“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
If the Son of God pre-existed as a Trinitarian God the Son who allegedly created all things as a Son, then how is it that the Son is called “the beginning OF the creation OF GOD?” Here we can clearly see that the Son was first called forth as “the firstborn of all creation (Colossians 1:15)” before the creation actually took place.
Wherefore, there are only two viable options to exegete Revelation 3:14. Jesus was either literally “firstborn” before his actual birth in Bethlehem (born twice, once in heaven and then again on earth – Arianism), or he was already the firstborn of all creation as “the beginning of the creation of God” in God’s predestined plan for the ages. The scriptures teach that Jesus was actually born only once on a specific day – Psalm 2:7, which is the central teaching of Oneness Pentecostal Theology.
The “Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature” by “William Arndt and F. Wilbur Gingrich” explains the meaning of ‘arche’ in Rev. 3:14 as the “FIRST CAUSE” of the creation. “Arche” is used to refer to “the active beginning of the creation, THE ONE WHO CAUSED THE CREATION, referring to Jesus Christ …” Gill’s Commentary says, “The beginning of the creation of God; not the first creature that God made, but the first cause of the creation …”
Thayer’s Greek Lexicon says that “the beginning of the creation” in Revelation 3:14 means, “2. the person or thing that commences, the first person or thing in a series …” 3. “that by which anything begins to be, the origin, active cause” (of the creation). Jesus was the beginning of the creation of God as “the first person or thing in a series” of persons and things called forth by God in “the beginning” (Isaiah 41:4 “calling forth the generations from THE BEGINNING”).
Jesus is also the “FIRST CAUSE”, “ACTIVE CAUSE”, or “THE ONE WHO CAUSED THE CREATION.” The Greek text harmonizes well with all of the scriptural data. The Son did not literally do the creating as the Son because God the Father created all things “FIRST” BE”CAUSE” of him. Jesus is “the one who caused the creation” because all things were made because of him.
Proverb 8:22 “The LORD brought me forth as the first of his works, before his deeds of old;” Just like a human architect first creates a detailed blueprint before he actually builds anything, so our Heavenly Father first pre-created all things in and through Christ as His foreknown plan before He actually created anything in the physical realm. “Who has performed and accomplished it, CALLING FORTH THE GENERATIONS FROM THE BEGINNING.” Isaiah 41:4
“In THE BEGINNING WAS THE WORD” (John 1:1 – Logos = “His expressed thought”) “The beginning OF the creation OF God.” Revelation 3:14
God’s word clearly informs us that all of the generations of human history (including all human ages – see Heb. 1:2) were “called forth (in God’s Logos = His expressed thought) … FROM THE BEGINNING.” “In THE BEGINNING WAS THE WORD” (John 1:1 – Logos = “His expressed thought”). The Son of God was also called forth in God the Father’s expressed thought (logos = “expressed thought”) within His own expressed “wisdom”, “knowledge”, and “understanding” that came “from His mouth” (Proverb 2:6) before anything was actually created (Proverb 8:25). “Before the mountains were settled, before the hills I WAS BROUGHT FORTH (the Hebrew word means “born” – see Colossians 1:15); WHILE HE (the Father) HAD NOT YET MADE THE EARTH and the fields, NOR THE DUST OF THE WORLD.” Proverb 8:25 “For he (Christ) was FOREKNOWN BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD …” 1 Peter 1:20 NASB
How could Christ have literally existed as a pre-incarnate Son before being “brought forth” as a “foreknown” Son “before the foundation of the world?” For the inspired words of Scripture prove that a “foreknown” Son could not have existed before being “foreknown” and “brought forth” by the prophetic word (logos) of God the Father. Therefore the Son could not have always existed throughout eternity past before being brought forth as “the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation” in Colossians 1:15.
