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Past discussions about whether the Lord Jesus Christ (the Amen) is a created being or the source of creation, have not to my knowledge significantly touched on this question which I think would greatly help us to make a logical conclusion on this issue.
Rev 3:14 (BSB) To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Originator of God’s creation.
There is only one God to choose from (ie, not multiple gods):
Let there be no question that there is but One God, the Creator of all things and the NT presents Jesus as creator as per John 1:3, 10, Col 1:16, 17, Heb 1:2, 10.
Note about ἀρχὴ
One of the important/pivotal words in Rev 3:14 is ἀρχὴ (arche) which has two distinct sets of meanings:
Thus, Rev 3:14 cannot mean that Jesus is the beginning of God's creation; but must refer to Jesus being the initiator or originator of God's creation.
There is no obvious reason why the Creator God of this verse should be a different God from the Creator mentioned in the first verse of Genesis or elsewhere in the Bible.
If you are asking about the meaning of the expression "beginning of God's creation", I would explain it in the words of John's gospel; "All things were made through him [that is, the Word] and without him was not anything made that was made" (John ch1 v3, RSV).
(Incidentally, that statement in John logically excludes the Word from the category "things that were made".)
There's an old addage that says, "You interprete the New Testament in view of the Old Testament because the New Testament is the fullfillmient of the Old Testament.
Having said that let's look at Isaiah 44:24, "Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, and the one who formed you from the womb. I, the LOrd, am the maker of ALL things, Stretching out the heavens BY MYSELF, And spreading out the earth ALL ALONE."
Since that is true, (and remeber God only has to speak once for it to be the truth). Let's go to Revelation 3:14. "The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this."
The Greek word for "beginning" is "arche", we get our English word "architect" from that word. So what's the definition of an architect? The Architect will plan and design, and/or facillitate the execution of something, i.e houses, buildings etc. In short, the architect serves as an "overseer."
To back this up we have Jesus Christ at John 1:3, Colossians 1:16, Hebrews 1:10 by His own Father, and here at Revelation 3:14. Since we already know what God stated at Isaiah 44:24, how is this to reconciled with Jesus Christ being identified as the architect as well?
God the Father at Hebrews 1:10 says the following about His only begotten Son, "Thou, Lord, in the beginning didst lay the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the works of Thy hands."
The best way to answer the question is to break down the verse.
2 Corinthians 1:19, 20 identifies "the Amen" as Jesus Christ:
19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you through us, that is, through me and Silvanus and Timothy, did not become “yes” and yet “no,” but “yes” has become “yes” in his case. 20 For no matter how many the promises of God are, they have become “yes” by means of him. Therefore, also through him is the “Amen” said to God, which brings him glory through us.
Revelation 19:11, 13 identifies the one riding a white horse as "Faithful and True" then in verse 13 is called "The Word of God" which we know as Jesus Christ.
11 I saw heaven opened, and look! a white horse. And the one seated on it is called Faithful and True, and he judges and carries on war in righteousness. . . . 13 and he is clothed with an outer garment stained with blood, and he is called by the name The Word of God. [bold mine]
Several translations render this phrase as "the Beginning of the creation of God". This corroborates Colossians 1:15
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation;
If he is created then he cannot be the Creator. The Creator of course is Jehovah God.
You are worthy, Jehovah our God, to receive the glory and the honor and the power, because you created all things, and because of your will they came into existence and were created. (Revelation 4:11)
I suspect that I will receive downvotes on this point of view even though I have shown scriptural proof.
[All scripture quotations from the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (Study Edition)]
Jesus is "the Word of God" and the "the Son of God." That little word "of" has an important meaning. It establishes a relationship between two separate entities. A son is not his own father, nor can a father be his own son. If God has a son, therefore, that son cannot be God Himself.
But the Son can, and does, speak for God--hence the "Word" title. According to the Scriptures, Jesus, as the Word, has spoken everything into existence, being the spokesperson for God.
1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2The same was in the beginning with God. 3All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. (John 1:1-3, KJV)
Jesus said:
Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. (John 14:10, KJV)
Clearly, the Father is in Jesus, dwelling in him. This does not say that the Father is Jesus--no; they are two separate entities. However, this does tell us something important: Jesus speaks the Father's words.
So if Jesus speaks the Father's words, then if he were to say "I AM God"--those words would be God's words, because the Father is God. As Jesus says plainly, he is not speaking his own words.
For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. (John 12:49, KJV)
Again, we see clearly that 1) Jesus is not speaking his own words, but those of the Father who sent him; and 2) These are two separate entities.
The Father is not sending himself. Nor is the Father commanding himself to speak certain words. That would be irrational. And we know who the Father is, for Jesus prayed to the Father in John 17 and called Him "the only true God" (verse 3). It follows, then, that Jesus, who is separate from the Father, cannot be "the only true God." In fact, he cannot be God at all--but God dwells in him. (See also 2 Corinthians 5:19.)
