Purim and Esther - Prophetic Thoughts
John - many thanks for the continuing richness of Five Doves, including your own thought provoking contributions. It has been quite a journey in the past year or two, and we are on the threshold of further acceleration!!
The feast of Purim will be celebrated on 23-24 March 2016, and is really the last feast before the cycle of the seven feasts begins again. In view of the recent Blood Moons, just how important could this Purim be? More information on Purim is available on the Chabad.org website (link to Purim below).
http://www.chabad.org/holidays/purim/default_cdo/jewish/Purim.htm
There are many aspects of Esther and Purim that may be prophetic pointers. I would like to draw out just four prophetic pointers, and will keep these reasonably short:
Purim and Casting of Lots for Israel
(Biblical) Hebrew Meaning of Esther (hidden or secret) - the hidden Bride!
Her Other (Hebrew) Name (Hadassah) and Assad!!
Vashti - the Replaced Queen!!
Purim and Casting of Lots for Israel
Esther 3: when Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow down. he was very angry. 6 But he scorned laying hands only on Mordecai. Since they had told him Mordecai’s nationality, Haman sought to destroy all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus.
7 In the first month, the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, Haman caused Pur, that is, lots, to be cast before him day after day [to find a lucky day for his venture], month after month, until the twelfth, the month of Adar.
In brief, Haman used Pur or lots to be cast to settle on a Day of Destruction for the Jews - across the whole (widespread) kingdom of Ahasuerus. Where else do we read about CASTING LOTS for the Jews? In Joel 3: 1-3 (below). Joel appears to prophesy that a dividing of the Land of Israel, and probably of Jerusalem, will be the result of a vote of nations (rather than bilateral negotiations). Many countries have already passed votes in their Parliaments in favour of dividing the (small) nation of Israel.
The Lord God says that He will judge nations for their actions. While a two State solution is favoured by most countries, this division of Israel, that could happen very soon, will simply make the nation of Israel even more vulnerable to being wiped out by its surrounding enemies!! The intent of the heart of these nations is strongly evident in Psalm 83:4 They have said, Come, and let us wipe them out as a nation; let the name of Israel be in remembrance no more.
Joel 3: For behold, in those days and at that time when I shall reverse the captivity and restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem. 2 I will gather all nations and will bring them down into the Valley of Jehoshaphat, and there will I deal with and execute judgment upon them for [their treatment of] My people and of My heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations and [because] they have divided My land.
3 And they have cast lots for My people,
(Biblical) Meaning of Esther (hidden or secret) - the hidden Bride!
The Persian name Esther appears to mean Star. While I am not an expert in these matters, the Biblical meaning of Esther may be Secret or Hidden. This meaning does reflect her role, as being placed or hidden within the Persian kingdom for Such a Time as This!! Her primary purpose was to protect the Jews from extermination at the hand of Haman. I will not go into the details of the wonderful truth of Esther, but it is worth mentioning the cry of her heart - If I Perish, I Perish! As an aside, this is the reality for many Christians today in countries where persecution is very strong.
We live in a world where anti-Semitism is growing, and we know from prophecy (for example, Jesus in Matthew 24 and Daniel) that the Beast and False Prophet will try (once more) to wipe out Jews (and the name of Israel)! So, what is hidden or secret now?
My view is that the answer to this question is twofold: the Bride of Christ (who will strongly support Israel) and an individual prophet (Elijah). How the Rapture fits into this is not clear, as Esther points primarily to salvation for the Jews!! Malachi 4:5 prophesies the coming of Elijah before the Day of the Lord. If this follows the pattern of Elijah, Elisha, John the Baptist and Jesus, then this coming would be from relative obscurity. Mordecai appears to reflect the role of the Holy Spirit (through an end-time Elijah and the Church) - that is, guiding and revealing the Hidden or Secret Bride of Christ from across countries and Churches (to fulfil his Eternal Purposes for the Church and Israel!!).
Interesting that the name Esther can be rearranged to Rest and He (the Holy Spirit brings us to rest in His promises!!)
Her Other (Hebrew) Name (Hadassah) and Assad!!
I found this interesting. Esther’s other (Hebrew) name is Hadassah (myrtle). In clear view in this name, with just a little rearranging of letters, is Assad the President of Syria. My view is that the Psalm 83 war and Isaiah 17 (prophecy of Damascus no longer being a city) are probably concurrent. And the final part may be very short – overnight as indicated in Isaiah 17:14 (below)
Isaiah 17:14 At evening time, behold, terror! And before the morning, they [the terrorizing Assyrians] are not. This is the portion of those who strip us [the Jews] of what belongs to us, and the lot of those who rob us.
Isaiah 17:1 Damascus will cease to be a city and will become a heap of ruins.
Interesting that Isaiah 17 speaks of terror, and President Assad was born on 11th September (1965).
The edict/letter issued by Haman in Esther had to be carried out. The difference was that the Jews were given the right to defend themselves, a contentious issue today!! I believe that the forthcoming Psalm 83/Isaiah 17 War will be a mighty victory for Israel – and its borders will be extended.
Vashti - the Replaced Queen!!
I would like to share a couple of final points about the replacement of Queen Vashti by Queen Esther. We know that Vashti was beautiful to behold, but in her beauty refused to come before King Ahasuerus. Esther won an inner and outer beauty contest and replaced Vashti. There are two (possible) prophetic signals from this: political (the United States) and religious (the widespread replacement theology Church).
Isaiah 47 almost certainly relates to the United States, and in verse 5 we read: Sit in silence and go into darkness, O Daughter of the Chaldeans; for you shall no more be called the lady and mistress of kingdoms (foreign affairs!!). There are many millions in the United States who have a strong heart for Israel, but the nation as a whole is moving away from its traditional strong support for Israel. The Lord God will ensure that there are nations, who like Esther, will provide support Israel in its (future) hour of need.
In the coming revival, the Holy Spirit will prepare a bride, hidden at present, but to emerge and keep its focus on the Cross – and Israel (where Jesus lived, died and rose again). In Esther’s time, it took a year to prepare the virgins for the King. The Holy Spirit will do, I believe, a quick work across the face of the Earth. However, there will be another global Church who will follow Replacement Theology, and even many evangelical and pentecostal churches are heading in this direction!! The prophetic message from Esther is that the Replacement Theology Church (Vashti) will itself be replaced by the Esther Church!!
Maranatha!! Denis Hart