Why did God make rainbows? No doubt it was partly to bless us with a wonderful visual treat, but the Bible tells us that God gave it as a token or sign of one of His covenants with mankind. For centuries, rainbows have been considered a symbol of prosperity, peace and hope. For some they have represented a false hope. Take, for instance, rainbow chasers, looking for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. This pot of gold can be representative of the many things we go after in life.

But the rainbow has a genuine and important significance. Let’s look at Genesis and pick up where the Flood had just ended and God spoke to Noah.

“And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth. And God said; This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations. I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall 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 the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh” (Genesis 9:11-15, King James Version).

Notice that God called it “My bow,” although it came to be known as a “rainbow.” In Revelation 4:3 we read: “And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald.” (See also Ezekiel 1:28.) So God had a “bow” in heaven long before the Noachian Flood.

It may have been terrifying to the people of the earth to have water falling from the sky.

God had a special purpose for putting it here on earth; it is a symbol God gave to the world. Although we understand what takes place scientifically—the refraction of light through raindrops—God created everything, including the laws of science. (But how does one explain a “rainbow” in heaven? I doubt there was any rain over God’s throne.)

His bow

God gave us something from His very throne as a sign of His covenant. The rainbow promises us that mankind will never again be destroyed with a flood.

“And, behold, I Myself am bringing floodwaters on the earth, to destroy from under heaven all flesh in which is the breath of life; everything that is on the earth shall die” (Genesis 6:17).

It is possible that it had not rained until that time, but that the earth itself had always provided the water.

Notice Genesis 2:5-6: “…Before any plant of the field was in the earth and before any herb of the field had grown. For the LORD God had not caused it to rain on the earth, and there was no man to till the ground; but a mist went up from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground.” So it seems possible that from the time of Adam and Eve, and even up until Noah’s time, rain had not been seen. It may have been terrifying to the people of the earth to have water falling from the sky. Therefore, there may not have been a rainbow before the Flood. God changed the weather from apparently a mere mist to weather that included rain.

Yes, God was willing to share something from His very throne as a sign of His covenant (promise) with mankind, that He would not destroy the world in this way again.

Rainbows aren’t just pretty; they have a special significance that points us to God. I hope this knowledge will help you to better appreciate just how special God’s bow, the rainbow, truly is.