Lightning and stars fall on the earth on the day of Judgement; the sun and the moon hang simultaneously in the sky. Woodcut, 16th century. Wellcome Collection.
William Donnell-Lonon is a sophomore data science student studying computational data analytics at the University of Arkansas Honors College. While he chooses to pursue a technology-focused degree, his passion lies in music and sound, and his ultimate goal is to act as a pillar of creativity and an outlet of culture. To better contextualize the culture of his own surroundings, he has taken the Honors Retro Reading course ‘Bible’ to get a better understanding of the cornerstone of Western philosophy. In his blog post, he will examine the relationship that sound plays within the characterization of God as it pertains to those lucky (or unlucky) enough to encounter him.
Thunder. Lightning. Trumpets. Wind, rain, fire and fury. These are the vocal cords that vibrate the world by the power of the creator God. From the book of Genesis (ca. 900-500 BCE) up until its mirrored antithesis in Revelation (ca. 100 CE), the use of sonic imagery to describe the power of the creator has not been left up for ambiguous interpretation. Sound has been shown to create, establish, and strengthen, as well as to destroy, crumble, and annihilate. Indeed, as the most powerful being in the entire universe, God leaves no vacancy in his ability to manipulate sound.
The most striking thing to me is the undeniable of power associated with his preferred form of sonic communication. His voice is, quite literally, thunder. Psalm 29: “The God of glory thunders, the Lord thunders over the mighty waters…” His commandments sear the ground in booming lightning strikes that echo across the entire sky. He does not hesitate to command his mysticism with massive authority. Job 37:5 reads, “God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding.” What more powerful and Godlike a sound is there than that which rattles the earth alongside flashes of blinding light and booms of terrifying omnipotence? His voice instills obedience and strikes fear. And this fear is not unjust, for God’s power to create is matched by his potential for apocalyptic destruction.
Throughout the Bible, the sound of Trumpets brings about the onslaught of monsters, plagues, war, and death. Exodus 20:18 lets us hear the sounds of such terrors: “When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear.” The trumpet is an instrument signaling something entirely terrible. Indeed, this image is repeated elsewhere. Revelation 8:7 lets us see what nightmares are unleashed by these holy horns. “The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down on the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.” The rain of fury, the crackling of the burning earth, the terror instilled within the absolute total annihilation. What fun!
And, of course, how could I forget the use of sound in Genesis? Might I ask, what brought upon the creation of God’s universe? Did God paint it into existence? Sculpt it? Eject an aroma of creation? Of course not! In Genesis 1, God spoke the universe into existence, and it became so. “And God said, ’Let there be light,’ and there was light.” Sound before light, before anything else. Perfect for a religion that began primarily through oral tradition to place such emphasis on the spoken word. God speaks creation, and it is done. May he sound his trumpets, and you are done. He commands with sound, and everything thereafter follows accordingly.
The Bible Retro Reading course centers on this magisterial — yet frequently misunderstood — corpus of sacred scripture. In this seminar, led by Honors College Dean Lynda Coon, students will grapple with books of the Bible, selections from Genesis to Revelation. The goals of the Bible seminar are twofold: to enhance critical reading skills and to augment the understanding of scripture through a deep dive into its complex historical layers.