And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud:
Whenever God brings a cloud over the earth, the bow is seen in the cloud as the sign of His covenant that all flesh shall never again be cut off by the waters of a flood to destroy the earth. The promise was given to encourage Noah's family and all after-generations, so that men need not live in continual dread at gathering clouds and falling rain. The same bow seen in the cloud arches above and around God's throne as an everlasting testimony that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life. It is formed by the union of sunlight and shower, picturing the combined power of mercy and justice encircling the throne, where mercy and truth meet together and the mingling of judgment and mercy makes salvation full and complete. At the deliverance of God's people a rainbow of heavenly glory spans the darkened sky and encircles the praying companies as the covenant sign of hope, and in the time of trouble believers may by faith see that assurance surrounding them that God will never forget nor forsake His people in their struggle with evil.
Wording and Historical Setting
Whenever God brings a cloud over the earth, the bow shall be seen in the cloud as the sign of His covenant.
The bow is beautiful and variegated, a glorious arch spanning the heavens from one part to the other. It is seen in the morning when a cloud with abundant rain is brought over the earth, very brilliant and beautiful in appearance, one of the most beautiful symbols spanning the heavens. It arches across the cloudy sky over land with trees and water where people and animals dwell, set there by God who looks upon it to remember His everlasting covenant with every living creature.
Noah was a literal person who lived, and the Flood was a fact in history affirmed in the inspired, divine words of Genesis and by Christ. The days of Noah prefigure the present age, and the character and condition of that generation specify and characterize this age. They were as the days prior to Christ appearing in the clouds of heaven, and the Old Testament Scriptures cannot be divorced from the New Testament.
When God says He will look upon the bow and remember the everlasting covenant, He speaks in human language so men can better understand Him. He speaks to man in man's own language that man may better understand Him, in condescension and compassion. It does not mean He could forget or that He forgets.
Promise Against Another Flood
The bow seen in the cloud when God brings a cloud over the earth is the token of the covenant He makes between Himself and the earth, between Himself and Noah and every living creature with him for perpetual generations, that all flesh shall never again be cut off by the waters of a flood and there shall never again be a flood to destroy the earth. It is the token of the covenant of the great God with man that He will never again bring a flood of waters upon the earth, and God looks upon it to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh upon the earth. It evidences to all generations that God destroyed the inhabitants of the earth by a flood because of their great wickedness and giving themselves up to all manner of wickedness.
The promise was given as gracious encouragement to the family of Noah, to keep men from constant terror at gathering clouds and falling rain from fear of another flood, so that man would not be terrified and live in continual dread of another deluge. Whenever clouds and rain gather, the rainbow appears in the cloud as a sign of His covenant to reassure Noah's family and all after them that clouds and rain will not bring another flood that destroys the earth, so they need not live in continual fear.
The rainbow assures that seedtime and harvest will continue and that the world will never again be destroyed by a flood. It is a gracious reminder that God provides for His people and keeps His promises. The bow seen in the cloud is God's promise of mercy and forbearance and love, His condescension and compassion for erring man in placing the beautiful, variegated rainbow in the clouds. It is the symbol of His unalterable covenant for all who believe in God and trust in Jesus Christ as personal Saviour, a token of divine mercy and goodness showing that although God was provoked to destroy the earth by the flood, His mercy still encompasses the earth.
That covenant with Noah still holds back flood destruction from the earth. Though sin has kept increasing since the small transgression that shut Adam and Eve out of Paradise, and though rebellion tramples God's law and Sabbath so that He could justly come forth to punish the inhabitants of the world and sweep them away by a flood as in Noah's day, divine love and care still flow earthward and He spares them because of that covenant, being full of compassion, mercy, and love. He promised He would no more cleanse the earth by bringing a flood upon it, but He has fires concealed in the bowels of the earth that will unite with fires from heaven to purify the earth in the last day. He is now gathering out and binding up those who love and serve Him while the wicked are being bound in bundles ready for those fires, so it depends wholly on each person whether to be with the good wheat or bound in bundles for the fires of the last day.
Teaching Children and Rejection
The bow was set in the cloud as a teaching sign for after-generations, so that when children should see the glorious arch spanning the heavens and ask its meaning, parents would repeat the story of the Flood and tell that the Most High bent the bow with His own hands and placed it in the clouds as assurance that the waters would never again overflow the earth. The question of the children beholding the glorious circle compassing the earth was to open the way to explain the destruction of the old world and the covenant that the flood should never return.
