I believe that God has placed countless aspects of Himself in nature and in the world, each representing and pointing to the existence of the multiplicity of God, in particular the Trinity. (This is not to say that God is equivalent to nature or the universe, a pantheistic view, which I absolutely reject.) As stated by Paul,
For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse (Romans 1:20).
common triads
I believe that God has made triples of essentials and systems in this realm to point to His triplicity. For instance, every physical object in our domain, existing at a given moment in time, is 3-dimensional, having length, width, and height. Time itself has 3 subdivisions: past, present, and future. In only one of 3 states—gas, liquid, or solid—can anything exist at any given point in time. There are 3 basic constituents of the world in which we live: air, water, and land. Three spheres exist in the universe about which we are the most familiar: the sun, the moon, and the earth. And from 3 spectral hues—red, green, and blue—all other colors of light can be obtained (run The Color Machine program to see this first-hand).
Even the USA’s system of government—the greatest the world has ever known—is a triad of elements, all (ideally) having one accord and purpose: to protect and to serve the people:
the Legislative Branch (Congress, who originates the laws),
the Judiciary Branch (Supreme Court, who deems the laws “legal” and brings them to the people), and
the Executive Branch (President and his Cabinet) who enact and enforce the laws.
electromagnetic radiation
As an optometric physician, with additional degrees in mathematics and visual science, I am fascinated with optics and visible and invisible electromagnetic radiation (ER), including light. Nothing else in this universe can attain the speed of ER (about 299,792,458 meters/second, or 186,282.397 miles/second, in a vacuum). As ER travels through space, it skims along this side of the impassable barrier between our realm and the multi-dimensional realm of the infinite on the other side; though it may “dent” the time barricade, it never can quite break through it.
I believe that God cleverly has made properties of electromagnetic radiation to match qualities of Himself, so as to give us valuable insights into His nature. The ER spectrum is divided into the following:
ultraviolet or “UV” radiation (and beyond),
visible light, and
infrared or “IR” radiation (and beyond).
UV waves (providing the direct source of life for plants but capable of destruction), x-rays, gamma waves, and cosmic rays have very short wavelengths; while IR waves (affording warmth but capable of burning), microwaves, Hertzian waves, and radio waves have very long wavelengths. All of these are invisible (just as the Father and the Holy Spirit are invisible).
But visible ER, a transition between the two, is light that we can perceive, because our eye systems respond best to moderate wavelengths (even though all wavelengths of radiation are pure energy and all travel at exactly the same velocity in the same medium). Likewise, Jesus is “...the light of the world” (John 8:12a, 9:5), the only aspect of God that has ever been seen by natural human eyes. Any light that we see around us is only a representation, a projection, of the True Light, which is Jesus. When we eventually see Him as He is (1 John 3:2c), we will see a Light more brilliant than any light which any of us has seen or of which we ever could conceive in the natural, physical world and universe (Matthew 17:1,2).
Pure purple and red colors are invisible. Absolute purple is just off the visible spectrum in the invisible ultra-violet (UV); any “purple” that we can see actually is tinged slightly with violet. If we imagine for a moment that “Authority” is represented by “pure purple,” Jesus by the visible spectrum, and the Father by UV radiation (and beyond), it can be visualized that, for Jesus to obtain and secure real Authority, He must “merge” completely with the Father—which He has done (John 10:30, 16:15a).
Similarly, absolute red is just off the visible scale in the invisible infra-red (IR); any “red” that we can see is tainted with orange. If we think of “Power” as “pure red” and the Holy Spirit as represented by IR radiation (and beyond), then for Jesus to employ and actuate complete Power, He must “blend” totally with the Holy Spirit—which He has done (John 1:33b, 16:15b).
To turn on a light, one must do these things:
formulate the idea that the light should be on, then
physically walk over and flip up the switch, and finally
the transmitted electricity will illuminate the bulb.
Likewise, in this Creation,
the Father conceived of the existence of everything (and has the Authority to carry out His Plan),
the Son materialized the universe into existence (by the Power of the Holy Spirit) and rules over it (by the Authority of the Father), and
the Holy Spirit is the agent by which everything operates (due to the Power He generates).
rainbow symbolic of Jesus
Just as the visible spectrum of light contains an infinite array of colors, so the people of the earth have a countless number of problems. The remedy for all the difficulties in life and in the world is Jesus, because He has an infinite number of correct solutions to all problems. When Jesus returns again, as the Rider on a white horse, the whole world will experience the glorious reign of Jesus, from Jerusalem.
The rainbow, containing all visible colors and being a sign of God’s covenant with Noah and all life on earth (Genesis 9:13-17), is a fitting symbol of Jesus. Ezekiel saw Him on God’s throne and described the radiance around Him as resembling a “rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day”:
Above the expanse over their heads was what looked like a throne of sapphire, and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man. I saw that from what appeared to be his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and that from there down he looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded him. Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. When I saw it, I fell facedown, and I heard the voice of one speaking. (Ezekiel 1:26-28).
Likewise, “The Son is the radiance of God’s [the Father’s] glory and the exact representation of his being...” (Hebrews 1:3a). “He [Jesus] is the image of the invisible God...” (Colossians 1:15).
John, in his vision of the future , saw the throne of God, just as Ezekiel did. John also saw a rainbow surrounding Him:
At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian. A rainbow, resembling an emerald, encircled the throne (Revelation 4:2,3).
The rainbow was present because Jesus was there. John later saw “a Lamb [Jesus], looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne.... He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits [seven-fold Spirit] of God...” (Revelation 5:6). On that Throne sits the Triune God.
