FOREWORD
The Book of Esther contains a
wealth of information relative to
The first two chapters, within the
typical structure of the book, relate the complete history of
Then the remaining seven
chapters (chs. 3-10) form commentary material for the first two
chapters, centering attention on that future time when God will resume His national dealings with
Chapter three begins with the
rise of Haman to a high position of power in the kingdom, typifying the future
rise of Antichrist to a position of world power in the kingdom near the middle
of Daniel’s unfulfilled Seventieth Week.
And the remainder of the book reveals Antichrist’s activities (typified
by Haman’s activities) as they relate particularly to Israel (typified by both
Esther and Mordecai), that which Israel will do because of these activities,
Antichrist’s ultimate fall (which marks the end of the Times of the Gentiles),
and Israel’s subsequent rise to the position which the nation was called to
occupy almost 3,500 years ago when God called the Israelites out of Egypt under
Moses.
In the preceding respect, Esther
chapters three through ten parallel Revelation chapters six through twenty.
And, when studying either book, to gain a proper understanding of the book, it
is vitally important that Scripture be compared with Scripture. One book must be studied
in the light of the other, among other books containing related subject matter
as well (both O.T. and N.T.).
This is simply one of the ways in
which God has structured His Word, necessitating comparing Scripture with
Scripture in order
to gain a correct understanding of that which has been revealed. God, through this means, has provided man
with a complete revelation of
Himself, His plans, and His purposes.
This complete revelation though can be seen only one
place - in the complete Word. And it can be properly seen and
understood through one means alone - through comparing parts of
this revelation with other parts of this revelation, through “comparing spiritual things with spiritual” (1 Cor. 2: 9-13), viewing and studying the whole
of Scripture in this manner.
In this respect, the Book of Esther is an integral and vital
link to seeing and understanding the complete word picture which God has provided. Not
only must Esther
be viewed and studied in the light of related Scripture (e.g., Exodus, Daniel, Revelation, among numerous other books and
places in Scripture) but related Scripture must be viewed and studied in the
light of Esther as well.
And the importance of the Book of Esther in this respect is self-evident. This book is about
Understand the message of the
Book of Esther (comparing Scripture with Scripture), and you can understand
what has happened, is happening, and is about to happen relative to
* * *
1
The King
and the Queen
Now it came to pass in the days of Ahasuerus, (this
is Ahasuerus which reigned, from
That in those days, when the king Ahasuerus sat on the throne
of his kingdom, which was in Shushan the palace,
In the third year of his reign, he
made a feast …
When he shewed the riches of his glorious kingdom and the
honour of his excellent majesty many days, even an hundred and fourscore days.
And when these days were expired,
the king made a feast ... seven days …
On the seventh day ... he commanded
…
To bring Vashti the queen before the king with the crown
royal, to shew the people and the princes her beauty: for she was fair to look
on (Esther 1: -a, 4, 5a, 10a, 11).
There are two books in Scripture
bearing the names of women who appear as principal characters in the books -
the Books of Ruth and Esther. These are
the only books in Scripture named for women; and an element of mystery
surrounds both, for no one knows the identity of the person who wrote either
book.
The Book
of Ruth has to
do with events occurring during the days the judges (Ruth
1: 1). Events during the days of the judges began following Joshua’s
death and lasted until the time of Samuel the prophet, a period covering about
three hundred years (which followed a period covering “about
... four hundred fifty years,” going back to
the birth of Isaac [Acts 13: 17-20; ref. NASB, NIV]). Events in the Book of Ruth though cover a
much smaller part of the time of the judges, occurring during the latter part
of this period (Ruth 4: 13-22), during about the middle or latter part
of the twelfth century B.C.; and events in the book occurred both in a Gentile
land (Moab) and in the land of Israel.
The Book of Esther, on the other hand, has to do
with events occurring about seven centuries later, in
The Book of Ruth, in its
type-antitype structure, has to do with the Church. And the
Book of Esther, in its type-antitype structure, has to do with
In the Book of Ruth, chapters
one and two deal with the past and present; but chapters three and four deal
almost entirely with future events, beginning with events surrounding the
judgment seat at the end of the present dispensation. And these events, along with subsequent
events seen in Ruth chapter four, immediately precede and lead into the
Messianic Era.
In the
Book of Esther chapter one deals with the past and present; but chapters two
through ten deal entirely with future events.
These last nine chapters deal with
In the preceding respect, the
Books of Ruth and Esther together provide a complete overview of God's
dealings with His people - both the Church and
Then, insofar as the end of the
matter is concerned - the realm where the emphasis is placed in both books -
these two books together cover exactly the same period of time and deal with
exactly the same events seen in the first twenty chapters of the Book of
Revelation. Ruth covers matters relative
to the Church during
this period of time, and Esther covers matters relative to
There is no other way to
properly understand the Book of Revelation (or, for that matter, any other part
of the New Testament). All of the things
opened up and revealed in the New were previously set forth, through various
ways and means, in the Old. Different
Old Testament books deal with varying and particular facets of the matter – “here a little, and there a little” (Isa. 28: 10).
And since the New Testament has an inseparable connection of this nature
with the Old, an individual must continually look back to and draw from the Old
if he would properly understand the New.
The whole of the matter is by Divine design, and only through viewing the whole together -
after running all of the checks and balances through comparing Scripture with
Scripture - can a person see the complete picture (comprised of word pictures
dealing with both the Church and
HISTORICAL SETTING FOR ESTHER
The events seen throughout the
Book of Esther occurred in the southern part of the country known today as
Though the people inhabiting
this land during modern times are of Persian descent, which carries all the way
back to the kingdom of the Medes and the Persians during Ahasuerus and Esther’s
day, the name change in 1935 reflected another racial characteristic of the
Persian people - that of Aryan descent. The name Iran is derived from “Aryan,”
a reference back to the Aryan tribes in that part of the world (as
distinguished from the Middle East Semitic tribes); and the Aryan tribes would
include the descendants of the ancient Medes and Persians, among other tribes
in that region.
This kingdom, represented by the
breast and arms of silver, was a dual kingdom - the Medo-Persian kingdom -
throughout the time of its existence as the centre of world power (from abt. 538 B.C. to abt. 330
B.C.). This was the kingdom that
conquered Babylon (the kingdom which conquered the world power represented by
the head of gold on Daniel’s image); and the Medo-Persian Empire formed the
kingdom which, in turn, was conquered slightly over two hundred years later, in
Babylon, by Alexander the Great and his armies (which then brought into
existence the third part of Daniel’s image, that represented by the belly and
thighs of brass [cf. Dan. 2: 32, 39; 8: 3-8]).
The Medes were the
dominant power at
first. But, according to secular
history, about the time that the Medo-Persian Empire became the centre of world
power, the dominance in power shifted from the Medes to the Persians. And the Persians continued as the
dominant power throughout
the empire’s status as the world power of that day.
(Following the Medo-Persian
kingdom being depicted by the second part of the image in Daniel chapter two,
this dual kingdom was later depicted in the book through a bear raising itself up on
one side [7: 5], which
is subsequently explained by the horns on a ram in the next chapter. The ram had two high horns [representing “the
kings of Media and
The Persian kingdom had become
the dominant power long before the time of Ahasuerus’ reign, as seen at the
beginning of the Book of Esther. Note
that this world power is referred to as that of “
(There is one exception to
Persia being mentioned before Media in the Book of Esther, and that occurs in
chapter ten where mention is made of “the book of the
chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia.” However, it would only naturally follow that
Media should be mentioned first when this book was referenced, for this book
contained records dating back to the time when Media rather than
Thus, the Book of Esther has to do with the most
powerful of all the kings on earth ruling over the world empire of that
day. In conjunction with his reign, his
queen is brought to the forefront different places throughout the book. And the queen is brought to the forefront in
this manner for a revealed reason, set forth and established in an unchangeable
fashion in the first chapter of the book.
This is
the setting for the Book of Esther, a book fraught with types and meaning.
TYPICAL STRUCTURE OF ESTHER
Events in the Book of Esther occurred almost a millennium
after Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt (a type of the world); and these
events occurred during a time when the Israelites were once again under Gentile
subjection, awaiting that time when the One greater than Moses would return to
lead the people out from a worldwide dispersion (i.e., awaiting that time when Christ will return at a yet future
date to lead the Israelites out from that typified by the Exodus from Egypt
under Moses).
Thus, events in the Book of
Esther occurred at a mid-point between the actions of Moses in the type and the
actions of Christ in the antitype. And,
at this juncture in the history of Israel and the nations, God, through
bringing circumstances and events to pass among Israel and the nations over a
period of centuries and millenniums, could take the current events of that day
and use these events to reveal great spiritual truths concerning both history
and prophecy surrounding the same nations carrying out these events.
God’s sovereign control over all
things throughout Man’s Day has allowed Him to take Old Testament history and,
through Divine design, structure this history in a manner which is highly
typical in nature. Only an Omniscient
and Omnipotent God, who possessed perfect knowledge of all things - the beginning, the end, and all that lay between - could, within
His sovereign control over all these things, reveal His plans and purposes in this manner.
And, accordingly, only
through studying God’s revelation after the manner in which God has structured
this revelation can man come into a proper understanding of the revealed Word.
(1) CHAPTERS ONE AND TWO
The whole of the story as it
pertains to
But first, the type, as it is
set forth in each of these opening two chapters:
(a) The Type - Chapter One
Chapter one begins with the king
making a great feast. Mention is made of his
power and the riches
of his kingdom, with
those in positions of power in the kingdom being invited to the feast. The feast was proclaimed “in the third year of his reign”; and, during this time, “he
shewed the riches of his glorious kingdom and the honour of his excellent
majesty many days, even an hundred and fourscore days [six months]” (vv. 3, 4).
Then the king made a feast unto all who were present – “both unto great and small” - for “seven days.”
And, “on the seventh day,” the command
was given “to bring Vashti the queen before the king with the crown
royal.” And this was to be done in order
“to shew the people and the princes her beauty: for
she was fair to look on” (vv. 5, 10, 11).
