QUICK FACTS: REVELATION 1:5 — DOES “FIRSTBORN” MEAN JESUS WAS THE FIRST PERSON GOD CREATED?
What Do Revelation 1:5 and Colossians 1:15–18 Actually Tell Us?
Research by Simon Brown
INTRODUCTION
One of the most important questions concerning Jesus Christ is:
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE MEAN WHEN IT CALLS JESUS “FIRSTBORN”?
Some Christians, particularly Jehovah's Witnesses, understand the words of Colossians 1:15:
“the firstborn of all creation”
as teaching that Jesus was the first person or being God created, after which everything else was created through Him.
Other Christians strongly reject that interpretation and understand “firstborn” as referring to Christ's supremacy and preeminence over creation, not to Jesus being part of creation.
So who is correct?
Rather than beginning with a theological system, let us examine the biblical language itself.
And there is an extremely important passage that should be placed alongside Colossians 1:15:
REVELATION 1:5.
FIRST, NOTICE HOW REVELATION BEGINS
Before reaching verse 5, Revelation makes an important statement:
Revelation 1:1
“The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him...”
Stop there for a moment.
The text presents:
GOD — giving the revelation
and
JESUS CHRIST — receiving the revelation from God.
Whatever conclusions we ultimately reach concerning the nature and pre-existence of Jesus, we should allow this distinction in the text to stand.
God gives.
Jesus receives.
Then John continues.
WHO IS JESUS IN REVELATION 1:5?
John writes:
Revelation 1:5
“and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.”
John gives Jesus three remarkable descriptions:
THE FAITHFUL WITNESS
THE FIRSTBORN OF THE DEAD
THE RULER OF THE KINGS OF THE EARTH
For this study, pay particular attention to the last two.
Jesus is:
“the firstborn of the dead”
and:
“the ruler of the kings of the earth.”
Why are those descriptions important?
Because the Bible elsewhere connects firstborn status with exalted kingship and supremacy.
WHAT DOES “FIRSTBORN” ACTUALLY MEAN?
The Greek word translated “firstborn” is:
πρωτότοκος — prōtotokos
The same Greek word occurs in:
Colossians 1:15 — firstborn of all creation
Colossians 1:18 — firstborn from the dead
Revelation 1:5 — firstborn of the dead. (Bible Hub)
This is important because prōtotokos can certainly describe chronological birth order, but biblical usage can also involve rank, privilege and supremacy. Even commentators who interpret Colossians 1:15 as teaching Christ's pre-existence recognize the significance of rank and supremacy in “firstborn” terminology. (Bible Hub)
So we cannot simply see the word:
FIRSTBORN
and automatically substitute:
FIRST CREATED.
Those are not identical expressions.
AN EXTRAORDINARY OLD TESTAMENT EXAMPLE
Consider Psalm 89:27.
God says concerning the Davidic king:
“I also will make him My firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth.”
Notice something remarkable.
God says:
“I WILL MAKE HIM MY FIRSTBORN.”
And the parallel description explains his exalted position:
“THE HIGHEST OF THE KINGS OF THE EARTH.”
This demonstrates why biblical “firstborn” language cannot always be reduced merely to biological or chronological order. Psalm 89:27 is consequently an important comparison in discussions of prōtotokos. (NET Bible)
Now compare Psalm 89 with Revelation:
Psalm 89:27
My firstborn
the highest of the kings of the earth
Revelation 1:5
the firstborn of the dead
the ruler of the kings of the earth
That parallel deserves serious attention.
NOW LET US RETURN TO COLOSSIANS 1:15
Paul writes:
Colossians 1:15
“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.”
The Greek expression is:
πρωτότοκος πάσης κτίσεως
prōtotokos pasēs ktiseōs
The crucial question is:
Does this necessarily mean:
“THE FIRST PERSON GOD CREATED”?
