Saturday

Related Verses
Ezek. 1:28
28 Like the appearance of the rainbow that is in the cloud on a day of rain, such was the appearance of the brightness all around. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of Jehovah. And when I saw it, I fell on my face and I heard the voice of someone speaking.

Rev. 4:3
3 And He who was sitting was like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance, and there was a rainbow around the throne like an emerald in appearance.

Deut. 7:9
9 Know therefore that it is Jehovah your God who is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and lovingkindness to the thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments,

1 Cor. 1:9
9 God is faithful, through whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

1 Cor. 1:29-31 (30)
29 So that no flesh may boast before God.
30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became wisdom to us from God: both righteousness and sanctification and redemption,
31 That as it is written, “He who boasts, let him boast in the Lord.”

1 John 1:9
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

1 Thes. 5:23-24
23 And the God of peace Himself sanctify you wholly, and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
24 Faithful is He who calls you, who also will do it.

Col. 1:26-28 (27)
26 The mystery which has been hidden from the ages and from the generations but now has been manifested to His saints;
27 To whom God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory,
28 Whom we announce, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom that we may present every man full-grown in Christ;

Related Reading
As a result of having a clear sky with the throne and of experiencing a man who has the appearance of electrum and a consuming fire, we will have the appearance of a rainbow [Ezek. 1:28]…A rainbow is the brightness around the man who is sitting on the throne. This brightness signifies the splendor and glory around the Lord on the throne. 

In order to understand the significance of the rainbow, we need to remember the rainbow at the time of Noah. A flood had destroyed the whole earth, and only eight people were spared from that judgment. After that, when people saw storm clouds in the sky, they might have been afraid of being destroyed. Therefore, God made a covenant in which He promised never again to destroy all living things by a flood, and He set the rainbow in the cloud as a sign of this covenant…The rainbow, therefore, was a sign of God’s faithfulness and promise not to destroy the fallen human race with a flood. (Life-study of Ezekiel, 2nd ed., pp. 133-134) 

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In the rainbow there are several different colors, but the basic colors are only three—red, yellow, and blue. When these colors are shining and blending, they produce other colors, such as orange, green, and violet. It is very significant that the three primary colors of the rainbow are red, yellow, and blue…The throne looks like a blue sapphire stone; the electrum is yellow; the fire is red. By their shining and refracting, these three colors combine to make a rainbow. 

Blue signifies the throne. According to Psalm 89:14, the foundation of God’s throne is righteousness. This indicates that the blue throne signifies the righteousness of God. Fire signifies the sanctifying, separating, and consuming fire. This means that red here refers to God’s holiness. Yellow signifies God’s glory in the glowing electrum. Therefore, here we have God’s righteousness, holiness, and glory, signified by the colors blue, red, and yellow. 

God’s righteousness, holiness, and glory are three divine attributes that keep sinners away from God…But the Lord Jesus came, died on the cross to satisfy the requirements of God’s righteousness, holiness, and glory, and was resurrected, and He is now our righteousness, sanctification, and redemption (1 Cor. 1:30). He is also now our glory. In ourselves we are short of God’s glory (Rom. 3:23), we are under God’s righteous judgment, and we are kept away by God’s holiness. But now, as believers, we are in Christ, and He has become our righteousness, holiness, and glory. Moreover, because we are in Christ, we even bear Christ as righteousness, holiness, and glory. Because we are in Christ, in the sight of God we look like righteousness, holiness, and glory. 

We need to experience Christ in such a way that when others contact us, they can sense righteousness, holiness, and glory. This means that they should be able to sense that we have a clear sky, that we have a throne, and that we are righteous and proper, not careless or loose in any way. We should also have the electrum, glowing, shining, and weighty. Then we will have the appearance of a rainbow, and the angels, the demons, and Satan will be able to see it…As those who were fallen but who have now been saved, we have become a testimony of God’s faithfulness in saving us. Every local church should bear the testimony of such a rainbow. 

Even the New Jerusalem has the appearance of a rainbow. The foundation stones of the New Jerusalem are of twelve layers, with each layer being a different color (Rev. 21:19-20). (Life-study of Ezekiel, 2nd ed., pp. 134-135) 

Further Reading: Life-study of Ezekiel, msg. 12

Further Reading:
Further reading: Life-study of Ezekiel, msg. 12

Hymn: #941
1 God’s kingdom is God’s reigning,
His glory to maintain;
It is His sovereign ruling,
His order to sustain.
He exercises fully
His own authority
Within His kingdom ever
And to eternity.

2 Upon the throne, the center
Of government divine,
God reigns, and with His purpose
Brings everything in line.
God’s headship and His lordship
He only can maintain
As King within His kingdom,
O’er everything to reign.

3 By reigning in His kingdom
God worketh all His will,
And under His dominion
His purpose doth fulfill.
’Tis only in God’s kingdom
His blessing we may know;
’Tis from His throne almighty
The stream of life doth flow.

4 Submitted to God’s ruling,
All virtue thus will win;
Rebellion to His Headship
Is but the root of sin.
The evil aim of Satan—
God’s throne to overthrow;
Our aim and goal is ever
His rule to fully know.

5 Within God’s sovereign kingdom
His Christ is magnified;
When Christ in life is reigning,
The Father’s glorified.
When God is in dominion,
All things are truly blessed;
When Christ for God is reigning.
God’s glory is expressed.

6 In fulness of the seasons
God’s Christ will head up all.
Then all will own His reigning
And worship, great and small.
Such reign in life and glory
The Church e’en now foretastes
And to His rule submitting
Unto His kingdom hastes.