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June 2025
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Rainbow of Promise

Genesis 9:8 ¶ And God spake unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying,
Genesis 9:9 And I, behold, I establish MY COVENANT with YOU, and with YOUR SEED after you;
Genesis 9:10 AND WITH EVERY LIVING CREATURE that [is] with you, of the fowl, of the cattle, and of every beast of the earth with you; from all that go out of the ark, to every beast of the earth.
Genesis 9:11 And I will establish MY COVENANT with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth.
Genesis 9:12 And God said, This [is] the token [sign] of the COVENANT which I make between ME and YOU and EVERY LIVING CREATURE that [is] with you, for PERPETUAL GENERATIONS: [implying forever]
Genesis 9:13 I do set MY BOW in the CLOUD, and it shall be for a token [sign] of a COVENANT between ME and the EARTH. [Ezekiel 1:28]
Genesis 9:14 And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud:
Genesis 9:15 And I will remember MY COVENANT, which [is] between ME and YOU and EVERY LIVING CREATURE of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.
Genesis 9:16 And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the EVERLASTING COVENANT between God and every living creature of all flesh that [is] upon the earth.
[The (rain)bow was given just after the Great Flood of 2348 BC. God has honoured this EVERLASTING COVENANT for over 4370 years. Why? Because, like the Sabbath, it is a perpetual / everlasting Covenant between God, who does not change, and man.]
[The rainbow was the appropriate natural emblem of preservation from a flood; and the removal of the foreskin was the fit symbol of that removal of the old man and renewal of nature, which qualified Abraham to be the parent of a holy seed. As the former sign foreshadows an incorruptible inheritance, so the latter prepares the way for a holy seed, by which the holiness and the heritage will at length be universally extended. This was the sign in the Old Testament Church as baptism is in the New, and hence the covenant is called “covenant of circumcision” in Acts 7:8 and “sign of circumcision” in Romans 4:11.]
Genesis 9:17 And God said unto Noah, This [is] the token [sign] of the COVENANT, which I have established between ME [God] and ALL FLESH that [is] upon the earth.
The ruling principles of GOD’S THRONE are JUSTICE and MERCY. It is called the THRONE of GRACE. Would you have divine enlightenment? Go to the THRONE of GRACE, you will be answered from the SEAT of MERCY. A compact [was] entered into by the FATHER and the SON to save the world through CHRIST, who would give HIMSELF that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have ETERNAL LIFE. No human POWER or angelic POWER could make such a covenant. The RAINBOW above the THRONE is a token that GOD, through CHRIST, binds HIMSELF to save all who believe on Him. {Ms16-1890}
Ezekiel 1:28 As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so [was] the appearance of the brightness round about. This [was] the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw [it], I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.
The rainbow (the promise of Genesis 9:13) encircling the throne of God is our assurance of His eternal love:
In the GOSPEL of CHRIST JESUS, proclaimed by the ANGELS as glad tidings of great joy, the terms of salvation were fully revealed. The LAW stands in all its original force and PURITY; not one jot or tittle was to be set aside or altered; for the LAW is the TRANSCRIPT of the CHARACTER of GOD. But the Lord made a COVENANT of GRACE whereby HIS MERCY is extended to fallen man, and provision is made so ample and powerful that souls ruined by the fall may be uplifted to glory, honour, and immortality. “For GOD so loved the world, that HE gave HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” ENCIRCLING the THRONE of GOD is the RAINBOW of the COVENANT, a symbol of the pledged WORD of GOD that he will receive every sinner who gives up all hope of ETERNAL LIFE on the ground of HIS OWN RIGHTEOUSNESS, and accepts the RIGHTEOUSNESS of the world’s REDEEMER, believing that CHRIST is his PERSONAL SAVIOUR, able to save him from his sin, and to keep him from falling. Unless CHRIST is the ground of our hope, we shall not inherit ETERNAL LIFE. {ST, September 5, 1892 par. 3}