It is nonsensical to believe that the Son has always had a timeless existence throughout eternity past while being “brought forth (born/made) while He (the Father) HAD NOT YET MADE THE EARTH … NOR THE DUST OF THE WORLD?” Here we have God’s word (Logos being His expressed thought) bringing forth His own “wisdom, understanding (Proverb 8:1), prudence (Proverb 8:12), and counsel (Proverb 8:14)” before the world was actually created.
An alleged pre-incarnate God the Son Person could not have always existed throughout eternity past while being “brought forth (born / made)” from the Father’s mouth. For if the Father’s wisdom, prudence, and counsel was actually birthed before creation, then could the Father have been unwise before wisdom was birthed? Therefore it is nonsensical for Trinitarians and Jehovah’s Witnesses to believe that God the Father could have ever been without His wisdom, understanding, and counsel before that wisdom, understanding, and counsel was birthed.
Since God the Father could not have been unwise or without understanding before wisdom and understanding was brought forth, we know that God’s expressed wisdom must have been His intended plan for creation along with His intended order to govern the universe.
Likewise, if a God the Son Person is wisdom being birthed as a distinct divine Person before creation, then how could the Son have always existed as an alleged coeternal Person before coming out of the Father’s mouth?
“For Yahweh GIVES WISDOM; FROM HIS MOUTH comes knowledge and understanding.” Proverb 2:6 When we harmonize Proverb 2:6 with Psalm 33:6 we find that God the Father alone created all things through His Word that came forth out of His own Mouth. “By the word of Yahweh were the heavens made, and all the host of them BY THE BREATH OF HIS MOUTH.” Psalm 33:6
Could an alleged pre-incarnate Son person have leaped out of the Father’s mouth to create all things? That is what both Arians (Jehovah’s Witnesses) and Trinitarians are alleging when they say that an alleged pre-incarnate Son of God is a distinct word (logos) person of God in John 1:1. However, Jesus could not have literally pre-existed as a literal Word Person in creation because the word “logos” in John 1:1 literally means “the expressed thought” of our Heavenly Father Who created all things by His spoken word. Since the word “logos” is used for the “expressed thoughts” of both humans and God, we know that the logos could not be separated from God the Father as a distinct Heavenly God Person beside Himself.
The totality of the scriptural evidence proves that God first “called forth” or birthed His own wisdom, understanding, prudence, and counsel by His own “expressed thought (logos)” before anything was actually created. After God’s wisdom and counsel had been brought forth, He used that wisdom and counsel to create all material things and to govern the universe.
“It is He who made the earth by HIS POWER, who established the world BY HIS WISDOM, and BY HIS UNDERSTANDING He stretched out the heavens. When HE UTTERS HIS VOICE (HIS WORD), there is a multitude of waters in the heavens.” Jeremiah 51:15-16 The inspired words that God gave to the prophet Jeremiah amazingly corresponds with God’s “Wisdom” and “Understanding” spoken of by Solomon in Proverbs chapter 8:1, 8:12, 8:14, 8:25, and with the scriptures that speak of God creating all things through His Word (Psalm 33:6, John 1:1-3).
Thus proving that the Son of God was birthed in God’s expressed thought as His own Power, Wisdom, and Understanding before His Word and Wisdom actually became a personal Son. Therefore, just as a man first expresses his plan on a blueprint before building a house, so God the Father first expressed His plan which later became flesh as a personal Son. If the Father’s power, wisdom, and understanding is another distinct divine person beside Himself, then could God the Father have been without His own “power, wisdom, and understanding” throughout eternity past? If so, then how could the Father and Son have always been truly coequal?
1 Corinthians 1:24 says that “Christ is the power OF GOD and the wisdom OF GOD.” Just as the strength, power, and wisdom of a man belongs to himself, so Jesus is the Father’s “power” and “wisdom” which belongs to Himself. Therefore the only interpretation which harmonizes with all of the Biblical data is that the word, wisdom, and understanding of God that He uttered before creation, was God’s own “power” that was expressed through His plan (like a blueprint) which God used to physically create all things.
