God shows us much more than a simple natural phenomenon when a rainbow appears in the sky after the rains. Even when the Earth was flooded after the great biblical flood, God showed Noah the rainbow so he could expect miracles. We have already discussed the 7 rainbow colors and their meanings here.
In this guide, we will study the colors in the Bible and uncover their spiritual meanings.
Colors in Nature and Biblical Meaning of Primary Colors
In nature there are three primary colors: red, yellow and blue. They cannot be formed by mixing any other colors. These colors come from Earth itself. You can mix these together or mix them with black and white to get almost all of the beautiful colors that we have today.
Red
In the Bible, the Hebrew word for red is Oudem. Its actual meaning is “red clay”. Many biblical names (Adam, Esau and Edom) are derived from this Hebrew word which means flesh. Thus, it is the root word for mankind as stated in the Bible.
Yellow
The second primary color is yellow. The counterpart of this color is also mentioned in God’s principle and in I Peter 1:7, God talks about trials and purging. (The trial of faith will be more precious than Gold and be tried with fire). Here the meaning is: yellow is associated with fire, which in turn, has always been associated with the purification process.
Blue
Blue is the third primary color. It spiritually signifies the Healing Power of God. It is the most sublime subject and color which biblically represents the Word of God. The 15th Chapter of Numbers, verses 38-41 denote this biblical meaning of blue (fringe of the borders a ribband of blue). The very fact that the Sky is blue stands for the presence of Yahweh. God’s chosen nation Israel is also denoted as blue from the time of David. In Matt 9: 21, the woman who had an issue of blood for 12 years says “I shall be whole again, if I touch the hem of His garment” – the garment hem is also blue.
Secondary Colors and Biblical Meanings
On the basis of this we can derive the spiritual meaning of colors in the Bible as follows for the three secondary colors.
Green
Green is obtained by mixing yellow (trials) with blue (Word of God). Therefore, the biblical meaning of the color green is immortality. (The leaf shall not wither (psalm 1:3). Green is also symbolic of resurrection which we see each Spring.
Orange
Orange is obtained by mixing red (flesh) and yellow (trials). The result is a color of fire which represents the Fire of God, deliverance and passionate praise.
Purple
Purple is obtained by mixing red (flesh) and blue (Word of God). The resultant color meaning in the Bible is royalty or priesthood.
List of Colors in the Bible and Their Meanings
- Amber – Glory of God, judgment upon sin, endurance
- Orange – Fire of God, deliverance, passionate praise
- Pink/Fuchsia – Right relationship with God
- Scarlet – Royalty, fine linen for tabernacle
- Red – Blood of Jesus, love of God, blood of lamb, atonement, salvation
- Blue – Heaven, the Holy Spirit, authority
- Purple – Priesthood, kingship, royalty, mediator, wealth
- Gold – Glory, divinity, kingship, eternal deity, foundation, altar, beauty, precious, holiness, majesty, righteousness
- Wine – New birth, multiply, overflow
- Sapphire – Law, commandments, grace, the Holy Spirit, divine revelation
- Turquoise – River of God, sanctification, healing, New Jerusalem
- Green – Praise, growth, prosperity, new beginning, flourishing, restoration
- Silver – Word of God, purity, divinity, salvation, truth, atonement, redemption
- White – Bride of Christ, surrender, harvest, light, righteousness, conquest, victory, blessedness, joy, angels, saints, peace, completion, triumph
- Brown – End of season, rags, people, pride, weary, faint
- Yellow – Faith and Glory of God, anointing, joy
- Black – Darkness, sin, Earth, affliction, humiliation, calamity, death, mourning
For more details on biblical color meanings in dreams, click here.
Jacob is the founder of Color Meanings, a blog about color symbolism and design. He is a world-renowned color expert and a recognized leader in understanding how colors affect human emotion and behavior. 