Bible Fact · Revelation 22:20 — 'He who testifies to these things says, Surely I am coming soon. Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!'
The First and Last Words of the Bible
The Fact
The first word of the Bible in Hebrew is 'Bereshit' — 'In the beginning.' The first sentence is 'In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth' (Genesis 1:1). The last words of the Bible in English are from Revelation 22:20–21: 'He who testifies to these things says, Surely I am coming soon. Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.' The final word of the Bible is 'Amen' — a Hebrew word meaning 'truly' or 'so be it.' In Hebrew, the first letter of the Bible is Bet (ב, the first letter of 'Bereshit'). Jewish rabbis note that Bet is the second letter of the Hebrew alphabet, not the first (Aleph), prompting commentary about why the Torah begins with the second letter. Some note that Aleph, silent, represents the infinite God who was before the beginning — before the first written word. From 'In the beginning God' to 'Amen, Come Lord Jesus,' the Bible tells one story: creation and redemption, exile and homecoming, death and resurrection.
Context
The first verse of Genesis (seven Hebrew words) and the last verses of Revelation together form a frame: God creating, God returning. The same God who spoke light into darkness promises to come again and dwell with his people forever.
Significance
The Bible's opening and closing words reveal its unity: one divine author, one overarching story, one God who begins and ends all things.
Reflection
'Come, Lord Jesus' are the second-to-last words of the entire Bible. Is that prayer in your heart today — an eager longing for Christ's return?