“As the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be.”
Matthew 24:27
Every day around the world there are countless flashes of lightning that strike with breathtaking speed and power. Sometimes it is a single streak, and sometimes it breaks into several branches or forks. This is called forked, zigzag or chain lightning.
When lightning is present, it is best to go inside a house or building. Don’t stand near a fireplace or open window, and don’t touch plumbing fixtures, electric wiring or telephones. One of the safest places is inside a car. If you’re caught out in the open, lie down flat, even though it may be raining. (You can dry off later.) Never stand under a tree, near a telephone pole or alongside a tall building; lightning often strikes and travels down tall objects, striking whatever is beside them. If you’re swimming, get out of the water as fast as you can. Not all lightning flashes reach the earth; some jump from cloud to cloud. But you can’t count on that.
Sudden heat from these flashes causes the air to expand violently. This process starts a great air wave that results in thunder. Lightning travels at a speed of a thousand miles a second on its way to the earth. Some lightning will travel as far as twenty miles between clouds. A stroke between a cloud and the earth may measure up to eight miles long.
Lightning is actually beneficial. Air is 78% nitrogen, which is a necessary chemical element for all plants with roots in the ground. You might ask, “How does nitrogen in the air become available to the roots of plants?” The Creator provided for this when He made the world. Lightning combines nitrogen with oxygen as it flashes through the air and changes some of it into tiny particles. Rain carries this usable nitrogen to earth and washes it into the soil.
Our opening Bible verse says, “So shall also the coming of the Son of Man be.” This refers to the time when the Lord Jesus comes to bring judgment on the world for its sinful ways and refusal to walk in God’s way. But before that time, He will come in a happy way, as the Bible also tells us: “The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout . . . and the dead in Christ [those who have known Him as their Saviour, but have died] shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain [those who love the Lord and know Him as their Saviour] shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:1617).
Will you be included in that happy crowd?
ML-06/26/2005