Introduction
We have all looked up after a storm and seen the bow of color stretching across the sky. The red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet arch catches our attention and draws our eyes to its beauty. The appearance of a single rainbow might make us think of rainbow flags, a good omen, or the Rainbow Bridge from Thor. Regardless, this natural phenomenon is common enough, that even though we’ve marveled at the colors, we’re not surprised when that bow appears. We are, however, still surprised by a double rainbow.
These are less frequent. When they appear, people take pictures, record videos, post them online, and stare in awe. When we see this rare phenomenon we might think of how one appeared over Buckingham Palace at the death of Queen Elizabeth II or perhaps Norse mythology.
Scientific Explanation of the Double Rainbow
The scientific explanation for why a double rainbow occurs is that light travels and is reflected twice, not just once, inside water droplets. The actual appearance of a second rainbow isn’t the only unique occurrence. When the second bow appears, it displays its colors in an order reversed from the first rainbow. It truly is an uncommon and beautiful sight.
Common Speculations about the Double Rainbow
Due to this beauty of nature and the rarity of a double rainbow appearing in the heavens, it’s not surprising that some would speculate that it has some sort of deeper meaning. We’re long past believing that the rainbow brings forth good luck or that at the end of a rainbow, one will find a pot of gold. Yet we wonder if there are spiritual or symbolic meanings associated with it.
Since humanity has looked at the sky, we’ve considered the possibility that the stars, planets, comets, and colors might tell us about God, the world, and our place in it. Psalm 19 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork” (Ps 19:1). The opening chapter of Romans declares, “For [God’s] invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made” (Rom 1:20). Thus, we look to the heavens and we see evidence of God.
Is There a Biblical Explanation for the Double Rainbow?
However, when searching the Bible about the phenomenon of the double rainbow we find that God’s word is silent. There isn’t a single place in scripture where we come across any spiritual meaning of a double rainbow. No biblical character mentions this phenomenon in any way. The lack of Biblical acknowledgment doesn’t mean that we should conclude that the double rainbow is a modern occurrence about which the ancient world was ignorant. It’s more appropriate to conclude that its appearance is of no more significance than the single rainbow, about which the Bible does speak. For the remainder of this article, I’ll focus on the biblical meaning of the rainbow and attribute that meaning to the double rainbow.
The Rainbow’s Appearance in the Book of Genesis
The first occasion a rainbow appears in the Bible is in the book of Genesis chapter nine. This is the story of Noah. Here, God spoke to Noah and said, “I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth” (Gen 9:13). The verse does not use the specific language of “rainbow.” Yet, it’s clear from the context that the “bow” of Genesis 9 is what we know as the “rainbow.”
Context
The bow first appears following the great flood. This is a story that even those not familiar with the Bible or church have heard before. God sent rain upon the earth for forty days and forty nights. He submerged the whole earth with water because the wickedness of mankind had become so great. In Genesis 6 we read, “The Lord saw the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him in his heart” (Gen 6:5-6). As a result of seeing the pervasiveness of evil, God decided to bring about a new beginning and blot out humanity and even animals from the earth (Gen 6:7). He spared only Noah, his family, and representatives of the animals. God was performing a cosmic “do-over.”
Having instructed Noah to build the ark and giving him time to construct it, God then sent rain. The rain came and came, and came. The waters rose, and the flood inundated the entire creation. But drowning and destruction weren’t the end of the story. The rains stopped and soon after, the water receded, God told Noah to come out from the ark, and God brought forth a new beginning.
The Rainbow and the Promise
When Noah exited the ark, God made a covenant with him. A Biblical covenant is a bond that God makes with a representative of the people. This bond consists of promises, obligations, blessings, and curses. This particular covenant was for Noah, those who would come after him, and the entire creation.
The covenant that God made with Noah was that he would never destroy the earth by flood again. He said, “Behold, I establish my covenant with you and your offspring after you, and every living creature that is with you, the birds, the livestock, and every beast of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark; it is for every beast of the earth. I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth” (Gen 9:9-11).
