『Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable. So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet: “I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world.”』 Mt 13:34-35
Jesus explained the secret of the kingdom of heaven in parables for His loving children. It is because some are allowed to know the mystery of God and others are not. Let us study the relationship between lightning and the gospel among the figurative words of the Bible.
『“For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.”』 Mt 24:27
1. Lightning is a light
Lightning is the very vivid flash of light that occurs when atmospheric electricity is discharged within clouds or between clouds. The lightning that occurs on a cloudy day or at dark night shines over the vast area in an instant.
2. Gospel is a light
The Bible describes the gospel that Christ shines as a light.
『The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned . . . For to us a child is born, to us a son is given . . .』 Isa 9:2-6
The prophet Isaiah foretold that “a light has dawned,” referring to the situation that Jesus would come as a man and shine the gospel of the new covenant to save the world covered with sins. About 700 years later since Isaiah prophesied, Christ came to the earth as a light and shone the world brightly but the darkness did not recognize the light but resisted Him, and finally made a big mistake of crucifying Him.
『The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him . . .』 Jn 1:5-12
Darkness dislikes light. The devil, our evil enemy, hindered people from seeing the light of the gospel in fear that the light would shine.
『And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ . . .』 2 Co 4:3-4
3. The old covenant is the moon and the new covenant is the sun
The gospel of the new covenant is the light, but the gospel of the old covenant was the light, too. However, the old covenant could not emit light by itself. Just as the moon cannot give out light by itself but reflect the sunlight, the old covenant emitted a glimmer by flashing back the light of the new covenant that would appear later. As the moon loses its light when the sun shines, so the old covenant has lost its light as the new covenant shines.
『. . . By calling this covenant “new,” he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear.』 Heb 8:7-13
『If the ministry (of the old covenant) that condemns men is glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry (of the new covenant) that brings righteousness! For what was glorious [the old covenant] has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory [the new covenant]. And if what was fading away came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that [the new covenant] which lasts!』 2 Co 3:9-11
In this way, the early Church put the old covenant under her feet and clothed herself with the light of the gospel of the new covenant.
『A great and wondrous sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet . . . 』 Rev 12:1
4. The gospel of the new covenant is the light that heals sinners
Today, various diseases are healed by laser beams. Likewise, the light of the gospel of the new covenant is the healing beam that cures the spiritual diseases of souls.
『“But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall.”』 Mal 4:2
5. The light of Jesus’ second coming is like the light of seven full days
The gospel of the new covenant that Jesus established was as bright as the sunlight, so it led many people to righteousness. However, after Christ ascended into heaven and His disciples left the world, the light of the gospel of Christ began to lose its light due to the severe hindrance of the devil, and the church began to be filled with falsehood. And for over a thousand years, the Dark Ages continued without the truth. So, around this time which is the end time of the world, the light of Jesus’ second coming shines the whole world brightly, breaking the severe darkness, so we can say that it is as strong as lightning. About this light, prophets prophesied as follows.
『The moon will shine like the sun, and the sunlight will be seven times brighter, like the light of seven full days, when the LORD binds up the bruises of his people and heals the wounds he inflicted.』 Isa 30:26
『After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven. He had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendor.』 Rev 18:1
The light mentioned in the Bible indicates the light of the glory of God, that is, the light of the gospel of the new covenant. The words, “Lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west,’ are a prophecy that the light of the gospel at the time of Jesus’ second coming will shine rapidly from the east to the west.
『His lightning lights up the world; the earth sees and trembles. The mountains melt like wax before the LORD, before the Lord of all the earth.』 Ps 97:4-5