Trinitarian Claim

Trinitarians claim that Jesus is implying he is Yahweh because Yahweh is identified as "the First and the Last" in the Book of Isaiah and Jesus identifies himself as "the First and the Last."

Examination of the Evidence

1. Isaiah

In the book of Isaiah, we find Yahweh identifying Himself as the First and the Last through the prophet Isaiah.

Thus says YAHWEH, 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. Isaiah 44:6.

Listen to Me, O Jacob, even Israel whom I called; I am He, I am the first, I am also the last. Isaiah 48:12.

2. "The first and the last" vs. "alpha and omega" vs. "beginning and the end."

A review of these three expressions in the book of Revelation demonstrates that each of the three are intended to convey identical concepts and they all obviously mean the same thing.

"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty." Revelation 1:8.

Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last. Revelation 1:17.

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... Revelation 2:8.

I am the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end. Revelation 21:6.

I am the alpha and the omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end. Revelation 22:16

However, one other significant verse is usually ignored.

To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God, says this.... Revelation 3:14.

3. What do these expressions mean? What is their purpose?

What is usually missing from the Trinitarian claim is any attempt to demonstrate what these three expressions mean. Each of the three seems to be simply regarded as title for Yahweh and no further thought is given to them. But there is evidence to indicate what these terms mean:

Listen to Me, O Jacob, even Israel whom I called; I am He, I am the first, I am also the last. Surely My hand founded the earth, And My right hand spread out the heavens; When I call to them, they stand together. Isaiah 48:12-13.

This passages indicates that creation is in view where God is the originator of all things. It also indicates that the expression, "the beginning of the creation of God," at Revelation 3:14, is spoken with the same background in mind.

Analysis of the Claim

1. The first and the last was dead

An insurmountable problem is that that the first and the last indicates he was dead.

"I am the first and the last and the living one. I was dead and behold I am alive to the ages of the ages. Revelation 1:17.

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... Revelation 2:8.

Since Jesus, the first and the last, refers to himself as the first and the last and indicates the first and the last was dead, the best Trinitarians can do is insist that Yahweh the Son was "speaking according to his human nature." But this does not resolve their problem and will fail them.

Trinitarians observe that Yahweh is identified as "the first and the last" in the book of Isaiah as the basis of his argument and their claim is based on the presumption that "the first and the last" is a title of divinity. However, they fail to see that, even in their own doctrine, Jesus necessarily said these words at Revelation 1:18 according to his humanity. It is also quite impossible for Yahweh to have identified Himself in the book of Isaiah "according to his human nature" or "according to his humanity" or "according to the flesh" in the book of Isaiah. Whether Trinitarians wish to claim this was the Second Person of the Trinity speaking in Isaiah, or whether Trinitarians wish to claim this was the Triune God speaking in Isaiah, in no case can it be claimed this was anyone speaking according to the flesh since even in their own doctrine, Jesus had not yet become incarnate. Hence, in their own doctrine, they can only say this was Yahweh the Son speaking according to his divinity in the book of Isaiah.

But in Revelation, Trinitarians cannot escape acknowledging that Jesus was speaking according to his humanity since he says the first and the last was dead and in Trinitarian doctrine, Jesus was not dead according to his divinity but dead according to his humanity. And Trinitarians are therefore confronted with their own roadblock which should demonstrate to them that their interpretation is quite impossible. They cannot insist that Yahweh is "the first and the last."

2. The Word of God

In the book of Revelation, Jesus is understood to be "the Word of God" just as he is in John's Gospel and other places in Scripture.

He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. Revelation 19:13.

Isaiah 48:12-13 suggests the first and the last is an expression which implies God's creative act. The same idea seems also to be found at Revelation 3:14, "the beginning of the creation of God. In light of the fact that God created all things through His spoken Word, the fact that Jesus is pictured as the Word of God in the book of Revelation cannot be ignored.

3. Revelation 3:14

Jesus said to John, "To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God, says this...." Once again, we find the word "beginning" in reference to Jesus that we also find in the expression, "the beginning and the end."

Where did creation begin? It began at God's spoken Word. God's spoken Word was not created but His Word was indeed the place where all creation began. There is absolutely no reason to suppose the expression "the beginning of the creation of God" means "the ruler of the creation of God" as Trinitarians have suggested in response to Arians (usually) who have claimed this expression means the Son was the first created thing. And there is no reason to believe the latter either. What is a true and faithful witness, what is the Amen, is God's Word of Truth. God's Word is faithful and true and can be trusted. It is common sense to understand that the beginning of the creation of God is the place WHERE creation had its ground zero, the spoken Word of God, just as we seen in the opening chapter of Genesis.

4. Everything Began with God's Word and Everything will End with God's Word.

Only a small amount of investigation is required to see that the expressions, "the first and the last," "the beginning and the end," and "the alpha and the omega" are all similar expressions which refer to God's Word as the place where all things began and all things will end.

All things began with God's spoken Word. Within that Word was God's eternal purpose and will for this creation. That Word became flesh and God's Eternal Purpose was summed up in Jesus. And that Word, now flesh, will come again to judge the world, the Last, the End, the Omega. God's purpose and will were contained in His Word which went out from Him at the foundation of the world. And He fixed the times and seasons things would occur according to His purpose and will. When He spoke His Word He was finished with all his works and we humans see his works coming to pass in this time and space. His Word is where creation Begins and His Word is where creation Ends. And that Word is the first and the last which was dead human flesh. "the first and the last who was dead" (Rev 2:8).

His works were finished from the foundation of the world. Hebrews 4:3.

So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I purposed, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:11.

The Word became flesh. John 1:14.

It is finished. John 19:30.

Conclusion

The first and the last was dead. Only a created being can say He was dead. Whether you are a Trinitarian or not, you must insist "the first and the last who was dead" was Jesus according to his human nature and the expression, "the first and the last" is not a reference to divinity since Jesus according to his divinity was NOT dead.

The verses at hand come from John's writings where Jesus is understood to be God's Word, the Word which had become flesh. When we understand that the term, "the first and the last", and the like, are implicit references to the Logos, the Word, it then becomes quite clear what these expressions mean and why Jesus is called these things. He is called these things because God's Word is where everything begins and ends and that Word had become flesh, the flesh that hung dead on a cross, "I am the first and the last and the living one, I was dead."

Created: August 25, 2012.