Seventh Plague, from Illustrations of the Bible 1833

John Martin etched this dramatic scene, "Seventh Plague," as part of his "Illustrations of the Bible." The overwhelming visual symbol here is lightning. Culturally, lightning has long represented divine wrath or power, a force both terrifying and awe-inspiring. Consider the depiction of Zeus wielding thunderbolts, or the Nordic god Thor with his hammer, Mjolnir, summoning storms. These images tap into a deep-seated human fear of the uncontrollable forces of nature, reflecting anxieties about our vulnerability to the world around us. Here, lightning isn't just a meteorological event; it's a manifestation of divine judgment, an emotional release of tension. The figures cowering in the face of the storm express a primal fear, a collective memory of past catastrophes. The jagged bolts become a visual embodiment of this psychological trauma, engaging viewers on a subconscious level. The symbol of lightning persists, its meaning evolving, yet its core essence of power and fear remains potent, resurfacing again and again across cultures and epochs.