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; I set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth. It shall come about, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow will be seen in the cloud, and I will remember My covenant, which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and never again shall the water become a flood to destroy all flesh. When the bow is in the cloud, then I will look upon it, to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” Genesis 9:12-16.
Today your LORD (יהוה) God (אלהים) says:
When I took My beloved John up to Heaven for a vision of things to come, I showed him My throne of grace, where all born again believers can come with confidence before Me even now and where I have already seated you in the Spirit with and in Christ. And what was around My throne? The rainbow.
“After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things.” Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and One sitting on the throne. And He who was sitting was like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald in appearance.” Revelation 4:1-3.
And today’s Life Lesson about Heaven is “The Way to the Rainbow.”
The first thing John saw was an open door to Heaven. Jesus is the Door, John 10:7, and He is the Way to Me. John 14:6.
“He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says this: ‘I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name.” Revelation 3:7-8.
Next, John entered in the Spirit to come to the very throne room of My Kingdom of Heaven. I am Spirit and those who worship Me must worship in spirit and in truth. John 4:24.
Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” John 3:5.
And who was the first One he saw? Jesus upon the throne clothed as your High Priest and surrounded by the rainbow. “And I saw in the middle of the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders, a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth. Revelation 5:6. Jesus sits with Me on My throne at My right hand and I seated you with Him, Jesus told you, “He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. Revelation 3:21.
“No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has disclosed, revealed, and explained Him.” John 1:18. He has prepared a place for you in Me and when I raised Him from the dead, He took you all into that place to be One with Us in the Spirit in My very bosom—the secret place of the Most High. “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.” John 14:3.
“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in Heaven in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:4-7.
I have put you where Jesus is, sealed you in Him, and He has pulled you back into Me having made you holy and blameless before Me by pouring out His blood in His death before Me.
“The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me. Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.” John 17:22-24.
And what did John see of Jesus? “And He who was sitting was like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald in appearance.” Revelation 4:3. “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:14-16.
If you recall these two stones, the sardius (a red ruby stone) and the jasper (a clear diamond stone) are the first and last stones of the breastpiece of judgment that was upon the ephod of the High Priest, the very holy garments that I gave the pattern and plan for to Moses in which to clothe Aaron, the High Priest, for glory and for beauty. Exodus 28:2. And the centerpiece of these garments that rested on the heart of the High Priest was the ephod with its breastpiece of judgment, which was skillfully woven of gold, of blue and purple and scarlet material and fine twisted linen with a set of twelve precious stones. Mounted upon the breastpiece in gold filigree settings were four rows of three precious gemstones and engraved with the names of the 12 tribes of Israel as the engraving on a signet seal. Exodus 28:17-20. And these were the stones: the first row was a row of sardius (Reuben), topaz (Simeon) and carbuncle (Levi); and the second row an emerald (Judah), a sapphire (Issachar), and a quartz crystal (Zebulon); and the third row a jacinth (Dan), an agate (Naphtali) and an amethyst (Gad); and the fourth row a beryl (Asher), an onyx (Joseph), and a jasper (Benjamin).
Under the Old Covenant, they were looking forward to the redeeming blood of the Cross, to the water of baptism (being regenerated by the Holy Spirit) and the purity of the fullness of the Spirit in you, from the blood to the pure clear water of the Spirit. From the perspective of Heaven and the Risen Christ you are looking at the end from the beginning, the Spirit, the water and the Blood.
And Jesus your High Priest who ever lives to make intercession for you in the Holy of Holies, as the High Priest did in the Holy of Holies in My tabernacle and My temple under the Old Covenant as a shadow of the good things to come, sitting at My right hand on My throne shining like the jasper to the sardius. The jasper was engraved with the name “Benjamin,” which in Hebrew means “the Son of My right hand,” the Son of power. The sardius was engraved with the name “Reuben,” which means “Behold the Son (see the Son).” “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!” by His blood, and He is the Son now at My right hand.
“When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they.” Hebrews 1:3-4.
And John saw there around the throne of grace a rainbow of the brilliance of an emerald. On the breastpiece the emerald was the stone engraved with the name of “Judah.” And My Son according to the flesh is of the line of Judah through David. He is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah and the root and offspring of David.
But the rainbow is there for a reason. Do you know what the rainbow is about? A sign of My Covenant of peace with man and beast. A sign that My wrath will never come on those in that Covenant of Peace. My Son fulfilled the Old Covenant in the New Covenant in His blood. He made peace through the blood of His cross and reconciled us as One in Him. He came and preached peace to those who were far off (gentiles) and those who were near (Jews), uniting them as one new man in Him. And in Him I saved you, shielded you, from the flood of the wrath to come that will be poured upon the godless who destroy the earth that have not received Jesus and entered in Him into the Covenant of Peace. The rainbow round the throne encircles the life of every born again believer.
But let us look now at the stages of the Covenant of the rainbow. It all began after the flood at the time of Noah which was a judgment on the wickedness and evil of those corrupted totally by close and intimate association with the devil and his demons. Noah alone and his line had remained free of such contact and I shielded them in the ark. And when they came forth to an earth washed of the pollution of the Nephilim they offered the burnt offering—the sin offering—before Me. And the aroma was sweet of that offering, Genesis 8:20-21, just as I tell you the offering of Jesus for your sins once for all is to Me. Ephesians 5:2. And as the sin offering of Noah came before Me, I promised that I would never again destroy every living thing, as I had done by the waters of a flood. Genesis 8:21. And as the sin offering of Jesus came before Me I forgave all your sins as if they had never been and stated that there was no condemnation now for those who are in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1.
