Morning light is picturesquely described as ‘taking hold of the ends of the earth and shaking the wicked out of it,’ because dawn disperses evildoers. Darkness is their “light,” for they are accustomed to carry out their evil deeds under its cover and this figurative “light” is taken from them by the literal light of dawn.—Job 38:12-15; compare Job 24:15-17.

As the light of the sun is clearly observable, thus Jehovah’s adverse judgments are obvious. This is alluded to at Hosea 6:5: “The judgments upon you will be as the light that goes forth.”

The ‘light of God’s face’ means divine favor. (Ps. 44:3; 89:15) “Lift up the light of your face upon us” is an expression meaning ‘show us favor.’ (Ps. 4:6) Similarly, the favor of a ruler is referred to as “the light of the king’s face.”—Prov. 16:15.

Light may denote brightness or cheerfulness, the opposite of gloom. (Job 30:26) This may explain the words of Job (29:24): “The light of my face they would not cast down.” Although others were gloomy and dejected, this did not cause Job to become of like disposition.

A bright prospect, such as salvation or deliverance, is at times referred to under the figure of light. (Esther 8:16; Ps. 97:11; Isa. 30:26; Mic. 7:8, 9) Jehovah’s causing his glory to shine forth upon Zion pointed forward to her deliverance from a captive state. As a result Zion was to become a source of enlightenment to the nations. (Isa. 60:1-3, 19, 20; compare Revelation 21:24; 22:5.) On the other hand, for the sun, moon and stars not to give their light would signify calamity.—Isa. 13:10, 11; Jer. 4:23; Ezek. 32:7, 8; Matt. 24:29.

LIGHTNING

The brilliant flashes of light resulting from the discharge of atmospheric electricity between clouds or between the clouds and the earth. This phenomenon accompanying a thunderstorm is common in Palestine during the rainy periods of spring and fall, especially reaching a peak in the cool months of November or December.

As Creator of the elements necessary for producing lightning, Jehovah is its source. (Job 37:3, 11) He can also control it, and apparently has used lightning and means comparable to it to deliver his servants from their enemies and to execute his judgments. (2 Sam. 22:1, 15; Ps. 18:14; 77:16-20; Zech. 9:14; compare Job 36:32; Pslm 97:4; 144:6.) Appropriately, therefore, lightnings are associated with God’s throne (Rev. 4:5; compare Revelation 11:19) and expressions of divine anger (Rev. 8:5; 16:18), and are figuratively represented as reporting the accomplishment of their task. (Job 38:25) At Mount Sinai lightning flashes accompanied awesome physical manifestations of God’s presence.—Ex. 19:16; 20:18.

Lightning is used figuratively to represent the glittering of polished metal. (Deut. 32:41 [NW, 1953 ed., ftn.]; Ezek. 21:10 [NW, 1960 ed., ftn.]; Nah. 3:3; Hab. 3:11) At Nahum 2:4 either the glitter or the great speed of the enemy chariots on Nineveh’s streets is meant by the words, “Like the lightnings they keep running.” And the radiant faces or appearance of angelic creatures is compared to lightning.—Dan. 10:5, 6; Matt. 28:2, 3; see also Ezekiel 1:14.

Christ Jesus showed that his second presence would not be kept secret, even as it is impossible to conceal lightning that “comes out of eastern parts and shines over to western parts.” (Matt. 24:23-27; Luke 17:20-24) Earlier, when the seventy disciples he had sent out returned with the report that even the demons were subject to them by the use of his name, Jesus alluded to the future ouster of Satan from heaven as a certainty, saying: “I began to behold Satan already fallen like lightning from heaven.”—Luke 10:1, 17, 18.

LIKHI

(Likʹhi) [learned, or, perhaps, captivator].

A man of the tribe of Manasseh who is named third in the list of Shemida’s sons.—1 Chron. 7:19.