The same John who wrote the book of John and said all things were made by "the word," writes in the book of Revelation:
And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; (Revelation 3:14, KJV)
That word "beginning" is from the Greek "ἀρχὴ", which means just that: beginning. Every time this word appears in the Greek, the KJV translates it as "beginning." To render this word as "originator" is borderline irresponsible: if one wishes to use this root, why not "origin" in place of "originator"? Whereas "beginning" can fill both senses of meaning, this cannot be done with the "origin" root. Translators have done the readers interpretation for them. And does it fit?
Consider:
The beginning ("ἀρχὴ") of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; (Mark 1:1, KJV)
This is the exact same Greek word. Should it read "The originator of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God"?
Obviously, that would be inaccurate. Neither is "originator" accurate in Revelation 3:14.
The "God" referenced in Revelation 3:14 is the only true God--the Father. Jesus, God's son, speaks God's word, including the word of creation which has brought all things into existence. God has created everything through Jesus.
The God referred to in Revelation 3:14 is the same God that Jesus ascribed creation to in Mark 13:19, Matthew 19:4 and Mark 10:6. The same God whom he says is greater than him and is the true God. The same God that the bible shows he (Jesus) worshipped and prayed to. Note that Jesus said have you not read...? That means that the scriptures that Jesus quoted from has no record of him (Jesus) as the Creator.
Examining the assertion of one OP that says
"Let there be no question that there is but One God, the Creator of all things and the NT presents Jesus as creator as per John 1:3, 10, Col 1:16, 17, Heb 1:2, 10." led me to assess, noting that the OP says "NT presents Jesus as creator".
If Jesus is really the Creator, there should be no reason why Jesus should not be presented as also the Creator in the Old Testament. I think that may have to account for Jesus' absence in the Old Testament. Think about it, the Creator Jesus was never mentioned in the Old Testament. There is no record in the bible that says Jesus is the Creator and the ones used are ambiguous and contradict what God, Jesus, the prophets and the apostles plainly taught and stated.
Mark 13:19 YLT
for those days shall be tribulation, such as hath not been from the beginning of the creation that God created, till now, and may not be
Mark 10:6 YLT
but from the beginning of the creation, a male and a female God did make them
Matthew 19:4 YLT
And he answering said to them, 'Did ye not read, that He who made them, from the beginning a male and a female made them,
Note too that the prophets and the apostles never taught that Jesus was the Creator/God as Acts 3:13 show. Consider, if Jesus was a man and is also the almighty God, did Jesus have 2 minds, God and human? Was his physical body corporeal and has weakness, the other almighty? Are there 2 minds in Christ were each had its own consciousness? will and perceptions?
Acts 3:13 ASV
The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Servant Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied before the face of Pilate, when he had determined to release him.
If Jesus is the Creator/God, and man at the same time, I cannot find a verse that plainly says Jesus has 2 different minds yet make up one person? There is no verse in the bible that plainly say he is the Creator. Others would cite John 1:1, but that would mean that there are two creators. It is claimed by some that God is one. yet equivocate the word one to include Jesus. But according to Jesus himself, he and the Father equals 2 witness, not 1 as John 8:17-18 show. Jesus pointed to the Father as the source of his Life. Thus, Jesus was created. John 6:57.
John 8:17-18 ASV
Yea and in your law it is written, that the witness of two men is true. I am he that beareth witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me
John 6:57 ASV
As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father; so he that eateth me, he also shall live because of me.
It takes a lot of imagination to say that Jesus is the Creator/God and also the beginning of the creation of God. Such assertion is self contradictory.
Revelation 3:14
"And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: 'The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation." [arche/beginning].
NAS Exhaustive Concordance gives 10 shades of meaning to [Greek]arche/beginning.
Here I will mention three of them to see how they may be used in different ways and thereby have the potential to cause confusion:
A. Matthew 24:8 "All of these are but the beginning of the birth pains". [arche/ beginning.] ESV. My emphasis.
The first or beginning birth pain is part of the series of subsequent birth pains.
B. Colossians 1:18 "He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent".
Here "arche/beginning" is first in seniority; chief; foremost. As such the beginning is part of the subsequent series.
C. Luke 12:11 "And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers".
Here "arche/rulers" are where rules come from. "Rulers" are not "rules". Rulers are the beginning of rules because they make up rules. They are not part of the series, i.e. what they make up.
In Rev 3:14 "the beginning" of God's creation is not part of what comes next. "the Amen" is where the subsequent series, that is creation, comes from. "beginning" or "Originator" as used here is illustrated in principle in example C.
