Some notes on a theme from scripture:
The rainbow is a creature of light, established by God in the heavens as a sign of his mercy and his promise never again to flood the entire earth (Gen 9:13-17). The colors, the range of brightness and hue, the blurring and fading, and twinkling of the rainbow is a part of the glory of God. A rainbow radiates from the sacred fane of the One seated on the Throne of Heaven (Ezek. 1:27; Rev. 4:3). There is a rainbow of mercy and loving kindness which diadems the Living Lord. It is both mercy and beauty that draw us to Him. The very act of hanging-up his bow of war emboldens us to draw near with faith (Heb. 4:16).
But a light-rainbow is not the only rainbow in Scripture. There is another: within the heart of the earth God hid riches, gems and precious stones of many colors. These creatures are like solid portions of rainbow which, when cut just right, catch the light and dazzle the eye. The High priest wears an ephod decked with stones of all colors and radiances (Ex 28:15-21) —a vestment of rainbow. This reminds us of the coat of Joseph, a many-colored, rainbowed, garment which is a sign of his position among the sons of Israel (Gen 37:3).
The majesty and glory of God’s kindness in the Rainbow becomes a living sign of his redemption in solid sartorial application in the human community. The rainbow garments of Joseph and of the High Priests in some small way make it “on earth as it is in heaven”. Thus the heavenly Jerusalem has gates laid in precious rainbow stones, also. She is rainbowed too, sharing in the glory of the majesty of God.
The Christian Liturgical Calendar does something like this too: the colors of the liturgical seasons, form a rainbow of glory as we keep God’s time and remember his mighty saving acts and all the ways he has remained faithful to his promises and steadfast in his merciful kindness. The liturgical colors make a rainbow of time, with each cycle remembering the covenant-keeping God whose steadfast love endures forever.