Thunder is frequently the attribute of sky gods like Zeus, Jupiter, and Thor, and in the Hebrew Bible, God's voice is like thunder. It signifies divine power, revelation, and awesome, sometimes terrifying, communication from the heavens. In poetry, thunder functions as a dramatic device signaling a theophany, a moment of divine judgment, or a sudden, disruptive truth. Its uncontrollable, resonant power makes it an effective metaphor for the voice of conscience, a prophetic announcement, or the awakening call that shatters spiritual complacency.

Thunder is interpreted as divine speech in numerous traditions: the voice of Yahweh in the Hebrew Bible (Psalm 29), the drum of Indra in Hinduism, or Thor’s hammer in Norse myth; in religious poetry, thunder evokes awe, judgment, or revelation—its sudden, overwhelming force mirroring the disruptive power of spiritual insight or prophetic calling.