When reading through the Bible, it becomes clear that there are many things which are theologically significant. This is true even with things such as colours. Although the Bible contains relatively few references to any individual colours, they are symbolically significant. An understanding of what the different colours symbolise will lead us to gain greater insight of Scripture, especially the prophetic and apocalyptic portions.
The three primary colours are blue, red, and yellow. These three hold significant amounts of symbolic significance.
Blue has connections with Heaven and the sky, as it is, obviously, the colour of the sky. The Hebrew word translated “blue” is tekelet. It’s sometimes translated as “purple” (Eze. 23:6) or “violet” (Jer. 10:9). Blue was used in the tabernacle (2 Chr. 2:7,14). Blue is also associated with the healing power of God and God’s healing grace, with the Holy Spirit, and God’s presence. It’s also connected with authority, Israel, and with the Word of God.
Red is the next primary colour. In the New Testament red is most often associated with blood, specifically Jesus’ blood, and the blood of the lamb. In the Old Testament, “oudem” is translated as “red clay”. “Oudem” is the root word indicating mankind. Thus, red can represent humanity. It’s also associated with atonement of sin, thus with salvation and the love of God.
The last primary colour is yellow. There are two Hebrew words translated as yellow: “charuts”, referring to a gold/silver alloy or sickly skin (Ps. 68:13), and tsahab referring to the colour of hair or leprous skin (Lev. 13:30). Thus, because of its relation to gold, it represents joy, the presence and glory of God, and God’s anointing. It’s also associated with fire, purification, and faith.
There are several primary colour variants which often hold their own significance. The first of these is sapphire. This represents the Law of God and His commandments. It also represents the River of God, healing, sanctification, and the New Jerusalem. Third is scarlet. This is representative of royalty (Dan.5:16), and sin (Is. 1:18). It’s also associated with fine linen of the tabernacle. Lastly is gold. Gold was one of the most precious metals known in Biblical times. As such, it’s associated with glory, divinity, and eternal deity. It also represents kingship, wealth, and majesty. It can also represent holiness, beauty, and preciousness. As well all these, it can also mean foundation, altar, and the sovereignty and presence of God.
There are a number of other colours mentioned. One of these is green. Being the colour most associated with vegetation, green represents life. Since there are numerous plants which never or rarely wither, green is also associated with immortality and resurrection. It’s also the colour representing flourishing, growth, and prosperity, as well as representing restoration, new beginnings, and praise.
The second is amber. Amber symbolises endurance, the glory of God and His judgement (Ez. 1:4).
Next is purple. This colour is associated with royalty, priesthood, and kingship (John 19:2). It’s also representative of wealth and majesty, and reigning with Christ.
Silver is symbolic of the Word of God, divinity, and truth. It also represents salvation, atonement, and redemption. It’s also symbolic of purity, sin, sacrifice, and refining.
White is connected to many different things. These include the Bride of Christ, holiness, purity, harvest, light, righteousness. Also, surrender, triumph, conquest, victory, peace, and completion. A swell as angels, saints, blessedness, glory, and death.
Brown is associated with the Earth, so it stands for such things as the end of a season, earthen vessels, and humility. It also stands for rags, people, and pride, as well as meaning weary or faint.
Black is associated with death and mourning, catastrophe and calamity, affliction, sin, humiliation, darkness, and Earth.
Special mentions should be made for several other colours. These are: vermilion, grey/hoar, sorrel, bay, clear (if that counts), and crimson. These colours are found in the KJV translation, though the precise translation of the original words is difficult to know for sure.
No doubt there are other meanings for the colours, not mentioned here. Regardless, the Bible is full of symbolic meaning relayed through colour. It’s my belief that we, as children of the King, have a duty to seek out the hidden things of God’s Word. After all, “It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out.” (Proverbs 25:2).
Katelin Staples is from Gladstone, Queensland. By day Katelin is employed as a proofreader. Katelin has a passion for discovering the deep things of God and how they affect the world around us.