But, “the queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s commandment.” And, because the queen refused to come, after
the king had commanded her to come, “the
king was very wroth, and his anger burned in him” (v. 12).
Then the remainder of the events
in chapter one surround that which was to be done concerning Vashti because she
had refused to come at the king’s command.
The king consulted his advisors.
And because the actions of the queen had wronged not only the king but
everyone in the kingdom as well, a decree, in keeping with her actions, was issued.
This decree was “a royal commandment,” which had been “written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes.”
And the decree, because it was
written among national law, could not be altered. The decree stated the matter simply and
clearly:
“That
Vashti come no more before king Ahasuerus; and let the king give her royal
estate unto another that is better than she” (v. 19b; cf. vv. 15-19a).
This decree, in turn, was to be
published throughout all of King Ahasuerus’ empire, in the various languages of all those throughout the
empire. This was done because other
women in the empire might be inclined to follow Vashti’s lead.
Then, something additional was
written in the decree concerning Vashti’s actions. Because that which Vashti had done reflected; negatively on the king’s authority and
brought dishonour to the king, it was decreed “that
every man should bear rule in his own house.” This would turn matters around and result in
wives honouring, not
dishonouring, their husbands (vv. 17, 20-22).
(b) The Type - Chapter Two
Chapter two begins with the
king’s wrath being appeased and his remembering Vashti, “what she had done, and what was decreed against her.” Then the king’s servants suggested that a search
be conducted for one to replace Vashti - a “maiden
which pleaseth the king,” who would “be queen instead of Vashti” (vv. 1-4).
The search was begun; and
Mordecai, whose great grandfather had been carried away in the captivity (under
Nebuchadnezzar, which began abt. 605 B.C.), had a cousin named Hadassah,
whose Persian name was Esther. And Esther was among those “brought into the king’s house” to
later appear before the king (vv. 5-8).
Proper preparations would be made
for meeting the king over one year’s time, divided into two equal periods of
six months, with different things regarding preparation being accomplished
during each period. It was only at the
end of this time - after complete and proper preparation had been made - that a
maiden would be taken in before the king (vv. 9-14).
When Esther’s turn finally came,
she was taken in before the king “in the
tenth month ... in the seventh year of his reign.”
“And the
king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favour in his
sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head,
and made her queen instead of Vashti” (v.
17).
The king then “made a great feast,” which was proclaimed to
be “Esther’s feast.” And he “made a release [‘rest’]
to the provinces” in his kingdom, and “gave gifts, according to the state of the king” (v. 18).
At the same time, “Mordecai sat in the king’s gate.” And, while in this position, he became aware
of a plot against the king. Mordecai
then made the matter known to Esther, who told the king. An inquisition was conducted. And, as a result, the two men involved in the
plot were “hanged [‘impaled’] on a tree” (vv. 19-23).
(c) Antitype of Chapters One and Two
In different parts of chapters
one and two, reference is made to various time-periods in connection with
festivities, showing the honour of the king’s majesty, showing the riches of
the kingdom, and bringing the queen before the king. In chapter one, reference is made to “the
third year,” “an hundred and fourscore days [six
months],” “seven days,” and “the seventh day” (vv.
3-5, 10). And in chapter two,
reference is made to “the tenth month” and “the seventh year” (v.
16).
The whole of the matter has to
do with different ways of viewing part or all of a single time-period in the
antitype, set forth and established in an unchangeable manner in the
foundational framework at the very beginning of Scripture, in Gen. 1: 1- 2: 3.
And that revealed in the Book of Esther has to do with commentary on
these opening verses in Genesis (as does all other Scripture subsequent to
these opening verses), providing additional sinews and flesh necessary to
clothe the skeletal, foundational framework established at the beginning (cf. Ezek. 37:1ff).
(i.e., the opening verses of Genesis establish the pattern for the
whole of subsequent Scripture - God taking six days to restore a ruined creation [the earth], followed by a day of rest. And this points to God taking six more
days [6,000 years] to restore a subsequent ruined
creation [man], to be followed by a day [1,000 years] of rest [ref. the author’s book, THE STUDY OF
SCRIPTURE, Ch. II, “The Septenary Arrangement of
Scripture”].)
Time, through the use of numbers in
the preceding respect, is dealt with different ways in Scripture. But, as previously stated, the whole of the
matter must be in line with the foundational framework established at the
beginning, i.e., in line with six days of restorative work, followed by
a seventh day (a
Sabbath) of rest. And in the opening two
chapters of Esther, one finds various ways in which Scripture deals with time
in this respect.
“In the
third year” (1: 3) points to the
seventh day in the
respect that Israel had been called into existence two days (2,000 years) before the nation was destined to be raised up to live in
God’s sight on the third day, which,
using the full reckoning of time, would be the seventh day (cf. Hosea
5:13-6: 2).
Israel was called into existence
after two days (after 2,000 years) of
human history; and, according to Daniel’s Seventy-Week prophecy, the Messianic
Era would be ushered in at the end of the Jewish dispensation, 2,000 years following Abraham’s birth, 4,000
years following Adam’s creation.
But the present dispensation
(during which time God deals with the one new man “in
Christ” another two days, another 2,000 years, with
Then the “seven days,” with the
crowned queen being
called into the king’s presence on “the seventh day” (1:
5, 10, 11), is self-explanatory.
This, in the antitype, has to do with the entire seven days in Gen.
1: 1-2: 3, with
And “the tenth month” and “the seventh year” in the second chapter (v. 16), in connection with the
crown being placed on Esther’s head (v. 17), point to exactly the same thing. “Ten” is the
number of ordinal completion, and all
things will be brought to completion when that seen in these verses
is brought to pass on the seventh day.
Then, Mordecai seated in the
king’s gate completes the type - the Jews one day possessing the gate of the
enemy (Gen. 22: 17).
However, the day is coming when
God will once again turn to
Thus, in the preceding respect,
the opening two chapters of Esther cover the complete history of
(2) CHAPTERS THREE THROUGH TEN
These eight remaining chapters
in the Book of Esther provide commentary, filling in details, for the complete
story which has already been told in chapters one and two. This commentary, when seen in the antitype,
fits into the latter part of the time covered by chapter one and ends at the
same place where chapter two ends.
The arrangement of God’s
revealed Word after this fashion - a complete sequence of events, followed by
commentary - is something seen quite often in Scripture. Actually, as previously seen, viewing Gen. 1: 1-2: 3 in connection with subsequent
Scripture, the whole of Scripture has been structured in this manner (cf. Matt. 17: 1-5; 2 Peter 1: 15-18; 3: 1-8).
Revelation chapter twelve would
be one of the more classic examples of a section of Scripture structured after
this fashion. The complete sequence of
events is given in the first six verses.
Then verses seven through seventeen provide commentary for that which
has already been stated in the opening six verses.
And this is the manner in which
the Book of Esther is structured - the complete story is given first, and commentary
then follows. And the latter (commentary
on chs. 1, 2) is exactly what the last eight chapters
deal with.
(a) The Type - Chapters Three
through Ten
Chapter three begins with the
king promoting Haman to a high position of power. From information provided in the book, his
position of power appeared to be second only to the king himself. And Haman (a Gentile), rather than Esther or
Mordecai (both Jews), held this position of power.
Haman was placed over “all the princes that were with him.” And “all the
king’s servants that were in the king’s gate” were
commanded by the king to honour Haman in the position to which he had been
appointed, bowing before him (vv. 1, 2a).
But Mordecai, also at the gate, “bowed not, nor did him [Haman] reverence.” And this infuriated
Haman to the extent that he, knowing Mordecai was a Jew, sought to not only
slay Mordecai but all the Jews throughout the entire kingdom (vv. 2b-6).
And this sets the stage for that
which occurs throughout the remainder of the book.
Haman, seeking to bring about
the destruction of the Jews, instead, ultimately brought about his own
destruction, along with that of his house as well. Haman had built a gallows upon which he
planned to have Mordecai hanged (impaled).
But, through God’s providential control of all things, the tables were
turned, with Haman himself subsequently being hanged (impaled) on the
gallows. And not only was Haman hanged
(impaled) on the very gallows which he had built for Mordecai, but his ten sons
were subsequently slain and hanged (impaled) on this same gallows as well (3: 8-9: 14).
(Relative to the preceding, the
English text in most versions refers to being hanged on a gallows, as the
two men were hanged on a tree at the end of chapter two. The thought though, in all instances
throughout the book, has to do with being hanged in the sense of being impaled, whether on a tree or on a gallows.)
Then, following Haman’s
overthrow, instead of a Gentile continuing in power, a Jew was
promoted to the position which Haman had held. The
house of Haman was given to Esther the queen; and Esther, in turn, placed
Mordecai - who had been promoted to a position of power directly under the king
- over the house (8: 1-7; 10: 3).
(b) The Antitype of Chapters Three through
Ten
The account of Haman, his love
for both recognition and power, his hatred for the Jewish people, his
ignominious end, and the ultimate triumph and exaltation of a Jew to the
position of power previously held by a Gentile have to do with that future time
when God turns back to and completes His dealings with the Jewish people. These dealings will complete the full time
seen in Daniel’s Seventy-Week prophecy, bringing “the
times of the Gentiles” to a close (Luke
21: 20-24). And the long-awaited
Messianic Era will then follow.
“Haman”
typifies the man of sin (Antichrist), who, in the middle of the coming
Tribulation (Daniel’s Seventieth Week), will find himself occupying the same
position in Satan’s kingdom that Haman occupied in Ahasuerus’ kingdom. Satan (ruling the present world kingdom under
God, though a rebel ruler) will give unto this man the same thing which He offered to Christ in
the temptation account (Luke 4: 5, 6). Satan will give unto this man “his power, and his seat [‘throne’],
and great authority” (Rev. 13: 2).
Though giving his throne to
Antichrist, Satan will still hold the same regal position to which he was
appointed in the beginning. God
alone can
appoint or remove rulers, and Satan will be removed from his present position only after Christ returns (cf. Dan. 4: 17, 25; Rev. 19: 17-20: 3). But, regardless, the man of sin will still
exercise power emanating from God’s throne through Satan’s throne in the same
manner in which Haman exercised power emanating from Ahasuerus’ throne.
