"Like a rainbow shining"
Ezekiel 1:28
It's first thing in the morning, and it's cloudy out; the rain is on its way. When I got up this morning, the first thing I did was turn on the Christmas tree lights. I just love how the colored lights change the whole tone of the room. Generally, I don't turn on the tree lights during the day; with the sun shining outside, it's just too hard to appreciate them, so I wait until evening. But this morning, with the wonderful gloom outside, it's just lovely.
I think there are few things more beautiful than colored lights. They combine two of my favorite things: color, and light. It makes me realize that a little darkness makes the light more beautiful.
It also makes me think of heaven. Three times in Scripture (once in Ezekiel and twice in Revelation), we are told that the radiance of God in heaven compares to a rainbow. Even better, it's like an emerald. I've always had trouble understanding that, because how can something be green and rainbow? But today, I look at my Christmas tree, and I think I understand a little better.
Can you imagine what it would be like to describe a rainbow to someone who's blind? The best you could come up with is that it's several colors, and striped. But you really wouldn't be doing justice to the shimmering iridescence, right? So it must be with Scripture. The writers of Ezekiel and Revelation were given the unenviable task of describing to us the unparalleled beauty of God in His heaven. And although they were inspired by the Holy Spirit as their "ghost" writer (ba dum bum) they were also restricted by words ~ or lack thereof.
Earth ain't heaven. No two ways about it. But I'm grateful that His Word tells a little of what we can hope for, and I'm glad He knows how much I appreciate the glimpses He gives us here on earth.
~ "The One sitting on the throne
was as brilliant as gemstones...
And the glow of an emerald
circled His throne like a rainbow...
From the throne came flashes of lightning
and the rumble of thunder.
In front of the throne
were seven torches with burning flames.
and a shiny sea of glass, sparkling like crystal" ~
Revelation 4:3-6
I read Job 36:26 in the NKJV awhile back ("Behold, God is great, and we do not know him.") and immediately thought of the passage in Revelation 4 about the emerald rainbow.
ReplyDeleteMany Christians speak so glibly about "knowing" God -- but I think sometimes it is very presumptious of our species. But then I remember that Jesus said, "He that has seen me has seen the Father"....
This year for the first time in quite a few years, we bought a new tree with colored lights instead of white, and I like the effect very much. I had forgotten how pretty colored lights could be.