the First and the Last?

Twice in the book of Isaiah, God calls Himself “the First and the Last (44:6; 48:12). A striking indication of GOD, Who, in absolute terms, is the beginning of everything. He has no beginning, but He is the beginning. And everything comes back to God, so that He, truly, also is the Last. “Out OF Him, through Him and TO Him are all things,” says Rom.11:36. But not only of God is it is said that He is “the First and the Last; also of Jesus Christ is this said, three times, in the book of “Revelation”.

And when I perceived Him, I fall at His feet as dead. And He places His right hand on me, saying, “Do not fear! I am the First and the Last, and the Living One: and I became dead, and lo! living am I… -Revelation 1:17,18-

“… this He is saying Who is the First and the Last, Who became dead, and lives: -Revelation 2:8-

I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Origin and the Consummation. -Revelation 22:13-

How can the Son of God, who was begotten by God the Father, also call Himself “the First and the Last”? A Son, by definition, cannot be the First? Is it perhaps because Jesus Christ is speaking on behalf of His God and Father? The Son, after all, is the “Image of the invisible God” (Col.1:15) and represents Him. Does He speak as a spokesman of Him, Who is “the First and the Last”? Another explanation is that the Son, as creature, is both, the first and the last. Colossians 1:15 says that He is “the firstborn of every creature”, that is to say, the Son takes the first place among all creatures (cp Ps.89:27). The reason which Paul mentions is that God created all things through Him (Col.1:16). It is John who explains this in the prologue of his Evangel account: “All things were made by Him …” (John 1:3). After all, “God spoke and it was done, He commanded, and it stood fast” (Ps.33:9). And this word (logos = expression of a thought), later became flesh (John 1:14). The Son is the Incarnate Word of the Creator and hence: “the firstborn of every creature”. But that’s not all. Colossians 1:18 continues with:

…He is the … Firstborn from among the dead, that in all He may be becoming first.

In addition, Christ also is the First of the new creation. God’s Kingdom began with Him, the King. But the Son is also the Last. In 1Corinthians 15, we read that the Son, as King must reign until (15:25). The last enemy that He will abolish is death (15:26) and He will achieve this by making all alive, beyond the reach of death (15:22). From then on, there will be no more death, and all will live! Then, all will be subject to Him. There will then be no more enemies, making all governmental rule redundant. Hence, the reign of Christ will come to an end (15:26). As the Last, the Son Himself will be made subject as well (15:28), and God will be all in all.

Delen: