What Does the Bible Say About the Rainbow?

What does the Bible say about the Rainbow

Until date, the rainbow remains undeniably one of nature’s most beautiful phenomenon. God, who created all things, placed it there for a beautiful reason. It is, therefore, in His word that we will find the beauty that He intends for it to bring into our lives.

What Does the Bible Say About the Rainbow?

The first time the rainbow was mentioned in the Bible, it was given by God as a sign to Noah after the flood that wiped out almost all life on earth. The rainbow would be the sign of God’s promise never to destroy the earth by a flood in order to judge sin.

According to the Bible, the rainbow is a creation of God placed there deliberately for God and for us until the end of time on the earth.

What Does the Bible Say About the Rainbow KJV?

According to the KJV (King James Version), when God would place the rainbow up in the sky for the first time, He called it “My Bow.”

“I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth”Genesis 9:13 (KJV)

Most other translations do not use this word. However, they do refer to the same thing.

Quick observation to think about: God calls the rainbow a bow, hence the reason for its arc shape. It has a spiritual significance that you can ask God to show you.

What do Rainbows Mean in the Bible?

Although from the beginning, God placed the rainbow as a reminder never to destroy the whole earth by a flood, this beautiful phenomenon is significant of things more than that.

Here are a few meanings of the rainbow in the Bible:

· The rainbow declares the glory of God

“Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. When I saw it, I fell facedown, and I heard the voice of one speaking.”Ezekiel 1:28 (NIV)

· It is symbolic of God’s faithfulness from generation to generation

“Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.”Deuteronomy 7:9 (NIV)

· It is a symbol of hope in the midst of hopelessness

“Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”Lamentations 3:21-23 (NIV)

· The rainbow is also God’s reminder of His covenant with His chosen people

“I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.”Genesis 9:15-16 (NIV)

What Does the Bible Say About Rainbow Colors?

Although the Bible does not specifically mention the colours of the rainbow directly or attribute those colours to anything in particular, we can however speculate that, since one of the primary symbols of the rainbow is to declare God’s glory, then each colour on the rainbow also speaks of one dimension of God’s redemptive nature.

Don’t also forget that when Jacob would demonstrate his love for his son, Joseph, he gave him a coat of many colours. Hence, we can again deduce that, the entire colours of the rainbow is a symbol of love, showing us the person of our God.

“Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.”1 John 4:8 (NKJV)

Here is a compilation of seven redemptive dimensions of God with the seven colours of the rainbow:

· Red – The Blood of Jesus; God our Righteousness (Jehovah-Tsidkenu)

“In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell safely. And this is the name by which she will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.’”Jeremiah 33:16 (NKJV)

· Orange – The Lord is my Banner (Jehovah-Nissi); Harvest of Praise and Victory

“And Moses built an altar and called its name, The-Lord-Is-My-Banner”Exodus 17:15 (NKJV)

· Yellow – Jehovah is there (Jehovah-Shammah); Presence; the Council of God

“All the way around shall be eighteen thousand cubits; and the name of the city from that day shall be: THE LORD IS THERE.”Ezekiel 48:35 (NKJV)

· Green – The Lord Our Peace (Jehovah-Shalom); Life; Growth; Mercy

“So Gideon built an altar there to the Lord, and called it The-Lord-Is-Peace. To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.”Judges 6:24

· Blue – The Lord that Heals (Jehovah-Rapha); Healing and Miracles

“If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you.”Exodus 15:26

· Indigo – The Lord My Shepherd (Jehovah-Rohi); Caretaker

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”Psalms 23:1

· Violet – The Lord will Provide (Jehovah-Jireh); Provision; Wealth; Increase

“And Abraham said, “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.” So the two of them went together.

(13) Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns.

(14) So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. And Abraham called the name of the place, The-Lord-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided.””Genesis 22:8, 13-14

Biblical Meaning of Rainbow in Dream

Directly speaking, the Bible does not mention anyone who had a dream of rainbows or the meanings. The closest we might find would be revelations of the glory of God through visions where men may see the rainbow reflecting the glory of God.

An example is Ezekiel the prophet of God, as seen in Ezekiel 1:26-28 (NIV): 

Above the vault over their heads was what looked like a throne of lapis lazuli, and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man. I saw that from what appeared to be his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and that from there down he looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded him. Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. When I saw it, I fell facedown, and I heard the voice of one speaking.

God also said in His word that He can manifest Himself or His will to us both through dreams and visions. So, seeing rainbows in dreams can carry significant meanings to each of us depending on where we are in life at the time.

Here are some meanings of seeing rainbows in your dream:

  • You are in the will (counsel) of God; you’re on the right path in your journey even if you are feeling otherwise
  • God is reminding you of the gift of His love, and like Joseph, He wants you to embrace that love, assured that you are valuable to Him
  • God is going to use your situation to demonstrate His glory for the world to see. Therefore, be comforted and trust the process
  • There is hope for you after whatever you are going through. Do not give you, you will live and not die.
  • A reminder of God’s faithful covenant promised to you. He has not forgotten you.

Note that, each word or phrase in bold italics correspond with the symbols of rainbows that we have seen earlier in this article and the scripture references with them.

Bible Verses About Rainbows

Here are some verses about rainbows in the Bible:

“Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.”Genesis 9:16
“And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne.”Revelations 4:3
“Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven. He was robed in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head; his face was like the sun, and his legs were like fiery pillars.”Revelations 10:1
“Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. When I saw it, I fell facedown, and I heard the voice of one speaking.”Ezekiel 1:28 (NIV)

Therefore, in conclusion, when next you see a rainbow, don’t just see a light display in diverse colors. Rather, see a reminder of God’s glory, a reminder of His promise to keep you, and a reminder that He is still there watching over you no matter what is happening in your life.

Joseph

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