Tempest

TEMPEST.—See Sea of Galilee, p. 591.

TEMPEST.—See Galilee [Sea of], 3; Whirlwind.

tem´pest (סערה, ṣ^e‛ārāh, or שׂערה, s^e‛ārāh, “a whirlwind,” זרם, zerem, “overflowing rain”; χειμών, cheimṓn, θύελλα, thúella): Heavy storms of wind and rain are common in Palestine and the Mediterranean. The storms particularly mentioned in the Bible are: (1) the 40 days’ rain of the great flood of Noah (Gen 7:4); (2) hail and rain as a plague in Egypt (Exo 9:18); (3) the great rain after the drought and the contest of Elijah on Carmel (1Ki 18:45); (4) the tempest on the sea in the story of Jonah (Jon 1:4); (5) the storm on the Lake of Galilee when Jesus was awakened to calm the waves (Mat 8:24; Mar 4:37; Luk 8:23); (6) the storm causing the shipwreck of Paul at Melita (Act 27:18). Frequent references are found to God’s power over storm and use of the tempest in His anger: “He maketh the storm a calm” (Psa 107:29); He sends the “tempest of hail, a destroying storm” (Isa 28:2). See also Job 9:17; Job 21:18; Isa 30:30. Yahweh overwhelms His enemies as with a storm: “She shall be visited of Yahweh of hosts with thunder, and with earthquake, and great noise, with whirlwind and tempest” (Isa 29:6). Yahweh is a “refuge from the storm” (Isa 25:4; Isa 4:6).

Job 9:17 (b) This type describes the tremendous, overwhelming sorrow that had come upon Job because of the losses described in the first two chapters of the book.

Psa 11:6 (b) By this is described the great sorrows which GOD sends upon His enemies because they will not trust and obey Him.

Psa 55:8 (b) Evidently David is describing life’s troubles, sorrows and perplexities which overwhelmed him, as the storm overwhelms that which is in its path.

Psa 83:15 (b) The call is for GOD to send upon His enemies troubles, sorrows, grief and disaster as a punishment for their evil doings.

Isa 28:2 (b) This is descriptive of the devastation that would be wrought upon Ephraim by the invasion of the enemy.

Isa 32:2 (a) Here we see a type of the terrible outpouring of GOD’s judgments upon His enemies, but which will not hurt nor harm those who are hidden in the Rock of ages, CHRIST JESUS.

Isa 54:11 (b) This type describes the sorrows and afflictions of Israel - pestilence, famine, invasion of hostile armies, internal insurrections, and other troubles which laid Israel low among the nations.

Amo 1:14 (a) GOD will punish the Ammonites with a terrible destruction when He pours out His wrath upon them because of their wickedness and of their hatred of Israel.