Instantly I was in the Spirit, and there before me in heaven stood a throne, and on the throne Someone was sitting. The One sitting there gleamed like diamonds and rubies, and a rainbow shining like emerald encircled the throne. ~ Revelation 4:2-3, CJB

The wall was made of diamond and the city of pure gold resembling pure glass…  The twelve gates were twelve pearls, with each gate made of a single pearl. The city’s main street was pure gold, transparent as glass. ~ Revelation 21:18, 21, CJB

The foundations of the city wall were decorated with all kinds of precious stones — the first foundation stone was diamond, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, the fifth sardonyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh turquoise and the twelfth amethyst. ~ Revelation 21:19-20, CJB

Globally, the color of someone’s skin has been a persistent and divisive cultural issue for centuries. For example, the fact that someone in 2008 would phrase a Helium.com discussion title as “The Bible’s perceptions of colored people” in a sub-sub channel of “Religion and Spirituality” proves my opening point. Furthermore, some people still don’t have a clue about how insensitive it is to refer to people of color as “colored people.” Nevertheless, the discussion’s title is here, so let’s deal with it.

First, the Bible isn’t perceptive. God is perceptive and so are His human creations. Secondly, it is apparent that God perceived that many of His human creations would discriminate against other humans, for sundry reasons, but mostly because of the color of their skin. After all, God chooses for His only begotten Son to come through the Hebrew lineage of King David, and David’s lineage begins with Noah’s son Shem, from which comes the word Semite. God places these Semites in the Middle East, gives them a language that is in the Afro-Asiatic family (e.g., Arabic, Aramaic, and Hebrew), and gives them a broad range of skin colors. As a result, mankind has the notorious honor to be able to record in countless history books the many anti-Semitic atrocities committed against Israel’s Jewish people all because of, for example, Hitler’s racist Nazism propaganda and his “Aryan laws.”

Now, what also is so ironic about God choosing people of color to be the lineage through which Jesus the Christ would come is that God knew that most humans would fail to see how precious color is to Him. For sure, God has an affinity for color, because in Him is every color. John the Revelator proves this point when he describes God sitting on His heavenly throne. God is vividly described as having a bejeweled countenance made up of these colorful gemstones: Jasper, which is a “spotted” high-gloss quartz stone that resembles a diamond, and comes in shades of red, yellow, green, grayish blue, brown, and combinations of these; Sardine (Sardius), which is a translucent, light to dark brown gemstone; and Emerald, which is shaped like a rainbow having a solid bright green brilliance (cf. Revelation 4:2-3).

Furthermore, to reiterate the importance of these colors in God, John the Revelator is instructed to lists these same three semiprecious gemstones (Jasper, Emerald and Sardine [Sardius]) as God’s decorative touches for the first, fourth, and sixth foundations of the Holy City’s wall. Indeed, the wall of the Holy City has twelve foundations, each inlaid with twelve different colored precious jewels (cf. Revelation 21:19-20). Then there is the transparent, pure gold color of the Holy City, and the Holy City’s transparent, pure gold street. The richness of the colors in God is also depicted in the Holy City’s twelve gates, each of which is made from a single pearl (cf. Revelation 21:18, 21).

Thus, by using a variety of colors to adorn Himself and to decorate Heaven, God is showing His true nature, which is glorious, luminous, dazzling, vibrant, and multicolored. By also giving mankind hues and shades that are colors in Him, our Father-Creator-Architect God is showing how He has achieved unity in diversity. God, therefore, is confirming that EVERY man and EVERY woman is magnificently and wondrously created not only to reflect God’s own radiant Light but also to depict His multicolored, bejeweled image.

That is why it is a shame that mankind, as a whole, still doesn’t see color the same way that the Godhead sees it. As an African-American woman who was born and raised in America, and has had the opportunity to travel to many parts of this world, it pains me to say this sad truth: too many of the men and women, boys and girls, living in every nation throughout this world today still continue to voice their objections pertaining to people who look different than they do, and mostly their disapprovals, or hostilities, or oppositions are because of the color of someone’s skin. Sadder still, even Christians worldwide discriminate against other Christians, and they do so mostly because of the color of someone’s skin. Ironically, this last truth is best demonstrated during Sunday morning worship time. For example, 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM continues to be the most segregated time of the week, especially in America, because the majority of American believers, who happen to be Caucasians, African Americans, Hispanics, Asians, and so forth, in most local “churches” are worshipping God with their “own” kind, during said hours!

Lastly, because of people’s prejudices that are rooted in wrong thinking, myths and fairy tales, an inestimable number of  people who discriminate against others, whether because of skin color, or for some other insane reasons, will miss out on experiencing true unity in diversity on this Earth. Even more important is the fact that these prejudiced people will miss out on experiencing the real richness of God’s multicolored nature (His spiritual covering) that adorns and fills every one of His Spirit reborn and adopted sons and daughters.

~ Submitted on June 16, 2008 to Helium.com

Revised and posted here on January 17, 2009; edited December 7, 2014.