As the weather warms up and I spend more time outside, my thoughts have turned towards what color God is. Answering this question with one or two simple answers would be inaccurate since God transcends ethnicity.
In the Bible, each color symbolizes something specific: blue represents heaven and healing; red represents Jesus’ blood atonement; yellow symbolizes joy, the presence of God, and His anointing; gold stands for God’s holiness, divinity and power.
Blue
One of the most frequently asked questions about God is what He looks like. Many assume He resembles us physically; however, according to both Old and New Testaments He is spirit-based; described by Revelation 1:15-18 as being “heavy with glory and splendor,” His voice has been likened to that of a waterfall (Revelation 1:15-18).
No surprise then that Jesus is frequently depicted wearing blue. This color symbolizes heaven and represents His word to mankind. Furthermore, blue can also represent Mary when depicted in Nativity scenes or artwork.
Blue, the color of the sky and sea, has long been considered symbolic of God. Furthermore, blue symbolizes purity and goodness; Jesus himself was described by John 14:6 as being of pure heart with a spirit of truth (John 14:6).
Hebrew for “blue,” it’s known as tekhelet, and appears 51 times in the Bible, mostly related to Tabernacle or religious imagery. Priest’s clothes – in particular their hems – wore this hue, leading us to believe the color has special associations for healing and grace. One such account in particular involved an issue of blood which was resolved when she touched one hem of His garment – leading us to view blue as being synonymous with grace and healing.
Hindus believe that Vishnu, the creator and protector of our universe, possesses a blue complexion. This belief likely stems from his aura resembling that of sky and ocean waters; furthermore, its hue represents space’s vastness as it connects Vishnu to Brahman (an infinite formless entity).
Vishnu’s blue complexion may also serve to symbolize his omniscience and presence; as the god of protection, he is always looking out for mankind. Additionally, this hue also symbolises strength and courage – qualities necessary to overcome obstacles and confront evil head on.
Red
How people view God is entirely subjective; however, certain religions and cultures associate colors with emotions or virtues; for instance in Hinduism and Buddhism saffron symbolizes wisdom and courage while white symbolizes purity and divinity in Christianity; purple can also be considered sacred when used to represent penance or royalty.
Red is an emotive color with multiple symbolic meanings in the Bible. In the Old Testament, it represents both sin and redemption – as evidenced by its association with bloodshed from Jesus on the cross that has the ability to save people from death – while red was also chosen as the color for high priest’s robe, used to represent forgiveness and grace from God – the woman with an issue of blood was healed simply by touching its hem!
The New Testament emphasizes that God is spirit and does not possess physical bodies, so it would be inaccurate to label Him with colors. Furthermore, using physical attributes to define Him could limit our understanding of who He truly is.
Gold is often associated with God, as the Bible describes Him as being more precious than any jewel or metal. Additionally, the Magi brought Jesus gifts made of gold; these serve as reminders that He is all-powerful and worthy of our worship.
Yellow is the color that symbolizes hope and joy in the Bible, with God as its source. Hebrew word for joy (ruach) comes from its connection to song (song in Hebrew); thus translating into melody when translated to English language translations occur. Furthermore, this color symbolizes that He rejoices over you!
Yellow
Yellow symbolizes God’s glory; in the Bible it represented gold and the Shekinah Glory that rested upon the tabernacle and golden lampstand. Yellow also stands for health and vitality – in fact it was even chosen to represent Jesus’ son by both mother and father (John 3:16).
Yellow is often associated with power and authority; indeed it symbolizes God in Genesis 1:27). Furthermore, yellow flowers often symbolize love and purity – in particular Psalm 118:2 speaks about Jesus loving his people so deeply!
Yellow stands as a metaphor for God and his light that illuminates all living things on this Earth. Its color also signifies his goodness and love – such as when birds show signs of their appreciation by showing yellow eye color (Psalm 89:11).
At the time of the Old Testament, doctors would often rely on hair color to diagnose leprosy; yellowed scalp was a telltale sign. Therefore, regular check-ups and living a healthy lifestyle is key.
Honey symbolizes blessings, promises, and delight. This concept can be found in Proverbs 16:24, Ezekiel 3:3, Exodus 30:22-25 and Psalm 92:10 as examples of its symbolic use. Bronze also stands for strength as seen when used to construct the Ten Brazen Lavers and Molten Sea in Solomon’s Temple (1 Kings 7:23-26).
Yellow symbolizes wealth as gold is highly prized. Gold’s value symbolizes God’s riches, with New Jerusalem described in Revelation 21 as being composed entirely of pure gold (1 Peter 2:9) as well as being used as an emblematic representation of his kingdom (1 Peter 1:18).
Green
The Bible is filled with color symbolism that helps provide deeper understanding of its Scriptures while also being an eye-catching way to illustrate various Biblical concepts. Here are a few examples of Bible’s color symbolism:
Green is often associated with nature and the environment, symbolizing renewal and rebirth as well as fertility. Green can also serve as a powerful reminder of God’s love and mercy – it even forms part of two flowers which symbolize this notion, the Lily-of-the-Field and Rose of Sharon flowers representing Jesus’ sacrifice for us!
Yellow symbolizes joy, God’s presence and His anointing. Gold’s golden hue represents its divine qualities: holiness and divinity, as well as representing light and glory of God – thus representing yellow as its primary meaning in Scripture’s tabernacle and in sacrifices made through sacrifice offerings.
Purple is widely considered the color of royalty and spiritual authority. Additionally, purple symbolizes wisdom and spiritual insight. Purple can also be seen as representing religious devotion and sanctification – symbolizing both Holy Spirit presence as well as his death on the cross. In biblical parlance it often stands for these attributes.
Brown represents earthiness and strength. This color often serves to represent the Bible and Jesus’s death on the cross, as well as signifying salvation and wood of Noah’s Ark.
White represents purity and the light of God. It symbolizes his righteousness and purity of gospel message; furthermore, white serves as a symbolic representation for Jerusalem – an idealized city that symbolizes true purity and holiness.
Black and white are often associated with race. Although the Bible doesn’t explicitly name races as being distinct groups, nations do feature quite heavily. It wasn’t until the 1800s that people began classifying people by their skin color; to try and determine someone’s worth based on ethnicity would be an injustice both to that person as well as God; after all He created each of us and desires redemption for each of them!
