In the midst of “Pride Month” and the proliferation of vibrant flags, that symbolize division and the supremacy of one group over the majority, it is crucial to uncover the agenda behind these symbols. Exploring God’s creation, the fall of humanity, and biblical covenants, we shed light on the rainbow’s significance as both a covenant sign and a manipulated symbol. We draw parallels between God’s sacred covenant and the attacked institution of marriage, emphasizing the importance of humility and rejecting pride. By discerning the deceptions and aligning with God’s plan, we strive to live in adherence to His ordinances. This article is based on the video from Theology of the Body Institute, which I have translated for my non-English speaking brothers and sisters. I have also added several biblical references to complement it.
We are in a battle, as Ephesians 6:12 says: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Let’s analyze this battle through signs like flags, which are icons that seek to embed a message in the subconscious. Pay attention!
God created everything in the universe as a sign to point to something beyond itself. In His infinite love, God created humanity to enjoy life and His glory. But let us remember that with the fall of the first man and woman, sin entered the world, along with decay and eventual death. It all began with the deception of the serpent in Genesis 3.
The enemy uses God’s signs to deceive and create confusion. This is how deception was introduced, with the lie that by disobeying God, humans could “be like gods” and obtain knowledge. But in His mercy, God immediately devised a plan of redemption by promising to send a Redeemer through a woman (Mary), just as it was through a woman (Eve) that humanity was condemned.
Genesis 3:15 says: “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” This verse comes immediately after the fall of man and woman into sin. After Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden, God pronounces this prophecy as a promise of redemption and restoration. The serpent, representing Satan, would be at odds with the woman and her offspring. Although the serpent would strike the offspring’s heel, he would eventually be defeated by him.
Thus, the Bible tells us a story about the covenant between God and humanity. In biblical terms, a covenant refers to an agreement, contract, or arrangement established by God with humanity or a specific group of people. Biblical covenants involve mutual commitments, divine promises, and responsibilities both from God and the people involved.
The covenants in the Bible are based on God’s faithfulness to His creation and His willingness to establish a special relationship with humanity. These covenants may include promises of protection, provision, guidance, blessings, and salvation, as well as responsibilities and commandments for those in the covenant.
The Rainbow as a Sign of a Covenant:
In the Bible, the rainbow is mentioned as a symbol and reminder of the covenant God made with humanity after the universal flood. This covenant is established in the book of Genesis, chapters 9, verses 12-16. Here is the meaning of the rainbow according to the biblical narrative:
After the flood ended and Noah and his family came out of the ark, God established a covenant with them and with all creation. The rainbow was set as a visible sign and reminder of this covenant. God says in Genesis 9:13-16 (NIV):
“I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.“
The rainbow, therefore, is a sign of God’s covenant not to destroy the earth with a flood as He did in the times of Noah. It is a reminder of God’s faithfulness and His promise to preserve and care for humanity and all creation.
Additionally, in the Bible, the rainbow is also mentioned in the book of Revelation in relation to the vision of God’s throne. In Revelation 4:3, a rainbow is described around God’s throne as a manifestation of His glory and majesty. This passage highlights the beauty and divine greatness represented by the rainbow.
The Catholic Church considers both marriage as a sacred covenant and the sacrament of marriage as a solemn and lifelong commitment between a man and a woman. There are similarities and parallels between God’s covenant with humanity and marriage as a sacrament according to Catholic understanding. Here are some comparisons:
- Covenant and commitment: Both in the biblical covenant and in the sacrament of marriage, there is a mutual commitment and a promise of love and faithfulness between the parties involved. In the biblical covenant, God makes promises and expects the faithful response of the people. In the sacrament of marriage, spouses commit themselves before God and the Church to love, honor, and be faithful to each other.
- Exclusivity and fidelity: Both in the biblical covenant and in sacramental marriage, exclusivity and fidelity are expected between the parties. The biblical covenant implies that God is the only true God and demands that the people worship only Him. In sacramental marriage, spouses commit to being faithful to each other, renouncing intimate or emotional relationships with others.
- Blessings and promises: Both in the biblical covenant and in the sacrament of marriage, there are blessings and associated promises. In the biblical covenant, God promises blessings, protection, and care to those who are faithful to the covenant. In the sacrament of marriage, spouses receive the grace and blessings of God to help them live out their commitment and build a lasting and happy marriage.
- Permanence and duration: Both in the biblical covenant and in sacramental marriage, the relationship is expected to be permanent and lasting. The biblical covenant is eternal and cannot be annulled, despite the unfaithfulness of the people. In sacramental marriage, it is considered an indissoluble bond until the death of one of the spouses.
