were in the new covenant with his Father, and who would conquer the world as Jesus had done. This would be granted to them in the “re-creation,” during Jesus’ second presence.—Matt. 19:28; Luke 22:20, 28-30; Rev. 3:21.

In harmony with Jehovah’s prophecy through Zechariah that the man named “Sprout,” the builder of the future temple for Jehovah, “must become a priest upon his throne,” Paul records concerning Jesus: “We have such a high priest as [Melchizedek, a king-priest], and he has sat down at the right hand of the throne of the majesty in the heavens.” (Zech. 6:11-13; Heb. 8:1) In addition to Christ Jesus, John saw the whole spiritual house or sanctuary of God, the faithful Christian congregation, enthroned as king-priests to rule for a thousand years.—Rev. 20:4, 6; 1 Pet. 2:5.

As foretold in Psalm 45:6, and applied by Paul in Hebrews 1:8, Jesus’ throne, his office or authority as sovereign, has its source in Jehovah: “God is your throne forever.” On the other hand, the Devil, too, provides basis or authority for his organizations to rule, as emphasized in Revelation 13:1, 2, with respect to the ‘wild beast that came out of the sea’: “The dragon gave the beast its power and its throne and great authority.” When Satan offered similar power and authority to Jesus Christ, his price was stated: “If you do an act of worship before me, it will all be yours.” (Luke 4:5-7) Correspondingly, the grant of a throne or authority to the “wild beast” must have been on the condition of its serving Satan.

In discussing Jesus’ position as God’s Master Worker, Paul mentions that through Christ “thrones” were created. The term appears to refer to positions of official authority, both visible and invisible, within God’s administrative arrangement.—Col. 1:16.

THUMB

Because man has thumbs that can be moved against each of his fingers, he can grasp things and perform many delicate operations that would be impossible if he did not have opposable thumbs. Anciently, a captive was sometimes incapacitated for military service by cutting off his thumbs and big toes.—Judg. 1:6, 7.

The Hebrew word boʹhen is used to designate both the thumb and the big toe; the appendage that boʹhen has reference to in any given text is indicated by the accompanying expressions ‘of the hand’ and ‘of the foot.’ Whenever the thumb is mentioned in the Scriptures, the big toe is referred to in the same text.—Ex. 29:20; Lev. 14:14, 17, 25, 28.

During the installation of Aaron and his sons as priests a ram was killed, and Moses put some of its blood on the lobe of Aaron’s right ear, the thumb of his right hand and the big toe of his right foot. Then he did the same to each of Aaron’s sons. (Lev. 8:23, 24) The blood on the right thumb figuratively represented that they should carry out their priestly duties, working with the best (right) hand of their ability.

THUMMIM

See URIM AND THUMMIN.

THUNDER

The loud sound that follows a flash of lightning. Thunder is caused by the sudden expansion of air that has been heated by such electrical discharge, the air violently moving away from the lightning’s path and then back again behind it.—Job 28:26; 38:25.

The Hebrew word ra·ʽamʹ means “to rage, to roar, to thunder” and is at times mentioned in connection with Jehovah (1 Sam. 2:10; 2 Sam. 22:14; Ps. 18:13), the One who has on occasion employed thunder to accomplish his will. For example, in the time of Samuel, Jehovah threw the Philistines into confusion by means of thunder. (1 Sam. 7:10; compare Isaiah 29:6.) Another Hebrew word, qohl, sometimes translated “thunder” (1 Sam. 12:17, 18), basically means “to call” or “to sound, to say.” This term, depending on the context, may also be rendered “sound” (Ex. 28:34, 35; 1 Sam. 15:14; 2 Sam. 6:15) or “voice.”—Deut. 21:18; 1 Ki. 19:12.

The awesome sound of thunder is associated with Jehovah’s voice. (Job 37:4, 5; 40:9; Ps. 29:3-9) When certain Jews heard Jehovah speak from heaven to Jesus, there was a difference of opinion as to whether the sound was thunder or the voice of an angel. (John 12:28, 29; compare Revelation 6:1; 14:2; 19:6.) The sound of thunder often being an advance indication of an approaching storm, “thunders” can designate divine warnings, as at Revelation 8:5; 10:3, 4; 16:18.

To the Jews at the foot of Mount Sinai, the thunder that they heard was a manifestation of God’s presence. (Ex. 19:16; compare Revelation 4:5; 11:19.) Either this event or God’s leading Israel by means of a pillar of cloud (a place of thunder) may be alluded to by the psalmist’s words: “I [Jehovah] began to answer you in the concealed place of thunder.”—Ps. 81:7.

THUNDER, SONS OF

See BOANERGES.

THYATIRA

(Thy·a·tiʹra).

The city rebuilt early in the third century B.C.E. by the former general of Alexander the Great, Seleucus Nicator. It was situated some forty miles (64 kilometers) inland from the Aegean Sea along a tributary of the Hermus River in western Asia Minor. Thyatira’s Christian congregation received a message written by the hand of the apostle John at the dictation of the Lord Jesus Christ.—Rev. 1:11.

Thyatira today is called Akhisar and is located about 157 air miles (253 kilometers) S-SW of Constantinople and some 230 miles (370 kilometers) E of Athens. In the days of the Roman Empire it was an important city about halfway along the road between Pergamum and Sardis in the region of Lydia, within the Roman province of Asia.

This city was never a great metropolis or a center of special political significance or importance; but it was a wealthy industrial center, noted for its numerous crafts, including weaving, dyeing, brass-working, tanning and pottery making. Its dye business is frequently mentioned in inscriptions. Dyemakers of Thyatira used madder root as a source for their celebrated scarlet or purple color, known in later times as “Turkey Red.”

The polytheistic religion of the Thyatirans was just another variety of the more ancient Babylonian cult. Thyatira was very near Pergamum, to which city Chaldean priests had emigrated and where they established a religious center. The local chief deity was Tyrimnos, who in time became identified with the sun-god Apollo, the brother of the goddess Diana or Artemis.

Lydia, converted to Christianity during Paul’s first visit to Philippi in Macedonia, was a “seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira.” She may have been an overseas representative of Thyatiran manufacturers, a businesswoman of some means who owned a house spacious enough to entertain Paul and his companions during their stay in Philippi.—Acts 16:12-15.

When and by whom Christianity was first introduced to the Thyatirans is not known. There is no record of Paul or other evangelists ever visiting the city, or of Lydia’s returning there. Possibly the message reached there during the two years (c. 53-55 C.E.) that Paul was active in Ephesus some seventy miles (113 kilometers) SW of Thyatira, for during that time “all those inhabiting the district of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.” (Acts 19:10) What is known is that some forty years later there was a rather vigorous congregation of Christians in Thyatira.—Rev. 1:10, 11.