The Bible often uses the image of rain to describe God’s provision for His people. He uses rain to water the earth and provides nourishment to it. Yet, rain also symbolizes other significant elements.
Table of Contents
- The Symbol of Rain
- God Our Provider
- Judgment and Destruction
- Rain as God’s Punishment
- Renewal, Restoration, and Revival
- Seasons Matter
- Hebrew Words for Rain
- Physical Need for Rain
- Rain Can Symbolize the Anger of God
- Rain Also Symbolizes God’s Blessing
- Rain Reflects God’s Eternal Grace
- God’s Rainbow of Promise
- God’s Rainbow of Faithfulness and Hope
- The Bottom Line
The Symbol of Rain
Rain is a powerful symbol that we can interpret in a variety of ways depending on the context in which it appears. Rain depicts God as our source of physical and spiritual life. Yet rain can also appear as God’s act of judgment against sin or wrongdoing.
Rain (or some form of it) appears over 100 times in the Bible. It holds special significance that is important to understand along our spiritual journey. What exactly does rain mean and symbolize throughout Scripture?
God Our Provider
In the Old Testament, God is the provider who gives life-giving water to all living things (Genesis 2:5, ESV; Psalm 145:8, ESV). He is also seen as the source of refreshing rain for the land.
For example, the farmer’s hope in times of drought and hunger (Deuteronomy 11:10, ESV). In this way, God provides sustenance and refreshment in times of need.
Judgment and Destruction
But what does rain symbolize when God sends a deluge over the whole land? Flooding rain is often associated with God’s judgment. Remember the story of Noah?
The Great Flood recorded in Genesis 7-8 resulted from God’s wrath against sin. God sent rain for 40 days and 40 nights (Genesis 7:12, ESV), which flooded the entire earth.
The floodwaters rose so high that they covered even mountaintops. All dry land disappeared and killed every living creature except those aboard Noah’s Ark. Even though rain is often associated with giving life, it can be destructive when wielded by a holy God.
There are instances when God withheld rain from falling. Without water, nothing can grow or live and disease becomes rampant. We cannot survive without life-giving rain that God sends from His heavenly storehouses.
Rain as God’s Punishment
But what does rain symbolize when it does not come? Withholding rain is often associated with God’s punishment, though not always complete destruction. When we see references to rain in the Bible, we need to keep in mind that it might not always be a positive thing.
Here are some ways that rain appears in the negative sense that foretell God’s punishment:
- Dark Clouds
- Dry Ground
- Rainy Season
- Difficult Times
- Hard Times
- Dry Season
- End Times
- Last Time
- Late Rain
Renewal, Restoration, and Revival
Even though the Great Flood was God’s judgment, there were blessings when the pouring rain ended. When Noah’s ark landed after being afloat for almost a year, Noah sent out a dove to find out if there was any dry land.
After a few tries, the dove returned carrying an olive branch. Noah realized that his family could soon disembark and begin their new life together. The first thing they did was worship the Lord and begin planting a vineyard to make new wine. Revival!
Seasons Matter
As Christians, we know that seasons not only occur in nature, but they occur in our own life journeys. Some seasons bring joy, while others usher in hardship. Yet each season holds God’s specific purpose.
Spring seasons bring new life and growth to every living thing. Fall brings the harvest of God’s plenty. And winter reminds us that rest is necessary for all other seasons to reach peak production. So let’s look at what rain symbolized in Scripture during various seasons.
Hebrew Words for Rain
Three Hebrew words denote rains of different seasons. Yoreh or moreh refers to the early (or former) rain. Melqosh refers to the latter rain. Geshem refers to the winter rains.
The Early Rain
The rain of autumn commenced around late October or early November. These early rains (also called former rains) lasted for two months as heavy downpours. Each time I toured the Holy Land in November, cloudless beautiful days greeted our group. Perhaps climate change has altered this in our current times.
In God’s Word, we find these early rains in Hosea and Joel:
- Yoreh: “Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge Him. As surely as the sun rises, He will appear; He will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth” (Hosea 6:3, NIV).
- Moreh: “Be glad, people of Zion, rejoice in the Lord your God, for He has given you the autumn rains because He is faithful. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before” (Joel 2:23, NIV).
The Latter Rain
The rain of spring falls in March and April. These latter rains (melqosh) serve to mature the planted grain. No rain usually falls after April until the early rains in October or November:
- “He will give the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the later rain, that you may gather in your grain and your wine and your oil” (Deuteronomy 11:14, ESV).
- “In the light of a king’s face there is life, and his favor is like the clouds that bring the spring rain” (Proverbs 16:15, ESV).
The Winter Rain
The rain of winter commences in the middle of December and lasts through March. Heavy winter rain (geshem) often refers to an ominous, damaging, or destructive rain. There is no prolonged fair weather in Israel between October and March.
