Topical Bible: Whirlwind: Destructive Nature of

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In the biblical context, the whirlwind is often depicted as a powerful and destructive force, symbolizing the might and judgment of God. The whirlwind is not merely a natural phenomenon but is frequently used as a metaphor for divine intervention and the execution of God's will.

The book of Job provides a vivid depiction of the whirlwind's destructive nature. In Job 38:1 (BSB), it is written, "Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said." Here, the whirlwind serves as a conduit for God's voice, emphasizing His supreme power and authority. The whirlwind's destructive potential is further illustrated in Job 21:18 (BSB), where the wicked are described as being "like straw before the wind, and like chaff that the storm carries away." This imagery underscores the whirlwind's ability to obliterate and scatter, serving as a tool of divine retribution.

The prophet Isaiah also references the destructive nature of the whirlwind in Isaiah 40:24 (BSB): "Scarcely are they planted, scarcely are they sown, scarcely do they take root in the ground, when He blows on them and they wither, and a whirlwind sweeps them away like stubble." This passage highlights the transient nature of human endeavors when faced with the overwhelming force of God's judgment, as represented by the whirlwind.

In the book of Jeremiah, the whirlwind is again associated with divine judgment. Jeremiah 23:19 (BSB) states, "Behold, the storm of the LORD has gone out in fury, a whirlwind swirling down upon the heads of the wicked." This verse portrays the whirlwind as an instrument of God's wrath, targeting those who have turned away from His commandments.

The prophet Hosea also uses the whirlwind to illustrate the consequences of Israel's unfaithfulness. Hosea 8:7 (BSB) declares, "For they sow the wind, and they reap the whirlwind. There is no standing grain; what sprouts fails to yield flour. Even if they do, foreigners will swallow it up." This passage conveys the idea that actions contrary to God's will result in devastating consequences, symbolized by the whirlwind's destructive force.

In the New Testament, while the whirlwind is not explicitly mentioned, the concept of divine judgment and the power of God is echoed in various teachings of Jesus and the apostles. The whirlwind serves as a reminder of the ultimate authority and power of God over creation, and the inevitable consequences of straying from His path.

Throughout the Bible, the whirlwind is a powerful symbol of God's might and judgment. It serves as a reminder of the destructive consequences of sin and disobedience, as well as the ultimate authority of God over all creation. The whirlwind's destructive nature is a testament to the seriousness with which God views sin and the lengths to which He will go to execute His divine will.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Proverbs 1:27
When your fear comes as desolation, and your destruction comes as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish comes on you.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

God's Restraining Power.
... prophet did not find Him in the whirlwind and in ... of all the manifestations of human
nature broken loose ... another, to break out, and with destructive power to ...
/.../selected sermons of schleiermacher/xii gods restraining power.htm

'A Time to Plant'
... we are to see an opposite rather than a result; the destructive action of ... wind, but
the law of increase comes in and they reap the whirlwind. ... If nature put not ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture g/a time to plant.htm

A Penitent Heart, the Best New Year's Gift
... nature of God, and the unholy nature of carnal ... the Lord Jesus; indeed, these are
destructive o four ... and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress ...
/.../whitefield/selected sermons of george whitefield/a penitent heart the best.htm

The Saints' Privilege and Profit;
... Having treated on the nature of prayer in his searching work on 'praying with the
spirit and with the understanding also,' in which he proves from the sacred ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/the saints privilege and profit.htm

The Bible
... are working to turn out the most destructive implements. ... and who, creating for himself
a human nature, and clad ... unbroken calm, but out of the whirlwind; and yet ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/haldeman/christ christianity and the bible/the bible.htm

An Exposition on the First Ten Chapters of Genesis, and Part of ...
... But the most singular idea of all is, that the moral degradation of human nature
before the flood, was occasioned by hypocrisy and persecution for conscience ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/an exposition on the first.htm

Introduction.
... riding as it were upon the whirlwind; they knew ... to his intellectual, his moral, or
his spiritual nature. ... I believe his system to be so destructive of Christ's ...
//christianbookshelf.org/arnold/the christian life/introduction.htm

Striking Similes
... Destructive as the lightning flash. ... Like a whirlwind they went past. ... of joy over the
vitality of life, like a spirited boy before the face of inscrutable nature. ...
/.../kleiser/fifteen thousand useful phrases/section viii striking similes.htm

The Temples and the Gods of Chaldaea
... god nor king,"the seventh, a whirlwind, a desolating ... many Egyptian divinities of
diverse nature, led the ... Nergal became the feverish and destructive summer sun ...
/.../chapter iithe temples and the.htm

The Second vision "On Earth"
... as clouds, And his chariots shall be as the whirlwind. ... only a small degree, the awful
nature of these ... refutation, for they are all mutually destructive of one ...
/.../bullinger/commentary on revelation/the second vision on earth.htm