[2:19-20] Parable of the Thunderstorm

[2:19] or like a thunderstorm from the sky
in it are darknesses and thunder and lightning
they put their fingers in their ears from the thunderbolts
in fear of death
and God surrounds the rejecters.
[2:20] the lightning almost steals their sight
all that it illuminates for them
they walk in it
and when darkness is upon them
they stand
and if God willed their hearing and sight would go
Indeed God is in control of every thing.

This is the second parable presented by God about the hypocrites (wolves in sheep's clothing) to explain the mystery behind why some would choose to reject the truth.

Again, in this parable, light = knowledge, darkness = ignorance.  Sight = clear judgment, Ears = listening.  walking = bettering / progressing.  the thunder = tremendous knowledge / truth, lightning = the proofs of the truth, revealed from above. life = faith. death = no faith.

The meaning of the parable is:

• Knowledge (a thunderstorm) revealed by God (from the sky) contains many layers and depths which we are ignorant of and do not yet understand (in it are darknesses) but what we do clearly recognise as truth (lightning) can seem scary (thunder). 
• Rather than rejecting these unknown parts (i.e. the unseen) and only accepting the clear truths, a true believer should accept it all (including the unknown parts that they are currently ignorant of (darknesses) since it comes from the same source (the sky) as the clear parts which are evidently true (lightning)).
• however, the hypocrites do not accept the truth and instead try to ignore it (put their fingers in their ears) because the reality of it scares them (from fear) - some are scared that knowing too much of the truth will make it hard for them to accept it and believe in it - they are afraid that knowing will cause them to lose faith (fear of death) so they'd rather remain ignorant with blind faith.
• But no matter where they turn away, they cannot run away from the truth (God surrounds the rejecters)
• Some people scientifically pursue the knowledge (the lightning) that would lead them to God but they do so in such a way that they focus on the truths that the knowledge reveal about God's Universe (all that it illuminates for them) so that they can advance themselves (they walk in it) rather than focusing on the bigger philosophical implications that these truths imply (the lightning almost steals their sights)
• The folly of this type of study is highlighted whenever they become stuck and cannot solve a mystery of nature (when darkness is upon them) and their progress is halted (they stand) because this is the condition that we humans would be in all the time had God not given us the ability and faculties to pursue such knowledge in the first place (if God willed their hearing and sight would go). 
• This emphasises that all their accomplishments are by God's permission and as such, they should not pursue the knowledge only to use it for their own power, but reflect on it and who designed it and who gave us the ability to recognise it (God).