IPtables allow all rules

Most firewalls end with a deny all rule. IPtables starts with 3 allow all
rules by default for INPUT, OUTPUT and FORWARD (don't care about FORWARD in this case)

In one of the IPtables Tutorials they suggest changing:

:INPUT ACCEPT [0:0]
to
:INPUT DROP [0:0]

But, if order matters then this will block everything and my SSH session will end, or
I won't be able to get in again.

Does that Rule actually go to the end? Even though it is at the beginning of the file...

Or do we need to use -I 9insert) asnd a line number to force it to the end?

It isn't clear because the format of the first 3 rules is different from all other examples
in the file.

Thanks!