In Isaiah 44:6, how can the claim “I am the first and I am the last” be reconciled with other biblical passages attributing this title to different persons?

I. Overview of the Phrase “I Am the First and I Am the Last”

The statement in Isaiah 44:6 reads, “This is what the LORD says—Israel’s King and Redeemer, the LORD of Hosts: ‘I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God but Me.’” This phrase conveys uniqueness, eternal existence, and sovereign authority. Various other passages, including Isaiah 48:12 and Revelation 1:17, similarly use descriptions such as “the First and the Last,” sometimes referring explicitly to the LORD (Yahweh), and at other times to Jesus in the New Testament. Understandably, questions arise about how the same title can be attributed to different persons within Scripture.

II. Scriptural Context and Unity

1. Isaiah’s Emphasis on Yahweh’s Eternal Kingship

Throughout the book of Isaiah, particularly in chapters 40–48, the prophet underscores the absolute sovereignty of the Creator. The expression “I am the first and I am the last” (Isaiah 44:6) serves to declare that there is none equal to Him in eternity or power.

These same chapters repeatedly emphasize God’s exclusive divinity, as in Isaiah 45:5: “I am the LORD, and there is no other; there is no God but Me.” This strong monotheistic claim underscores that the designation of “first” and “last” belongs uniquely to the one true God.

2. Revelation’s Application to Jesus

In the Book of Revelation, Jesus describes Himself in similar terms. Revelation 1:17–18 says, “When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. But He placed His right hand on me and said, ‘Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last, and the Living One. I was dead, and behold, now I am alive forever and ever…’”

Here the phrase “the First and the Last” directly refers to Jesus, leading to the conclusion that He shares in the same quality of eternal sovereignty. Revelation 22:13 further links the title to Jesus in a more encompassing form: “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”

3. The Unifying Thread

Taken together, these references establish a seamless biblical theology that identifies the One who was proclaimed in Isaiah as “the First and the Last” with Jesus in the New Testament. The unity of Scripture teaches that no contradiction exists in applying the same title to both the LORD in Isaiah and to Jesus in Revelation, because Jesus shares the same essence and eternal nature.

III. Theological Implications

1. Divine Identity and the Triune God

The title “the First and the Last” reflects God’s unchanging, eternal nature. Within the broader biblical witness, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit exist as one eternal Being. As John 10:30 records Jesus saying, “I and the Father are one,” further confirming their shared divinity. Thus, attributing “the First and the Last” to both the Father and the Son underscores their oneness and co-eternality.

2. Christ’s Role in Creation

Colossians 1:16 speaks of Jesus as the agent of creation: “For in Him all things were created… all things have been created through Him and for Him.” Because only God can be Creator, Christ’s creative authority aligns with the name “the First and the Last.” It reveals His status as the eternal Creator, consistent with Isaiah’s depiction of the LORD as the sole Creator of the heavens and the earth (Isaiah 45:12).

3. Fulfillment of Prophetic Statements

The prophet Isaiah foretells the names and attributes of the Messiah (Isaiah 9:6), describing Him as “Mighty God” and “Everlasting Father.” These descriptions do not reduce the Father’s role but underscore how the Messiah’s eternal attributes point to His unity with God. Thus, Jesus fulfilling the role of “the First and the Last” is consistent with these prophetic declarations.

IV. Manuscript Evidence and Consistency

1. Preservation of Isaiah’s Text

Among the Dead Sea Scrolls, one of the most noteworthy finds is the Great Isaiah Scroll (1QIsaa), which remains remarkably consistent with the Masoretic Text used for modern translations. This underscores the preservation and reliability of Isaiah’s prophecy, including the exact wording of “I am the first and I am the last” in Isaiah 44:6.

2. New Testament Manuscript Attestation

Early manuscript fragments such as Papyrus 98 and other reliable manuscripts attest to the Book of Revelation’s authenticity. They preserve the statements where Jesus refers to Himself as “the First and the Last,” showing textual consistency and reinforcing the historic Christian claim of Christ’s divine identity.

3. Historical Corroboration

Early Church Fathers, including Ignatius of Antioch and Irenaeus, closely linked Old Testament prophecies concerning God’s eternal nature to Jesus. Their writings show that within mere decades or centuries after the apostles, the Church universally confessed Jesus as fully divine, consistent with biblical language about His eternal nature.

V. Harmonizing the Title Within Scripture

1. Shared Divine Authority

Scripture presents the Father and the Son as eternally one in being yet distinct in person. Both are addressed with the same divine names (e.g., “God,” “Lord,” “the First and the Last”) precisely because they share the same essence.

2. No Contradiction in Monotheism

Deuteronomy 6:4 declares, “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is One.” Biblical monotheism teaches that only one God exists. The consistent application of Isaiah’s “the First and the Last” to Christ in Revelation does not introduce multiple gods but affirms Christ’s participation in the very identity of God.

3. Eternity in Relation to Time

The phrase “the First and the Last” communicates God’s mastery over all ages. As an eternal being, God stands outside and above creation, which He brought into existence at the beginning of time. Because Jesus is God incarnate, He holds full deity and therefore rightly proclaims the same timeless dominion.

VI. Conclusion and Relevance

Isaiah 44:6 speaks of the LORD’s incomparable supremacy, while Revelation shows Jesus making an identical claim to sovereignty and eternity. These references converge on a consistent message: the Bible teaches that God is eternal, and the Son shares that eternal nature. Because Scripture is unified in its witness, there is no contradiction in ascribing the same divine title, “the First and the Last,” to both Yahweh in Isaiah and Jesus in Revelation.

This cohesiveness not only illumines the nature of God but also reinforces our trust in the biblical text. Manuscript evidence like the Dead Sea Scrolls, historical testimony from early Christian writers, and the unified depiction of God in Scripture all underscore the reliability of this teaching.

Thus, “I am the first and I am the last” stands as a declaration of divine eternity, faithfully confirmed in the Old and New Testaments. Acknowledging this truth extends beyond mere intellectual understanding, reminding us of the all-encompassing lordship and unity of God as revealed in Scripture.