Flashes of lightning usually accompany thunder; showing God’s assumed power which causes people to tremble. The flashes are compared to arrows and the speed of His movements.
In the Old Testament
In Historical Narratives
On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. Ex. 19:16
Now when all the people perceived the thunderings and the lightnings and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled; and they stood afar off, Ex. 20:18
In Poetry
And he sent out arrows, and scattered them; lightning, and routed them. 2Sam. 22:15
And he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; he flashed forth lightnings, and routed them. Psa. 18:14
The crash of thy thunder was in the whirlwind; thy lightnings lighted up the world; the earth trembled and shook. Psa. 77:18
His lightnings lighten the world; the earth sees and trembles. Psa. 97:4
He gave them hail for rain, and lightning that flashed through their land. Psa. 105:32
Flash forth the lightning and scatter them, send out thy arrows and rout them! Psa. 144:6
When he utters his voice there is a tumult of waters in the heavens, and he makes the mist rise from the ends of the earth. He makes lightnings for the rain, and he brings forth the wind from his storehouses. Jer. 10:13
When he utters his voice there is a tumult of waters in the heavens, and he makes the mist rise from the ends of the earth. He makes lightnings for the rain, and he brings forth the wind from his storehouses. Jer. 51:16
The Weirdness that is Ezekiel
In the midst of the living creatures there was something that looked like burning coals of fire, like torches moving to and fro among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning. Ezek. 1:13
And the living creatures darted to and fro, like a flash of lightning. Ezek. 1:14
In Prophecy
His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and the sound of his words like the noise of a multitude. Dan. 10:6
The chariots rage in the streets, they rush to and fro through the squares; they gleam like torches, they dart like lightning. Nah. 2:4
Then the LORD will appear over them, and his arrow go forth like lightning; the Lord GOD will sound the trumpet, and march forth in the whirlwinds of the south. Zech. 9:14
In the New Testament
For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of man. Matt. 24:27
His appearance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow. Matt. 28:3
For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of man be in his day. Luke 17:24