Lightning and The Coming of the Son of Man

~Matthew 24:27

Lightning is clearly NOT a reference to the suddenness of his return, but rather to how OBVIOUS, it will be. Some may get hung up on suddenness, but that is not the point of Jesus’ analogy. Instead, Jesus is contrasting the SECRECY of false messiahs in back rooms, to the unmistakable and conspicuous nature of his return. This is similar to the analogies section in an SAT test, “A is to B as C is to ____.” You must identify how lightning is “unlike” the former examples of false christs in secret rooms, and how Jesus’ return will instead be “like” lightning. The opposite of secrecy is revelation; illumination… brightness. Lightning is the perfect example of this. Therefore, Jesus’ return will be “like” lightning, in that it will be resplendent, obvious, and visible from a distance. You will not have to go search it out in a secret place. So, we may conclude that his return, (which is only ONE event in the Bible) is most assuredly NOT as a “thief in the night” in terms of secrecy. Yes, it may be shocking and unexpected to those who are not awake and watching for it, but the point here is that it will be completely obvious and unmistakable to everyone (both believers and unbelievers) when it happens.