Revelation 1:17-18
“I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.”
King James Version
The glorified Christ's self-declaration — the First and the Last, the living One who died and lives forever, holding the keys of death and hades.
Fulfillment References
Isaiah 44:6 Isaiah 48:12 Revelation 22:13 Romans 6:9
How Traditions Read This Prophecy
Apostolic (Oneness) PentecostalChrist speaks the LORD's own words — 'I am the first and the last' (Isa. 44:6) — for Jesus is the one God, now alive forevermore.
Jewish'The first and the last' is the LORD's own self-title in Isaiah (44:6; 48:12) — here spoken by the risen Christ.
CatholicChrist's divine self-identification and His victory over death.
ProtestantChrist claims Isaiah's 'first and last' (a divine title) and holds the keys of death — His resurrection authority.
OrthodoxThe risen Christ, conqueror of death, holding its keys.
DispensationalChrist's deity and resurrection authority affirmed.
Academic'The first and the last' transfers YHWH's self-designation (Isa. 44:6; 48:12) to Christ — a key high-christology datum; cf. 22:13.
Scholarship & Sources
'The first and the last' is YHWH's exclusive self-title in Isaiah 44:6; 48:12 — its transfer to the risen Christ (also Rev. 1:8; 22:13) is among the strongest affirmations of Christ's deity in the New Testament.
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Bible Prophecy Explorer · based on J. Barton Payne’s Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy catalogue · an openly Apostolic (Oneness) Pentecostal study resource — all traditions presented fairly. Pastor: C. Myles Young, PhD · Bishop: Nathaniel J. Wilson, Ed.D.