The Scroll of Esther is not only about the past...Purim 5786
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Purim 5786
The Scroll of Esther is not only about the past, but it should also be understood as relating to the future. In other words, there is a prophetic connection to Esther. The villain of this Scroll is Haman, who is called the enemy of the Jews. This term in Hebrew is צֹרֵר הַיְּהוּדִים. The same word is used צֹרֵר, when discussing the antichrist, צֹרֵר הַמָשִׁיחַ. When discussing Haman, and his desire to destroy all the Jews in the Kingdom of King Achashverosh, it is said,
אִם-עַל-הַמֶּלֶךְ טוֹב, יִכָּתֵב לְאַבְּדָם; וַעֲשֶׂרֶת אֲלָפִים כִּכַּר-כֶּסֶף, אֶשְׁקוֹל עַל-יְדֵי עֹשֵׂי הַמְּלָאכָה, לְהָבִיא, אֶל-גִּנְזֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ.
“If concerning the King it is good, it will be written to destroy, and Ten Thousand talents of silver I will weigh (pay) concerning the ones who do the work, to bring to the King’s treasuries.” Esther 3:9
This is an excessively large sum of money. This might hint to the fact that the antichrist will be a very rich individual. According to the book of Revelation Chapter 13, the antichrist will take control of an empire, which will rule over all the nations of the world. This is most similar to Haman, who gained control over a large empire and who also ruled a large portion of the world. Haman utilized all his efforts in leadership of the empire to exterminate the Jewish people from his empire. When examining Revelation chapter 17, the focus is upon an empire which is said to be a beast, an empire prophetically that has seven heads. This beast is said to be drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Yeshua. Although many teach that the antichrist empire will only rise up after Daniel’s 70th week has begun, such a view cannot be supported Biblically. In Revelation chapter 13 and verse 5,
Καὶ ἐδόθη αὐτῷ στόμα λαλοῦν μεγάλα καὶ βλασφημίας, καὶ ἐδόθη αὐτῷ ἐξουσία ποιῆσαι μῆνας τεσσεράκοντα [καὶ] δύο.
“And it was given to him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemy and it was given to him authority to act forty-two months.” Revelation 13:5
This verse makes it clear that during the first half of the final seven years, the antichrist empire will be allowed to act. This has some serious implications for those who incorrectly teach that all seven years consist of the wrath of G-d. Please note that it is impossible to teach Biblically that the entire final seven years is all the wrath of G-d. I have challenged those who assert thusly to provide Scriptural evidence which supports such a statement. I have never received a response. Furthermore, the Seals mentioned in Revelation chapter 6 are not connected to the wrath of G-d. If one carefully studies the first four horsemen properly, it is clear that the first three horsemen are all related to the fourth horseman, who is called Death and Hades was following with him. This fourth horseman is given authority of a fourth of the earth to kill with a sword, with a famine and by the beasts of the earth. The first horseman goes out conquering, that he should conquer. This horseman is also given a crown, demonstrating his success in conquering a fourth of the earth. The second horseman takes peace from the earth and he is given a sword. The third horseman has a pair of scales and it is said that the price of food becomes very expensive, i.e., a time of famine is spoken of. It is clear that the primary characteristics mentioned in the first three horsemen are found in the fourth horseman. Most Bible translations render the color of the fourth horse as a “pale horse”. This is incorrect, as the Greek word is χλωρός which, when properly translated, is green. It is similar to the Hebrew word יֵרָקוֹן which is also derived from the Hebrew word for green. Scripturally, the color green is used to represent intense pain and suffering and this is what the fourth horseman will bring about. This is in support in what was stated in Revelation 17:6,
καὶ εἶδον τὴν γυναῖκα μεθύουσαν ἐκ τοῦ αἵματος τῶν ἁγίων καὶ ἐκ τοῦ αἵματος τῶν μαρτύρων Ἰησοῦ. Καὶ ἐθαύμασα ἰδὼν αὐτὴν θαῦμα μέγα.
“And I saw the woman drunk from the blood of the saints and from the blood of the martyrs of Yeshua and I marveled with great marvel.
This antichrist empire is revealed in greater detail later on in Revelation chapter 17. These seven heads are said to be seven mountains. Prophetically, a mountain is a seat of government, as Isaiah chapter 2:2-3 teaches. Also in Revelation chapter 17, these seven heads are also seven kings (Revelation 17:10). Since there is no kingdom without a king, these seven heads are also seven kingdoms. In Revelation 17:10, the reader is told that five of these kingdoms have fallen. The consensus among Biblical scholars is that the five which have fallen are Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, the Medes and the Persians, and the fifth is the Greek empire. There is also one that is, this would be Rome. The seventh has not yet come, but when this empire will come it will remain only a short time. It is my view that the seventh empire is the Nazi empire which, compared to the others, did indeed remain for a relatively short time. The general view is that the Nazi empire, known as the Third Reich, lasted for 12 years, from January 30, 1933 to May 8, 1945.