No. The Greek expression itself has generated considerable debate concerning both the meaning of prōtotokos and the relationship expressed by “of all creation.” Scholarly interpretations include priority in time, supremacy/rank, or both; the phrase itself should not simply be replaced with “first-created.” (ResearchGate)
And Paul gives us extremely important additional evidence only three verses later.
COLOSSIANS 1:18 MAY BE THE KEY
Paul writes:
Colossians 1:18
“And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn out from the dead, so that He might be holding preeminence in all things.”
There is our word again:
πρωτότοκος — FIRSTBORN
Now look at Paul's explanation:
“so that He might be holding preeminence in all things.”
That word preeminence is enormously important.
Paul explicitly associates Christ's position here with being first/preeminent. Commentators differ over how much chronological priority versus sovereignty is contained in “firstborn from the dead,” but the verse unquestionably culminates in Christ's preeminence. (Bible Hub)
Now place Paul's statements together.
COLOSSIANS 1:15
“THE FIRSTBORN OF ALL CREATION.”
Then:
COLOSSIANS 1:18
“THE FIRSTBORN OUT FROM THE DEAD.”
“SO THAT HE MIGHT BE HOLDING PREEMINENCE IN ALL THINGS.”
And then compare:
REVELATION 1:5
“THE FIRSTBORN OF THE DEAD.”
“THE RULER OF THE KINGS OF THE EARTH.”
Suddenly the biblical picture becomes much clearer.
“Firstborn” is associated with Christ's extraordinary position, resurrection, supremacy and authority.
BUT WAS JESUS ACTUALLY THE FIRST PERSON EVER RAISED FROM THE DEAD?
This raises another interesting question.
People were restored to life before the resurrection of Jesus.
For example:
Elijah raised the widow's son — 1 Kings 17:17–24.
Elisha raised the Shunammite woman's son — 2 Kings 4:32–37.
Jesus raised Jairus' daughter — Mark 5:35–43.
Jesus raised Lazarus — John 11:38–44.
Yet Revelation calls Jesus:
“THE FIRSTBORN OF THE DEAD.”
Why?
Because Christ's resurrection was fundamentally different.
Those previously restored to mortal life eventually died again.
Jesus was raised to immortal, glorified life, never to die again.
Paul writes:
Romans 6:9
“Christ, having been raised out from the dead, dies no more; death rules over Him no more.”
So “firstborn from the dead” involves far more than merely being the first corpse chronologically restored to life.
Christ is the beginning of something new.
JESUS IS ALSO CALLED “THE FIRSTFRUITS”
Paul provides another illuminating description:
1 Corinthians 15:20
“But now Christ has been raised out from the dead, the firstfruit of those having fallen asleep.”
And again:
1 Corinthians 15:23
“Christ the firstfruit, then those of Christ at His coming.”
Jesus' resurrection therefore inaugurates the resurrection that His followers will share.
This helps explain why His resurrection carries such extraordinary significance.
DOES REVELATION 1:5 PROVE JESUS DID NOT PRE-EXIST?
No.
And this is an important correction to an argument I made in my earlier research.
Revelation 1:5 does not tell us when Jesus first began to exist.
Therefore, we should not argue:
“Revelation 1:5 doesn't mention Jesus existing before His birth; therefore Jesus could not have pre-existed.”
That would be an argument from silence.
But the reverse mistake should also be avoided.
Revelation 1:5 does not say:
“Jesus was the first person God created.”
Therefore, Revelation 1:5 itself neither proves nor disproves personal pre-existence.
That question requires examination of other passages.
THEN WHAT DOES REVELATION 1:5 ACTUALLY ESTABLISH?
Something very important.
It establishes that “firstborn” is a title applied to the resurrected and exalted Christ.
Jesus is:
THE FIRSTBORN OF THE DEAD
and:
THE RULER OF THE KINGS OF THE EARTH.
That is remarkably similar to Psalm 89's association:
FIRSTBORN
with:
THE HIGHEST OF THE KINGS OF THE EARTH.
