Abstract This paper examines the nature of temperature and heat transfer during radiative heat exchange and proposes an alternative interpretation of thermal phenomena. The authors review the historical development of theories of heat, from caloric theory to wave and molecular-kinetic approaches, and argue for reconsideration of several fundamental concepts related to temperature and heat. Based on the proposed model of matter as a self-contained rotating spherical vortex (“atom-vortex”), the paper suggests that temperature is determined by the rotational state of matter and that heat transfer is associated with photons interpreted as carriers of heat and mass transfer. A relationship between emitted heat, temperature, and rotational motion is proposed, and radiative heat transfer is interpreted within this framework. The authors conclude that the presented results motivate a revision of conventional views in thermodynamics and heat-transfer theory.