Rainbow glory surrounded the throne of glory in the Seer’s vision of heaven in the Book of Revelation (Rev 4:3). The Hesychast tradition is usually silent about the rainbow mysteries that embrace elders surrounding the throne of glory, but the Seer of Revelation does speak of rainbow glory in his prophecy. The mysteries of rainbow enthronement, crowning and glorification are never neglected in any desert prophecy inspired by John the Seer (Rev 4:4-6). John’s prophecy was inspired by the Prophet Ezekiel, who saw rainbow glory surrounding the heavenly throne (Ezekiel 1:26-28). The likeness of a human form in the prophet’s vision of God belongs at the heart of the vision of rainbow glory, because this is prophecy’s visionary way of communicating the ineffable mystery of divine-human deification. Elders knew that rainbow glory was uncreated and that its uncreated light deified elders surrounding the throne of glory, because elders were themselves participating by grace in the uncreated energies of rainbow glory itself. They knew that the rainbow covenant of the Name retains a purifying curse as well as ineffable blessing, because if rainbow glory disintegrates into vainglory, confusion reigns, glory falls and burns what takes glory in vain. In itself, rainbow glory is enlightening glorification that cures confusion, undoing falls from glory, but from without, glory is consuming fire. It follows that real rainbow glory has absolutely nothing to do with worshipping rainbows instead of God. The rainbow covenant bestows the blessing of deifying glorification, as long as there is no fall from healthy glory into idolatrous confusion.
Rainbow vision of glory does not confuse created rainbows with God but remembers God and his covenant of the Name whenever rainbows remind seers of God. The Apocalypse tells us elders prostate before the rainbow throne of glory (Rev 4:10; 5:10), just as the Prophet Ezekiel had done (Ezekiel 1:28). When there is no awakening to wisdom, holy prostrations can easily be confused with idolatry. Moreover, when wisdom is exiled, rainbow vision can sometimes be confused with pride. True rainbow vision is not addicted to rainbows or to visionary self-esteem, but sees straight through both to behold the radiant glory of the unveiled Face. It glorifies God, not the symbols that prophecy employs to communicate wisdom. It enthrones God in his Kingdom as his glory in turn enthrones seers in God. It does what the Cherubic throne does when it is heard and understood to be a Cherubic Hymn. It glorifies God. Rainbow glory is divine awareness glorifying divine presence, likened to emerald green because wisdom, like spring-time growth, makes all things new. It is emerald glorification because like the fresh green of early summer, it renews all things (Rev 21:5). Elders cast their crowns before the throne of glory when they make their prostrations (Rev 4:10). They ascribe all glory to God just as uncreated rainbow energy is always doing. Glorification is not idolatry and was never confused by seers with doxological vanity, because hallowing glorification ascribes all glory to God.
The human form of God revealed in rainbow glorification of God is the glorified form of the incarnate Son, image of God the Father, unveiled by the Spirit whenever the Name is hallowed and glory welcomes the Kingdom come. Uncreated fire surrounds rainbow radiance as rainbows surround the throne, protecting glory from vainglory so that the Name is not observed in vain. Rainbow glory embraces the heavens above as well as the earth below, unveiling the boundless scope of glory when the Name is transmitted. Christ shares the Name with prophets and apostles and through them with elders and saints, but the hidden Name is always surrounded by a cloud of glory, including the glory of a rainbow that veils as well as reveals the Name. There can be no wholesome glorification unless purification and illumination extinguish vainglory and pride. Desert wisdom keeps therapeutic glorification alive by purifying the heart and illumining the mind, which the Spirit unites with the heart. Rainbow symbolism unites heaven and earth, revealing the glory of Christ recapitulating the glories of heaven throughout the glorified earth. It conjoins what is above with what is below. Rainbow glory is the radiance of the Name revealing God, whilst continuing to veil God from profane reification. It lies at the heart of Christian prophecy, preserving wisdom from vainglorious sophistry. Rainbow energy is uncreated energy deifying humble saints, uncreated light unveiling the single-eyed body of light, uncreated glory revealing the hallowed body of glory. All genuine glorification of God and glorification of the saints in Christ is rainbow glorification, as elders since John the Seer have always known (Rev 4:3). Rainbow glory hallows elders and saints with uncreated energies of deifying glorification, renewing wisdom that purifies, illumines and restores glory, hallowing heaven and earth with the Name.