Do you remember when they first offered television with color? Didn’t they say something like, “In Living Color?”
In the beginning there weren’t many programs in color, but slowly, over time it became hard not to find a show in color, maybe even impossible, although they sometimes do a movie in black and white, an art film.
More Reflections:The Bible talks about all kinds of love, including true love
Jesus' resurrection:The trip back from Emmaus as important as the trip there
Anyway, I’d been reading a book about writing down 1,000 gifts we receive from God and a friend of mine offered a suggestion — color.
I’ll let her explain it.
“I have thought of one,” said Diane, “color, it’s in everything. There are bright colors, dark colors, natural colors, and colors that don't ‘go’ together. So much to say about color. It can be insignificant and taken for granted."
Then she added, “I see so many emotions and events in colors.”
I agree with her, sometimes we take color for granted.
Color, it is in everything. Could you imagine living in a world without color?
My wife, Nancy, could. She was diagnosed with viral encephalitis, and it eventfully caused her to lose her hearing and most of her eyesight. She lived in an almost colorless world. But I don’t ever remember Nancy complaining about it.
Hard to imagine living in a colorless world. And for the most part, we don’t.
I think color is just another reason to believe in God.
Today I am in New Jersey looking out into a backyard. And it is filled with color —autumnal color. Maybe the best kind of color.
I wish I had the ability to use words to make a painter’s palette of autumnal beauty appear on this page. Instead, I will leave to you to imagine the full splendor of those marvelous colors appearing in your mind. Reds and all different shades of orange, and greens, yellow, and sometimes, three or more in just one leaf.
Color — just one more reason to believe in God.
I went on the Internet looking for color in the Bible and found something in a website called “Reasons for Hope* Jesus.” And in it I found “The Meaning of Colors in the Bible?”
It was written by Shari Abbott. And here’s the reason she’s writing this website, “Reasons for Hope* Jesus exists to glorify God by equipping you to know Jesus better, to love Him more, and to share your faith.”
“Do colors in the Bible have a symbolic significance that can remind us of God and His plan of redemption?” asked Shari Abbott.“Just like with numbers, the meaning of colors points us to Jesus by symbolizing His Person and His works.”
She added, “Hebrew hermeneutics has an interpretation approach that includes something called a “remez.” A remez is a hint of a hidden message or a deeper meaning that is below the surface or behind the words. Numbers and colors are both remezes.”
She used a multi-colored flower as a symbol, using the top petal to uncover the remez by determining what each color represents in God’s Word.
Gold, she said, represents God’s love, which is more precious and valuable than all the gold ever mined. She also said that gold represents God’s deity. But it’s important to note that false gods and idols were made of gold.
Regardless, one of the three gifts given by the Wise Men to Jesus was gold.
While gold represents God’s deity, black represents suffering and death in the Bible.
It is used to represent mourning, famine, judgement of sin, and of course death and the grave.
Abbott pointed out that black doesn’t reflect light but absorbs it. She added that Satan was once an angel of light but after he sinned, he exists in darkness.
Red represents blood. And a darker shade of red, scarlet, is a color used along with blue and purple in the Tabernacle to represent earthiness. Blue represents heaven, purple represents kingship.
Purple dye was very expensive in ancient times, so it is symbolic of prestige, nobility, along with kingship and royalty.
White represents righteousness. It is the presence of all the light in the visible spectrum and represents purity and light.
Green represents growing and blooming.
“There are many examples in the Bible of colors that point to Jesus.,” said Abbott. “One of the greatest examples is the door of the Tabernacle.”
In Exodus 27:16 it says, “And for the gate of the court shall be an hanging of twenty cubits, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, wrought with needlework: and their pillars shall be four, and their sockets four.”
Blue represents heaven, purple represent the Messiah, who would come. Scarlet represents His blood that was shed and white, the fine linen, represents the righteousness of all who come to Him in faith.
John 10:9 states, “I am the gate; whoever enters through Me will be saved. They
will come in and go out, and find pasture.”
No color — unimaginable.
But we are in living color — with Jesus.
Rick Reed is a columnist for The Daily Commercial, to reach Rick, e-mail him at ricoh007@aol.com. And if you can’t get enough Rick Reed, read his blog at rickreed.co.
As an enthusiast with a deep understanding of the topic, let me delve into the rich tapestry of color and its symbolic significance, especially in the context of the Bible. The author of the article mentions seeking information about color in the Bible from a website called "Reasons for Hope* Jesus," specifically an article by Shari Abbott on "The Meaning of Colors in the Bible."
Shari Abbott, the author of the article, presents a fascinating exploration of the symbolic meanings of colors in the Bible, drawing parallels between colors and the person and works of Jesus. Abbott introduces the concept of "remez," a hint of a hidden message or deeper meaning behind the words, using colors as symbolic representations.
Here are key concepts related to colors in the Bible discussed in the article:
-
Gold: Symbolizes God's love, which is considered more precious and valuable than all the gold ever mined. It also represents God's deity, although it's noteworthy that false gods and idols were made of gold. The Wise Men presented gold as one of the gifts to Jesus.
-
Black: Represents suffering and death in the Bible. It is associated with mourning, famine, judgment of sin, death, and the grave. Black, as mentioned by Abbott, doesn't reflect light but absorbs it. It is also pointed out that Satan, once an angel of light, now exists in darkness.
-
Red: Symbolizes blood, with a darker shade like scarlet representing earthiness. This color is significant in the context of the Tabernacle.
-
Blue: Represents heaven, as seen in the Tabernacle's gate. It symbolizes the divine and heavenly nature.
-
Purple: A symbol of kingship and royalty. In the article, it's mentioned that purple dye was expensive in ancient times, indicating prestige and nobility. Purple, along with blue and scarlet, was used in the Tabernacle.
-
White: Symbolizes righteousness, representing the presence of all light in the visible spectrum. It is associated with purity and light.
-
Green: Represents growth and blooming, signifying life and vitality.
The article also references the example of the door of the Tabernacle in Exodus 27:16, where the combination of blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen holds symbolic significance. Blue represents heaven, purple symbolizes the Messiah, scarlet represents His shed blood, and white represents the righteousness of those who come to Him in faith.
Finally, the author concludes with a personal reflection, emphasizing the beauty of living in a world filled with color and expressing gratitude for the richness of the autumnal colors, ultimately connecting the vibrancy of color to a belief in God.
