THEOSISCyrill of Alexandria
Thus declares the Lord God, the King of Israel, the Lord of armies: I am the beginning and the end; aside from Me, there is no deity. Who can compare to Me? Let that person arise, let them proclaim, and let them prepare for Me. Since I have crafted humanity for eternity, even before they exist, may they declare the truth to you. Do not conceal yourselves, and I will reveal Myself to you.
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After making a reminder of the knowledge found in Christ through the words we have just considered, the prophet recognizes a necessary shift in focus. At the time of Isaiah's prophecies, when their hatred for God prevailed and sins abounded, self-interest became everyone’s idol. Therefore, God provides a vital call to repentance, accompanied by rightful admonitions, directing them away from idolatry and its sins, and inviting them to embrace the truth. He leads them to remember His glory and incomparable might. Thus He proclaims, This is what the Lord God, King of Israel, says. He desires that they understand His sovereignty and mighty power, so that they, like those sober from intoxication, can witness how He delivered them from the Egyptians through His miracles and displays of astonishing strength.
What extraordinary acts were not performed? Which strike was not dealt against their oppressors? Was it not a clear testament to His unimaginable power when the sea parted, making the waters stand like a wall, allowing the exodus to walk through? And what of the wonders that followed in the wilderness? Did He not provide them with bread from heaven? Did He not cause the rock in the desert to pour forth water like rivers (Psalm 77:15, 16)? By restraining the waters of the Jordan, did He not prepare a pathway for their crossing? Thus it is essential that He labels Himself, not just as Lord and God, but also as their deliverer, recalling the miraculous acts He performed.
He states, Know this: I am God, the first and the last, and aside from Me, no divinity exists. For God is the source of all things, eternally existing without a beginning; all creation emanates from Him. He is the self-existent One who was, is, and is to come. This is His everlasting name, remembered throughout generations (Ex. 3:14, 15). There has never been another God before Him nor will there be one after Him, for God’s nature is singular, with none like Him.
This message serves as a crucial reminder for those who have turned away and foolishly embraced the belief in many gods. To emphasize His uniqueness, He asks: Who is like Me? Which of the so-called gods could possibly match Me in majesty and might? For what extraordinary act has led you to think they are divine? Let anyone attempt to match Me; let anyone prepare one equal to Me in essence, vigor, or honour. Let them summon whom they will from the ranks of false deities. As He created humankind to endure, He asserts, I crafted the heavens and all that inhabits them, filling them with countless holy beings to worship and serve Me. From the time of humanity's creation on earth, and throughout the ages to come, let anyone produce a being comparable to Me.
By stating, ‘Before humanity was formed,’ He affirms His role as the Creator, declaring that all false gods are utterly void, for who among their worshippers has given them life? In contrast, I reveal Myself as the Maker of all and the One with perfect understanding. Test the claims of these false deities; let them reveal the future to you since the true God possesses full knowledge of both past and future. If none of these so-called gods can demonstrate such knowledge, it’s evident that those who lack understanding of the true God cannot be gods. Therefore, do not hide yourselves, He instructs; do not cover or feign.