At the forefront of God’s expressed plan, God first preconceived the birth of His Son through His expressed thought (the logos of John 1:1 as “the firstborn of all creation” – Colossians 1:15) who would rule over all His creation after the word (logos) was later made visible in the flesh (John 1:14 / Psalm 8:5-6 / Heb. 2:7).
Hence, Jesus was already “the firstborn of all creation” (Colossians 1:15) in God’s mind and plan before the creation of the world actually took place. God the Father used His own impersonal “wisdom” and “counsel” that He already “called forth” like a blueprint to create all material things. Paul identified that wisdom and counsel as “the firstborn of all creation” before the Son actually became a living human person (Hebrews 1:2, Colossians 1:15-18).
“In him (Christ) you were chosen before the creation of the world.” Ephesians 1:4
In this light we can understand that Christ was already the “chosen servant (Isaiah 43:10),” and that God’s elect were also chosen in him (Christ) before the creation of the world actually took place. This explains why Messianic prophecies were written down before the Christ child was actually born. Thus King David already wrote the words that Christ would speak in prayer after he became a living Son.
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Psalm 22:1 And again David wrote what Christ would speak on earth through prayer before it actually happened, “You have been my God from my mother’s womb.” Psalm 22:10
Wherefore, the Son of God is the man who was born at Bethlehem who prayed to His God! If Jesus pre-existed as a Son, then he would have been praying to his God up in heaven prior to his birth which would be an Arian theology rather than a coequal Trinitarian theology. Therefore, the Son of God could not have always existed as a living Son of God before his actual virgin conception and birth at Bethlehem.
Hebrews 1:5 proves that the Father and Son relationship would be in the future,
“I WILL BE TO HIM A FATHER, and HE SHALL BE TO ME A SON.” Notice that inspired scripture says that the Father and Son relationship would be in the future. Therefore, the Son could not have existed as a Son throughout eternity past! “In him (Christ) we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the COUNSEL OF HIS WILL, …” Ephesians 1:11
Just as Christ was “foreknown” and “chosen” in God’s plan before the creation of the world in 1 Peter 1:20, so God’s elect were also “foreknown” and “chosen in him (Christ)” before the creation of the world.”
“The Amen, the faithful and true witness, THE BEGINNING OF THE CREATION OF GOD.” Revelation 3:14
Notice that the text says that Jesus as a Son is “the Beginning OF THE CREATION OF GOD (Rev. 3:14)” rather than being the actual creator!
Jesus as a Son was the beginning of the creation of God. How could the Son be included in “the creation of God” while simultaneously existing as the Creator called God the Son? Could a Son Person have always existed as a Son throughout eternity past while being “the beginning OF THE CREATION of God?” Wherefore, not only is the traditional Trinitarian interpretation nonsensical, it clearly contradicts the word of God.
The only proper exegesis of this text proves that Jesus as a human Son was “the beginning of the creation OF GOD” the Father in His expressed thought rather than being the creator himself. For Jesus as a Son is contrasted with “GOD” the Father who actually did the creating.
For the Son was already the firstborn of all creation (Colossians 1:15)” and “the Lamb slain from the creation of the world (Revelation 13:8)” in God’s expressed prophetic thought and plan before he actually existed as a child born and Son given (Isaiah 9:6).
Note: I’m addressing the Son as the man who was “made like unto his brethren” (Heb. 2:14-17) but the God who became that man is the non-incarnate Spirit of the only true God the Father (Matthew 1:20, Luke 1:35, Ephesians 4:3-6) who continued to exist in His omnipresence in the heavens while simultaneously becoming a man on the earth (Malachi 3:6, Isaiah 52:10).
Hence, the Son is God with us as a true man who could not have pre-existed as a Son before his actual begetting (Isaiah 9:6, Psalm 2:7, Heb. 1:5, 2 Sam. 7:14). The Son only pre-existed in His true identity as “the only true God” the Father Himself (John 17:3, John 8:58, John 14:7-9).