What is most informative is found in verse 11,
καὶ τὸ θηρίον ὃ ἦν καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν, καὶ αὐτὸς ὄγδοός ἐστιν καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἑπτά ἐστιν, καὶ εἰς ἀπώλειαν ὑπάγει.
“And the beast which was and is not, also he is the eighth, and is from the seven, and into destruction goes away.
This verse reveals that there is a direct connection between the Nazi empire and the antichrist empire. In the same way that Haman was obsessed with exterminating the Jewish people, so was Adolf Hitler. Even when doing so drained resources desperately needed from the war effort, the Nazi empire continued to kill Jewish individuals. This demonstrated that the primary objective of the Nazi empire was to commit a genocide against the Jewish people. This means the so-called “final solution” will indeed be the primary objective of the antichrist empire. As we press forward into the future, it has become clear that the world is becoming increasingly more antisemitic. This is indeed related to the spirit of the antichrist. A growing number of nations are demonstrating a pro-Palestinian preference and an anti-Israel bias which does indeed inform students of prophecy that the nearness of the antichrist empire is not in the distant future.
Many who speak about the end times provide Revelation 3:10 and the promise of being kept “from the hour of trial of testing” ἐκ τῆς ὥρας τοῦ πειρασμοῦ. They incorrectly associate this verse with the activity of the antichrist; rather than with what the text actually states that it is the wrath of G-d which will be placed upon those who dwell upon the earth. When examining the phrase, “those who dwell upon the earth” in the book of Revelation, it becomes clear that those who dwell upon the earth are the very ones who are designated to receive the wrath of G-d. Contrary to most who deal with eschatology, this verse has nothing whatsoever to do with what is commonly called the “Tribulation”, i.e., Daniel’s 70th week. A popular website, but one that is not always accurate, is gotquestions.org. This website incorrectly states concerning the primary purpose of the book of Revelation,
“is a prophetic message of how God will pour out His wrath upon the earth during the tribulation.”
Again, I challenge Bible teachers to show Scripturally that all of Daniel’s 70th week consists entirely of G-d’s wrath. This website emphatically states that when putting together 1 Thessalonians 5:9 and Revelation 3:10, “all give clear support to the pre-tribulational position. If the Bible is interpreted literally and consistently, the pre-tribulational position is the most biblically-based interpretation.” While it is certainly true that believers will not experience G-d’s wrath, as 1 Thessalonians 5:9 states, there is an error concerning the proper understanding of Revelation 3:10. The common perspective of the pre-tribulational rapture position is that the hour of trial is related to the activity of the antichrist, and the rapture will occur prior to his revealing. The problem is that the hour of trial to which Revelation 3:10 refers has nothing to do with the antichrist, but with the wrath of God. When examining gotquestions.org concerning the term “The Great Tribulation” it is stated that “The Great Tribulation” refers to the second half of the tribulation. It is also stated that “The Great Tribulation” is distinguished from the tribulation period because the beast, or Antichrist, will be revealed and the wrath of God will greatly intensify during this time. This statement is false, as “The Great Tribulation" actually takes place prior to the wrath of G-d and is not at all related to G-d’s wrath! It is false to associate the Seals of Revelation chapter 6 with God’s wrath, as the fifth seal has those being killed for the word of G-d and their testimony. Obviously, G-d is not the source of this persecution to those who honor His word and have a testimony supporting His truth. The wrath of G-d actually begins in Revelation chapters 8, 9 and 16.
Let us conclude by rightly understanding the phrase “those who dwell upon the earth”. In addition to Revelation 3:10, this term is also found in Revelation 6:10, and they are persecuting and killing those who are honoring the word of G-d. This phrase also appears in Revelation 8:13, when it is stated, Woe, Woe Woe to the ones who dwell upon the earth. These will be recipients of the three angels who are about to sound their trumpets, representing G-d’s wrath. The phrase is also found in Revelation 11:10 as those who are rejoicing and sending gifts to one another because the two prophets / witnesses were killed. The prophets tormented those who dwell upon the earth by speaking the truths of G-d. We are also told in Revelation 13:10-11, that those who dwell upon the earth will worship the beast and their names are not written in the Book of Life of the Lamb. In Revelation 14:6, G-d will send an angel to proclaim the everlasting Gospel to the ones who dwell upon the earth, prior to the Rapture. Finally, those who dwell upon the earth will be made drunk with fornication (idolatry) by the antichrist empire and they will be astonished when G-d destroys the antichrist empire. Hence, it is clear that Revelation 3:10 has nothing to do with a promise to believers that we will not enter into Daniel’s 70th week; rather the proper understanding is that believers will never experience the wrath of G-d because of the sufficiency of Messiah’s work on the Cross.
Purim Sameach to all!
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