By making this promise, God wasn’t saying that evil would subside or that he would not hold wickedness accountable. No, God doesn’t ignore evil or injustice, and he will one day come in judgment against it. The very reason Jesus came to earth, lived a perfect life, and went to the cross was to take God’s judgment of our sins and wicked deeds upon himself. God isn’t saying he will close his eyes to evil; he’s promising that no matter how great evil may grow, no matter how wicked humanity might become, God will never destroy the earth by flood again.
The Rainbow as a Sign
God didn’t simply make a promise, but he also gave a symbol of hope to remind his people of his promise. This is not surprising since it is common for God to give signs to accompany his promises. For example, the promise God made with Abraham was accompanied by the sign of circumcision. Correspondingly, baptism was to be the sign of the New Covenant.
Current Signs and Covenant
Think about the sign of God’s promises like a wedding ring. When I married my wife, we made a promise that we would be faithful to each other. Included with these words was the giving of rings. Every time I look at the ring on my hand, or I rub it with my thumb, I remember the promise she made to me, and I made to her. That’s some of how God’s covenantal signs operate; they point to God’s faithfulness.
The Significance of the Rainbow as Covenant Sign
When God made his covenant with Noah and the creation, he gave them the sign of the rainbow. Every time a rainbow appears in the sky, yes, it’s because light has reflected off droplets of water in the air. Yet it is the sign that God has given that tells us he will never destroy all the earth again by a worldwide flood.
The sign God gives, the rainbow, is a visible reminder of what has happened in the past: the flood. And it’s a declaration of what God has promised: the rains will cease, and they’ll never overcome the earth again. The rainbow is over all the creation. This is because God’s promise, while made to Noah, isn’t limited to Noah or his posterity. God’s promise is over his creation.
The Rainbow and the Character of God
Finally, the rainbow points us to the character of God: He is the God of grace and mercy. Grace is evident because through the storm God preserved Noah and his family. We see mercy because though we’ve sinned and are deserving of God’s judgment and destruction, he withholds, at least for a time, that judgment. And when he does judge, his judgment will not be through flood again. The bow symbolizes that God has set aside the destruction that man deserves.
The Hebrew word for “bow” used in Genesis 9 is a word that commonly refers to the battle bow, a weapon of war.[1] What many would have considered a symbol of aggression is now a sign of peace. Significantly, the bow points away from the earth; it points into the sky. God has turned the bow away from the earth and turned it to face himself. God will maintain his promise or he will be the one to face the curse of breaking his covenantal promise.[2]
The Rainbow in the Book of Revelation
The rainbow, or bow, isn’t only spoken of in the Old Testament story of Noah. It also appears on two occasions in the New Testament. Both of these are in the book of Revelation, the final book of the Bible which was written by the Apostle John.
The (rain)bow appears in chapters four and ten. Chapter four depicts God sitting upon his heavenly throne, and around the throne is a rainbow (Rev 4:3). Later in chapter ten, John sees a mighty angel coming down from heaven, and he has “a rainbow over his head” (Rev 10:1). The setting of these passages is the future and final judgment that will come at the end of all time. Thus, the appearance of the rainbow in these scenes serves as a reminder of God’s promise of mercy and that “he will be gracious to his true people”.[3] Therefore, the promise that God made to Noah back in Genesis, extends even until the end of all time. Though small and localized floods will come, a flood that brings a decisive judgment shall not.
Every time we look to the sky, witness the clouds parting, and see in the place of the storm a rainbow—be it a single or double—we are to be reminded of God’s promise. It is a sign of hope that though sin, evil, and wickedness will face God’s judgment, his justice will not be executed through a flood. Instead, the Bible tells us that God will enact justice upon sinful humanity.
Yet, the good news is that for those who look to Jesus and trust in his death on the cross, He has taken that judgment upon himself, so that we, like Noah, would know God’s grace and mercy.
Recommended Resources
Regarding covenants and God’s promises:
Far as the Curse Is Found: The Covenant Story of Redemption by Michael D. Williams
The Christ of the Covenants by O. Palmer Robertson
The covenant with Noah:
“Universal Covenants with Adam and Noah” by Carol Kaminski