Hailstones

June 26, 2017

Yahweh’s counter attack against Gog (Ezek 38:21-38:23)

“Says Yahweh God!

‘I will summon

The sword

Against Gog.

In all my mountains,

The swords of all

Will be

Against their comrades.

I will enter my judgment

On him

With pestilence,

With bloodshed.

I will pour down

Torrential rains,

Hailstones,

Fire,

Sulfur,

Upon him,

With his troops,

With the many people

That are with him.

Thus,

I will show

My greatness,

My holiness.

I will make myself known

In the eyes

Of many nations.

Then they will know

That I am Yahweh.’”

Yahweh, via Ezekiel said that he was going to summon swords against Gog in the mountains, as fellow soldiers would be against each other with their swords. Yahweh was going to render his judgment, so that there would be pestilence and bloodshed. He was going to hit them with all kinds of natural disasters. Yahweh was going to pour down on Gog, his troops, and anyone with him, torrential rains, hailstones, fire, and sulfur or the famous brimstones. Thus, he would show his greatness and holiness. When all the various nations and countries would see this, then they would know that Yahweh was their God.

April 14, 2017

Yahweh will destroy the wall (Ezek 13:13-13:14)

“Therefore

Thus says Yahweh God.

‘In my wrath,

I will make

A stormy wind

Break out.

In my anger,

There will be

A deluge of rain.

In my wrath,

There will be

Hailstones

To destroy it.

I will break down

The wall

That you have smeared

With whitewash.

I will

Bring it

To the ground,

So that its foundation

Will be laid bare.

When it falls,

You shall perish

Within it.

You shall know

That I am Yahweh.’”

Yahweh said that he was angry about the whitewashed wall. He was going to send stormy wind, pouring rain, and hailstones to destroy this smeared whitewashed wall. He was going to bring it to the ground and bare its foundations. In fact, the people would perish inside the walls. They all would learn that he, Yahweh, was God.

April 14, 2017

The whitewashed wall (Ezek 13:10-13:12)

“Because,

In truth,

They have misled

My people.

They said.

‘Peace,’

When there is no peace.

When the people

Build a wall,

These prophets smear

Whitewash on it.

Say to those

Who smear whitewash

On it

That it shall fall!

There will be

A deluge of rain.

Great hailstones

Will fall.

A stormy wind

Will break out.

When the wall falls,

Will it not be said

To you?

‘Where is the whitewash

You smeared on it?’”

These false prophets misled the people of Jerusalem about building a wall. These false prophets talked peace, when there was no peace. When the people built a wall, these prophets smeared whitewash on it. However, their actions would fail. There would be rain, hailstones, and stormy winds, so that the wall would fall. Then they would be asked what happened to the whitewash that was smeared on the wall.

August 16, 2016

The power of Yahweh (Isa 30:30-30:30)

“Yahweh will cause

His majestic voice

To be heard.

The descending blow of his arm

Would be seen

In furious anger.

It would be seen

With a flame of devouring fire.

It would be seen

With a cloudburst.

It would be seen

With a tempest.

It would be seen

With hailstones.”

Isaiah says that the majestic voice of Yahweh will be heard. Not only could that happen, but the blows of his arm would be seen in his anger, with devouring fires, cloudbursts, storms, and hailstones, as Yahweh expressed his anger via these climate abnormalities.

June 16, 2016

The wonders of weather (Sir 43:13-43:17)

“By the Lord’s command,

He sends the driving snow.

He speeds the lightning

Of his judgment.

Therefore the storehouses

Are opened.

The clouds fly out

Like birds.

In his majesty,

He gives the clouds

Their strength.

The hailstones

Are broken in pieces.

The voice of his thunder

Rebukes the earth.

When he appears,

The mountains shake.

At his will,

The south wind blows.”

Sirach, like many of the ancient people, including the Israelites, believed that God completely controlled the weather. In fact, we still have some farming communities that pray to God for rain. Today’s TV weather forecast would be that God is sending us rain and a cool temperature, with nothing about a cold front. God’s command sent snow and lightning. The storehouses in the clouds would be opened up by the Lord to let rain, snow, and hailstones fall to earth like birds tumbling out of the sky. Thus precipitation from the sky was like the thunderous voice of God that shock up the mountains. The Lord was also responsible for the south mild winds also.

April 1, 2016

The battle rages (Wis 5:21-5:23)

“Shafts of lightning will fly

With true aim.

He will leap from the clouds

To the target,

As from a well-drawn bow.

Hailstones full of wrath will be hurled

As from a catapult.

The water of the sea will rage against them.

Rivers will relentlessly overwhelm them.

A mighty wind will rise against them.

Like a tempest

It will winnow them away.

Lawlessness will lay waste the whole earth.

Evildoing will overturn the thrones of rulers.”

The Lord will send aimed shafts of lightning. He will leap from the clouds to hit the target like a good archer. Hailstones will come down as from a catapult launcher. The sea and waters will rage and overwhelm them. A tempest will roar across the land. Lawlessness will destroy the earth as the evildoers will take over the royal thrones. So the judgment has come upon earth.