And Colossians 1:18 explicitly associates Jesus' firstborn status with:
PREEMINENCE IN ALL THINGS.
Therefore, anyone interpreting Colossians 1:15 must take this broader biblical usage seriously.
BUT WHAT ABOUT COLOSSIANS 1:16?
This is where the debate becomes even more interesting.
Immediately after calling Jesus “the firstborn of all creation,” Paul writes:
Colossians 1:16
“because in Him were created all things in the heavens and upon the earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or lordships or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through Him and unto Him.”
Traditional Trinitarian interpretation normally understands this as referring to the original creation of the universe through Christ.
Jehovah's Witnesses likewise understand it as referring to the original creation, although they regard Jesus as God's first creation and then understand the remaining things as being created through Him.
Other interpreters have proposed readings emphasizing the new creation and Christ's supremacy over heavenly and earthly authorities.
We therefore should not pretend that Revelation 1:5 by itself settles the interpretation of Colossians 1:16.
It doesn't.
Colossians 1:15–20 must be studied as a complete passage. Its literary structure closely links verses 15 and 18 through the repeated term prōtotokos, while “all things” and creation terminology recur throughout the section. (Crossway)
That deserves its own detailed investigation.
SOMETHING ELSE SHOULD NOT BE MISSED
Paul doesn't merely call Jesus “firstborn.”
He first says:
Colossians 1:15
“He is the image of the invisible God.”
Jesus is:
THE IMAGE OF GOD.
Paul uses similar language elsewhere:
2 Corinthians 4:4
“Christ, who is the image of God.”
This agrees beautifully with Jesus' statement:
John 14:9
“The one having seen Me has seen the Father.”
Jesus perfectly reveals the Father.
But being the image of God and being the God whose image He is are not grammatically identical descriptions.
That distinction deserves to remain visible rather than being erased by theology.
AND WHO GAVE JESUS HIS AUTHORITY?
Revelation 1:5 calls Jesus:
“the ruler of the kings of the earth.”
Jesus himself explains:
Matthew 28:18
“All authority in heaven and on the earth has been given to Me.”
That statement raises a simple question:
WHO GAVE JESUS ALL AUTHORITY?
Jesus did not say:
“I gave Myself all authority.”
He said it:
“HAS BEEN GIVEN TO ME.”
Peter likewise says:
Acts 2:36
“God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified.”
And Paul writes:
Philippians 2:9
“Therefore God also highly exalted Him...”
The consistent pattern is:
GOD EXALTS JESUS.
GOD GIVES JESUS AUTHORITY.
GOD MAKES JESUS LORD AND CHRIST.
And Revelation itself begins:
Revelation 1:1
“The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him...”
THIS DOES NOT DIMINISH JESUS
This point is extremely important.
Distinguishing Jesus from the God who sent and exalted Him does not mean diminishing Jesus.
Look at the extraordinary position Scripture gives Him.
Jesus is:
The Christ
The Son of God
The faithful witness
The image of the invisible God
The firstborn from the dead
The head of the church
The one through whom God reconciles
The one given all authority in heaven and earth
The ruler of the kings of the earth
These are astonishing titles and privileges.
We do not need to add anything to them.
SO DOES “FIRSTBORN OF ALL CREATION” MEAN “FIRST CREATED”?
Here is the safest conclusion from the evidence examined in this study:
NO — THE WORD “FIRSTBORN” BY ITSELF DOES NOT PROVE THAT JESUS WAS THE FIRST PERSON GOD CREATED.
The Greek word is prōtotokos — firstborn, not a Greek expression meaning simply “first-created.”
Its biblical usage can involve birth order, but also exalted rank and supremacy; Psalm 89:27 is an especially important example. (Bible Hub)
Furthermore, Paul's own use of prōtotokos in Colossians 1:18 connects Jesus with:
RESURRECTION
and:
PREEMINENCE.
