Maybe that’s because the rainbow we see today isn’t the rainbow of the Messiah. Not yet, anyway.
Think about it: the rainbow we know is a promise, a beautiful one, certainly. It's a reminder of God's covenant with Noah, a pledge that He will never again unleash a flood to destroy the earth. As it says in Genesis 9:12-13, God set His bow in the clouds as a sign of the covenant between Himself and all living creatures. It’s a comforting thought, isn’t it?
But what if the rainbow could be more? What if it could signify not just the prevention of destruction, but the promise of redemption?
Jewish tradition tells us that the rainbow holds a deeper, messianic significance. The Zohar, that foundational text of Jewish mysticism, hints at this. It suggests that the rainbow we see now, with its muted colors, is just a shadow of what it will become.
Imagine a rainbow so vibrant, so dazzling, that it radiates its splendor throughout the entire world. A rainbow adorned like a bride for her bridegroom. That, my friends, is the rainbow of the Messiah.
When that rainbow appears, it will be a sign that God has remembered His covenant with Israel, a signal that the footsteps of the Messiah are drawing near. It signifies a new covenant, a promise of the Ingathering of the Exiles – one of the key prerequisites for the messianic age. This kibbutz galuyot, the return of the Jewish people to their ancestral homeland, is not just a political or geographical event. It's a spiritual homecoming, a cosmic shift.
The current rainbow, in a way, is a reminder of what’s not here. It’s a promise of no more destruction, but the messianic rainbow is a promise of something more – a world restored, perfected, and filled with light.
So, the next time you see a rainbow, take a moment. Admire its beauty, yes, but also remember the promise it holds. Remember that one day, we might just witness a rainbow so magnificent, so transformative, that it will herald the dawn of a new era. A rainbow that proclaims the coming of the Messiah.