NT Text: Revelation 1:17
OT Source(s):
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Reference Type: Allusion
Connection Method(s): Longitudinal Theme + Analogy
Significance: Isaiah 48:12 reinforces the same divine claim as Isaiah 44:6 but in a context emphasizing YHWH's sovereign control over creation and history: "My own hand laid the foundations of the earth, and my right hand spread out the heavens" (Isa 48:13). The "first and last" title here stresses YHWH's role as both originator and consummator of all things. Christ's appropriation of this title in Revelation 1:17 thus claims not merely eternal existence but active sovereignty as Creator and Eschaton — the one who initiated all things and will bring all things to their appointed end. Combined with Isaiah 44:6, these two Isaianic passages form a double witness to the divine self-designation that Christ now claims. The deliberate repetition in Isaiah itself (44:6 and 48:12) underscores the title's importance as a defining characteristic of YHWH's unique identity, making Christ's assumption of the title all the more theologically significant.