The Greek word “astrape”

Found in Mt. 24:27; 28:3; Lk. 10:18; 11:36; 17:24; Rev. 4:5; 8:5; 11:19; 16:18, this Greek noun “astrape” means “‘lightning’, but it is also used of a beam of light” (Brown, 3:1001). “In the OT lightning is God’s weapon and it brilliantly lightens up the world (Ps. 77:18), or it may be connected with rain (Jer. 10:13)” (ibid). In the New Testament this term “is often used as a comparison” (Kittel, Abridged Edition, p. 86).