Did you know that China is the country that exports the most?
Other examples can be found in Lamentations 4:8 (“Their visage is blacker than a coal”), and Micah 3:6-7 (“Therefore night will come over you, without visions, and darkness, without divination”).
Black is darkness, and it has connotations of sin, death, and judgment. Zephaniah 1:15 is a good example. It reads: “That day will be a day of wrath- a day of distress and anguish, a day of trouble and ruin, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness.”
Revelation 6:5 also gives us a doomy perspective of the color: “When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, 'Come!' I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand.”
Brown is a symbol for earth, commonly associated with devotion (i.e. monks’ robes). And being the color of wood, it is very present in some of the holiest objects in the Bible, namely Noah’s Ark and the Cross.
Silver is connected to salvation and divinity. Psalm 66:10 reads: “For you, God, tested us; you refined us like silver.”
Amber is connected with the glory of God. Ezekiel 1:4 (NKJ) reads: “Then I looked, and behold, a whirlwind was coming out of the north, a great cloud with raging fire engulfing itself; and brightness was all around it and radiating out of its midst like the color of amber, out of the midst of the fire.”
The rainbow is a symbol of renewal and covenant with God. God himself sends a rainbow after the Flood, as per Genesis 9:13.
Sources: (Christianity.com) (CrossExamined.org) (Colors Explained)
See also: What the colors you wear say about you
Being the color of vegetation on earth, green symbolizes life. The first reference can be found in Genesis 1:30. It reads: “And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground-everything that has the breath of life in it-I give every green plant for food.”
Jesus told people to sit on the green grass as groups, according to Mark 6:39. Psalms 1:3 makes an allusion to the color’s connection with life, saying that “the leaf shall not wither.”
The color symbolizes priesthood and royalty. According to Exodus 26:1 and 28:15-33, both the tabernacle and Aaron’s garments were purple.
White is also mentioned in Revelation 6:2: “And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.”
Bronze is strong and durable. It is mentioned in 1 Chronicles 15:19 that various objects in the tabernacle and temple were made out of bronze. In Revelation 1:14-15, Jesus’ feet were described as being made out of this alloy, too.
God’s purity is mentioned in Daniel 7:9. “[...]the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool [...]” Then there's God’s throne in Revelation 20:11-15: “Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it.”
Yellow, which is the color of gold, represents God’s holiness and power. An example includes the Temple of Solomon, which was built using gold (1 Kings 6).
White is all about purity. The color is used to depict the redemption from sin. Psalm 51:7 reads: “Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.”
Gold was brought to baby Jesus as a gift (Matthew 2:11). In addition, New Jerusalem, as per Revelation 21:18-21, is made of pure gold.
The color is often associated with the purity and divinity of the Virgin Mary. Many images depict the mother of Jesus wearing blue garments.
God’s triumph over evil is also 'painted' in white, as per Zechariah 6:3, which reads: “And in the third chariot white horses; and in the fourth chariot grisled and bay horses.”
Red is also associated with the Passover lamb, whose blood was put on the door frames of the Jews' homes, according to Exodus 12:1-13.
Red is also one of the liturgical colors of the Catholic Church. It’s used during important celebrations, such as Good Friday, Palm Sunday, and Pentecost. Catholic cardinals famously wear it, too.
Blue has a celestial connotation. The color is all about the power of God and heaven. Exodus 24:10 described the moment when Moses and others witnessed that the God of Israel had under his feet “something like a pavement made of lapis lazuli, as bright blue as the sky.”
According to Genesis 25:25, Esau, the eldest son of Isaac, was born red, confirming red as a metaphor for humanity.
The color is also heavily associated with the blood of Jesus Christ, “and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross” (Colossians 1:20).
Oudem is translated in the Old Testament as “red clay.” The color is linked with the roots of humankind. Adam, being formed from dust on the ground (Genesis 2:7), confirms this.
But red is most usually associated with blood. There is a reference to animal sacrifices in Leviticus 17:11, which says, “For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life.”
Blue was also worn by the priests (Exodus 28:5-6, 8, 15), and was present in both the tabernacle (Exodus 25:4; 26:1, 4) and in the temple (2 Chronicles 2:7, 14).
Mark 16:5 makes reference to the white robe worn by Jesus. White remains a color used in special celebrations by the Catholic Church, including Easter and Christmas.
Hell itself is described as the “blackest darkness” in both Jude 13 and 2 Peter 2:17.
Colors are an important element of life. They can affect our mood and emotions, and indeed they have different meanings, depending on the context. This is also the case with the Bible; colors have different meanings, connotations, and are used to symbolize different things in both the Old and New Testaments.
In this galley, we delve into the colors in the Bible to find out what they mean. Click on for a real course on colors.
The meaning of colors in the Bible
Did you know that colors in the Bible carry special meanings?
LIFESTYLE Religion
Colors are an important element of life. They can affect our mood and emotions, and indeed they have different meanings, depending on the context. This is also the case with the Bible; colors have different meanings, connotations, and are used to symbolize different things in both the Old and New Testaments.
In this galley, we delve into the colors in the Bible to find out what they mean. Click on for a real course on colors.