13. The Reaping Skeleton

There's a rainbow off in the distance...

13 Death (The Reaping Skeleton). Though mankind has been given the promise of eternal life, symbolized by the rainbow which is behind the skeleton, the grim reaper looms large over mankind, as if his sickle of death was the final word to mankind. That is why the rainbow is diminutive on card 13. Satan is the prince of this world and has the world marching to his parade. Ultimately, he is the Grim Reaper, he is the god of death. His sickle is aimed at the humans who are pictured low to the ground, near the rainbow.

The rainbow symbolizes the gospel, the good news about God, about the sacrifice that is offered the human race to redeem them from the grips of death. Satan aims his knife-sharp sickle there. Stay close to the earth, close to my kingdom of death, and pay no attention to that small insignificant bright rainbow.

Paul, the author of most of the New Testament letters, writes:

"The devil who rules this world has blinded the minds of those who do not believe. They cannot see the light of the Good News--the Good News about the glory of Christ, who is exactly like God." (2 Corinthians 4:4)

Seeker, look closely at Tarot card 13. Do you see the rainbow? The sharp sickle is swung in fear of it...for that sickle has no power over the rainbow. Its brilliant colors, shining as strongly thousands of years ago when this card was first drawn as they do today, assure us of victory over death...

Choose between the rainbow and the sickle of death. One leads to eternity and one does not.

Temperance in all things is a virtue, the golden mean...