those whom they symbolize to the one who is shown in the prophecy to be head and king over them.—See ABADDON.

144,000 ‘not defiled with women’

The 144,000 shown in Revelation as standing with the Lamb on Mount Zion are said to have been “bought from the earth. These are the ones that did not defile themselves with women; in fact, they are virgins.” These are shown as having a more intimate relationship with the Lamb than any others, being the only ones to master the “new song.” (Rev. 14:1-4) This would indicate that they make up the “bride” of the Lamb. (Rev. 21:9) They are spiritual persons, as revealed by the fact that they stand on the heavenly Mount Zion with the Lamb. Therefore their ‘not defiling themselves with women’ and their being “virgins” would not mean that none of these 144,000 persons had ever been married, for the Scriptures do not forbid marriage to persons on earth who are to be joint heirs with Christ. (1 Tim. 3:2; 4:1, 3) Neither would it imply that all the 144,000 were men, for “there is neither male nor female” as far as the spiritual relationship of Christ’s joint heirs is concerned. (Gal. 3:28) The “women” therefore must be symbolic women, doubtless religious organizations such as Babylon the Great and her ‘daughters,’ false religious organizations, the joining of and participation in which would prevent one from being spotless. (Rev. 17:5) This symbolic description harmonizes with the requirement in the Law that the high priest of Israel could take only a virgin for his wife, for Jesus Christ is Jehovah’s great High Priest.—Lev. 21:10, 14; 2 Cor. 11:2; Heb. 7:26.

With reference to Jesus’ addressing Mary as “woman,” see MARY No. 1 (Respected, Loved by Jesus).

WOMB

Jehovah is the Creator of the womb (Gen. 2:22), and the One able to make it fruitful (Gen. 29:31; 30:22; 49:25) or unproductive. (Gen. 20:18) Sarah’s womb was ‘dead,’ or beyond power of childbearing, when Jehovah restored that power to her. (Rom. 4:19; Gen. 18:11, 12; 21:1-3) The Bible points out that Jehovah is responsible for the process of formation of an embryo in the womb, showing that the design of the human in the womb is according to God’s pattern and not by chance or evolution. (Job 31:15; compare Job 10:8; Psalm 139:13-16; Isaiah 45:9.) The womb being created specifically for the propagation of the race, the “restrained womb” is listed as one of four things that have not said: “Enough!”—Prov. 30:15, 16.

Since the womb is located in the general area of the body known as the “belly,” the Hebrew word for “belly” is often used with primary reference to the womb, as at Genesis 25:23; Deuteronomy 7:13; Psalm 127:3.—See BELLY.

God, as the womb’s Designer, can also see exactly what is being formed in it. He can read the hereditary traits being built into the unborn child and determine what use He wants to make of the individual, if He so desires.—Jer. 1:5; Luke 1:15; compare Romans 9:10-13.

Jehovah commanded Israel: “Sanctify to me every male first-born that opens each womb among the sons of Israel, among men and beasts. It is mine.” (Ex. 13:2) In human births, this had reference to the father’s first male child.—See FIRSTBORN, FIRSTLING.

Jesus pointed out that his mother Mary was not to be honored above others who serve God. On an occasion when he was teaching, a woman cried out: “Happy is the womb that carried you and the breasts that you sucked!” Jesus replied: “No, rather, Happy are those hearing the word of God and keeping it!” (Luke 11:27, 28) Later, as Jesus was led away to the torture stake, he gave a prophecy concerning Jerusalem’s coming destruction, telling the women weeping for him that days were coming in which people would say: “Happy are the barren women, and the wombs that did not give birth.” (Luke 23:27-29) This was fulfilled in 70 C.E. when more than a million Jews, including young children, were slaughtered and thousands were taken into captivity, to be sold into slavery.

The Jewish ruler and Pharisee Nicodemus, on hearing Jesus’ statement, “Unless anyone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God,” asked: “How . . . ? He cannot enter into the womb of his mother a second time and be born, can he?” Jesus then explained that this new birth is, not from a human womb, but “from water and spirit.”—John 3:1-8.

FIGURATIVE USE

“Womb” is employed at times with reference to the source of something. In speaking about creative works toward the earth, Jehovah speaks of the sea as bursting forth “from the womb.” (Job 38:8) Jehovah says to David’s Lord that in the day of his military force this one will have willing volunteers “like dewdrops” from “the womb of the dawn” (from where comes the morning dew).—Ps. 110:1-3.

WOOL

The soft curly hair that forms the fleece of certain animals, particularly sheep, was shorn and used extensively by the Hebrews and others of ancient times to make clothing and for doing embroidery work. (Ex. 35:4-6, 25; 36:8, 35, 37; 38:18; 39:1-8, 22-29; Lev. 13:47; Prov. 31:13, 22; Ezek. 34:3) Woolen clothing provides insulation from heat and cold and is comfortable, imparting warmth without great weight and absorbing moisture though not feeling damp to the wearer.

Under the Law, the Israelites were required to give the “first of the shorn wool” of their flocks to the priests. (Deut. 18:3-5) The people were forbidden to “wear mixed stuff of wool and linen together.” (Deut. 22:11; Lev. 19:19) Evidently this means that, in making clothing, they were not to use one material for the woof and the other for the warp.

The importance of wool in ancient times is indicated by the fact that Moabite King Mesha paid “a hundred thousand lambs and a hundred thousand unshorn male sheep” to the king of Israel as tribute. (2 Ki. 3:4) Wool was also a valuable item of trade.—Ezek. 27:1, 2, 7, 16, 18.

Since wool is often white in its natural state, it is sometimes associated with whiteness and purity. For example, through the prophet Isaiah, Jehovah likened forgiven sins to white wool, saying: “Though the sins of you people should prove to be as scarlet, they will be made white just like snow; though they should be red like crimson cloth, they will become even like wool.”—Isa. 1:18-20.

Jehovah gives “snow like wool,” blanketing the land as with a warm covering of white wool.—Ps. 147:16.

The “Ancient of Days,” Jehovah God, is depicted symbolically in vision as having hair like clean wool. (Dan. 7:9) This suggests great age and wisdom, which are associated with gray-headedness. (Compare Job 15:9, 10.) Similarly, the apostle John saw “someone like a son of man” and observed that “his head and his hair were white as white wool, as snow.” (Rev. 1:12-14) His hair being described in this manner may indicate that it had become white in the way of righteousness.—Prov. 16:31.

WORD, THE

The term “word” in the Scriptures most frequently translates the Hebrew and Greek words da·varʹ and loʹgos. These words in the majority of cases refer to an entire thought, saying or statement rather than simply to an individual term or unit of speech. (In Greek a ‘single word’ is expressed by hreʹma [Matt. 27:14], though it, too, can mean a saying or spoken matter.) Any message from the Creator, such as one uttered through a prophet, is “the word of God.” In a few places Loʹgos (“Word”) is a title given to Jesus Christ.