As the end approaches, the testimonies of GOD’S SERVANTS will become more decided and more powerful, flashing the LIGHT of TRUTH upon the systems of error and oppression that have so long held the supremacy. The Lord has sent us MESSAGES for this time, that will establish Christianity upon an eternal basis; and all who believe the PRESENT TRUTH, must stand, not in their own wisdom, but in GOD’S WISDOM, and raise up the foundations of many generations; and they will be registered in the BOOKS of HEAVEN as “repairers of the breach,” the “restorer of paths to dwell in.” In face of the bitterest opposition, we are to maintain the TRUTH because it is TRUTH. GOD is at work upon human minds; it is not man alone that is working. The GREAT ILLUMINATING POWER is from CHRIST; the brightness of his example is to be kept before the people in every discourse. His love is the glory of the RAINBOW encircling the THRONE on HIGH. {RH, December 13, 1892 par. 5}
The Lord has said, “I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. . . . And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you, and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.” In the RAINBOW above the THRONE is an EVERLASTING TESTIMONY that “GOD so loved the world that HE gave HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Whenever the law is presented before the people, let the teacher of the TRUTH point to the THRONE arched with the RAINBOW of PROMISE, the RIGHTEOUSNESS of CHRIST. The glory of the law is CHRIST; he came to magnify the law, and to make it honourable. Make it appear distinct that MERCY and peace have met together in CHRIST, and RIGHTEOUSNESS and truth have embraced each other. When you look to his throne, offering up your penitence, praise, and thanksgiving that you may perfect Christian character, and represent CHRIST to the world, you abide in CHRIST, and CHRIST abides in you; you have the peace that passes all understanding. We need continually to meditate upon CHRIST’S attractive loveliness. We must direct minds to JESUS, fasten them upon him. In every discourse dwell upon the divine attributes. {RH, December 13, 1892 par. 6}
As the bow in the cloud is formed by the union of the sunlight and the shower, so the RAINBOW encircling the THRONE represents the combined POWER of MERCY and JUSTICE. It is not JUSTICE alone that is to be maintained; for this would eclipse the glory of the RAINBOW of PROMISE above the THRONE; men could see only the penalty of the law. Were there no JUSTICE, no penalty, there would be no stability to the government of GOD. It is the mingling of JUDGEMENT and MERCY that makes salvation complete. It is the blending of the two that leads us, as we view the world’s REDEEMER, and the LAW of JEHOVAH, to exclaim, “Thy gentleness hath made me great.” We know that the GOSPEL is a perfect and complete system, revealing the immutability of the LAW of GOD. It inspires the heart with hope, and with love to GOD. MERCY invites us to enter through the gates into the CITY of GOD, and JUSTICE is satisfied to accord to every obedient soul full privileges as a member of the ROYAL FAMILY, a child of the HEAVENLY KING. If we were defective in character, we could not pass the gates that MERCY has opened to the obedient; for JUSTICE stands at the entrance, and demands HOLINESS in all who would see GOD. Were JUSTICE extinct, and were it possible for DIVINE MERCY to open the gates to the whole race, irrespective of character, there would be a worse condition of disaffection and rebellion in HEAVEN than before Satan was expelled. The peace, happiness, and harmony of HEAVEN would be broken. The change from earth to HEAVEN will not change men’s character; the happiness of the redeemed in HEAVEN results from the character formed in this life after the IMAGE of CHRIST. The SAINTS in HEAVEN will first have been SAINTS on earth. {RH, December 13, 1892 par. 7}.
In HEAVEN the semblance of a RAINBOW encircles the THRONE and OVERARCHES the HEAD of CHRIST. The PROPHET says, “As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about [the throne]. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of JEHOVAH.” Ezekiel 1:28. The revelator declares, “Behold, a THRONE was set in HEAVEN, and one sat on the THRONE. . . . There was a RAINBOW round about the THRONE, in sight like unto an emerald.” Revelation 4:2, 3. When man by his great wickedness invites the divine judgments, the SAVIOUR, interceding with the FATHER in his behalf, points to the bow in the clouds, to the RAINBOW around the THRONE and above His own head, as a token of the MERCY of GOD toward the repentant sinner. {1890 PP 107.1}]