Rainbow

„And God said, This is the sign of the covenant which I establish between myself and you and the living creatures among you, for all generations to come.“ (Gen 9:12) He promises that life on earth will never be destroyed by a flood again.

Rainbow

The “bow that I will set in the clouds” was given to Noah by God as a sign that He would not destroy the earth again with a flood (Genesis 9:13-16). The fact that the rainbow, as it is now known, is caused by the refraction of light from raindrops presents no difficulty.

The rainbow may have appeared to Noah before, but it was not designated as a sign by God until after the flood.

The word translated „set“ (nathan) is sometimes translated „determinate,“ as in Joshua 20:2. Others consider it more likely that the rainbow had not been seen before the flood, since the state (property) of the atmosphere differed from that after the flood.

The rainbow is mentioned in Revelation 4:3 and Revelation 10:1 as a symbol that, regardless of man’s sin, speaks of God being faithful to his promise regarding the earth. The beautiful rainbow in the clouds should always be a reminder of God’s enduring faithfulness.