The Rainbow

by R. Darke, Victoria, B.C., Canada | Category: General | Sept 1989

The multi-coloured rainbow is one of God's spectacles, and He intended it to be so. It was a divine token between Himself and earth's residents (Gen. 9:17); something that was visible, and, in this case, to be an assurance that He would not drown the world again. Other meanings of the word token (Heb. 0th) are flag, beacon, monument, and a mark: all forms of visibility.

The seven-hued rainbow can be for us one of the bright displays of God's grace seen in Christ, that which enabled us to escape eternal judgement. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth My word, and believeth Him that sent Me, hath eternal life, and cometh not into judgement, but hath passed Out of death into life" (John 5:24). This verse has been a precious token to many believers. Never shall we know the floods of death in retribution for sins. All the waves and billows of divine punishment swept over the Christ of God at Calvary when the sky overhead typified the blackness of darkness, in contrast to the comfort of the coloured rainbow. He endured the dread experience to finality; it ended only when He cried: "It is finished" (John 19:30). Then only do we see, by faith, the black clouds of judgement receding and being replaced by the hope-filled, resplendent rainbow. God places this token in the sky for all to see and confirms that He "so loved the world". It remains for us as a reminder until the Lord Jesus takes us home to the glory land, there to see the wondrous colours of yet another rainbow which surrounds the throne of heaven (Rev. 4:3).

The rainbow is a token; so is the ordinance of the breaking of the bread in a very special way. It is a visible testimony of the glories of His grace in the loaf and cup which are reminders of judgement passed, and future secure. It is a proclamation to heaven above and earth beneath "that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; and that He was buried; and that He hath been raised on the third day according to the Scriptures..." (1 Cor. 15:3,4). The sadness of the dark clouds of His deep, unrelenting pain and suffering experienced by our Saviour, as He bowed beneath the weight of God's judgement, is replaced by the bright, shining rainbow which speaks of the

hope of His return: "For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink the cup, ye proclaim the Lord's death till He come" (1 Cor. 11:26).

With the first rainbow God gave people in the days of Noah a new direction - to look up. As sin increased they reverted to looking around and planning without Him. But He still made visible His tokens. Sometimes it was in the natural blessings of the ground which gave abundant crops, or with large flocks and herds in the lush pastureland (Ps. 65:8-13); or again in the spiritual implications of the blood of the lamb: it "shall be to you for a token" (Ex. 12:13); and in the scarlet thread in Rahab's house window (Josh.2: 12), so that eyes and hearts might be raised to heaven with thanksgiving and appreciation.

"Shew me a token for good," said David, "that they which hate me may see it and be ashamed..." (Ps. 86:17). Today, that prayer can cause eyes and hearts to look up to the cross where the love of God and hate of man meet. Christ at Calvary is God's most visible token. "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth may in Him have eternal life" (John 3:14,15).

R. Darke, Victoria, B.C., Canada | Sept 1989
General