NT Text: Revelation 1:17
OT Source(s):
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Reference Type: Allusion
Connection Method(s): Longitudinal Theme + Analogy
Significance: In Isaiah 44:6, YHWH declares "I am the first and I am the last" (ani ri'shon va'ani 'aharon) as a monotheistic assertion — there is no other God besides Him. This title establishes YHWH's absolute sovereignty over all of history from beginning to end. When the glorified Christ applies this identical title to Himself in Revelation 1:17, saying "I am the First and the Last" (egō eimi ho prōtos kai ho eschatos), He is making an unmistakable claim to share YHWH's unique divine identity. The context intensifies this claim: Christ adds "the Living One; I was dead, and behold, now I am alive forever and ever" — combining the divine self-designation with the uniquely Christian claim of death and resurrection. This represents one of the clearest examples in Revelation of YHWH-identification Christology, where titles exclusive to YHWH in the OT are applied directly to Jesus without qualification.