The names of Jesus in the Book of Revelation – Part 16

How can Jesus be called “The Beginning of Creation of God,” when the story of His birth is told in Matthew chapters 1 and 2, whereas the story of Creation is in the OT Gen chapter one?

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.” (Jn 1:1-3)

John begins his Gospel by calling Jesus “the Word” (Gk logos). In using this designation for Christ, John presents Him as the personal Word of God and indicates that in these last days, God has spoken to us in His Son (cf. Heb 1:1-3).

Scripture declares that Jesus Christ is the manifold wisdom of God (1 Cor 1:30; Eph 3:10-11; Col 2:2-3) and the perfect revelation of the nature and person of God (John 1:3-5, 14, 18; Col 2:9).

Just as a person’s words reveal his or her heart and mind, Christ as “the Word” reveals the heart and mind of God (14:9; see article on The Word of God below). John gives us three main characteristics of Jesus Christ as “the Word”

(1) The Word’s relation to the Father. (a) Christ was preexistent “with God” before creation of the world (cf. Col 1:15). He was a person existing from eternity, distinct from but in eternal fellowship with God the Father. (b) Christ was divine (“the Word was God”), having the same nature and essence as the Father (Col 2:9; see Mark 1:11).

(2) The Word’s relation to the world. It was through Christ that God the Father created and now sustains the world (v.3; Col 1:16; Heb 1:2).

(3) The Word’s relation to humanity. “The Word was made flesh” (v.14). The Son of God took on human nature but without sin. This is the basic statement of the incarnation: Christ left heaven and entered the condition of human life through the gateway of human birth (see Mat 1:23) and became the God-man.

“In the beginning with God” (Jn 1:1). Christ was not created; He is eternal, and He has always been in loving fellowship with the Father and the Holy Spirit (see Mark 1:11; Mat 3:16-17; 28:19; 2 Cor 13:14; Eph 4:4-6; 1 Pet 1:2; Jud 20:20-21).

“Eternal,” Gk plural aiōnia, means “without beginning or end.” The singular aiōnios usually means eternal in the sense of endless time (not timelessness).
Where did Jesus come from and where did He go to after His resurrection?

“He had come from God and was going to God” (Jn 13:3)

“I came forth from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I leave the world and go to the Father.” (Jn 16:28)

“No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven” (Jn 3:13)

“I am the bread which came down from heaven’ (Jn 6:41)

“For I know where I came from and where I am going” (Jn 8:14)

“And He said to them, “You are from beneath; I am from above. (Jn 8:23)

“For I have come down from heaven.” (Jn 6:38)

“I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50 This is the bread, which comes down from heaven that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven.” (Jn 6:48-51)

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