Biblical Concept: First and Last
Prologue: This study looks at all the Bible
verses containing the words first and
last.
Findings:
First and Last is a Divine Self-description. (Maximum implications
intended.) (It is God’s universe, we just live in it.) (The Divine first and
last is a great comfort to Christians.) (The Divine first and last should be
very concerning to non-Christians.)
First Adam and last Adam. (The most influential humans.)
Spiritual first and last.
Eternal first and last.
First and last: a progression of power.
First and last: a degeneration of power.
First and last power for Moses.
History: First to last acts. (Many kings.)
Ruth’s last and first kindness.
NAS Isaiah 44:6 "Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel And
his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: 'I am the first and I am the last, And
there is no God besides Me. (Polytheism and idolatry are affronts to God.)
NAS Revelation 22:13 "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and
the last, the beginning and the end."
_______
NAS Exodus 4:8 "And it shall come about that if they will
not believe you or heed the witness of the first sign, they may believe the
witness of the last sign. (First and last power for Moses.) (First and last a
progression of power.)
NAS Ruth 3:10 Then he said, "May you be blessed of the
LORD, my daughter. You have shown your last kindness to be better than the
first by not going after young men, whether poor or rich. (Ruth’s last and
first kindness.)
NAS 1 Chronicles 29:29 Now the acts of King David, from first to last,
are written in the chronicles of Samuel the seer, in the chronicles of Nathan
the prophet, and in the chronicles of Gad the seer, (King David, from first to
last acts.)
NAS 2 Chronicles 9:29 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, from first
to last, are they not written in the records of Nathan the prophet, and in the
prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer
concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat? (Solomon, from first to last acts.)
NAS 2 Chronicles 12:15 Now the acts of Rehoboam, from first to last, are
they not written in the records of Shemaiah the prophet and of Iddo the seer,
according to genealogical enrollment? And there
were wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually. (Rehoboam, from first
to last acts.)
NAS 2 Chronicles 16:11 And now, the acts of Asa from first to last,
behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. (Asa,
from first to last acts.)
NAS 2 Chronicles 20:34 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, first to
last, behold, they are written in the annals of Jehu the son of Hanani, which
is recorded in the Book of the Kings of Israel. (Jehoshaphat, first to last
acts.)
NAS 2 Chronicles 25:26 Now the rest of the acts of Amaziah, from first
to last, behold, are they not written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and
Israel? (Amaziah, from first to last acts)
NAS 2 Chronicles 26:22 Now the rest of the acts of Uzziah, first to
last, the prophet Isaiah, the son of Amoz, has written. (Uzziah, first to last
acts)
NAS 2 Chronicles 28:26 Now the rest of his acts and all his ways, from
first to last, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and
Israel. (Ahaz, from first to last acts.)
NAS 2 Chronicles 35:27 and his acts, first to last, behold, they are
written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah. (Josiah, first to last
acts.)
NAS Nehemiah 8:18 And he read from the book of the law of God
daily, from the first day to the last day. And they celebrated the feast
seven days, and on the eighth day there
was a solemn assembly according to the ordinance.
NAS Isaiah 41:4 "Who has performed and accomplished it, Calling forth the generations from
the beginning? 'I, the LORD, am the first, and with the last. I am
He.'"
NAS Isaiah 44:6 "Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel And
his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: 'I am the first and I am the last, And
there is no God besides Me.
NAS Isaiah 48:12 "Listen to Me, O Jacob, even Israel whom I
called; I am He, I am the first, I am also the last.
NAS Jeremiah 50:17 "Israel is a scattered flock, the lions have
driven them away. The first one who devoured him was the king of
Assyria, and this last one who has
broken his bones is Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. (First and last: a
degeneration of power.)
NAS Matthew 12:45 "Then it goes, and takes along with it seven
other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there; and the
last state of that man becomes worse than the first. That is the way it will
also be with this evil generation." (First and last: a degeneration of
power.)
NAS Matthew 19:30 "But many who are first will be last; and the
last, first. (Spiritual first and last.)
NAS Matthew 20:8 "And when evening had come, the owner of the
vineyard said to his foreman, 'Call the laborers and pay them their wages,
beginning with the last group to the
first.'
16 "Thus the last
shall be first, and the first last." (Spiritual first and last.)
NAS Matthew 27:64 "Therefore, give orders for the grave to be
made secure until the third day, lest the disciples come and steal Him away and
say to the people, 'He has risen from the dead,' and the last deception will be
worse than the first." (Spiritual first and last.)
NAS Mark 9:35 And sitting down, He called the twelve and said
to them, "If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all, and
servant of all." (Spiritual first and last.)
NAS Mark 10:31 "But many who are first, will be last; and the last, first." (Spiritual
first and last.)
NAS Luke 11:26 "Then it goes and takes along seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and
live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first."
(First and last: a degeneration of power.)
NAS Luke 13:30 "And behold, some are last who will be first and some are first who will be last." (Spiritual first and last.)
NAS 1 Corinthians 15:45 So also it is written, "The first man, Adam,
became a living soul." The last Adam became
a life-giving spirit. (First Adam and last Adam.) (The most influential
humans.)
NAS 2 Peter 2:20 For if after they have escaped the defilements of
the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again
entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them
than the first. (First and last: a degeneration of power.)
NAS 2 Peter 3:3 Know this first of all, that in the last days
mockers will come with their mocking,
following after their own lusts,
NAS Revelation 1:17 And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as a dead
man. And He laid His right hand upon me, saying, "Do not be afraid; I
am the first and the last, (First and Last is a Divine Self-description.)
NAS Revelation 2:8 "And to the angel of the church in Smyrna
write: The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life, says this:
(First and Last is a Divine Self-description.)
NAS Revelation 22:13 "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and
the last, the beginning and the end." (All) (First and Last is a Divine
Self-description.) (It is God’s universe, we just live in it.) (See the Epilogue
context of Revelation 22:7-21.) (The Divine first and
last is a great comfort to Christians.)
(The Divine first and last should be very concerning to non-Christians.)