From generation to generation the bow testifies of divine love to man and of mercy and goodness still encompassing the earth, confirming belief, establishing confidence in God, and strengthening trust. It stands as evidence to all generations that God destroyed the inhabitants of the earth by a flood because of their great wickedness and giving themselves up to every manner of wickedness, even while He was provoked to destroy yet spared in mercy.
The dwellers on the plain of Shinar disbelieved that covenant that He would not again bring a flood upon the earth. Many among them denied the existence of God and said the Flood came by natural causes, while others believed that a supreme being had destroyed the antediluvian world yet rose in rebellion against Him like Cain. To secure safety from another deluge they made it one purpose of the tower to build higher than the floodwaters had reached and to reach the region of the clouds to find out the cause of the Flood, exalting their own pride and turning future generations from God to idolatry.
The builders of Babel thus refused grateful remembrance of gracious mercy shown after the Flood. They murmured against God, complaining of His severity in expelling Adam from Eden and in destroying the world by the Flood, while they accepted the rule of a cruel tyrant.
Rainbow Around God's Throne
The very arch set in the earthly cloud when a cloud is brought over the earth is the same bow that arches above and around the throne in heaven as the rainbow of promise. It encircles the throne as the pledge of the covenant with the earth that the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. The same encircling bow declares to the whole world that God will never forget His people in their struggle with evil. Above the throne it stands as an everlasting testimony that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, so that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life. Seen in the cloud it is a token that through Christ God binds Himself to save all who believe on Him. It points to the rainbow above the throne of grace, whose ruling principles are justice and mercy, and it seals the compact entered into by the Father and the Son to save the world through Christ giving Himself for eternal life to every believer, a covenant no human or angelic power could make and as sure as the throne itself, so that unbelief and distrust are without reason.
The bow is the righteousness of Christ, revealing God's mercy and glory in heaven around the throne and above Christ. Christ points to it as He intercedes, as evidence of compassion for erring, repentant people, and it symbolizes God's glory and mercy resting upon Christ for their benefit. Arched over the throne it is an emblem of a covenant-keeping God who holds rule and holds the reins of guidance and directs His people. It is to be kept ever before Christian workers as a reminder that God is to bear rule in every home, in every church, in every school, in every printing office, and in every sanitarium.
The rainbow of promise overshadows the throne as seen through the open door set before the obedient, showing that mercy and truth are knit together and drawing praise to the Lord from the beholder. It is a constant assurance that Jesus lives, and because He lives His people shall live also. Looking above and beyond the clouds to the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness keeps believers from being downcast in a world of mocking, deceiving appearances and duplicity. When clouds dark with tempest gather over the earth, those dark clouds being clouds of wrath, the bow is seen arched in the cloud spanning them with covenant-mercy. Above Israel's degradation as a desolate waste there shone the promised glory of the Messiah's reign.
Law Mercy Justice Gospel
Whenever the law is presented, the throne arched with the rainbow is to be pointed out with it. The glory of the law is Christ, who came to magnify the law and make it honorable. In Him mercy and truth meet together and righteousness and peace embrace each other.
The bow in the cloud is formed by the union of sunlight and shower. That union pictures the rainbow encircling the throne as the combined power of mercy and justice. Justice alone would eclipse the glory of the rainbow of promise and leave men seeing only the penalty of the law. Yet without justice and penalty there would be no stability to the government of God.
It is the mingling of judgment and mercy that makes salvation full and complete. That mingling reveals the gospel as a perfect and complete system that upholds the immutability of the law of God and inspires hope and love for God. Beholding together the world's Redeemer and the law of Jehovah leads to exclaiming over the gentleness that makes great. Mercy invites entrance through the gates into the city of God, and justice is satisfied to give every obedient soul full privileges as a member of the royal family, a child of the heavenly King. Defective character cannot pass the gates mercy has opened to the obedient, because justice stands at the entrance demanding holiness and purity in all who would see God.
If justice were extinct and mercy opened the gates irrespective of character, there would be worse disaffection and rebellion than before Satan was expelled, and the peace, happiness and harmony of heaven would be broken. The change from earth to heaven does not change character. The happiness of the redeemed results from character formed in this life after the image of Christ, and saints in heaven will first have been saints on earth.
End-Time Deliverance Assurance
At the deliverance a rainbow of heavenly glory spans the darkened heavens when the dark clouds part, encircling the praying companies with brightness from the throne. It appears in deep darkness as the bow in the cloud, the covenant symbol and a sign of hope amid danger. Those who look toward heaven are assured as they see Christ beyond it. Its shining halts the hostile crowds, silences their mockery and fills them with fear. They recognize the covenant symbol, seek its protection and long for its shelter.
