Question 65: Was the rainbow visible before the Flood?

Answer:

There is no recorded evidence that a rainbow was visible from the earth before the Flood. Some commentators hold that the conditions described in Genesis 2:6, "But there went up a mist from the earth," etc., lasted until the atmospheric change wrought by the Flood and that the rainbow was a natural consequence of such change. This however, despite the fact that scientific support is claimed for such view, is merely conjecture. The Bible (Genesis 9:13-17) is very clear to the effect that YHVH established the rainbow at that time as "the token of the covenant" between Him and mankind and hence we need no conjecture.