Just as Jesus was not literally slain from the beginning of creation (“the Lamb slain from the creation of the world” – Revelation 13:8), so he was not literally the firstborn of all creation either (“the firstborn of all creation” – Colossians 1:15); otherwise, Jesus would have been born and slain twice. Therefore, Jesus was already slain and born in God’s prophetic anticipation of future events (in the Father’s prophetic expressed thought) before he was actually slain and born after creation. This is the precise meaning of the Greek word “logos” (God’s “expressed thought) in John 1:1.
Wherefore, Jesus was already “the beginning of the creation of God” and “the firstborn of all creation” as a predestined Son (a man) rather than an alleged coequal God Person. In this light we can see how Jesus as a “foreknown” (1 Peter 1:20) Son of God is the “FIRST CAUSE” (Revelation 3:14) of the CREATION OF GOD” rather than an actual pre-incarnate agent in creation.
For Jesus could not have actually participated as an agent in the creation of all things in heaven and earth as a “foreknown” Son “before the creation of the world (1 Peter 1:20)” because a foreknow Son could not have actually existed before being “foreknown”. Christ was “FOREKNOWN before the creation of the world but was manifest in these last days because of you (1 Peter 1:20).” “The hope of eternal life was promised BEFORE THE CREATION OF THE WORLD (Titus 1:2).”
Wherefore, the only way to rightly divide the word of truth is to believe that God first pre-created the “ages” (through pre-conception – Heb. 1:2) and all things in heaven and earth through and for Christ via His pre-conceived plan which was the Father’s expressed purpose, wisdom, and understanding before the creation actually took place. That is why Isaiah 41:4 states that God already “called forth the generations (of humanity) from the beginning.” Since all generations were already called forth “from the beginning” of creation, Jesus was also called forth first as the Father’s own Word and Wisdom.
The Father created all things through His own Word and Wisdom which he already uttered as “the beginning of the creation of God.” It is in this sense that Paul wrote that “in him (Christ) all things were created, both in heaven and in earth, whether they be thrones, lordships, rulers, and authorities.” God’s elect, and all human beings of all generations were called forth in and through that Word and Wisdom which was already set up by the Father before anything was actually created.
Jesus as a Son was “foreknown before the creation of the world” (1 Peter 1:20) just as God’s elect were “foreknown” “before the creation of the world” (Romans 8:29-30, Ephesians 1:4, Revelation 17:8, and Colossians 1:16). The words “foreknown” and “before the creation of the world” proves that Jesus, God’s elect, and all human being did not literally exist before their actual existence through human births.
Jesus can be called the creator as the pre-existent Holy Spirit of the Father before the incarnation; but Jesus as an alleged pre-incarnate Son of God and Son of Man could not have created anything. For Luke 1:35 proves that the title “Son” was given because of the virgin conception and birth of the Son of God. “The Holy Spirit will come upon you … and FOR THIS REASON, the HOLY CHILD SHALL BE CALLED THE SON OF GOD.” Luke 1:35
The scriptures give us no other reason why the Son is called the Son other than his virgin conception and birth. Hence, the title “Son” could not have always been a title for an alleged coequal and coeternal God the Son Person. For the Trinitarian concept of a timeless God the Son necessitates the presupposition that he could never have had a begetting or a beginning throughout eternity past.
In contradistinction, the scriptures teach that the Son had a literal beginning (Isaiah 9:6, 2 Samuel 7:14, Heb. 1:5, Revelation 3:14), and a literal begetting (Psalm 2:7, Galatians 4:4, Matthew 1:20). Wherefore, Jesus could only have pre-existed his virgin conception and birth as the Holy Spirit of the only true God the Father who descended upon the virgin to supernaturally conceive the fully human Christ child (Luke 1:35 / Matthew 1:20).
It is only in this sense that Jesus can be called the Creator! “This man has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as He who built the house has more honor than the house … For every house is built by someone, but He who built all things is God.” Hebrews 3:3-4