Scripture deals with matters
surrounding the emergence of this man at the end of Man’s Day in a manner far
more extensive than many realize.
Numerous types and prophecies have to do with the day when this man will
be upon the earth; and most also continue into the end of the matter, into the
Messianic Era.
The Book of Esther forms a good
illustration of the preceding. Note that
the larger part of this book has been given over to the emergence of this man,
that which he will do, and that which will resultingly occur. Then matters end with conditions which
foreshadow the coming Messianic Era.
This man was on the scene in
type at the time of the inception of the nation in the Book of
Exodus. There was an Assyrian Pharaoh
ruling
And this man will be on the
scene when God completes His dealings with
the Jewish people at the end of Man’s Day (Rev. 13:
lff). The type in Exodus, having to do with not
only this man’s activities but his destruction in the
Almost the entire Book of Exodus
deals with prophecy in this respect.
That which is about to happen has all been foretold in this manner in
various Old Testament books. And each
part of the Old Testament where these matters are dealt with provides another,
slightly different, part to the complete word picture.
And the Book of Esther is one of
these books, providing part of the complete word picture. This
book centers around the Jewish people and the great enemy of the Jewish people
in the end times. And this book relates
the matter from God’s standpoint, revealing those things
which God chose to reveal, after the manner which He chose to use.
* * *
2
Vashti
Rejected
But the queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s commandment
by his chamberlains: therefore was the king very wroth, and his anger burned in
him ...
What shall we do unto the queen Vashti ...?
If it please the king, let there go a royal commandment from
him, and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes, that
it be not altered, That Vashti come no more before king Ahasuerus; and let the
king give her royal estate unto another that is better than she (Esther
1: 12, 15a, 19).
Chapter one in the Book of
Esther begins with the ruler of the world empire of that day (Ahasuerus), the
most powerful of all the kings on earth, performing certain regal
tasks relative
to his kingdom. As he sat on his throne,
“he made a feast,” and “he shewed the riches of his glorious kingdom and the honour of
his excellent majesty.” And
these things were done in connection with set times – “the
third year,” “an hundred and fourscore days [six
months],” and “seven days” (vv. 1-5).
Then, also in connection with
these set times, “on the seventh day,” the king commanded that Vashti
the queen be brought before him, “with
the crown royal.”
The
queen was to appear in the king’s presence at a set time, for a particular
purpose. She was
to appear following the festivities, on the seventh day; and the purpose of her
appearance had to do with regality, for the queen was to come forth wearing a crown. Further,
the king planned to openly present the crowned queen to those in his kingdom at
this time, “to shew the people and the princes
her beauty: for she was fair to look on” (vv. 10, 11).
But “the queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s commandment.” The king was enraged, for Vashti, through
this refusal, had dishonoured the one with whom she ruled as consort
queen. And through dishonouring the king
in this manner, she had “not done wrong to the king only, but
also to all the princes, and to all the people”
throughout the kingdom (vv. 12-16).
And because of Vashti’s refusal
to come, she was rejected as queen. Not
only would she never again be allowed to appear before the
king, but “her royal estate” would
be taken from her and given to “another that is
better than she.” And this matter was
made known through a decree issued by the king and published throughout the kingdom
in all the various languages of those in the kingdom (vv.
17-22).
That is the story seen in
chapter one. It is actual history
fraught with significance and meaning.
This chapter forms one part of the end result of God, through His
sovereign control of all things, bringing events and circumstances to pass in
such a manner that He could use the end result of His work (in this case,
events in the Book of Esther) to teach His people great spiritual truths. And, drawing from Biblical history, the central
means which God uses to make known spiritual truths in this manner is typical
teachings.
Chapter one in Esther, within a
type-antitype framework, has to do with God ruling over a province in His
kingdom (God ruling over the [this] earth). This
chapter centers around certain things concerning the King and this one segment
of His kingdom, which lead into certain things concerning the queen (
This chapter has to do with God
and a province in His kingdom, with
And note where the emphasis is
placed in the Book of Esther. It is
placed first on set times in which certain things are
brought to pass. In complete keeping with these set
times, there
was a display of the riches of the kingdom, along with the splendour and
greatness of the king’s majesty. And
this all led into things stated about the queen, who was to be brought forth in a
regal capacity, on the seventh day.
Bringing matters over into the
antitype, God’s plans and purposes are carried out at set times. In
complete keeping with these set times, the riches of God’s kingdom have been/are being/will be made
known, along with the splendour and greatness of His majesty. And, within a Scriptural framework, this all
leads into things stated about the queen (about
(For a detailed discussion of
the significance of the set times mentioned
several places in chapter one of Esther [along with chapter two as well], see
Chapter 1 in this book.)
Man, at the time of his
creation, was brought forth to rule in God’s kingdom. Satan, the incumbent ruler whom God had
placed over the province in the beginning, had disqualified himself; and man, created
in God’s image, after God’s likeness, was brought on the scene to replace the
disqualified ruler (cf. Gen. 1: 26-28; Isa. 14:
12-17; Ezek. 28: 14-19).
However, because of Satan’s intrusion,
man, following his creation, found himself (as Satan) disqualified to
rule. Satan, knowing the reason for
man’s creation, sought to thwart God’s regal purpose for man through bringing
about his fall. And, with man in a
fallen state, Satan was allowed to continue holding the sceptre (cf. Gen. 3: 1-7; Luke 4: 5, 6; John 14: 30; Eph. 3: 9-11; 6:
12).
(A principle of Biblical
government necessitates that an incumbent ruler, if he is to be replaced, must
continue holding the sceptre until his replacement is on the scene and ready to
ascend the throne. Then, action will be
taken by God [the One Who both places and removes rulers (Dan. 4: 17, 25)].
An example of this can be seen
in the account of Saul and David in 1, 2 Samuel. Saul, through disobedience, had disqualified
himself; and David was then anointed king in Saul’s stead.
But David didn’t immediately
ascend the throne. Saul continued in
power until David was ready to ascend the throne [in God’s time, when David had
acquired all of the necessary qualified rulers to govern with him in the
kingdom]. Only then did God remove Saul
and give his crown to David.
And exactly the same thing is
true in the antitype. Satan, through
sin, has disqualified himself; and Christ has been anointed King in Satan’s
stead.
But, as in the type, Christ
didn’t immediately ascend the throne.
Though Christ has already been anointed King, Satan continues to hold
the sceptre. And Satan will continue holding
the sceptre until Christ is ready to ascend the throne (in God’s time, when
Christ will have acquired all of the necessary qualified rulers to govern with
Him in the kingdom (through the work of the [Holy] Spirit during the present dispensation)]. Only then will God remove Satan and give the
crown to His Son.)
Both man’s fall and Satan’s fall
have to do with regality, but their respective falls differed in one major respect. Following man’s fall, unlike events following
Satan’s fall, redemption was provided; and redemption was provided with one end in view - man
realizing the purpose for his creation in the beginning.
But still, though redemption was
provided, man had to await God’s time before he could exercise regal
power. And, even though almost 6,000 years have come to pass since Adam’s fall,
the time for man to rule has not yet
arrived. The time for God to remove
the incumbent ruler and place Another in his position is still future. We’re
still living during that day and time when Satan has been allowed to continue
holding the sceptre.
Thus, man seeking to rule today,
should he be successful, would find himself ruling before the time. And,
ruling before the time, he could only find himself occupying a position of
power in the present kingdom, in Satan’s kingdom.
Satan and his angels presently
rule the earth through the Gentile nations, from a heavenly sphere. This is
the way in which the present kingdom of the heavens (under Satan) is structured, paralleling the way in
which the coming kingdom of the heavens (under Christ) will be structured. And man exercising regal power today, among
the nations of the world, can only find himself ruling under a fallen angel who
occupies a position of power with Satan, seated in the present kingdom of the
heavens (Dan. 10: 13,14, 20).
For an unsaved person to occupy
a position of this nature is one thing, but for a saved person to occupy a
similar position is a completely different matter. Saved individuals [after
rapture or the first resurrection] have a
calling to occupy regal positions in the coming [millennial] kingdom of Christ (from a heavenly sphere), not regal positions in the present
kingdom of Satan (from an earthly sphere); and for a saved person to aspire to
occupy a position of power in the present kingdom of Satan could only be an act
diametrically opposed to his high calling.
Viewing the matter from the
framework of the type in 1 and 2 Samuel, such action on the part of saved people
would be comparable to one or more of those who had joined themselves to David out
in the hills leaving the camp of David and returning to Saul’s kingdom, in a
regal capacity. Christians doing
something of this nature will find themselves ruling before the time, in the
wrong kingdom. And such can only lead to
dire consequences:
“No man that warreth entangleth
himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen
him to be a soldier.
And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned,
except he strive lawfully” (2
Tim, 2: 4, 5).
Man is to exercise regal power on the
seventh day, in Christ’s kingdom, not prior to the seventh day, in Satan’s kingdom. And [regenerate] man is to bide his time, awaiting that future day.
Man, at the time of his
creation, was brought forth on the sixth day, for regal purposes; and man’s
creation for regal purposes could only have been with a view to the
seventh day, for that
was the only day left within the framework of the complete type seen in Gen. 1: 1-2: 3.
Then, the same thing is seen
relative to
Thus, man’s calling to exercise
regality has to do with one time alone. It has to do with the
coming seventh day, the coming seventh millennium, the Messianic Era. Satan
will continue on the throne until that time. And man exercising power today can only
do so before the time, within the wrong kingdom.
(1) BUT, GOD’S DEALINGS WITH
Regality in relation to
Following the nation of
This rulership within the
theocracy though had to be entirely Jewish. That is, those exercising
this rulership had to be from the lineage of Jacob through his twelve sons,
ruling within a nation comprised of individuals from this same lineage.
