as referring to the LORD alone and the Revelation texts as applying that same divine title to Jesus Christ. Some readers debate details of speaker and wording in Revelation 22:13, but the broader canonical pattern still places Christ within divine titles and prerogatives.

Doctrinal Boundaries

This entry affirms one God in three persons, the full deity of Christ, and the continuity of Old and New Testament revelation. It does not imply that the Son is the Father, nor does it treat Christological titles as detachable from the biblical doctrine of the incarnation.

Practical Significance

For believers, this title grounds worship, confidence in providence, and hope in God’s final victory. If Christ is the First and the Last, then no enemy, suffering, or historical crisis stands outside his rule.

Related Entries

See Also

Data

Machine-readable JSON for First and Last

↑ Top