ESTHER AND THE LAST DAY EVENTS
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the similitude between the
decree of death prepared to exterminate the Jews under the Persian
government in Esther's time and the final death decree to be written against
those who refuse to worship the Beast and its image at the time of the end.
INTRODUCTION:
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE BOOK OF ESTHER IN HISTORY
"The Babylonian captivity marks a distinct break in Jewish national life.
For a time the stream of Jewish history disappeared and ran underground, and
when it reappeared its whole character was changed. The Jews were no longer
so much a nation as they were a people and a church. The Bible contains no
history of the Exile and of postexilic times, as history is usually defined,
but the spirit of the period is admirably conveyed in the narratives of
Daniel and Esther. The book of Esther is one of the five rolls that have
been, from ancient times, read in every synagogue on the five festal
occasions of the year." Study Bible, Theme Esther Introduction, p. 559.
IF I PERISH, I PERISH
"The book of Esther depicts a crisis in the fortunes of God's people that
threatened them with annihilation. The instrument of deliverance is a Jewess
(Hadassah, meaning: myrtle), elevated from a quiet life with her cousin and
foster parent, Mordecai, to be queen of a world empire. The narrative
displays Esther (her persian name meaning star), as a woman of clear
judgment, remarkable self-control, and noble self-sacrifice. The challenge
of Mordecai, "Who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a
time as this?" ch. 4: 14, projected the youthful queen to the heights of
heroic action. In solemn dignity her spirit rose to answer the demand of the
hour in the courageous and thrilling words, "If I perish, I perish."
Study Bible, Theme Esther Introduction, p. 559.
THE SCEPTER WAS HELD
"When at the critical moment the scepter was held out to her she did not
immediately identify the villain, but with remarkable restraint and
deliberate care guided the king and Haman into a situation calculated to be
most favorable to her purpose. Fiction could not conceive of a more dramatic
and surprising series of coincidences than those that led up to the exposure
and death of Haman. In Purim, the Feast of Lots, the Jews ever commemorate
Heaven's disposal of Haman's evil plan, which a "lot" had presumably
indicated would succeed (ch. 3:7)." Study Bible, Theme Esther
Introduction, p. 559.
THE KING, ESTHER, MORDECAI, HAMAN, THE DECREE, THE SCEPTER
THE KING OF PERSIA: a church and state government.
ESTHER: a Jewess, an Israletess, a pure woman often represents a type of the
pure church in the Bible, the church at the end.
MORDECAI: a type of counselor, guide to Esther the queen, as the Holy
Spirit, the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy guide through the final events.
HAMAN: second to the king, a prime minister of government, a type of those
elected at the end who will bring a Sunday Law. They will hate all those who
will not want to abide by their decree and will push for a death decree to
destroy the dissidents.
THE DECREE: an official decree with the king's seal was sent out to destroy
the Jews on a certain day. Enacted on the thirteenth day of the first month of
the lunar calendar (Nisan: Passover month, ch. 3:7), the decree was in force
one year later, the thirteen day of the twelve month which is Adar (v. 13).
THE SCEPTER: "Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a scepter of
righteousness is the scepter of thy kingdom." Heb. 1:8. The scepter Christ
offers is a scepter of righteousness, His character, His daily reign in our
life. Satan offers a scepter of wickedness, a reign of terror and
destruction in the soul and upon the earth to be witnessed soon.
ESTHER AND THE LAST DAY EVENTS, PAGE 1