The descendants of Jacob alone comprised a nation which could exercise
regality in this manner, separate from Satan’s rule. The regal system which God established for
The Jew was (and remains today)
of the
old creation in Jacob (separate
from the Gentiles), and the Christian is a new creation in Christ, a part of the one new man (separate from both
The simple fact of the matter is
that
(2) STILL, WITH THE SAME END IN
VIEW
But, despite all of the
preceding, the full and ultimate end of
The crux of the first two
chapters in Esther - the introductory chapters to the book, which relate the
complete history of Israel, from the time of the nation’s inception to the
Messianic Kingdom - has to do with a crowned queen being brought forth “on the seventh day,” “the seventh year.”
And, comparing Scripture with Scripture (going back to Gen. 1, 2 and
progressing from there), this can only point to one thing.
The full and ultimate end of
The history of
Because the
nation had become “a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers ...
corrupters,” ones who had “forsaken the Lord,” God
viewed the nation as sick, “from the sole of
the foot even unto the head.”
The nation was viewed as completely unsound, a people whose spiritual appearance
before God was that of “wounds, and bruises, and putrefying
sores” (Isa. 1: 1-6).
And not only was this the case,
but, because of
And exactly the same thing can
be seen in the Christians’ calling today (e.g.,
contrast Rom. 1: 1-17 and Rom. 1: 18-32; all thirty-two verses deal with
Christians, not just the first seventeen).
God will reward man’s adherence
to and obedience surrounding the greatest things He has ever designed for
redeemed man. And the opposite of that
is equally true. God will not take
lightly man’s aversion to and disobedience surrounding that which He deems of
utmost importance. This applies equally
to
When one reads sections of
Scripture such as Lev. 26: 1ff and Deut. 28: 1ff relative to
Matters surrounding
This is why one finds
Matters surrounding the
Christian though are of a different nature.
The Christians’ calling is heavenly alone and doesn’t presently involve
the nations of the earth. Thus, events
of a parallel nature to those which
It is Israel’s disobedience
alone, not that of Christians, which involves the nations in this respect
(though, within another frame of reference, parallel sins of numerous
Christians are just as terrible in God’s sight; and these sins will one day be
dealt with accordingly). But, because
During the interim, as in the
past,
(1) DURING THE OLD TESTAMENT
THEOCRACY
Following Adam’s fall, God
waited 2,000 years before he brought forth the man - Abraham - through whose lineage
the nations of the earth were to be blessed.
Then, 500 additional years passed before God was ready to begin
fulfilling his promises to Abraham concerning a seed and a land, through a
nation emanating from his loins (Gen. 12: 1-3; 13:
14-17; 15: 13-21; Ex. 6: 3-8; 12: 40, 41).
Twenty-five hundred years beyond
the creation of Adam, during the days of Moses, the nation emanating from the
loins of Abraham found itself exactly where the same nation (because of
disobedience) finds itself today. The Israelites found themselves in a Gentile
land (in “
God called the nation out of
However, unbelief and
disobedience marked the history of the Israelites - from the days of Moses to
that time centuries later when God allowed Gentile powers to come into the
land, uproot his people, and carry them away captive into Gentile lands.
A theocracy existed in the
During the latter part of
Solomon’s reign, things began to go even further awry. And about fifty years after his reign, Elijah
appeared, followed by Elisha, calling attention to sin, disobedience.
But matters remained
unchanged. And, to remain true to His
Word, God was left with only one recourse. The Israelites were to find themselves occupying
a position diametrically opposed to the position which God had called them to
occupy.
The Israelites would be removed
from their land and scattered among the Gentile nations; they would find
themselves under subjection to these nations and mistreated by these nations in
every conceivable way, exactly as God had promised (cf. Lev. 26: 21, 22, 27, 28, 33-39; Deut. 28: 25, 30, 37, 65-67).
In 722 B.C. the Assyrians were allowed to come into the land and take the
northern ten tribes into captivity. And slightly over one hundred years later,
about 605 B.C., the Babylonians were allowed to come into the land and take the
southern two tribes into captivity.
These were captivities from which only remnants of Jews have ever been
allowed to return, more particularly at two different times - one which began
seventy years following the Babylonian captivity, and the other which began in
1948, during modern times.
The nation itself has never been
allowed to return from the Assyrian and Babylonian captivities. Rather, because of disobedience, the nation
has remained scattered among and persecuted by Gentile nations. And that which happened in
But the Holocaust also had to do
with something else relative to God keeping His Word. Though
the Gentile nations may seek to carry out genocidal activities surrounding
As the bush burned during Moses’
day, apart
from being consumed (Ex. 3:
2: 3), the nation of
Two things relative to
(2) AT CHRIST’S FIRST COMING
Christ’s first coming occurred about
six centuries following that time when the complete nation (northern ten tribes
and southern two tribes) had been removed from their land, carried away by
Gentile powers, and scattered among the Gentile nations. And His first coming occurred at a time
slightly over five centuries following the return of remnants under Zerubbabel
and Ezra.
These remnants formed the
original nucleus for that segment of the nation which was in the land, under
Roman dominion and persecution, at Christ’s first coming. Most of the Jews at this time were still
scattered throughout Gentile lands (Acts 2: 8-11),
and even the ones in the
Christ’s first coming occurred
during “the times of the Gentiles,” which
began about 605 B.C., when
Nebuchadnezzar was allowed to come into the land and begin carrying the
remaining southern two tribes into captivity; and this time will continue until
the heavens are opened, Christ returns, overthrows Gentile world power, and
places Israel in the position to which the nation was called in the beginning.
Jerusalem was being trodden down
of the Gentiles when Christ came the first time, and it will be trodden down of
the Gentiles for the three and one-half years immediately preceding Christ’s
return (Luke 21: 20-24; John 19: 10-15; Rev. 11: 2). Then, “the
times of the Gentiles” will
end, for
In this respect, note the
message of John, Jesus, the twelve, and the seventy at Christ’s first
coming. It was a simple message: “Repent
ye, for the kingdom of the heavens is at hand” (cf. Matt. 3: 2; 4: 17; 10: 7; Luke 10: 9). There was a call for national repentance, and this was to be followed by national
baptism (showing exactly the
same thing that the
And this call for repentance, followed
by baptism, was voiced by Peter on the day of Pentecost, after the promised
Spirit had been sent: “Repent, and be baptized every
one of you [the entire nation of
This was the beginning of the
re-offer of the kingdom of the heavens to
However,
This left God with only one
recourse - to continue fulfilling in the lives of the Jewish people that which
He had stated in His Word relative to the consequences of disobedience (e.g., allowing a Gentile power to
destroy Jerusalem in 70 A.D., followed by a scattering of the remnant in the
land, followed by continued Gentile persecution). Though the nation was set aside for a
dispensation, there must be a continuation
of the outworking of the principles which God has laid down in His Word
surrounding
Man is living today during a
time when
* * *
3
Esther
Accepted
After these things, when the wrath of king Ahasuerus was
appeased, he remembered Vashti, and what she had done, and what was decreed
against her (Esther 2: 1).
Chapter two begins with a
reference back to events in the previous chapter. Ahasuerus had commanded Vashti to come forth,
at a particular time, wearing “the crown royal.” But Vashti refused to heed the king’s
command. And the king, because of
Vashti’s refusal, became enraged. Vashti
was rejected as queen; and her “royal estate” was
taken from her, with a view to her position being occupied by another (1: 10-12).
Then, after a period of time,
the king calmed down and his wrath subsided.
And after his wrath had subsided he remembered Vashti, that which she
had done, and that which had been decreed against her (2:
1).
The king’s servants, seeing
where the king’s thoughts lay following his wrath subsiding, knew that
something had to be done concerning the present state of affairs. And the only thing which could be done was to
find someone who could replace Vashti.
Therefore, the king’s servants suggested to the king that a search be
conducted throughout the kingdom for a maiden who could “be queen instead of Vashti.” And the matter “pleased
the king” (vv. 2-4).
The remainder of the chapter is
then taken up with a successful search for a new queen, the new queen being
crowned, and conditions in the kingdom following this time.
During the search for a queen,
Esther was among those singled out and brought into the king’s house. And, after a time of preparation requiring twelve
months, Esther’s turn came to
appear before the king (vv. 8-16).
Esther, properly prepared, was taken
into the royal palace to appear in the king’s presence, in the tenth month, in the
seventh year of his reign. And it is recorded, apart from further
revelation surrounding the matter,
“... the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and
favour in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown
upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti” (v. 17).
The king once again had a
crowned queen to rule in the kingdom with him.
“A great feast” followed, and the king “made a release [‘a rest’]” to all the provinces in his
kingdom, and “gave gifts” to those in the
kingdom (v. 18).
At the same time, Mordecai is
seen seated “in the king’s gate,” which, when viewed in
the light of the antitype, portends regality (vv.
17-23). And all of this - Esther crowned queen,
and Mordecai seated in the king’s gate - sets the stage for the way matters are
depicted different places throughout the remainder of the book.
The matter is established in
chapter two; and both Esther and Mordecai, throughout the remainder of the
book, are seen typifying
(Reference to a
twelve-month preparation time, the tenth month when Esther appeared, and the seventh
year of Ahasuerus reign [vv. 12, 16],
are fraught with significance and meaning.
And the previous reference to certain days and years in chapter one [vv. 3-5, 10] is seen in this same respect as well
[ref. Chapter 1 in this book].
“Twelve” is the number of governmental
perfection; Esther was
brought forth after twelve months, with a view to regality. “Ten” is the
number of numerical completeness;
Esther was brought forth at the close of a complete period of time. And “seven” has to
do with the completeness of that which is in view; in this case, completeness is shown by a time of “rest” completing a previous period of time. “Rest” for
those inhabiting all the provinces in Ahasuerus’ kingdom occurred during “the seventh year of his reign.”
The complete picture seen
through the use of both the numbers ten and seven is twofold. It has to do with
THE KING’S WRATH APPEASED
Esther chapter two, forming a
continuing type of
Chapter two, in this respect,
begins with events in that future day when God’s wrath upon
Most of the remainder of the
book (chs. 3-9) has
to do with events which will occur very near the end of God’s wrath being
manifested toward
Then, the conclusion of the book
(ch. 10) has to do with that day when God’s wrath
will subside and will be brought to an end (which would relate to events in
chapter two).
