Today's Favorite Verse: Genesis 9:12-15

Today's Favorite Verse: Genesis 9:12-15
"And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations:
I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.
And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud:
And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh."

I've been thinking about that rainbow and how it is not only a token of a covenant God made with man and the earth, but also one of the signs of the Lord's Second Coming.

“The Lord hath set the bow in the cloud for a sign that while it shall be seen, seed time and harvest, summer and winter shall not fail; but when it shall disappear, woe to that generation, for behold the end cometh quickly” (Smith, Teachings, p. 305).
“I have asked of the Lord concerning His coming; and while asking the Lord, He gave a sign and said, ‘In the days of Noah I set a bow in the heavens as a sign and token that in any year that the bow should be seen the Lord would not come; but there should be seed time and harvest during that year: but whenever you see the bow withdrawn, it shall be a token that there shall be famine, pestilence, and great distress among the nations, and that the coming of the Messiah is not far distant’” (Smith, Teachings, pp. 340–41).
(Old Testament Student Manual Genesis-2 Samuel, Genesis 4-11: The Patriarchs, "(4-19) The Rainbow as a Token of the Covenant")

The lack of a rainbow will bring famine, pestilence, and great distress among nations. I pondered on how famine was obvious if there was no rain, but is that the only reason rainbows are not seen? I wondered "What would cause no rainbows to be seen?"

This is what I learned: "Rainbows require very specific conditions to be visible. If you don't see a rainbow, it's likely because one or more of these conditions aren't met. These conditions include having sunlight, rain or water droplets in the air, and the sun being at the correct angle (low in the sky, typically behind you). If the sun is too high, if there isn't enough rain, or if the sun is blocked by clouds, you won't see a rainbow. "

The conditions around the world for not seeing a rainbow can be so varied, and if just right the entire world will not see rainbows. There isn't just one cause. It could rain to much or just be overcast all the time for some. There could be lots of fires choking the skies, or even volcanic eruptions.

"And the signs in heaven above are like nothing man has ever seen. Blood is everywhere; fire and vapors of smoke fill the atmospheric heavens. No man has seen a rainbow this year"
(Bruce R. McConkie, "The Millennial Messiah," Chapter 2: Eternity and the Seven Ages, "4. The Age of Immortality").

Day 3748