The primary sign of marriage is the crown of creation, man and woman, blessed by God to be fruitful and multiply. The ultimate and definitive sign of marriage is the body of Christ given by His bride on the cross, understanding the bride as the Church, thus revealing the divine mystery.
God’s plan for marriage revealed through the union between man and woman:
Marriage is the original sacrament that reveals God’s plan. Marriage is the original sacrament and prototype of the seven sacraments, all of which bear the spousal mark of the original sacrament of marriage.
Marriage is the sign of the union between heaven and Earth. Jesus and the Church constitute this divine marriage. Meanwhile, the marriage between man and woman is the earthly marriage that ensures the continuation of humanity.
Now, the enemy is attacking the institution of marriage with deceptions like the wrongly called “same-sex marriage,” which is a mere mockery of true marriage between a man and a woman. The enemy has attacked this sign through the original sin, fracturing the light. Remember that when light is fractured, a rainbow of 7 colors is generated.
It is impossible for same-sex couples to engage in marital relations. Let’s see why. Marital embrace is the genital relationship designed for couples of opposite sexes. Our sexual organs complement each other to generate new life. In Genesis 2:24, it says: “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.“
This verse emphasizes the intimate and permanent union between a man and a woman in marriage. It states that when they unite in marriage, the two become one entity, one flesh. This passage is quoted by Jesus in the New Testament in Matthew 19:5 and Mark 10:7-8 when teaching about marriage. Jesus reaffirms the teaching from Genesis and establishes that marriage is a sacred union between a man and a woman, and that God has established this union as part of His original plan for humanity.
Contraception has reduced the level of what a man and a woman do to the same level as the pursuit of sterile pleasure. In this way, it has been achieved that what a man and a woman do in their intimacy is equivalent to what two men or two women do, which is sterile pleasure without the generation of new life. Without the filter of contraception, what a man and a woman can do is different from what two men or two women can do.
The meaning of the number seven in the rainbow flag.
In the Bible, the number 7 is associated with the idea of perfection, wholeness, and divine completeness. It is considered a sacred number and is mentioned in various contexts to represent totality or perfection.
Here are some examples:
- Creation: In the account of creation in Genesis, it is said that God completed the work of creation in six days and rested on the seventh day, blessing it and making it holy (Genesis 2:2-3). The seventh day is known as the day of rest or Sabbath, and it is considered an expression of the perfection and completeness of divine creation.
- The week: The week consists of seven days, and this cycle of seven days repeats continuously. This division of seven days is established from the creation account and is a pattern found in temporal structure.
- The seven sacraments: In Catholic theology, seven sacraments are recognized as sacred and efficacious signs of divine grace. These sacraments represent the fullness of Christian life and participation in the redeeming work of Christ.
As for the number 6, it has been associated with imperfection and incompleteness in contrast to the number 7, which represents divine perfection.
- In the book of Daniel, King Nebuchadnezzar constructs a gold statue that is 60 cubits tall and 6 cubits wide, which is interpreted as a human attempt to rival the divine order and is ultimately toppled by God (Daniel 3).
- In Revelation 13:18, the “number of the beast” is mentioned as 666. This number has been interpreted by some as symbolic of imperfection and opposition to the divine order.
The rainbow flag has six colors, but seven is the perfect biblical number. The rainbow that we see in the sky, God’s sign, has 7 colors. The evil one, in his desire to appropriate divine signs, has mutilated it and redefined its essence, making it a symbol of “pride,” precisely the sin for which Lucifer was expelled from heaven.
- Isaiah 14:12-15 (NIV):
“How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ But you are brought down to the realm of the dead, to the depths of the pit.”
The Bible mentions pride as a sin in several passages. Here are some examples:
- Proverbs 16:18 (NIV): “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.”
- James 4:6 (NIV): “But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: ‘God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.'”
- 1 John 2:16 (NIV): “For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.”
- Mark 7:21-22 (NIV): “For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly.”
These passages, among others, warn about the dangers and negative consequences of pride and identify it as a sin. Pride is portrayed as an attitude or state of exaltation and self-sufficiency that opposes humility and recognizing our dependence on God. The Bible emphasizes the importance of humility and warns about the dangers of arrogance and pride on various occasions.
As Catholics, we should distance ourselves from attitudes of arrogance, pride, and rebellion against the nature that God has given us and the roles assigned to us according to our gender. It is an act contrary to God’s desires for us to be holy and to live in adherence to His ordinances.
Source
Theology of the Body Institute