(1) GOD’S WRATH DURING THAT COMING DAY
God’s wrath upon
But, as severe and intense as
conditions through which
Approximately three years
following the end of World War II and the corresponding end of the Third Reich,
a Jewish nation was brought into existence (re-established) in the
This nation was, in a respect,
born out of the Holocaust; and the Jews forming the nation, looking back on
those days, together echoed (and continue to echo today) the same cry for all
to hear: “Never Again!”
But
A remnant of Jews is in the
land, in an unrepentant state, without breath (without spiritual life [cf. Ezek. 37: 1-14]), prior to the time when God’s
wrath is appeased. This remnant is there for a reason - to
set the stage for the final, climactic exhibition of God’s wrath. And God will manifest His wrath upon
God’s wrath will be manifested
in this manner, at that time, because of Israel’s disobedience; and this manifestation of God’s wrath
will be with a view to bringing about the goal toward which the whole of the exhibition of His wrath has been
moving since Moses’ day - to bring Israel to the place of repentance,
in order that the nation might realize her calling.
When Scripture deals with God’s
wrath upon the Jewish people, events surrounding “the
great day of his wrath” - which will occur at the very end of God’s dealings with
And the revelation surrounding
God’s wrath in the Book of Esther is a case in point. This is exactly the manner in which God’s
wrath is dealt with in this book. God’s
wrath is introduced through events in chapter one, and
His wrath is done away with through events in chapter two. Then, chapters three through ten provide
commentary material for both chapters one and two. Chapters three through ten though only deal
with one
part of God’s wrath, a wrath
which was introduced in chapter one and done away with in chapter two; and
chapters three through ten, as well, end with events foreshadowing Israel
in the Messianic Era, which
is seen at the end of chapter two.
Chapters three through ten deal only with God’s wrath as it will be manifested at the very end of Man’s Day, in
all it fullness, during Daniel’s unfulfilled Seventieth Week. And
the emphasis is upon the last half of Daniel’s Seventieth Week, the last three
and one-half years of the full seven years.
It will be during these last three and one-half years that God’s wrath
upon
In the preceding respect, most
of the Book of Esther is solely about the last three and one-half years of the coming Tribulation,
providing a wealth of information about that which will occur during this time.
That’s one reason why the Book of Revelation, which also deals extensively with
this same period, must be studied just as much in the light of the Book of Esther
as in the light of the Book of Daniel (along with numerous other books bearing
on the subject as well [books in both the Old and New Testaments]).
And all of these books (Esther,
Daniel, Revelation, and all other books bearing on the subject) end exactly the
same way. They all end with God’s wrath ceasing, for the purpose and ultimate goal of
His wrath will have been realized.
(2) GODS
WRATH CEASING
God’s wrath will be brought to
an end after
That’s what is portended in Esther 2: 1 through Ahasuerus’ wrath subsiding and
his remembering Vashti. This points to that future day, at the conclusion of “the great day of his [God’s] wrath,” when
God will remember
God’s wrath will reach an apex
and come to a climax after almost 3,500 years of Jewish disobedience, going all
the way back to the time of the inception of the nation during Moses’ day. The bush which burned with fire, apart from being
consumed (Ex. 3: 2, 3), will then no longer
burn. But the One residing in the midst
of the burning bush (v. 4) will continue to
reside in the midst of the nation (Joel 2: 27),
though apart from a manifestation of wrath.
Rather, blessings will issue forth instead (v.
32).
The people of
The solution for the whole of
the existing
And also, accordingly, where the
Gentile nations of the world are concerned, the existing
“… I even I, will tear and go away; I will take away, and none shall rescue him” (v. 14b).
And Scripture is also very clear
concerning the fact that
In that coming day, during the affliction
which the Jewish people will undergo as they pass through the Great
Tribulation, Israel will be brought into such dire straits that the nation will
have no choice other than to acknowledge and say,
“Come, and let us return unto the Lord: for he hath
torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.
After two days will he revive us; in the third day he will raise us up,
and we shall live in his sight” (Hosea 6: 1, 2).
After the full two days, the full
2,000 years of the Jewish dispensation (seven years yet remain), the nation is
going to “return unto the Lord.” Then, the One Who “hath torn ... hath smitten” will
provide healing, with the
nation being raised up to “1ive in his sight.”
ESTHER CROWNED
Events surrounding Esther being
crowned queen foreshadow events surrounding
God, through Israel, following
the nation’s restoration, will bring two things to pass concerning man which He
set forth at the very beginning of His Word: (1) man’s creation, for a
purpose; and (2) man
realizing that purpose in a certain manner.
Man was created for regal
purposes. Man was created to rule and to
reign. Satan, the incumbent ruler over
the earth, had disqualified himself; and man was created to rule the earth in
Satan’s stead.
Then, the manner in which man was to rule the earth had
to do with how God had created man.
“And God said,
Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion [‘and let them rule’]...
So God created man in
his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he
them.
And God blessed them,
and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and
replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion [‘and rule’]...” (Gen. 1:
26a, 27, 28a).
(The
Hebrew word translated “dominion” in Gen. 1:26, 28 is radah, meaning “to
rule.” This is the same word used
of Christ’s coming rule after the order of Melchizedek in Psa. 110: 2
– “... rule thou in the
midst of thine enemies.”)
God did not create man to rule
alone. Rather, God created man a dual
person physically, a two-part being, male and female. The woman was created in the
man; then God put the man to sleep, opened his side, and from this opened side
God took a part of the man (a rib) which He then used to bring the woman into
existence.
God formed the woman from a part
of the man; and, though a separate entity, she was bone of his bones, and flesh of
his flesh (Gen. 2: 21-23).
Since the woman was formed from and is identified with the man in this
manner, a man, apart from a woman, is an incomplete being. A
woman, when united with a man (the marriage relationship), completes that man.
This is a principle, set forth
in the opening two chapters of Genesis; and the matter has its basis in
man’s creation, for purposes surrounding regality – “...let them [the
man and the woman together, forming one complete person] have dominion [let them ‘rule’]...”
And the whole of the matter is
at the centre of that seen in the marriage relationship today and that to which
it points. This relationship brings a
man and woman together in a manner which forms one complete person. And the two who form this one
complete person are seen in
Scripture foreshadowing the union between Christ and His wife [Bride] yet future (Eph. 5: 22-32; cf. Heb.
2: 10 [Rev.
19: 7, 8]), following both the procuring
of a bride and the marriage which will follow.
And the bride being procured
(through the work of the [Holy] Spirit during the present dispensation) and the
marriage which will follow (through the work of the Son yet future) has to do
with regality, which has its basis in that which God
brought to pass in the opening two chapters of Genesis. As it was with the first man and his wife,
so will it be with the second Man and His wife.
With all of this in view, apart from
taking certain things into account, it could only appear strange to see the
Biblical pattern surrounding rulership being followed in a pagan Gentile kingdom in the Book of Esther.
This was a kingdom ruled by those who would neither know nor give thought to
Biblical principles which God had established.
Why would there be both a
crowned king and a crowned queen in this pagan Gentile kingdom (showing,
through a union of this nature, that they exercised regality together)? This was not just a regal system which
closely approximated that which God had established; rather, this was a regal
system which was in exact accord with
that which God had established.
There can be only one answer
concerning why Ahasuerus’ kingdom had been established in this manner. And that answer is found in God’s sovereignty. God,
in His
sovereign control of all things, saw
to it that even this pagan Gentile kingdom had previously followed the Biblical
pattern, which was to be resumed in the kingdom following Vashti being removed
from her position. And God brought
matters to pass in this manner so that He could, at a later point in time, take
these events in history and use them to teach His people deep spiritual truths
relative to the nation of
There can be no Biblically
correct rule by man in the kingdom of men, relative to this earth, apart from a
husband-wife relationship. Man cannot
rule alone, apart from the woman. He has
to rule as a complete being, with the woman completing the man.
But, though man can presently
follow the Biblical order concerning how he is to rule, man is not really in a position to rule today. Man, at the time of his creation, was
commanded to rule. But, following man’s
fall, this was not the case at all. Note
the difference in the command given to Adam and Eve preceding the fall (Gen. 1: 26-28) and the command given to Noah and
his sons (which would include their wives) following the fall (Gen. 9: 1).
The command to rule is in the former
setting alone (the command to Adam and Eve), for man, following the fall, was
in no position to rule.
However, God provided away
whereby a nation could be brought into existence during Man’s Day which could
exercise regality in the kingdom of men.
This had to do with
And God has provided a way in
which
According to Esther chapter two,
the day is coming when God’s wrath will be brought to an end, God will remember
This will be a time of rest - the
Sabbath rest awaiting the people of God, following six days of God’s
redemptive work - and blessings will then flow out through Israel to the nations of the earth (cf.
Esther 2: 17, 18; Heb. 4: 4-9).
MORDECAI, SEATED IN THE KING’S GATE
“...then Mordecai sat in the king’s gate.
In those days, while Mordecai sat
in the king’s gate...” (Esther 2: 19b, 21a).
“Seated in the
gate,” and “possessing the gate,” form expressions which
Scripture uses to call attention to an exercise of power and authority. The
thought has to do with exercising control over that (a people or a territory)
to which the gate leads.
Those “seated in the gate” of a city, for example, conducted legal transactions for
those in the city, similar to legal transactions carried out in a modem-day
courthouse; and, individuals occupying positions of this nature exercised
governing power among the people (cf. Gen. 19: 1;
22: 17, 18; 24: 60; Ruth 4: 1ff).
Mordecai, at the same time
Esther was wearing “the royal crown” within the palace, was seen
seated “in the king’s gate” outside the
palace. Governmental control in the
kingdom is seen in the antitype through viewing
the complete word picture which Scripture sets forth, using both
instances. Esther’s position as crowned
queen has to do with one facet of the matter and Mordecai’s position at the
king’s gate has to do with the other.
Mordecai seated in the king’s
gate, is seen bringing a matter to pass through Esther. A plot against the king by two of the king’s
officials was made known to Mordecai.
Mordecai then made the matter known to Esther, who “certified [‘informed’] the king thereof in Mordecai’s name.” An inquisition was conducted, the matter was
found to be correct, and the two men who had plotted against the king were
impaled on a tree (vv. 21-23).