And I gave Noah a sign. “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; I set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth. It shall come about, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow will be seen in the cloud, and I will remember My covenant, which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and never again shall the water become a flood to destroy all flesh. When the bow is in the cloud, then I will look upon it, to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” Genesis 9:12-16.
Now, let us go forward to My prophet Isaiah, to whom I showed the glory of Jesus, “These things Isaiah said because he saw His glory, and he spoke of Jesus,” John 12:41, and find the next step to the rainbow around the throne.
“For a brief moment I forsook you, but with great compassion I will gather you. In an overflowing of anger (Noah’s flood) I hid My face from you for a moment, but with everlasting lovingkindness I will have compassion on you, says the LORD your Redeemer. For this is like the days of Noah to Me, when I swore that the waters of Noah would not flood the earth again; so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you nor will I rebuke you. For the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake, but My lovingkindness will not be removed from you, and My covenant of peace will not be shaken,” says the LORD who has compassion on you.” Isaiah 54:7-10.
First, I talk of the flood of Noah’s day, but then I talk of My great compassion that gathers you back to My bosom. “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them.” 2 Corinthians 5:19. And I tell you that I have this compassion upon you as the LORD your Redeemer. “For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Colossians 1:13-14. “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us.” Ephesians 1:7-8.
“So they will fear the name of את the LORD from the west and את His glory from the rising of the sun, for the enemy will come like a rushing stream, but the Spirit of the LORD drives him away. A Redeemer will come to Zion, and to those who turn from transgression in Jacob,” declares the LORD. Isaiah 59:19-20.
And the passage of Isaiah 54 continues addressed to the redeemed, for this promise is for the redeemed who have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb and are now clothed in righteousness. For you will note that Isaiah 54 is right after Isaiah 53, and originally there were no separation by chapters in these writings upon the scrolls, so it continues from the prophetic foretelling of the death of Jesus on the Cross as He bears and takes all your sicknesses, pains, sins, guilt and shame in your place so that you can be free of these things with the fact that I will never be angry with those in Christ Jesus, in My Covenant with Him of peace, again.
“For this is like the days of Noah to Me, when I swore that the waters of Noah would not flood the earth again; so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you nor will I rebuke you. For the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake, but My lovingkindness will not be removed from you, and My covenant of peace will not be shaken,” says the LORD who has compassion on you.” Isaiah 54:9-10.
Like the days of Noah when I swore I would not flood the earth again so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you nor will I rebuke you. There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. In Him you are saved from the wrath to come. And the sign is the same as it was in the days of Noah, the rainbow. I now gaze at it around My throne and I remember that your sins and offenses I remember no more. For I made Jesus who knew no sin to be sin on your behalf, so that you might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:21. And the rainbow speaks to Me now of My Son.
“For the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake, but My lovingkindness will not be removed from you, and My covenant of peace will not be shaken,” says the LORD who has compassion on you.” Isaiah 54:10. Jesus made peace through the blood of His cross and He sealed the New Covenant in His blood poured out for you for the forgiveness of sins. And that night He sealed the New Covenant in His blood, He gave you His peace as a gift. John 14:27. And when I raised Him from the dead the first Word He said to His disciples was “Peace.” That is why the angels came to give the glad tidings to the shepherds in the fields of Bethlehem when My Son was born according to the flesh to offer Himself as a willing sacrifice for your sins of “Peace on earth, good will towards men.” Yes, His birth, life, death, and resurrection would change everything in our relationship forever. He made us One. I speak peace to My people.
“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.” Titus 2:11-14.
My rainbow was a sign for all flesh and I so loved the world I gave you My only begotten Son that all who believe in Him will NEVER PERISH but have eternal life. Hence the rainbow round the throne of grace.
“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” Mark 16:15.
And established in righteousness, you are far from oppression for you will not fear; and from terror, for it will not come near you. If anyone fiercely assails you it will not be from Me.
Whoever assails you will fall because of you. Isaiah 54:14-15. No weapon that is formed against you will prosper; and every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn. You will answer Satan and his demons with the truth of My Word and he will flee. For this is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is from Me.” Isaiah 54:17.
“As for Me, this is My covenant with them,” says the LORD: “My Spirit which is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your offspring, nor from the mouth of your offspring’s offspring,” says the LORD, “from now and forever.” Isaiah 59:21. My Words in your mouth will bring Heaven to the earth. You will walk encircled by the rainbow for you are already seated there with and IN Christ. Come with confidence to My throne of grace and you will find your great High Priest there, the High Priest of your confession (homologia, saying the same words He does in agreement thereof), so I can watch over My Word to perform it as you speak it into the earth. And in Him you will be right in the middle of the Throne, one with My heart.
Great peace have those who love My Word. Jesus.
I love you. The only Way to the heavenly rainbow is Jesus. He is the Way, the truth and the life, there is no other way by which you can come to Me. He is the door and He is the way. He is the author and finisher of your faith.