'Lightning' in the Bible
Moses stretched out his staff toward the sky, and the Lord sent thunder and hail, and lightning (fireballs) ran down to the earth and along the ground. And the Lord rained hail on the land of Egypt.
If I sharpen the lightning of My sword,And My hand takes hold of judgment,I will render vengeance on My adversaries,And I will repay those who hate Me.
“He sent out arrows and scattered them;Lightning, and confused them.
While he was still speaking, another [messenger] also came and said, “The fire of God (lightning) has fallen from the heavens and has burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”
When He made a limit for the rainAnd a way for the thunderbolt,
“Behold, He spreads His lightning around Him [against the dark clouds],And He covers the depths of the sea.
“He covers His hands with the lightning,And commands it to strike the mark.
“He lets it loose under the whole heaven,And His lightning to the ends of the earth.
“He loads the thick cloud with moisture;He disperses the cloud of His lightning.
“Do you know how God establishes and commands them,And makes the lightning of His [storm] cloud shine?
Smoke went up from His nostrils,And fire from His mouth devoured;Coals were kindled by it.
The clouds poured down water;The skies sent out a sound [of rumbling thunder];Your arrows (lightning) flashed here and there.
He gave them hail for rain,With flaming fire in their land.
Flash lightning and scatter my enemies;Send out Your arrows and confuse and embarrass and frustrate them.
Lightning and hail, snow and fog;Stormy wind, fulfilling His orders;
Among the living beings there was something that looked like burning coals of fire, like torches moving back and forth among the living beings. The fire was bright, and lightning was flashing from the fire.
And the living beings moved rapidly back and forth like flashes of lightning.
‘It is sharpened to make a slaughter,Polished to flash and glimmer like lightning!’Shall we then rejoice [when such a disaster approaches]? But it rejects and views with contempt the scepter of My son [Judah].
so that hearts may melt, and many will fall at their gates. I have given the glittering sword. Ah! It is made [to flash] like lightning; it is pointed and sharpened for slaughter.
“And you, son of man, prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God concerning the sons of Ammon and concerning their reproach (disgrace),’ and say: ‘A sword, a sword is drawn for the slaughter; it is sharpened and polished to put an end [to everything], and to flash like lightning,
His body also was like beryl [with a golden luster], his face had the appearance of lightning, his eyes were like flaming torches, his arms and his feet like the gleam of burnished bronze, and the sound of his words was like the noise of a multitude [of people or the roaring of the sea].
Then the Lord will be seen [hovering] over them [protecting His people],And His arrow will go forth like lightning;And the Lord God will blow the trumpetAnd will march in the windstorms of the south.
For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming [in glory] of the Son of Man [everyone will see Him clearly].
The angel’s appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were as white as snow.
As He was praying, the appearance of His face became different [actually transformed], and His clothing became white and flashing with the brilliance of lightning.
He said to them, “I watched Satan fall from heaven like [a flash of] lightning.
For just like the lightning, when it flashes out of one part of the sky, gives light to the other part of the sky, so [visible] will the Son of Man be in His day.
From the throne came flashes of lightning and [rumbling] sounds and peals of thunder. Seven lamps of fire were burning in front of the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God;
So the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it to the earth; and there were peals of thunder and loud rumblings and sounds and flashes of lightning and an earthquake.
And the temple of God which is in heaven was opened; and the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple, and there were flashes of lightning, loud rumblings and peals of thunder and an earthquake and a great hailstorm.
And there were flashes of lightning and loud rumblings and peals of thunder; and there was a massive earthquake—nothing like it has ever occurred since mankind originated on the earth, so severe and far-reaching was that earthquake.