Psalm 97:4 states, “His lightnings enlightened the world; the earth saw, and trembled.”
Upon almost being hit by lightning, Martin Luther vowed to become a monk. A couple of weeks after the incident he joined a monastery and kept his vow. I know somewhat how he felt. I was upstairs in our vacant farmhouse when late at night a thunderstorm woke me. Looking out the upstairs window, I saw lightning strike about 40 feet from me. The boom was deafening and the sky was flashing with light. In panic, I raced to the basement. After a short prayer meeting, I took a chance, ran outside to the car, and drove about seven miles away and watched the storm from a distance. I had been close to lightning before, but that was the closest.
This Psalm talks about judgment and fire, even the hills melting like wax. However the first and last verses call for rejoicing! What is there to rejoice about? His holiness (V.12). When there is no danger of being struck by lightning it is a beautiful thing to watch. Psalm 99 talks of His judgment as a wonderful time. It calls for singing, making a joyful noise, a loud noise of rejoicing, praising with musical instruments, the sea roaring, and the floods clapping their hands. The last verse says, “…for he cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity.”
Psalm 97:6 says, “The heavens declare his righteousness, and all the people see his glory.” This reminds me of Psalm 19:1, “The heavens declare the glory of God…” They declare his righteousness.
In Revelation 4:5, John saw a throne in heaven with lightnings and thunderings and voices proceeding from it. Seals were opened. In verses 9-11 we see the fifth seal opened. “And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto everyone of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow-servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.” Following this we see a great earthquake, causing the earth to tremble—every mountain and island moving out of their places and the heaven departing as a scroll. This is the great day of the wrath of the Lamb.
Psalm 97:11 says, “Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart.” God has his way of delivering the righteous out of the hand of the wicked (V. 10). The odds of being struck by lightning in a given year are estimated to be about 1 in 1.2 million in the United State (Google). The odds of dying in your life time are 100%. Psalm 97:12 says, “Rejoice in the Lord, ye righteous!” Don’t place your hope on the TREMBLING EARTH!
