Rainbows

Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, “Behold, I establish my covenant with you and your offspring after you, and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the livestock, and every beast of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark; it is for every beast of the earth. I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.” (Genesis 9:8-17 ESV). According to Scripture, rainbows are God's promise to mankind that there will never again be a world-wide flood such as there was in the days of Noah. In his book, "His Name Is Jesus," author, J. Rambsel relays that when a rainbow is seen from above, it is not seen as the familiar arc of color we know it to be, but as a complete circle. How appropriate this is since the shape of the circle conveys the sentiment of infinity or eternity. The same is true with the familiar symbol exchanged in the marriages of our western culture, the wedding band. Many eastern peoples also have their own symbols of promise. The circular design of the wedding band represents, not only a clear marking that one is married, but is a symbol of never-ending love. How brilliant and a thing of wonder the rainbow is! According to Sir Isaac Newton who is regarded as one of the greatest geniuses the world has known, like the spectrum whose source is white light, the rainbow also gives off these seven shades of color. Since the Scriptures often refer to God as "Light," perhaps the colors of the rainbow stem from the pure and radiant white light of our Creator! When we consider the many colors of the spectrum from a Scriptural perspective, it appears that even in the simple design of the rainbow, each shade may hold deeper meaning.  Blue portrays heaven and infinity.  Red or scarlet depicts blood and redemption.  Orange is for the fruit of atonement.  Indigo was the color of skins used for the Tabernacle covering.  Green stands for new life or resurrection.  Yellow or gold depicts perfection and deity.  Violet or purple is the color of royalty and kingship. The next time you see a rainbow, consider the silent yet profound message this symbol speaks, not just to mankind, but to you, as a individual. Let His awesome light shine upon you!