Thunder
Summary
Thunder was regarded by the Hebrews as the voice of God, symbolizing His power and majesty, and was notably rare during Palestine's summer months.
☩Symbolism and Divine Power
Thunder is poetically represented throughout Scripture as the voice of God, which the waters obeyed at Creation. Psalm 29 contains a magnificent description of a thunderstorm, portraying thunder as Yahweh's voice that breaks the cedars and shakes the wilderness. Job declares, 'The thunder of his power, who can understand?' expressing how even the whisper of God's works is overwhelming. Thunder symbolized divine power, majesty, and judgment throughout both Old and New Testaments.
☩Biblical Occurrences
Thunder accompanied several significant events in biblical history. It attended the plague of hail in Egypt, expressing immense electrical agency. Thunder and lightning occurred at the giving of the Law on Mount Sinai, causing the people to tremble. When Samuel called upon the Lord, thunder came miraculously during harvest—a season when it normally never occurred in Palestine—demonstrating divine confirmation of his words. When God spoke to Jesus in John 12:29, some bystanders thought it had merely thundered.
☩Meteorological Characteristics
Thunder is extremely rare in Palestine from mid-April to mid-September. From the clear skies of the harvest season, thunder is almost never heard, making its occurrence extraordinary and always associated with divine intervention. This seasonal pattern explains why Samuel selected thunder as a striking sign of God's displeasure—rain in harvest was as unusual as snow in summer. Thunder invariably accompanies rain in the region and frequently occurs with winter storms in the mountainous terrain.
☩Boanerges: Sons of Thunder
Jesus gave James and John the surname 'Boanerges,' meaning 'sons of thunder.' Various interpretations have been suggested: some relate it to their powerful, thunderous preaching; others to their energy and boldness; still others connect it to their proposal to call fire from heaven upon the inhospitable Samaritans. As Eastern men are called 'sons' of that which characterizes them, there was evidently something commanding and forceful about these disciples.
Related Verses33 mentions
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Thunder," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. X (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Thunder," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. V (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
- 3.F. N. Peloubet & M. A. Peloubet (ed.), "Thunder," in Smith's Bible Dictionary (Porter & Coates, 1884).
- 4.James Hastings (ed.), "Thunder," in Dictionary of Christ and the Gospels, vol. II (T. & T. Clark, 1906–1908).