Revelation: Rainbow of Emerald

 Revelation: Justification by Faith

Rainbow of Emerald

Revelation 4:2 At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne.

3. And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance1 of an emerald.

Before we look at meanings, it's also good to simply read it as it is written here. The Father is described as having the appearance of jasper and carnelian. These are both reddish stones. Later in Revelation, Jasper is described as a clear stone.

The word for emerald in Hebrew comes from the word for glistening.

So it's no secret that something glorious is depicted here. Imagine if we were to see this personally and stand before it.

But the rainbow over God's throne becomes even more glorious when we know the background of this bow.

After Noah came out of the ark and the water that had destroyed the whole world had passed, this happened:

Genesis 9:9 “Behold, I establish my covenant with you and your offspring after you,

10. 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.

11. I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of2 a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.”

12. 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:

13. I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.3

14. When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds,

15. I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never4 again become a flood to destroy all flesh.

16. 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.”

17. 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.”5

So the bow in the clouds was a sign of a covenant. It was to give us assurance that God has not forgotten this covenant.

But there is an even greater promise than that given to Noah:

Isaiah 54:8 In overflowing anger for a moment

I hid my face from you,

but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,”

says the LORD, your Redeemer.6

9. “For this is like the days of Noah to me:

as I swore that the waters of Noah

should no more go over the earth,

so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you

and will not rebuke you.7

10. For the mountains may depart

and the hills be removed,

but my steadfast love shall not depart from you,

and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,”

says the LORD, who has compassion on you.

Thus, the rainbow is also an assurance of God's grace for us and His love which is certain.

This promise is received by faith.

And every time we see that rainbow, we can be reminded of this.

But there is also a rainbow of emerald above God's own throne. It is constantly above it, and God's throne cannot perish.

As surely as God's throne stands, so surely He does not forget this. That sign of His faithfulness is constantly above Him.

So we must see that throne by faith.

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