SIGN OF THE COVENANT: THE EMERALD RING
"Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne ... And there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald. Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads." Revelation 4:2-4.
The opening and closing books of the Bible present the Covenant-sign of the rainbow in contrasting ways. In Genesis, following the flood, the Bow hovers over the scene of earth's desolation. Below it is a wasteland of destruction and death. The only thing of beauty to be seen is the band of bright colors stretching across the sky. Everything else is in ruin. Noah and his few surviving family-members are the sole witnesses of the Bow's guarantee for future protection. God assured, "I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth ... The waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. Genesis 9:8-17.
In the book of Revelation, the Bow appears again. This time, in contrast to the half-circle Noah saw, its full ring horizontally surrounds the Throne of God and twenty-four Elders encompassing Him. The Elders undoubtedly represent the twelve Tribes of Israel and the twelve Apostles of the Lamb--all present in one perfect Covenant of redemption. The scene is absolute glory, perfection, completeness. Grace has triumphed universally over creation. Sin has been defeated at its source. Man has been redeemed. God's sovereignty accomplished total victory in Heaven and earth. The Bow now contains only one color; its' mixture of reds, blues, greens, etc, indicating separation, is gone. Absolute unity prevails. The color is solid green, the most prominent color of earth-life. In this setting of Glory, John saw the God the Father seated on the Throne, and Jesus, "The Lamb of God," in its center.
Missing from the scene is the Holy Spirit. But is He really absent? Not at all. That would be impossible. Typical of His nature, He does not call attention to Himself. In my opinion, He is the One typified by the rainbow. I say that for several reasons: At the time of earth's creation, we read, "The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters." Genesis 1:2. Compare that to the second scene of earth's desolation following the flood. What is "hovering" over the devastation? The Bow. The very nature of the Holy Spirit draws Him to sites of woundedness and pain. That site can be as large as a chaotic earth or as small as a broken sinner. His dual-work, simultaneously hovering over sites of desolation, while surrounding the Throne with Covenant-glory, is that He is the One who brings the wounded from havoc to Heaven. It is the Holy Spirit who is now preparing the earth for the Second Coming Of Jesus and the rapture of His Bride. He is the ultimate "Helper."