Revelation 1:5 similarly connects:
FIRSTBORN OF THE DEAD
with:
RULER OF THE KINGS OF THE EARTH.
Therefore, simply saying:
“Firstborn means first-created.”
does not do justice to the biblical evidence.
AN IMPORTANT WORD OF CAUTION
We should be equally careful in the other direction.
This study has not proved from Revelation 1:5 alone that Jesus had no personal existence before His birth.
Nor has it settled every question surrounding Colossians 1:16.
Those questions require separate investigation.
The purpose of this study is narrower:
DOES THE BIBLICAL TITLE “FIRSTBORN” ITSELF PROVE THAT JESUS WAS THE FIRST PERSON GOD CREATED?
The answer from the evidence we have examined is:
NO.
That conclusion is much stronger when it rests on what Scripture actually says, rather than on what a particular verse does not say.
FINAL CONCLUSION
Revelation 1:5 gives us an important key for studying the biblical title “firstborn.”
John calls Jesus:
“the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.”
Paul calls Jesus:
“the firstborn of all creation.”
And only three verses later:
“the firstborn out from the dead, so that He might be holding preeminence in all things.”
Psalm 89:27 provides an important Old Testament background by connecting God's appointed “firstborn” with being “the highest of the kings of the earth.”
Put these passages together and one thing becomes clear:
“FIRSTBORN” CANNOT SIMPLY BE ASSUMED TO MEAN “FIRST CREATED.”
Revelation 1:5 does not tell us when Jesus first began to exist.
It does not prove personal pre-existence.
It does not disprove personal pre-existence.
But it does show us that firstborn language is deeply connected with Christ's resurrection and exalted status.
And Colossians 1:18 explicitly adds the crucial idea:
“SO THAT HE MIGHT BE HOLDING PREEMINENCE IN ALL THINGS.”
Therefore, before anyone builds a doctrine upon the phrase:
“the firstborn of all creation”
we should allow Paul, John and the wider biblical use of “firstborn” to help determine what that language can mean.
The question should never be:
“How can I make this verse support what I already believe?”
The question should always be:
“WHAT DOES THE BIBLE ACTUALLY SAY?”
Research by Simon Brown
John 1:1
- John 1:1 — Does "The Word Was God" Mean Jesus Is Almighty God?
- IS THE WORD JESUS IN JOHN 1:1?
- What Is the Truth About John 1:1 to 5?
- WHY John 1:1 is not about Jesus!
Hebrews 1:10 – Did God Really Say to the Son, “You Laid the Foundation of the Earth”?
- WHO IS THE ONE TRUE GOD? New video!
- The Greatest Commandment Ever Given — Who Is the One True God?
- Mark 12:29 — Why Did Jesus Quote the Shema?
- Deuteronomy 6:4 — The Shema: "Hear, O Israel, Yahweh Our God Is One"
- John 10:30 — What Did Jesus Mean by "I and the Father Are One"?
- John 8:58 — What Did Jesus Mean by "Before Abraham Was, I Am"?
- John 20:28 — Did Thomas Really Call Jesus Almighty God?
- John 14:9 — "He Who Has Seen Me Has Seen the Father" Explained
- John 17:3 — Jesus Confirmed That the Father Alone Is the Only True God
- John 17:5 — Did Jesus Exist with the Father Before the World Began?
- 2 Peter 1:1 — Another Trinitarian Misunderstanding?
- Colossians 1:15–17 — Does "Firstborn of All Creation" Mean Jesus Was Created?
- Hebrews 1:2 — Did God Create the Universe or the Ages Through His Son?
- Who Is the Alpha and the Omega?
- Did the Doctrine of the Trinity Originate with Jesus Christ and His Apostles?
- Is Jesus God, or the Son of God? What Does the Whole Bible Teach?
- Scriptures Proving Yahweh: The One True God of Israel Is the Creator Alone.
- John 6:38 — How Did Jesus Come Down From Heaven?

No comments:
Post a Comment