In that coming day, when God
restores
This will be the day when the one sick “from the sole of the foot even unto the head” will be healed, along
with restoration provided for the “desolate” land
covenanted to
“And it shall
come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be
established at the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills;
and all nations shall flow unto it.
And many people shall
go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house
of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his
paths: for out of
And he shall judge among the nations, and he shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into
pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they
learn war anymore” (Isa. 2: 24;
cf. Micah 4: 1-7).
A “mountain,” used in the preceding respect in Scripture, signifies a
kingdom (cf. Dan. 2: 34, 35, 44, 45; Matt. 16: 28-17: 5). And “the house of the God
of Jacob” is, textually, a clear reference to the house of
The picture in Isa. 2: 2-4 is that of
a restored nation - restored
This is the Biblical picture of
In the year that king
Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and
his train filled the temple.
Above it stood the seraphims ...
And one cried to
another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is
full of his glory...
Then said I, Woe is
me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean
lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have
seen the King, the Lord of hosts.
Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a
live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:
And he laid it upon my
mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken
away, and thy sin purged” (vv. 1, 2a, 3, 5-7).
Uzziah was a leper, who had
become leprous through disobedience (2 Chron. 26: 16ff).
Uzziah, in this respect, typifies
But cleansing for the nation is
prophesied (seen in vv. 1, 6, 7). And, in that
coming day, the Lord, in relation to the earth, will be seated “upon a throne, high and lifted up”; and the whole earth will be “full of his glory” (vv. 1, 3).
And this same scene is repeated,
in different ways, over and over throughout the Old Testament prophecies. The
Book of Esther provides one way, the referenced passages from Isaiah provide
two other ways, and the numerous other places in the Old Testament provide
other ways.
Then, the whole of God’s
revelation surrounding the matter presents the complete picture - a
word picture, presented exactly as God would have man see
* * *
4
Haman’s
Rise to Power
After these things did king Ahasuerus promote Haman the son of
Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him, and set his
seat above all the princes that were with him.
And all the king’s servants that were in the king’s gate, bowed,
and reverenced Haman: for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence ...
And when Haman saw that Mordecai
bowed not, nor did him reverence, then was Haman full of wrath.
And he thought scorn to lay hands on Mordecai alone; for they
had shewed him the people of Mordecai: wherefore Haman sought to destroy all
the Jews that were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even the people
of Mordecai (Esther 3: 1, 2, 5, 6).
The Book of Esther begins with a
panoramic view of the entire history of
In this respect, the first two
chapters of Esther provide a sequence of events which briefly cover 3,500 years
of Jewish history, extending from the things which occurred after Moses had
appeared to his people a second time to the things which will occur after the
One greater than Moses appears to His people a second time. Then the remainder of the book (chs. 3-10) forms commentary material on these two
chapters, providing details concerning events which will occur during the time
covered by these two chapters.
This commentary material though
does not deal with the whole panorama of Israeli history, as revealed in brief
form in chapters one and two. Rather,
this commentary material begins with and deals with a particular aspect of this
history – God’s wrath, because of
But the whole panoramic view of
God’s wrath, as seen in the opening two chapters, is not covered. Rather, revelation forming this commentary
material begins with and deals with God’s wrath at the time this wrath reaches an
apex, at the end of Man’s Day.
And further narrowing down and
pinpointing the time when God’s wrath will be manifested in this manner, this
part of the book centers around and deals with events during the
last three and one-half years of this wrath. And then the book moves
into that time when God’s wrath will end, followed by subsequent events, which carries matters beyond Man’s Day
into the Lord’s Day.
Thus, most of the Book of
Esther, as the Book of Revelation, centers around
events during three and one-half years of human history (related in Esther 3-9 and Rev.
6-19). And, as in the Book of
Revelation, so in the Book of Esther - one man is seen moving centre-stage at
this time. This man is introduced at the
very beginning of Esther chapter three, in the person of Haman; and the remainder of the book is mainly
about God’s wrath being executed through the actions of this man, along with
the end of the matter.
The man typified by “Haman” is the
prophesied man of sin, the Antichrist,
who will arise at the very end of the time fulfilling Daniel’s Seventy-Week
prophecy. This man will arise in the
Middle East, from within the territorial boundaries of the northern segment of
Alexander the Great’s kingdom, as it was divided following his death in 323
B.C. (which, today, would cover parts of Iraq, Iran, Syria, and Turkey [Dan. 8: 8-12, 21-25]).
And this man will rule from that
part of the world, not from
Satan will give to this man “his power, and his seat [‘throne’], and great authority” (Rev. 13: 2b). At the end
of Man’s Day, he will occupy the same position which Satan offered to Christ
during the temptation account, at Christ’s first coming (Luke 4: 5, 6).
This man is seen occupying a
central place in books such as Exodus, Esther, Daniel, and Revelation. And he is seen occupying a prominent place in
numerous other books as well (both Old and New Testaments).
Excluding that which Scripture
reveals about Christ (for the whole of Scripture is about Him), Scripture deals
with and reveals more about this man - Antichrist - than any other one person
throughout Man’s Day.
Thus, in this respect, two prominent Men are seen in Scripture - One throughout
Scripture, and the other in numerous parts of Scripture. And one of the great paradoxes of the times
in which we live is the fact that man, in general (which would include numerous Christians as well), knows very little
about either person. Man, in general,
knows very little about the Christ Who came and will come again; and man, in general, knows very little about
the Antichrist who is to appear on the scene immediately before Christ reappears.
(God has used, continues to use,
and will continue to use the Gentile nations as the instrument to execute His
wrath upon
This scattering has occurred in
the past, bringing about the present situation in the world [most of the Jews
in the world today are not located in the Middle East, in the land of Israel,
but remain scattered among the nations]; and this scattering will occur again
[for the last time] when the remnant presently in the land is uprooted,
followed by conditions in the world becoming far worse for the Jewish people
than have ever existed throughout the 3,500 year history of the nation.
The Gentile nations often
overstep their bounds and seek to help God “forward
the affliction” of His people [Zech. 1: 14, 15]. This has happened numerous times
in the past [e.g., in modern times,
through events in
God, in order to bring His plans and
purposes surrounding
“And I will make
of thee [Abraham] a great nation, and I will bless thee,
and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
And I will bless them
that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and
in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.”
God is using the Gentile nations
to bring His disobedient son,
But, in turn, God is also going
to deal with the Gentile nations in accord with verse three. Though He is using the Gentile nations to
bring His plans and purposes surrounding
Israel to pass, He is going to ultimately judge these same nations in accord with their
attitude toward and treatment of Israel, exactly as stated in Gen. 12: 3 [cf. Esther
6: 13; 7: 6-10; 8: 7; Joel 3: 2-8; Zech. 14: 7-21; Matt. 25: 31-46])
HAMAN’S APPOINTMENT
It is clear from the way chapter
three begins that Haman, in the past, had held a particular position of power
in the kingdom. The text begins with reference
to that position and to Haman’s promotion to the highest of all positions under
the king - a position “above all the princes that were with him” (v. 1).
Haman is said to have occupied
the “seat” above other princes who, from the text,
could only have occupied subordinate positions of power in the kingdom. The word “seat” (v. 1) is the same word in the Hebrew text
translated “throne” in Esther
1: 2; 5: 1 (cf. Gen. 41: 40; Psa. 45: 6; 103: 19, where the same Hebrew word is
also used). The picture has to do with
Haman occupying a high position of power in the kingdom, with his power
emanating from the king’s throne; and it also has to do with subordinate rulers
placed under Haman, with their power emanating from this same throne as well.
The things foreshadowed by these
events, along with the time when they will occur, is
quite simple to ascertain. These things
have to do with the man of sin, the Antichrist, being promoted to a regal
position directly under the One Whom the king typifies (directly under God), with subordinate
rulers also occupying positions of power with him.
Since Satan presently occupies
this high position - ruling the earth directly under God, though a rebel ruler - these things
can only occur at and following that time when Satan gives to this man “his power, and his seat [‘throne’], and great authority” (Rev. 13: 2b).
In this respect, Antichrist, at
this time, will occupy Satan’s throne; and, though Satan will not be removed from his position as the
earth’s ruler until Christ returns at the end of the Tribulation, he will give
his regal power and authority to Antichrist.
And Antichrist, occupying
Satan’s throne in this manner, will rule the earth in a position directly
under God (a rebel ruler, as
Satan), with the power and authority to rule coming from God’s throne. And, occupying this position, Antichrist will
have ruling princes under him who will exercise power from this same throne
(cf. Rom. 13: 1).
According to Scripture, those
ruling with Antichrist will form a ten-kingdom, Middle East confederacy (cf. Esther 9: 10-14; Dan. 2: 34, 35, 44, 45; 7: 7, 19, 20;
Rev. 13: 1; 17: 12); and those forming this confederacy will rule the
earth from within the territorial boundaries of ancient Babylon (which is seen
in the O.T. as a city-state - a country with a capital city by that name, with
the name “Babylon” including the surrounding
country and other cities as well [Jer. 51: 24, 29, 37, 42, 43]).
According to the chronology of Rev. 12: 3, 4,
this man will be positioned on Satan’s throne shortly before Satan and his
angels are cast out of heaven onto the earth.
In verse three, all seven heads of the Beast (Rev.
13: 1) are seen crowned, wearing diadems (Gk., diadema), which shows
that they, at this time, will be exercising regal power.
The seventh head of the Beast
will be the Antichrist. This man
(represented by the seventh head) will receive a deadly wound (apparently be
slain, possibly by an assassin), become the eighth (through being raised from
the dead, for this man will rise from “the abyss
[Gk., abussos, ‘the
underworld’]),” but still be of the seven (cf. Rev.
13: 1-4, 14; 17: 8-11).
(Ref. the Appendix [Apx. I] for
information concerning the use of the Greek words stephanos and diadema - words translated “crown,” apart from differentiation, in the English
text.)
