The Calm After the Storm

People often refer to “the calm before the storm,” but there is also a calm in a storm’s aftermath. Psalm 29 speaks of such an instance, describing “the voice of the LORD”: It “is over the waters; the God of glory thunders” (v. 3). Today’s verse echoes these details. “The voice of the LORD” is this “voice from heaven.” We have seen this before in Revelation (1:15; 4:5).

In this psalm of David, God’s voice is also the storm that causes the earth to shake and moan. It parallels the seven last plagues that God sends to the earth, which we will cover in Revelation 16.

The psalm ends with a description of what happens after the storm is over: “The LORD sat enthroned at the Flood, and the LORD sits as King forever. The LORD will give strength to His people; the LORD will bless His people with peace” (Psalm 29:10, 11).

It is said that this psalm was traditionally sung at the end of the Feast of Tabernacles. It was the last feast of the year and was symbolic of the end of the final judgment (Leviticus 23:34–36, 39:43; Deuteronomy 16:13–15), when all God’s people will live eternally with Christ on the new earth; where “peace”—not sin, or death, or pain—will prevail; and where “the LORD sits as King forever” amidst His “everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away” (Daniel 7:14). Psalm 29 was a most fitting song to illustrate what would occur at the end of time.

Today’s verse is the end of Psalm 29 actualized. We are now looking through the portals of time, past the Second Coming. Incidentally, note that this places the beast’s persecution and his mark right before the end of time. In this verse, the storm is over. The last battle has been fought; the victory has been won. The Lord will now reign for all eternity. This scene unfolds in even greater detail in the next chapter, Revelation 15.

Heavenly King, may I remember Your beautiful promise to us, that after the storm, You will reign victorious; may I be counted among Your plentiful harvest.

For Further Study: Job 37:4; Ezekiel 43:2; Revelation 11:15

Key Bible Texts

And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: (Revelation 14:2 KJV)