LILY

The Hebrew term shu·shanʹ and its corresponding Greek equivalent kriʹnon, both rendered “lily,” probably embrace a great variety of flowers, such as the tulips, anemones, hyacinths, irises and gladioli. According to a recent Hebrew and Aramaic lexicon by Koehler and Baumgartner, the Hebrew designation is derived from an Egyptian word meaning “big flower.” The Greek historian Herodotus (Book II, par. 92) speaks of the Egyptian lotus as “lily,” and many believe that in the Scriptural references to the “lily” or “lily work” in ornamentation, the Egyptian lotus, a water lily, is meant. (1 Ki. 7, 19, 22, 26; 2 Chron. 4:5) However, in view of the fact that the lotus figured prominently in the false religious symbolism of Egypt, the identification of the lily with the lotus is questionable.

The lilies of the Scriptural record were to be found in the low plain, among thorny weeds and in pastures where flocks and gazelles, razed. (Song of Sol. 2:1, 2, 16; 4:5) They may also have been cultivated in gardens (Song of Sol. 6:2, 3), and allusion is made to their sweet fragrance. (Song of Sol. 5:13) Possibly with reference to the lily’s beauty, Hosea, in foretelling Israel’s restoration, spoke of the time when God’s people would blossom as a lily.—Hos. 14:5.

In de-emphasizing the importance generally attached to material things, Jesus Christ pointed out that not even Solomon in all his glory was as beautifully arrayed as the lilies of the field. It has been suggested that Jesus probably had the anemone in mind. However, he may simply have been referring to lilylike flowers in general, as may be inferred from the fact that “lilies of the field” is used in parallel with “vegetation of the field.”—Matt. 6:28-30; Luke 12:27, 28.

The significance of the expressions “The Lily,” “The Lilies,” appearing in the superscriptions of Psalms 45, 60, 69 and 80, is not exactly known. The Hebrew word has in this case been defined as “six-sided.” Possibly a six-stringed lute is meant.

LIME

A substance, white when pure, that is prepared by burning forms of calcium carbonate such as limestone, shells or bones. (Amos 2:1) Abundant in the mountainous region of Palestine, limestone was converted into lime (calcium oxide) by burning fragments of limestone in conical or cylindrical limekilns. In ancient times lime was a principal ingredient in mortar and was used for plastering walls and for whitewashing walls, graves, and so forth. (Deut. 27:4; Ezek. 13:10; Matt. 23:27; Acts 23:3) The Bible also uses the burnings of lime figuratively to represent destruction.—Isa. 33:12.

LINEN

The thread or cloth made from flax. (Ex. 25:4; Judg. 15:14) Among the Hebrews most garments were either woolen or linen. (Lev. 13:47; Prov. 31:13, 22; Hos. 2:5, 9) A mixture of the two materials was prohibited by the Law, evidently meaning that two kinds were not to be woven together, one in the warp and the other in the woof. (Deut. 22:11) Other items made from linen included belts (Jer. 13:1) and sails. (Ezek. 27:7) The Israelites, although evidently manufacturing their own linen, imported some linen from Egypt.—Prov. 7:16; see CLOTH.

Linen varied in quality, as indicated by Scriptural references to “fine linen” and “fine fabric.” (Ezek. 16:10; 27:16) The wealthy, kings and men of high governmental station wore linen of a superior quality. (Gen. 41:42; 1 Chron. 15:27; Esther 8:15; Luke 16:19) Jesus’ corpse was wrapped in clean, fine linen by Joseph, a rich man of Arimathea.—Matt. 27:57-59.

Fine linen yarn spun by Israelite women was used in making the ten tent cloths of the tabernacle, the curtain separating the Holy from the Most Holy, the screen for the entrance of the tabernacle, and that of the gate of the courtyard. (Ex. 35:25; 36:8, 35, 37; 38:18) Fine twisted linen was used in the robes of the priests, the ornamental headgears, the drawers and the sashes, as well as the high priest’s turban,