bible verses about the beginning and the end

I Am the Beginning and the End: Bible Verses and Meaning

God and Jesus say "I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end" in Revelation 1:8, 21:6, and 22:13. This page lists 12 verses.

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By Christopher McAllister

Founder of theBibleand.Love

Published October 1, 2026Updated October 27, 20267 min readIsaiah 46:10 (NIV)

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"I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, 'My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.'"

— Isaiah 46:10 (NIV)

People who search bible verses about the beginning and the end want Scripture on archē and telos — from the beginning, to the end, everlasting span — not only the Alpha and Omega Greek-letter title list alone. This page is a numbered list of twelve passages with the NIV text and a short note on each. Related lists: Bible verses about Alpha and Omega, Bible verses about Jesus, Bible verses about hope, Bible verses about eternal life, Bible verses about faith, Bible verses about worship, Bible verses about heaven, and Bible verse of the day. Beginning and end here means creation-to-consummation and everlasting God language — distinct from Alpha-and-Omega title inventory alone.

Quick answer: where does the Bible say "I am the beginning and the end"?

Revelation 1:8, Revelation 21:6, and Revelation 22:13 are where God and Jesus say "I am the Alpha and the Omega," and Revelation 21:6 and 22:13 add "the Beginning and the End." The Old Testament echo is Isaiah 44:6 and Isaiah 48:12, where the Lord says "I am the first and I am the last." This page lists 12 verses.

What does "the Beginning and the End" mean?

"The Beginning and the End" names the Lord who holds history from its start to its finish. Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. Revelation uses those letters for the same claim.

Revelation 1:8 says, "'I am the Alpha and the Omega,' says the Lord God, 'who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.'" Revelation 21:6 says, "He said to me: 'It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life.'" Revelation 22:13 says, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End."

Isaiah said the same thing in Hebrew before Revelation. Isaiah 44:6 says, "This is what the Lord says—Israel's King and Redeemer, the Lord Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God." Isaiah 48:12 says, "Listen to me, Jacob, Israel, whom I have called: I am he; I am the first and I am the last."

The comfort is that God finishes what he starts. He is not late to the beginning, and he does not drop the end. A fuller list of the Greek-letter title is Bible verses about Alpha and Omega.

Word study (lead theme). In Greek, "beginning" is often ἀρχή archē (Strong's G746; Bible Hub G746) — beginning, origin, first place. "End" is often τέλος telos (Strong's G5056; Bible Hub G5056) — end, goal, completion. Isaiah 46:10 speaks the end from the beginning; this list tracks that span without repeating Alpha-and-Omega title verses.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Revelation 1 notes the Lord as first and last across the book's arc (Bible Hub MHC Revelation 1; Blue Letter Bible, Matthew Henry on Revelation 1). (Alpha-and-Omega title lists live on that page; this list centers beginning/end and everlasting language.)

12 Bible verses about the beginning and the end

  1. Genesis 1:1. "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." In the beginning — God created. See Bible verses about worship.

  2. Isaiah 46:10. "I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, 'My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.'" The end from the beginning — his purpose stands. See Bible verses about hope.

  3. Ecclesiastes 3:11. "He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end." From beginning to end — eternity in the heart. See Bible verses about eternal life.

  4. Colossians 1:18. "And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy." He is the beginning — firstborn from the dead. See Bible verses about resurrection.

  5. Revelation 3:14. "To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation." The Amen — beginning/ruler of God's creation. See Bible verses about Jesus.

  6. 1 John 1:1. "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life." That which was from the beginning — the Word of life. See Bible verses about the Word.

  7. Micah 5:2. "'But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.'" Origins from of old — from ancient times. See Bible verses about Messiah.

  8. Psalm 90:2. "Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God." From everlasting to everlasting. See Bible verses about worship.

  9. Isaiah 40:28. "Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom." The everlasting God — Creator of the ends of the earth. See Bible verses about faith.

  10. Hebrews 7:3. "Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever." Without beginning of days or end of life. See Bible verses about the high priest.

  11. 1 Corinthians 15:24. "Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power." Then the end will come. See Bible verses about the kingdom of God.

  12. Proverbs 8:22-23. "'The Lord brought me forth as the first of his works, before his deeds of old; I was formed long ages ago, at the very beginning, when the world came to be." At the very beginning — before his deeds of old. See Bible verses about wisdom.

How to use these verses

Pick one verse when you need beginning-and-end language — not twelve as a grind. If you need creation's start, open Genesis 1:1. If you need God declaring the end from the beginning, open Isaiah 46:10. If you need Christ as beginning/firstborn, open Colossians 1:18. For Alpha and Omega titles, open Bible verses about Alpha and Omega. For eternal life, open Bible verses about eternal life. For a daily verse, open Bible verse of the day.

Questions people ask

Where in the Bible does it say "I am the beginning and the end"?

Revelation 22:13 says, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End." Revelation 21:6 says, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End." Isaiah 44:6 and Isaiah 48:12 say, "I am the first and I am the last."

Who says "I am the beginning and the end"?

The Lord God says "I am the Alpha and the Omega" in Revelation 1:8. Jesus says "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End" in Revelation 22:13, and Revelation 21:6 says "the Beginning and the End" as well. Isaiah 44:6 and Isaiah 48:12 echo that claim: "I am the first and I am the last."

What does Alpha and Omega mean?

Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. In Revelation 22:13 that title means Jesus is the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. See Bible verses about Alpha and Omega.

What is a good Bible verse about the beginning and the end?

Isaiah 46:10 (the end from the beginning), Genesis 1:1 (In the beginning), and Colossians 1:18 (he is the beginning) are clear starting places.

How do Bible verses about the beginning and the end differ from Alpha and Omega?

Alpha-and-Omega pages center the Greek-letter title in Revelation. This page centers archē / telos and everlasting-from-beginning language without repeating those title verses — then cross-links. See Bible verses about Alpha and Omega.

What do archē and telos mean?

Greek archē (G746) means beginning or origin; telos (G5056) means end, goal, or completion.

Does "beginning and end" only appear in Revelation?

No — Genesis, Isaiah, the Psalms, and the New Testament letters also speak from the beginning, to the end, and everlasting span. Revelation's Alpha-and-Omega titles are one related thread. See Bible verses about Alpha and Omega.

Where can I read more about Alpha and Omega, Jesus, and eternal life?

Start with Bible verses about Alpha and Omega, then Bible verses about Jesus, Bible verses about eternal life, and Bible verses about hope.

Sources

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