In the time of trouble the bow of promise encircles and surrounds believers awaiting Christ's coming. By faith they may look up amid conflict and distress and see that assurance surrounding them. The sight gives confidence that help will come when needed.
Trust Prayer and Suffering
The bow of promise set above the throne testifies to the whole world and to the universe that God will never forget nor forsake His people in their struggle with evil. It is an everlasting pledge of love and an assurance of strength and protection as long as the throne itself shall endure. The same bow encircling the throne in heaven stands as a pledge of mercy to every repentant, believing soul.
Knowing that the bow is above the throne keeps believers from failing or being discouraged. This holds true during this life of probation under the discipline and government of God, amid temptations, abounding iniquity, dark and terrible chapters opening where least expected to weigh down the soul, heavy trials, opposition, bereavement and affliction. There is no need to fail nor be discouraged while the sign of the promise arches over the throne.
The bow arching the throne assures that petitions laid before the mercy seat will be heard. Those uniting with one heart and mind to prepare for the conflict may lay their petitions in faith and simplicity before the mercy seat, knowing that prayers offered in simplicity and faith will be heard. It is God's glory and delight to answer the supplications of His people.
When a cloud is brought over the earth and the bow is seen in the cloud, it is the sign of God's promise and token of His love that gives rest in confidence in His protecting arms. Even during a violent gale at sea with high tossing waves and raging wind, the sight gives confidence to rest in His protecting arms while praying for Christ who stilled the tempest to say Peace, be still. The bow brings comfort, peace and encouragement to trust His unfailing care and not to live for earth alone, pointing forward by faith to the haven of rest awaiting the faithful worker.
In sleeplessness, pain and suffering the cloud brings temptation to hide faith under unbelief by murmuring and distrusting the One who has done everything. Faith keeps looking up to the rainbow of promise encircling His throne and triumphs in God. Looking up keeps the sufferer resting in His merciful hands, and daily contemplation of the great love of the heavenly Father revealed there refreshes the soul.
The rainbow is God's promise seen by faith while standing in the shadow of the cross, making God's promise sure. It gives certainty that the Lord belongs to His own and they belong to Him. It brings the nearness of God in answer to prayer for grace and restoration to health, sustains longing to get well in order to proclaim truth, and takes away anxiety, restlessness and dissatisfaction amid pain in back, limbs and neck.
Whenever God brings a cloud over the earth, the bow is seen in the cloud as the sign of His covenant that all flesh shall never again be cut off by the waters of a flood to destroy the earth. The promise was given to encourage Noah's family and all after-generations, so that men need not live in continual dread at gathering clouds and falling rain. The same bow seen in the cloud arches above and around God's throne as an everlasting testimony that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life. It is formed by the union of sunlight and shower, picturing the combined power of mercy and justice encircling the throne, where mercy and truth meet together and the mingling of judgment and mercy makes salvation full and complete. At the deliverance of God's people a rainbow of heavenly glory spans the darkened sky and encircles the praying companies as the covenant sign of hope, and in the time of trouble believers may by faith see that assurance surrounding them that God will never forget nor forsake His people in their struggle with evil.
Wording and Historical Setting
Whenever God brings a cloud over the earth, the bow shall be seen in the cloud as the sign of His covenant.
The bow is beautiful and variegated, a glorious arch spanning the heavens from one part to the other. It is seen in the morning when a cloud with abundant rain is brought over the earth, very brilliant and beautiful in appearance, one of the most beautiful symbols spanning the heavens. It arches across the cloudy sky over land with trees and water where people and animals dwell, set there by God who looks upon it to remember His everlasting covenant with every living creature.
Noah was a literal person who lived, and the Flood was a fact in history affirmed in the inspired, divine words of Genesis and by Christ. The days of Noah prefigure the present age, and the character and condition of that generation specify and characterize this age. They were as the days prior to Christ appearing in the clouds of heaven, and the Old Testament Scriptures cannot be divorced from the New Testament.
When God says He will look upon the bow and remember the everlasting covenant, He speaks in human language so men can better understand Him. He speaks to man in man's own language that man may better understand Him, in condescension and compassion. It does not mean He could forget or that He forgets.
Promise Against Another Flood
The bow seen in the cloud when God brings a cloud over the earth is the token of the covenant He makes between Himself and the earth, between Himself and Noah and every living creature with him for perpetual generations, that all flesh shall never again be cut off by the waters of a flood and there shall never again be a flood to destroy the earth. It is the token of the covenant of the great God with man that He will never again bring a flood of waters upon the earth, and God looks upon it to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh upon the earth. It evidences to all generations that God destroyed the inhabitants of the earth by a flood because of their great wickedness and giving themselves up to all manner of wickedness.
