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From a biblical perspective, the rainbow symbolizes a covenant that God established with the entire earth: He promised to never again destroy the earth with a flood. The rainbow is directly linked to rainfall.
This covenant, with the rainbow as its symbol, was made by God after the floodwaters receded, and Noah and his family left the ark. God declared, “I am establishing my covenant with you: Never again will all life be destroyed by a flood; never again will there be a flood to devastate the earth. . . . This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have placed my rainbow in the clouds, and it will serve as a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth” (Genesis 9:11-15).
This promise, symbolized by the rainbow, was not only made to humanity but also to “every living creature . . . the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark . . . every living creature on earth” (Genesis 9:9-10). This covenant is everlasting, lasting through all generations. There will never again be a global flood.
The rainbow’s colors are at times associated with “gay pride.” This association began in 1978 when an artist named Gilbert Baker created a flag for the homosexual community in San Francisco. Baker’s original design featured eight colors, each with a specific meaning.Each one represents a different meaning: hot pink (sexuality), red (life), orange (healing), yellow (the sun), green (nature), turquoise (art), indigo (harmony), and violet (spirit). Subsequent designs featured seven and then six colors. Rainbow flags and banners, as utilized by the LGBTQ+ community, symbolize diversity, hope, and social action.
There exist other rainbow flags and banners unrelated to homosexual culture. For instance, the Hawaii Ko Aloha Flag features nine colored stripes symbolizing the islands that were inhabited prior to Western civilization’s arrival. Another illustration is the flag of the International Order of the Rainbow for Girls, a Masonic organization whose banner signifies seven distinct virtues.
The rainbow is a creation of God. We naturally take pleasure in it. There is something breathtaking about the sight of a rainbow following a storm. It is fitting and proper that we celebrate the rainbow as a symbol ordained by God of His faithfulness and mercy. The efforts of some to appropriate the colors for their own purposes do not diminish the beauty and marvel of what God has created.
