The Rainbow: Miraculous and Beautiful
Author: Luiken, Jan, 1649-1712
Image Title: The Rainbow: Miraculous and Beautiful
Scripture Reference:
- 2 Peter 3 (further images / scripture text)
Description: A young man looks at a rainbow stretched out widely over a landscape. The Dutch artist and poet Jan Luiken (1649–1712) was responsible for drawing this emblem and composed the poem that accompanies it. The etching was executed by Jan Luiken or his son Casper Luiken (1672–1708) who adapted this image from one used in an earlier work, which may be found in the Digital Image Archive under the call number 1699Weig. The attendant scripture text is 2 Peter 3:6-7.
Motto:
What Noah was told,
Is still true in our time.
Poem:
When the multicolored bow,
Circles gracefully before our eyes,
Then I think of the end of days;
When the all, and everything will be fulfilled;
Whether thou; O King, of our pleasure,
Wilt appear on such a Throne?
When the existence of this time,
That great visible edifice,
Will be consumed in the fire of division,
After the sweet and harsh word,
From thy mouth O King of honors,
Has been heard as curse and blessing.
When the first world sank,
When water swallowed up all creatures,
This became a sign to be remembered;
That the Earth and its life henceforth,
Would not again be deluged in the water,
But remain standing in its nature.
Yet the Earth and Heaven vanish,
When everything is at its end,
And this to the joy of the pious;
For he who prepares himself according to God’s will,
His status will not come to an end,
But will remain in Eternity.
(Translation by Josephine V. Brown, with editorial assistance from William G. Stryker)
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Rights Statement: The online edition of this work in the public domain, i.e., not protected by copyright, has been produced by Pitts Theology Library, Emory University.
Rights Status: No Copyright - United States
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