The promise was given as gracious encouragement to the family of Noah, to keep men from constant terror at gathering clouds and falling rain from fear of another flood, so that man would not be terrified and live in continual dread of another deluge. Whenever clouds and rain gather, the rainbow appears in the cloud as a sign of His covenant to reassure Noah's family and all after them that clouds and rain will not bring another flood that destroys the earth, so they need not live in continual fear.
The rainbow assures that seedtime and harvest will continue and that the world will never again be destroyed by a flood. It is a gracious reminder that God provides for His people and keeps His promises. The bow seen in the cloud is God's promise of mercy and forbearance and love, His condescension and compassion for erring man in placing the beautiful, variegated rainbow in the clouds. It is the symbol of His unalterable covenant for all who believe in God and trust in Jesus Christ as personal Saviour, a token of divine mercy and goodness showing that although God was provoked to destroy the earth by the flood, His mercy still encompasses the earth.
That covenant with Noah still holds back flood destruction from the earth. Though sin has kept increasing since the small transgression that shut Adam and Eve out of Paradise, and though rebellion tramples God's law and Sabbath so that He could justly come forth to punish the inhabitants of the world and sweep them away by a flood as in Noah's day, divine love and care still flow earthward and He spares them because of that covenant, being full of compassion, mercy, and love. He promised He would no more cleanse the earth by bringing a flood upon it, but He has fires concealed in the bowels of the earth that will unite with fires from heaven to purify the earth in the last day. He is now gathering out and binding up those who love and serve Him while the wicked are being bound in bundles ready for those fires, so it depends wholly on each person whether to be with the good wheat or bound in bundles for the fires of the last day.
Teaching Children and Rejection
The bow was set in the cloud as a teaching sign for after-generations, so that when children should see the glorious arch spanning the heavens and ask its meaning, parents would repeat the story of the Flood and tell that the Most High bent the bow with His own hands and placed it in the clouds as assurance that the waters would never again overflow the earth. The question of the children beholding the glorious circle compassing the earth was to open the way to explain the destruction of the old world and the covenant that the flood should never return.
From generation to generation the bow testifies of divine love to man and of mercy and goodness still encompassing the earth, confirming belief, establishing confidence in God, and strengthening trust. It stands as evidence to all generations that God destroyed the inhabitants of the earth by a flood because of their great wickedness and giving themselves up to every manner of wickedness, even while He was provoked to destroy yet spared in mercy.
The dwellers on the plain of Shinar disbelieved that covenant that He would not again bring a flood upon the earth. Many among them denied the existence of God and said the Flood came by natural causes, while others believed that a supreme being had destroyed the antediluvian world yet rose in rebellion against Him like Cain. To secure safety from another deluge they made it one purpose of the tower to build higher than the floodwaters had reached and to reach the region of the clouds to find out the cause of the Flood, exalting their own pride and turning future generations from God to idolatry.
The builders of Babel thus refused grateful remembrance of gracious mercy shown after the Flood. They murmured against God, complaining of His severity in expelling Adam from Eden and in destroying the world by the Flood, while they accepted the rule of a cruel tyrant.
Rainbow Around God's Throne
The very arch set in the earthly cloud when a cloud is brought over the earth is the same bow that arches above and around the throne in heaven as the rainbow of promise. It encircles the throne as the pledge of the covenant with the earth that the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. The same encircling bow declares to the whole world that God will never forget His people in their struggle with evil. Above the throne it stands as an everlasting testimony that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, so that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life. Seen in the cloud it is a token that through Christ God binds Himself to save all who believe on Him. It points to the rainbow above the throne of grace, whose ruling principles are justice and mercy, and it seals the compact entered into by the Father and the Son to save the world through Christ giving Himself for eternal life to every believer, a covenant no human or angelic power could make and as sure as the throne itself, so that unbelief and distrust are without reason.
The bow is the righteousness of Christ, revealing God's mercy and glory in heaven around the throne and above Christ. Christ points to it as He intercedes, as evidence of compassion for erring, repentant people, and it symbolizes God's glory and mercy resting upon Christ for their benefit. Arched over the throne it is an emblem of a covenant-keeping God who holds rule and holds the reins of guidance and directs His people. It is to be kept ever before Christian workers as a reminder that God is to bear rule in every home, in every church, in every school, in every printing office, and in every sanitarium.
