A Rainbow, with an emerald glow about it, surrounds the throne in heaven. This rainbow forms a complete circle. The apostle John saw the whole circle of God’s great comfort and assurance firsthand. The throne was hedged roundabout with the brilliance of His divine promise. John was overcome by the sight of this royal throne and the magnificence of His presence. This illuminating rainbow surrounding the throne had a brilliant emerald hue. Straightway John fell to the floor in awe and humility in the presence of almighty God.

“As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.” (Ezekiel 1:28)
“And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.” (Revelation 4:3)

A half a rainbow, not a complete circle, can be found occasionally after a rain shower arching in the sky above our world. This rainbow is a sign, or covenant, from God promising never to flood the earth again as in the days of Noah.

“And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth. And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.”

The Science of rainbows is clearly phenomenal. The sun shines through rain drops creating an awesome looking rainbow as refracting or bending of light rays with different colors traveling and bending at different speeds, and then these light rays mix with rain, creating a rainbow in the atmosphere. The colors bend or refract at different speeds and therefore God has even given each color a particular place in the curvature of a rainbow. Our God is a God of finite details.

A rainbow is a sign of God’s longsuffering and covenant with His own children. He promised to never sending a flood as devastating as the one He sent in judgment of the wickedness abounding as in the days of Noah. The rainbow serves as a reminder of this covenant. It also vibrantly displays His willingness to be longsuffering so that many men can accept His free gift of salvation.

The rainbow also serves as a colorful warning to those who choose to live in wickedness. God has promised those who choose to continue living in wickedness will sin unto death, a death leading them to Hell.

“Who will render to every man according to his deeds: To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: But unto them that are contentious, and do not OBey the truth, but OBey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: For there is no respect of persons with God.” (Romans 2:6-11)

Some today choose to wickedly parade a rainbow flag as a logo or symbol for unnatural relations between men or between women, polluting the holiness of the scriptural meaning of God’s rainbow. The rainbow is always a symbol of God’s holy promise, never to be used as a sign of a wicked lifestyle of rebellion against God’s holy and perfect relationship order of man. Man could not replentish the earth if employing unnatural realtions in place of God’s holy marriage union between a man and woman.

“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.” (Genesis 1:27-28)

God’s rainbow is always a symbol of His promise to His own. God is a holy God of intimate mercy, grace and truth. When the Christian witnesses a rainbow in the sky it is a reminder of God’s covenant promise. To those who live in sin and wickedness a rainbow is a sign of God’s imminent judgment of their sin and depravity.

For Further Contemplation:

Do you see God in the rainbow?