the Beginning of
the creation of God/the beginning of God’s creation: ἡ ἀρχή (hē archē) can be interpreted in
a number of ways. Christ is the beginning in that he is the firstborn of God’s
spirit children. He is also the beginning, that is, the “first cause,” or
creator of all God’s creations (Moses 1:32–33). In this context, the word could
also be construed as “ruler,” sharing the same subdomain as ἄρχων (archōn).
Given the focus of Revelation which highlights Jesus as the ruler of the
cosmos, the idea fits very well. Even so, the weight seems to be on Christ as
the “incipient cause” growing out of his position as the Firstborn.52 His
station gave him priority over all creation and made him ruler of the whole
(see D&C 93:21–22; Col. 1:16–17). (Richard D. Draper and Michael D. Rhodes,
The Revelation of John the Apostle [BYU New Testament Commentary Series;
Provo, Utah: BYU Studies, 2013], 123)
