“And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.”
(Revelation 4:3)
What a glorious scene John shares with us in this text … the magnificent throne of God, and the One who sits on it he describes as radiant as jasper and sardine stone; and encircling the throne a brilliant rainbow “like unto an emerald.”
In Scripture, the sign of the rainbow is first mentioned in Genesis 9:13 where God uses it to verify the covenant He made with Noah. This emerald rainbow that John sees encircling the throne demonstrates, once again, that God never forgets His covenant. His mercy does not fade. It endures from generation to generation toward those who fear Him.[1]
If God faithfully keeps the common and temporal covenant made with all mankind, marked by the rainbow given to Noah, then there is stronger assurance that He will keep His special and eternal covenant established in Jesus Christ with His elect. The lesser guarantees the greater. The regular rising of the sun, the steady courses of the moon and stars, the roaring sea kept within its bounds—all of these testify that God does not break His word.
Yet even this image does not reveal God as He is in Himself. Bernard rightly observes that the great variety and beauty found in created things are like beams of divine light. They testify that God truly is, and that all things come from Him, but they do not define His essence. One sees something of God through them, but not God Himself.
In the same way, the stones named here—jasper, sardine, emerald—are borrowed images to accommodate our limited understanding. God lowers Himself to our capacity by using created beauty to express His uncreated glory. These stones are infinitely beneath Him. Whatever beauty they possess was given to them by Him.
Still, He has chosen to reveal Himself this way, and that revelation is meant to draw the heart not only to worship but also to trust. The rainbow around the throne assures the believer that His mercy is not accidental, temporary, or fragile. It is fixed. In fact, it surrounds the throne itself, reminding us that judgment never operates apart from covenant faithfulness, glory never eclipses grace, and power never overwhelms promise.
Contemplations:
- Mercy before judgment. I am struck by where the rainbow is placed, encircling Your throne. That tells me that even when I fear Your holiness, Your mercy stands closer than I imagine.
- Peace where I expect wrath. If I am honest, Lord, I often expect hostility from You rather than peace because of the guilt I sometimes carry. Yet peace has been declared in Christ. I ask for help to believe that the posture of heaven toward me, because of Christ, is only reconciliation.
- Borrowed glory and real glory. I am easily impressed by human splendor. Status, success, recognition—these things still catch my eye. But God alone possesses glory in Himself. I ask for a heart that learns to value what is eternal and weighty.
- Desiring to know God. Adam knew You clearly. I learn slowly, imperfectly, through signs and shadows. Even then, I often miss what is right in front of me. I see how limited my understanding is, and how dependent I am on Your patience. Let this awareness humble me without discouraging me, Lord. Let it keep me listening, watching, and learning with reverence.
Prayer (Supplication)
Faithful and covenant-keeping God, I look toward Your throne and confess that I am often overwhelmed by fear rather than comfort. Your holiness unsettles me. Your power exposes my weakness. I see the brilliance of Your majesty, and my first instinct is to draw back. I ask You to teach my heart to see what You have placed around Your throne—Your mercy.
Help me believe what You have revealed. I ask for faith to trust that You do not forget Your covenant. When my thoughts accuse me, when past sins rise up, when the weight of conscience troubles me, remind me that Your mercy surrounds Your throne.
I ask for help to live as one who believes peace has been made. Teach me to come as a reconciled child. Remove from me the habit of expecting rejection where You have promised acceptance in Christ.
I confess how easily my heart chases what shines for a moment. So help me loosen my grip on what passes and fix my desire on what lasts. Let the fading splendor of this world lose its hold on me, and let the weight of Your glory shape my choices, my behaviors, and my priorities.
I ask also for guidance in knowing You. I know so little. I understand so slowly. I am prone to confusion and error. Help me not despise Your patient lessons or grow careless with them. But give me a teachable spirit, willing to be corrected, willing to wait, and willing to trust what I cannot fully grasp.
Above all, help me rest in the truth that Your mercy surrounds Your throne, firm and unbroken. Let that truth govern my fears, shape my prayers, and draw me closer to You in confidence and dependence.
In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Further Scripture References for Rev. 4:3:
Ezek. 1:28; Gen. 9:13; Exod. 28:18; Rev. 21:11
[1] William Cowper, Patmos: Or, A Commentary on the Revelation of Saint John Divided into Three Several Prophecies. (London: George Purslow, for John Budge, and are to be sold at the sign of the Green Dragon in Paul’s Churchyard, 1619), 85-88.
