The sudden appearance of light from heaven indicates a theophany, a moment in history where God reveals himself to a person in a special manner (see Exodus 24:15–17).1 In this case it is the Lord Jesus Christ who appears visibly to Saul (Acts 9:17; 1 Corinthians 15:8), a parallel to passages of divine calling in the Old Testament (refer to Exodus 3:1–22; Isaiah 6:1–13; Ezekiel 1:1–28).
3 Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him.