At this time, immediately before
Satan and his angels are cast out of heaven, the final form of Daniel’s image
will come into existence. And the power
represented by this part of the image, as the powers represented by the
previous parts of the image (which it will incorporate [Dan. 2: 35, 45]), can only bear rule from one location -
And the closeness of this final
form of the image coming into existence (Rev. 12: 3) and Satan being cast out of heaven (Rev. 12: 4;
Cf. vv. 7-9) is shown by the time in which
Antichrist will occupy Satan’s throne.
Revelation 11: 7 reveals that this man will slay
the two witnesses in
Then, Dan.
7: 25 reveals
exactly the same thing. This display of
Gentile power, under Antichrist, will last for “a time and
times and the dividing of time [three and one-half years, the last three
and one-half years of the Tribulation].”
According to Revelation chapter
twelve, Satan and his angels will have been cast out of heaven apparently very
near, but before, the middle of the Tribulation. After being cast out, Satan will first direct
his attention toward one thing - slaying the “man child”
(144,000 Jewish evangelists), whom Satan
will know are destined to proclaim the gospel of the kingdom throughout the
earth during the last three and one-half years of the Tribulation (Rev. 12: 4-6, 17; cf. Matt.
24: 14).
These 144,000 Jewish evangelists
will apparently have heard the gospel message and will have been saved through
the testimony of the two witnesses during the first three and one-half years of
the Tribulation (cf. Rev. 11: 13; 12: 17). But once these Jewish evangelists have been
removed from the sphere of Satan’s control, he will then continue to vent his
wrath through turning upon the entire Jewish nation (Rev. 12:
5, 13; 14: 1-5).
At that time, a remnant from the
nation will escape to a specially prepared place in “the wilderness,” where God
Himself will take care of and protect them for “a thousand two
hundred and three score days,” for “a time, and
times, and half a time” (cf. Rev. 12:
5, 6, 13-16). And, again, as in
the previous chapter and other portions of Scripture, the time element is the
same - three and one-half years, the last three and one-half years of the
Tribulation.
All of these things occurring in
the middle of the Tribulation follow two revealed events: (1) Satan giving unto
Antichrist
his power, throne, and great authority, and (2) Satan and his angels being
cast out of heaven. And both of these events appear to occur
shortly before the middle of the Tribulation.
(Ref. the Appendix [Apx. II] for additional
information pertaining to the 144,000 in
Revelation chapters twelve and fourteen.)
From comparing Scripture with
Scripture, the picture appears to be that this man, Antichrist, at the
beginning of the Tribulation, will possess sufficient power to make a covenant
with
Then, near the middle of the
Tribulation, when this man finds himself seated on Satan’s throne, possessing
vast power and authority, he
will break his covenant with Israel (for he will then possess power and
authority over all nations, not just
those in any type possible alliance concerning the covenant). He will then slay the two witnesses (which
will have testified in Jerusalem during the first three and one-half years of
the Tribulation); and this will be followed by his genocidal activities
relative to Israel, as foreshadowed through Haman’s activities in the Book of
Esther.
As previously shown, Satan and
his angels will have been cast out of heaven onto the earth shortly before
these things occur. And from this point
forward, Satan and his angels will no longer rule the earth from a heavenly
sphere. They will have been cast out,
with a view to Christ and His co-heirs ultimately taking the kingdom and ruling
the earth from this same heavenly sphere.
Satan knows the things which
Scripture reveals about Christ and His co-heirs, along with the things which
Scripture reveals about
Referring to an earthly prince,
the prince of
“Behold, thou art wiser than
Daniel; there is no secret that they can hide from thee” (Ezek. 28: 3; cf.
vv. 2, 14; Isa. 14: 12-14;
2 Thess. 2: 3, 4, 8, 9).
And, knowing the things which
God has revealed about
This is why wrath will befall
HAMAN’S POSITION
Esther chapter three begins at
the point Haman is promoted to a position of power and authority directly
under the king. Nothing is revealed in the chapter about
this man’s previously held position in the kingdom. He is only said to have
been promoted, alluding to a previous position.
And matters surrounding Haman begin at this point, moving immediately into
events having to do with things transpiring in the kingdom following his
promotion.
The Book of Revelation,
revealing the actions of the one whom Haman foreshadows, is only slightly
different. Chapter six begins with an introduction of Antichrist (the seventh
head of the Beast in chapter thirteen) by introducing this man as he is seen
during the first part of the Tribulation.
Through the breaking of the
first seal, this man is seen crowned, seated upon a white horse, with a bow in
his hand, going “forth conquering, and to conquer” (v. 2). The
Greek word used for the “crown” which Antichrist will wear at
this time though is stephanos, not diadema (again, refer to the Appendix [Apx. I] for a discussion on distinctions between these two words). But, in the middle of the Tribulation, when
the seventh head of the Beast controls Gentile world power from Satan’s throne,
the seventh head is seen wearing a diadem (a type crown depicted by the
Greek word diadema, not one
depicted by the Greek word stephanos).
Thus, there is a change of words
in the Greek text for the type crown which will be worn by this man at this
time, from stephanos to diadema. 0nly
the word diadema could point
to one seated on the throne and exercising regal power. The word stephanos would be used in any other instance (e.g., one anticipating a position of power, or one removed from his
position of power [though still retaining his crown, awaiting the appearance of
his successor to take the crown; cf. Rev. 4: 4, 10
where stephanos is used in
the latter manner]).
The type crown seen upon
Antichrist’s head in Rev. 6: 2, depicted by
the word stephanos, can only
point to one thing. His wearing this
type crown can only point to a position which he will aspire to attain - his
aspirations to exercise controlling power over all of the Gentile world, as he
goes “forth conquering, and to conquer.” And, when he achieves this goal, the word for “crown” in the Greek text changes from stephanos to diadema (Rev. 12: 3).
Something very similar is seen
concerning Christ in the Book of Revelation, prior to the time He takes the
sceptre and reigns. He is seen wearing a
crown depicted by the word stephanos in Rev. 14: 14 (same word used
for the crown of thorns placed on Christ’s head at His first coming); but when
that revealed in verses fifteen through twenty is brought to pass at the time
of Christ’s return (cf. Rev. 19: 11-21), He
will come forth wearing many crowns upon His head (v.
12). And the Greek word used for
“crown” at this time is diadema, for Christ’s [heavenly] Father will have previously given to Him “dominion, and glory, and a kingdom” (Dan.
7: 13, 14); and He will be returning to the earth to overthrow Gentile
world power and take the [His] kingdom.
The diadems upon Christ’s head at this time though
are not crowns which Christ will wear during the Messianic Era. Rather, He will wear the crown presently worn
by Satan; and the crowns upon His head at this time can only be crowns which
will be worn by those who will rule with Him, His co-heirs.
(Ref.
the author’s book, JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST [revised edition], Chapter XII, for
a full discussion of the crowns on Christ’s head at the time of His return,
along with the crown which He will wear during the Messianic Era.)
Thus, the Book of Revelation,
revealing the sequence of events foreshadowed through Haman’s rise to power and
his actions in the Book of Esther, covers certain things about Antichrist which
are not covered in Esther. And the reverse of that is equally true. Certain things about this man and his reign
are revealed in Esther (not seen in the Book of Revelation) which
will help to complete the picture seen in the Book of Revelation.
As previously shown, the Book of
Esther, covering this period of time, begins with events occurring near the
middle of the Tribulation and continues from that point. Then, the Book of Revelation adds to the
picture. Centering around this same period of time as well, the Book of
Revelation, unlike the Book of Esther, drops back and briefly covers this man’s
rise to power, though providing very little detail.
God’s revelation surrounding
this subject always follows the same pattern any place in Scripture where it is
dealt with. God’s revelation concerning this man always
centers around that which will occur when he ascends
Satan’s throne, wears a diadem, and rules the world.
This is where the Book of Esther
begins when this man is introduced in the person of Haman. And, as well, this is where the Book of
Revelation rapidly moves after this man is introduced as the rider on the white
horse. And exactly the same thing which is true of the Book of Esther and the
Book of Revelation is also true of the Book of Daniel and numerous other books
in the Old Testament where the subject is dealt with.
Numerous Old Testament books
deal with this subject, providing different facets of teaching; and Scripture
must be compared with Scripture in order to properly grasp and understand the
complete picture presented by the whole of Scripture (1 Cor. 2: 9-13).
(1) APPOINTED BY THE KING
In the type, Haman was appointed
to his position in the kingdom by the king himself. And it is no different in the antitype. God is the One Who rules in the kingdom of
men, as well as in the angelic world. He
alone positions and removes
rulers within the overall scope of His kingdom.
God is the One Who placed Satan (in his un-fallen state) in his Present
position - as the ruler of the earth: “Thou are the anointed
cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so...” (Ezek. 28:14a).
And this would, as well, have to hold true for all other provincial rulers
(angelic rulers over other provinces) elsewhere in God’s universal
kingdom. God alone positions rulers in His kingdom; and He
alone, as in the case of that
awaiting Satan, can remove these rulers.
Exactly the same thing holds true
in the kingdom of men throughout Man’s Day.
God alone positions
and removes rulers. “The heavens do rule,” beginning with God and progressing through angels; and
then, on the earth in the present kingdom, this rule progresses from angels
through men (among the Gentile nations, this rule progresses through angels in
the kingdom of Satan to men; the nation of Israel though is an exception, with
this rule progressing through Michael to
men [Jews], apart from Satan’s kingdom [Dan. 10:
13-21]).
“...the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he
will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.
"...the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whornsoever he will.
... the heavens do rule” (Dan.
4: 17b, 25b, 26b).
In relation to God ruling in the
kingdom of men in the preceding respect, different forms of government among
nations are of no consequence. Whether a democracy or
a dictatorship, God, in His sovereign control of all things, brings matters to pass in such a way
that Dan. 4: 17, 25, 26 holds true. God alone is the One Who positions and/or
removes rulers - angels or men.
Satan will give his throne to
Antichrist; but God alone is the One Who can and will, place this
man on the throne. He alone is
the One who gives the kingdom “to whomsoever he will.”