- “And rain fell upon the earth forty days and forty nights” (Genesis 7:12, ESV).
- “Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin assembled at Jerusalem within the three days. It was the ninth month, on the twentieth day of the month. And all the people sat in the open square before the house of God, trembling because of this matter and because of the heavy rain” (Ezra 10:9, ESV).
Physical Need for Rain
Rainfall is vital to agriculture, which is also true throughout the Bible. Crops such as olives, dates, figs, wheat, barley, and grapes all thrive in the Middle East. Without sufficient rainfall, these crops would not be able to grow.
Livestock such as sheep and goats also enjoy rainfall, as they need water to drink and grass to eat.
Not only is rainfall important for plants and animals, but it is also essential for every human being. Water is necessary for all life; without it, we would perish. This is especially true during the hot summer months.
Absent rainfall, rivers and wells run dry leaving no source of fresh water. Disease and death often result from unclean or stagnant water. We need rain and the clean water it brings to survive.
Rain Can Symbolize the Anger of God
In 1 Kings 17, we see God’s anger. It says “Now Elijah…said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word?” (1 Kings 17:1, NIV)
At this point, Elijah challenged Ahab (the king of Israel) because they had endured a 3-year drought. The prophet Elijah wanted to see if Ahab would turn back to God despite any other consequences.
First Kings 17 later reveals: “For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the land’” (1 Kings 17:14, NIV).
True to His Word, God sent a heavy downpour within 24 hours that amounted to seven years worth of rainfall. That’s a LOT of rain.
Rain Also Symbolizes God’s Blessing
One of the most common ways rain shows up in the Bible is in reference to the blessings of God.
Psalm 147 offers a great example of this symbolism of rain. It represents the many blessings God bestows on His people. “Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; make melody to our God on the lyre! He covers the heavens with clouds; He prepares rain for the earth; He makes grass grow on the hills” (Psalm 147:7-8, ESV).
Here are some ways that rain appears in the positive sense that reflect God’s blessing:
- showers of blessing
- good luck
- abundant rain
- rain dreams
- appearance of the rainbow
- sign of the Covenant
- power of God
- good land
Rain Reflects God’s Eternal Grace
Isaiah 30 paints a beautiful picture of the eternal blessings believers will experience.
“And He will give rain for the seed with which you sow the ground, and bread, the produce of the ground, which will be rich and plenteous. And on every lofty mountain and every high hill there will be brooks running with water” (Isaiah 30:23, 25a, ESV).
God’s Rainbow of Promise
After talking at length about the significance of rain, we would be remiss if we left out rainbows. Rainbows are one of the most popular symbols in connection with rain. Regardless of our current popular culture’s definition, what is God’s purpose for rainbows? What do they mean?
In ancient times, rainbows represented a sign from God. People would see the rainbow and remember God’s promise in Genesis:
“And God said, ‘This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh'” (Genesis 9:12-15, ESV).
God’s Rainbow of Faithfulness and Hope
God’s famous appearance of the bow to Noah is not the only time rainbows slip into the pages of Scripture. Among other places, rainbows also appear in the Book of Revelation:
“At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne” (Revelation 4:2-3, NIV).
We see here that the rainbow continues to be a symbol from God. The rainbow encircling the throne reminds believers of His faithfulness, mercy, and hope. Rainbows remind us that God is always with us regardless of the storms we experience.
The rainbow is one of nature’s most beautiful and awe-inspiring symbols from God. Apart from that vision in Revelation, rainbows symbolize hope, change, and new beginnings.
Every rainbow reminds us of God’s never-ending love and His covenant to never leave us or forsake us. No matter what storms we face in life, God is always with us and He will see us through to the other side.
The Bottom Line
God promises that every believer receives an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. God’s Spirit in us provides the crucial discernment we need each day. In His strength, we can face every season of life we experience, whether stormy or temperate.
Rain represents many different elements in the Bible. Blessings and grace to judgment and punishment. The spiritual meaning of rain goes deep. Regardless of life’s storms, we trust that our heavenly Father holds the weather, our lives, and everything else in His mighty hands.
In the New Testament, Jesus also controlled the weather when He calmed a raging storm on the Sea of Galilee (Matthew 14:22-32, NIV). In every instance, God commands complete control over nature.
There is no element that He cannot command into submission. What comfort!
No matter what storms or challenges God’s children face in life, our God is always in control. Spring, Summer, Winter and Fall.
Amen.
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About the Author
Although Donna is a sought-after Bible teacher, her path from being unchurched to become passionate about sharing Jesus was not easy. Go here to read her God-breathed journey, “From Unchurched to Becoming a Multi-Published Author and Sought-After Speaker.” If you want to send Donna a quick message, then visit her contact page here.
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