The Little-Known, Extraordinay Secret of the Rainbow

by | Jan 29, 2022

rainbow on beach

Highlights for Genesis 6-11

Did you know the rainbow is calling to you with a very specific message – and not about an ancient flood? It is set in the sky to empower you every time you see it.

Two Big Corrections

First, some important background for the rainbow story.

The KJV Bible translation as well as other versions state that God repented of making man and it grieved his heart that He had done so. Like He didn’t know how it would turn out and suddenly realized He didn’t have a good plan for mankind? Joseph Smith thankfully corrected this translation. It was NOAH who was sorry that God made man, and Noah’s heart was grieved, not God.

Little wonder! Noah had Lamech for a father (the second great “Master Mahan” who murdered for gain). Plus Noah’s life was in danger as people around him sought to kill him. It’s not a stretch to imagine why he regretted the existence of humankind.

God’s glory is to bring to pass the eternal life (ultimate exaltation like Him) of man (Moses 1:37). He has a plan called the Plan of Salvation and has never deviated from it.

Let’s compare the three references and then say a silent prayer of gratitude for Joseph’s efforts to bring us greater clarity.

KJV Bible – Genesis 6:5-6

¶ And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.

The Hebrew Bible – Genesis 6:5-6

5 And the Lord saw that the evil of the human creature was great on the earth and that every scheme of his heart’s devising was only perpetually evil.
6 And the Lord regretted having made the human on earth and was grieved to the heart.

Robert Alter: “was great…this adjective could be read as a verb, “multiplied”; in any case, the whole phrase echoes the”multiply over the earth” of verse 1…whereas here [verse 5] it is evil, not humankind that multiplies and fills the earth.”

“heart’s devising.” In the Bible, the heart is usually thought of as the seat of intelligence, only occasionally as the seat of emotion.”

Joseph Smith Translation – Genesis 8:10-13

strikethrough = words Joseph Smith deleted (sometimes what Joseph crossed out can be just as much information as what he added)

bold type = words Joseph Smith added

10 And God saw that the wickedness of man was had become great in the earth; and that every man was lifted up in the imagination of the thoughts of his heart was; being only evil continually.
11 And it came to pass, that Noah continued his preaching unto the people, saying, hearken and give heed unto my words, believe and repent of your sins and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, even as our fathers did, and ye shall receive the Holy Ghost, that ye may have all things made manifest;
12 And if you do not this, the floods will come in upon you; nevertheless, they hearkened not.
13 And it repented the LORD Noah, and his heart was pained, that he the Lord had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.

This makes so much more sense to me. Noah saw so much evil and disappointment in his day. However, the Lord stays true to his purpose from beginning to end.

The Rainbow’s True Meaning

This is my favorite discovery from this week’s reading. Only in the Joseph Smith Translation do we learn the empowering, heightened message of the rainbow. After you read the following verses, you may never look at the rainbow in the sky and feel the same way! Instead, it will inspire more awe and a greater closeness to heaven. Partly because the rainbow is speaking to you directly about upgrading your status today and urging you on to a glorious future. It is NOT specifically set to remind us there is only one global flood. I always thought that the rainbow’s supposed symbolism of a singular ancient event was lacking somehow? See how this impacts you?

JST Genesis 9:21-25

strikethrough = words Joseph Smith deleted (sometimes what Joseph crossed out can be just as much information as what he added)

bold type = words Joseph Smith added

21 And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth, which I made unto thy father Enoch; that, when men should keep all my commandments, Zion should again come on the earth, the city of Enoch which I have caught up unto myself.
22 And this is mine everlasting covenant, that when thy posterity shall embrace the truth, and look upward, then shall Zion look downward, and all the heavens shall shake with gladness, and the earth shall tremble with you;
23 And the general assembly of the church of the firstborn shall come down out of heaven, and possess the earth, and shall have place until the end come. And this is mine everlasting covenant, which I made with thy father Enoch.
24 And the bow shall be in the cloud, and I will establish my covenant unto thee, which I have made between me and thee, for every living creature of all flesh that shall be upon the earth.

embrace: welcome, accept, take to one’s heart, adopt, support, champion

Conclusion

I hope when you next look up at the rainbow, you’ll know Zion is looking down on you – encouraging you to upgrade yourself and your life. It is a symbol full of hope.

Knowledge and understanding are opened up to those who seek them. I have found so much new, enlightened understanding in the Old Testament this year because of our dear prophet – Joseph Smith. I hope you embrace some of those same experiences too.

Resources

This post draws on two resources – (1) Joseph Smith’s complete translation of the Bible – amazingly, Joseph Smith corrected translations for more than 3,900 verses from the KJV Bible. And (2) Robert Alter’s “The Hebrew Bible – A Translation with Commentary.” Robert Alter’s book is considered one of the best translations of the Bible in our modern time and came highly recommended by bookofmormoncentral.org – a premiere Latter-day Saint scholarship site. Robert Alter’s lifetime work was published in 2018. See My Secrets for Falling In Love with the Old Testament for more information about these two books and where to get them.

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