Seven-color Rainbow Appearing on the Cross
In today’s text (Gen 9:12), God said, “This is the sign of the covenant which I am making between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all successive generations.” The rainbow is evidence of the eternal covenant, but if a visible rainbow comes to mind, you only outwardly understand it.
What does a rainbow mean spiritually?
The rainbow represents Jesus Christ hanging on the cross. The cross of Jesus Christ is the rainbow. Although the rainbow covenant was made by God with Noah, since Noah is the representative of mankind after the flood, the rainbow covenant is still effective for us today.
A rainbow is a prism effect that occurs when light passes through water droplets. All colors appear, from infrared to ultraviolet, but since Jesus Christ spent 6 hours on the cross and spoke 7 words, today we will learn about the 7 colors that appear on the cross.
- Sky Blue, the Grace of Hope
Sky blue symbolizes the sky. Even though everything is difficult and unresolved on this earth, we can hope when we look towards the heavenly kingdom we are heading to. Therefore, the color of the sky means the grace of hope.
The first word on the cross is ‘Father, please forgive them for they don’t know what they are doing.’ It was a prayer of forgiveness that came out in a situation where there will be nothing for us to say even if Jesus prayed, ‘Father, please kill them all,’ while being beaten by people, wearing a crown of thorns on your head, and bleeding all over your body from being whipped (Luke 23:34; Mark 15:16-20). Without this prayer of forgiveness, human would have no hope. Is there a way to be forgiven for the crime of ‘killer of God and murdered of the Son of God’? However, thanks to Jesus‘ prayer of forgiveness’, hope was once again given to mankind.
So, why did Jesus pray for forgiveness?
1 Thess 1:3 records that it is because He remembered our work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope. In other words, God forgives us because He remembers us.
- Green, the Grace of Eternal Life
Green symbolizes life, the fruit of eternal life, and blessings. Evergreen trees symbolize eternal life. On the cross, Jesus promised paradise to the right-hand thief (Luke 23:43). Jesus is our eternal life (John 3:16; John 3:36; John 5:24).
- Gold, the Grace of Humbleness
Grains are planted in the fields, and when they are not ripe, they raise their heads stiffly. However, once the grains are ripe, they bow their heads. Such as appearance is expressed as a golden wave. So, gold colour symbolizes humility. Humility means not being stiff-necked. Where there is humility, there is forgiveness, comfort, and blessing (1 Peter 5:5).
On the cross, Jesus honored His parents and comforted his mother (John 19:25-27). This is the keeping of the Ten Commandments given in Exodus 20. If you are not humble, you cannot obey the word of God, and if you are not humble, you cannot respect your parents.
- Red, the Grace of Atonement
Red color symbolizes the blood of sacrifice. In the Old Testament, our sins were forgiven by laying hands on a lamb, transferring our sins to the lamb, and then offering it as a sacrifice to God. But we have been forgiven of our sins through the blood of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:18-19; Eph 1:7-10; Heb 9:12).
On the cross, Jesus cried out ‘Eli Eli Lama Sabachthani’, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ How can Jesus, the Son of God and God Himself, be abandoned? However, Jesus who took away our sins, is walking the path of death on our behalf. Jesus is shouting out what we need to shout out for ourselves (Matt 27:46; Mark 15:34). If you sin, you have no choice but to be abandoned by God. I believe you and I have been set free from all our sins through the merits of the precious blood of Jesus Christ.
- Purple, the Grace of Power
In the past, the kings wore purpose robes. Even now in churches, purple is the color of denomination leaders (Mark 15:17). If the President feels thirsty while giving a speech, his secretaries will quickly bring him water. Likewise, Jesus said on the cross, ‘I am thirsty.’ First, this shows Jesus’ authority. Secondly, this is a word spoken on behalf of us whose souls are dry and twisted (Jhn 19:28).
Jesus is the source of eternal life. Therefore, we must receive and drink this water of eternal life from Jesus (Jhn 4:13-14; Jhn 6:35). In conclusion, we who drink the water of eternal life will enjoy the authority of the king Jesus (1 Peter 2:9; Revelation 20:6).
- Orange, the Grace of Faith
Orange is the color of combination of Red and Yellow. Red signifies the cross of Jesus Christ. We cannot take up the exact cross that Jesus took but we have to follow the way of Jesus and take up our own cross. Therefore, our colour of faith is Orange that is the color trying to imitate the color of the cross.
On the cross, Jesus declared, ‘it is finished.’ However, when our salvation is completed, it is all accomplished, and the completion of this salvation is only possible through faith in Jesus (John 19:30; Gal 2:16).
- White, the Grace of Holiness and Victory
White symbolizes holiness without sin (Isa 1:18). On the cross, Jesus said, ‘Father, INTO THY HANDS I COMMIT MY SPIRIT.’ (Luke 23:46)
Dear all, returning to the Father is holiness and victory.
In conclusion, this rainbow was not given only during Noah’s time but as a demonstration of what we must do in the end times, the founding pastor said that we must achieve seven victories.
I pray in the name of the Lord that we all become saints who have the victory of the rainbow and the victory of the cross. Amen.
The Lord's Covenant Church Malaysia 