The rainbow of promise overshadows the throne as seen through the open door set before the obedient, showing that mercy and truth are knit together and drawing praise to the Lord from the beholder. It is a constant assurance that Jesus lives, and because He lives His people shall live also. Looking above and beyond the clouds to the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness keeps believers from being downcast in a world of mocking, deceiving appearances and duplicity. When clouds dark with tempest gather over the earth, those dark clouds being clouds of wrath, the bow is seen arched in the cloud spanning them with covenant-mercy. Above Israel's degradation as a desolate waste there shone the promised glory of the Messiah's reign.
Law Mercy Justice Gospel
Whenever the law is presented, the throne arched with the rainbow is to be pointed out with it. The glory of the law is Christ, who came to magnify the law and make it honorable. In Him mercy and truth meet together and righteousness and peace embrace each other.
The bow in the cloud is formed by the union of sunlight and shower. That union pictures the rainbow encircling the throne as the combined power of mercy and justice. Justice alone would eclipse the glory of the rainbow of promise and leave men seeing only the penalty of the law. Yet without justice and penalty there would be no stability to the government of God.
It is the mingling of judgment and mercy that makes salvation full and complete. That mingling reveals the gospel as a perfect and complete system that upholds the immutability of the law of God and inspires hope and love for God. Beholding together the world's Redeemer and the law of Jehovah leads to exclaiming over the gentleness that makes great. Mercy invites entrance through the gates into the city of God, and justice is satisfied to give every obedient soul full privileges as a member of the royal family, a child of the heavenly King. Defective character cannot pass the gates mercy has opened to the obedient, because justice stands at the entrance demanding holiness and purity in all who would see God.
If justice were extinct and mercy opened the gates irrespective of character, there would be worse disaffection and rebellion than before Satan was expelled, and the peace, happiness and harmony of heaven would be broken. The change from earth to heaven does not change character. The happiness of the redeemed results from character formed in this life after the image of Christ, and saints in heaven will first have been saints on earth.
End-Time Deliverance Assurance
At the deliverance a rainbow of heavenly glory spans the darkened heavens when the dark clouds part, encircling the praying companies with brightness from the throne. It appears in deep darkness as the bow in the cloud, the covenant symbol and a sign of hope amid danger. Those who look toward heaven are assured as they see Christ beyond it. Its shining halts the hostile crowds, silences their mockery and fills them with fear. They recognize the covenant symbol, seek its protection and long for its shelter.
In the time of trouble the bow of promise encircles and surrounds believers awaiting Christ's coming. By faith they may look up amid conflict and distress and see that assurance surrounding them. The sight gives confidence that help will come when needed.
Trust Prayer and Suffering
The bow of promise set above the throne testifies to the whole world and to the universe that God will never forget nor forsake His people in their struggle with evil. It is an everlasting pledge of love and an assurance of strength and protection as long as the throne itself shall endure. The same bow encircling the throne in heaven stands as a pledge of mercy to every repentant, believing soul.
Knowing that the bow is above the throne keeps believers from failing or being discouraged. This holds true during this life of probation under the discipline and government of God, amid temptations, abounding iniquity, dark and terrible chapters opening where least expected to weigh down the soul, heavy trials, opposition, bereavement and affliction. There is no need to fail nor be discouraged while the sign of the promise arches over the throne.
The bow arching the throne assures that petitions laid before the mercy seat will be heard. Those uniting with one heart and mind to prepare for the conflict may lay their petitions in faith and simplicity before the mercy seat, knowing that prayers offered in simplicity and faith will be heard. It is God's glory and delight to answer the supplications of His people.
When a cloud is brought over the earth and the bow is seen in the cloud, it is the sign of God's promise and token of His love that gives rest in confidence in His protecting arms. Even during a violent gale at sea with high tossing waves and raging wind, the sight gives confidence to rest in His protecting arms while praying for Christ who stilled the tempest to say Peace, be still. The bow brings comfort, peace and encouragement to trust His unfailing care and not to live for earth alone, pointing forward by faith to the haven of rest awaiting the faithful worker.
In sleeplessness, pain and suffering the cloud brings temptation to hide faith under unbelief by murmuring and distrusting the One who has done everything. Faith keeps looking up to the rainbow of promise encircling His throne and triumphs in God. Looking up keeps the sufferer resting in His merciful hands, and daily contemplation of the great love of the heavenly Father revealed there refreshes the soul.
The rainbow is God's promise seen by faith while standing in the shadow of the cross, making God's promise sure. It gives certainty that the Lord belongs to His own and they belong to Him. It brings the nearness of God in answer to prayer for grace and restoration to health, sustains longing to get well in order to proclaim truth, and takes away anxiety, restlessness and dissatisfaction amid pain in back, limbs and neck.