THUNDERING GLORY

I get a little excited during this time of year because I know we are into Thunderstorm season!  I must admit that I enjoy watching thunderstorms. There’s just something about a t-storm that intrigues me. Especially when I can watch it begin to form and continue watching as it goes through the stages of development, until it reaches a point where I need to run for cover, or it passes by and beyond my sight.

     Like most of you, I don’t like severe storms, with the 60 plus mile an hour winds, golf ball size and larger hail, and the threat of tornadoes. But they too have a fascination about them.

     Maybe thunderstorms fascinate me so because, in their own right, they display the glory of God in all His power and wonder. Take the lightning for instance, Lighting represents God's glorious and awful majesty. King David used lighting both figuratively and poetically. In Matthew lighting signifies the coming of the Lord. "For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be." (Matt. 24:27)

     The wind - again is symbolic of God’s power. Wind is also translated as pneuma, or breath - as in God breathing life into Adam. Pneuma is also used in terms of the Holy Spirit. In John 20:20 Jesus - "breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit."

     Clouds, in Hebrew, were used as a symbol of the Divine presence, as indicating the splendor of God's glory. In the Old Testament, Yahweh’s presence is made manifest and his glory shown forth in a cloud. In the New Testament, we read about "the Son of Man coming on or with clouds" and being received up by the clouds. The glory of the Lords second coming is indicated in Rev 1:7 - "Behold, He is coming with clouds....."

     When I see it rain and feel the cool drops on my outstretched hands, I'm reminded that rain is a sign of life all throughout the Bible. Even in Noah's day - for though there came a flood, new life was born. In Lev. 26:4 God says: "then I will give you rain in its season, the land shall yield its produce, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit."

     Hail and Whirlwinds are both use to denote God's anger and punishment. They remind us that God will have His way and righteousness will prevail.

     And when the clouds have passed and tempest is over, there comes - a rainbow. A beautiful witness of God's divine faithfulness. A reminder of the covenant between God and man. (Gen 1:15) Ezekiel likened the glory of God to "the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain." (Ezek 1:28).

     The next time you see a thunderstorm, remember that after the rain, and lightning, and the wind, there remains a rainbow. And, the next time you see a rainbow, remember the words of Rev 4:3 - "and there was a rainbow around the throne [of God]."

May God's rainbow be about you, now and forever!

Pastor Eldon