The first king of
(2) AN EXALTED P0SITION
Haman - once he had been
appointed to a position of power directly under the king, by the king himself -
expected to be accorded honour in keeping with his exalted position. The
king had commanded that Haman be accorded this honour (3:
1, 2); and any refusal would not only reflect negatively upon Haman’s
exalted position but upon the king himself, the one who had appointed Haman to
this position.
In the world of that day,
individuals occupying positions as kings, or exalted positions such as Haman
held, were to be accorded honour of this nature. It was customary among all nations, even
among those comprising the nation of
The picture in the third chapter
of Esther though goes far beyond honour of the preceding nature. Among numerous Gentile nations of that day,
it was customary to ascribe divinity to an individual such as the king or Haman. And bowing before a person of this nature
would be openly acknowledging, by this act, that the exalted person was
recognized by that individual to be more than a mere mortal.
This will answer questions
concerning both Mordecai’s and Haman’s actions relative to the exalted position
in which Haman had been placed by the king.
Mordecai refused to bow before
Haman. Why? Unless something beyond simply his high
position in the government was involved, this would not be in keeping with the
custom of the Jews (according honour of this nature to individuals occupying
high positions of power and authority).
Something else had to be involved.
Then there is the matter of
Haman not simply seeking to slay Mordecai alone because of his refusal to bow
before him. Rather, Haman, because of
Mordecai’s actions, sought to slay all of the Jews in the kingdom, not just Mordecai. Why?
There can be only one answer to both
questions.
Haman, in keeping with the
custom among many Gentile nations of that day, was apparently viewed in a
divine manner because of his
exalted position. For Mordecai to bow
before Haman would have been an open display of worship by acknowledging that
he recognized Haman’s ascribed divinity; and this would, in turn, have been an
open repudiation by Mordecai of his faith in the one true and living God.
This would also be the reason
why Haman, seeing Mordecai refusing to bow and worship him, knowing that he was
a Jew, sought to slay not only Mordecai but all of the other Jews in the kingdom as
well. Haman knew that the same attitude which
Mordecai exhibited would be exhibited by the whole monotheistic Jewish
nation. Thus, he looked for a way to slay all
of the Jews in the kingdom.
(The antitype of Haman’s actions
toward the Jewish people in this respect is dealt with in the next chapter of
this book.)
* * *
5
Sackcloth
and Ashes
When Mordecai perceived all that was done, Mordecai rent his
clothes, and put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the
city, and cried with a loud and a bitter cry;
And came even before the king’s
gate: for none might enter into the king’s gate clothed with sackcloth.
And in every province, whithersoever the king’s commandment
and his decree came, there was great mourning among the Jews, and fasting, and
weeping, and wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes (Esther
4: 1-3).
Haman is introduced in the Book
of Esther as “the son of Hammedatha the Agagite” (3: 1). This
identification is also repeated several subsequent places in connection with
both Haman and his ten sons (3:10; 8: 5; 9:10, 24). Thus, the book associates Haman and his sons
with Agag in this manner.
Agag, in
Jewish history, was an Amalekite
king who lived over five centuries earlier, during Saul’s day (1 Sam. 15: 8).
Agag was the one who, indirectly, brought
about Saul’s downfall (through Saul sparing Agag and
refusing to destroy all which he possessed, contrary to that which God had
commanded [vv. 3, 9-23]). And, apparently because of Saul’s actions
surrounding Agag, God, years later, used an Arnalekite to slay Saul at the time He removed Saul from
the throne (cf. 1 Sam. 31: 1-6; 2 Sam. 1: 2-10).
The Amalekites were the first of
the nations to war against
This appointment though, as the
executioners of the Amalekites, became another area of disobedience in the long history of the Jewish people. And because of this disobedience, four
centuries later, during the days of Saul and David, the Amalekites were still
present in numbers sufficient to have a king leading them.
The subsequent history of the Amalekites
can be traced to about three centuries beyond Saul and David’s time, to the
days of Hezekiah, when apparently the last of the Amalekites were slain (1 Chron. 4: 41-43). Beyond this point, the
Amalekites appear in Scripture only as a people who existed in past time.
And, in complete accord with
God’s previously announced judgment upon this nation, the Amalekites were so
completely destroyed that
archaeologists today cannot even find a trace of this once mighty nation. In this respect, the Amalekites today exist upon
the pages of Scripture alone. They, because of their attitude toward
and actions against
The events in the Book of Esther
occurred over two centuries after the events in 1 Chron. 4: 41-43. And if the events in this section of
Scripture in 1 Chronicles are to be
understood as an announcement concerning Israel’s part in the fulfilment of
that which God had decreed during Moses’ day - the complete destruction of the
Amalekites - which appears to be the case, it would not be possible for Haman
to be a lineal descendant of this race of people.
According to archaeological
findings in that part of the world, there was a province in the Medo-Persian
Empire during Ahasuerus’ reign called Agag. And
referring to Haman’s father as an Agagite would
apparently be a reference to this province, with Haman, through this means,
being associated several places in the book with this province.
But why does the Book of Esther,
in several places, call attention to Haman’s association with a certain
province in the kingdom in this manner, particularly one which had the same
name as an Amalekite king from over five centuries earlier? Is this repeated
association no more than a reference to a location in the kingdom, having
to do with Haman’s origin, with that being the end of the matter? Or, can spiritual significance be found in
this repeated association of Haman with Agag?
The answer can be found by first
viewing Haman’s actions in the light of the actions of the one whom Haman
foreshadows - the man of sin, the Antichrist.
Then, relative to the actions of both men (which are the same), both the
type (the actions of Haman) and the antitype (the actions of Antichrist) must
be understood in the light of that which is stated in the last of Balaam’s
prophecies.
Viewing all of these things
together - the type, the antitype, and Balaam’s last prophecy - the repeated
reference in Esther, associating Haman with Agag, can
be clearly seen to be more than just a reference to a province in Ahasuerus’ kingdom. It can be clearly seen as an
allusion back to Agag and the Amalekites during Saul’s day as well, even though
it is apparent that Haman was not a lineal descendant of Agag.
Both the Amalekites and Haman
were bitter
enemies of the Jewish people
in past Israeli history; and the Antichrist will be a bitter enemy of the Jewish people in future Israeli
history. And Balaam’s final prophecy, having to do with the appearance of
Messiah at the end of Man’s Day, includes a “parable
[‘oracle’]” concerning Amalek,
which reflects on the whole of the matter:
“...there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a
Sceptre shall rise out of
Out of Jacob shall
come he that shall have dominion, and shall destroy him that remaineth of the
city.
And when he looked on Amalek, he took up his parable [oracle], and said, Amalek was the first of the nations;
but his
latter end shall be that he perish forever” (Num. 24:
17b, 19, 20).
The complete prophecy has to do
with the
destruction of Gentile world power at the time of Messiah’s return, followed by
Messiah’s reign. And the end of Gentile world power,
particularly as it involves anti-Semitism (as, for example, exhibited through
the actions of the Amalekites), is summed up through a statement in an oracle
in the prophecy concerning the end of Amalek – “...his latter end shall be that he
perish forever.” Thus, in Balaam’s
closing prophecy, the end of Antichrist and his kingdom is associated with the
end of the Amalekites (though Antichrist will appear millenniums after the
Amalekites ceased to exist).
In a similar manner, Gentile
world power in that coming day, headed up by Antichrist, will incorporate the
whole of that seen in Daniel’s image
in Daniel chapter two (vv. 35, 45; cf. Dan. 7: 11, 12), which depicts Gentile world power
in Babylon from its beginning during Nebuchadnezzar’s day to its end during
Antichrist’s day (vv. 31-45; Cf. Dan. 7: 3-8). Thus, as with Antichrist’s
association with Amalek, Antichrist and his kingdom
will also be associated with certain Gentile regal powers which will have
long since ceased to exist at
the time this man comes into power and reigns.
Further, Antichrist is called an
Assyrian (Isa. 10: 5; 14:
25; 30: 31; 31: 8; Hosea 5: 13), though the Assyrians, as the Amalekites
or certain Gentile regal powers associated with Daniel’s image, will have
long since ceased to exist when
Antichrist makes his appearance.
The Assyrian association goes back 2,300
years to the days of Alexander the Great (Antichrist will arise from within the
borders of the old
Thus, Antichrist and / or his
kingdom will have an association with different Gentile powers going back
millenniums in Jewish history (which no longer exist today and will not exist
in that coming day). This association
goes back to the time of the beginning of the Babylonian kingdom under
Nebuchadnezzar (marking the beginning of the Times of the Gentiles); and, back
behind that, this association extends to the time of the Assyrians and the
Amalekites (and, as previously shown, with the Assyrians this association goes
back even to the time of an Assyrian Pharaoh in Egypt during Moses’ day - back
to the very time of the inception of the nation of Israel itself).
In this respect, during Haman’s
day, it would simply be in complete keeping with related Scripture for God to
go back almost six centuries, to a people no
longer even in existence, and associate Haman with an Amalekite king. Associating Haman with Agag
from Saul’s day would simply be associating one of the most complete types of Antichrist to be found anywhere in
the Old Testament with the king of one of the bitterest enemies of the Israelites in history - an
association in complete keeping with the way in which God has formed other
associations relative to Antichrist in His Word.
This association, in the
antitype, as previously shown, is clearly dealt with in an oracle concerning
the Amalekites in Balaam’s closing prophecy.
And the time to which the prophecy relates (the destruction of Gentile
world power at the time of Messiah’s return, followed by Messiah’s reign) has
to do with a time over two and one-half millenniums after the Amalekites ceased
to exist.
As Antichrist will be associated
with Assyria (though neither the people nor the
nation will have existed for millenniums), and as Antichrist and the power
which he will control will be associated with a particular past form of Gentile
world power (depicted by the
first three parts of Daniel’s image, which also will no longer exist), so will
it be in the matter surrounding the association of this man and his kingdom
with the
Amalekites (who also will no
longer exist as well).
Thus, Biblical prophecy clearly
associates the reign of Antichrist with certain Gentile powers in the past, which
have been destroyed and will not exist when Antichrist comes into power. An association of this nature not only characterizes this man’s reign in different ways but announces the coming utter destruction of this
man and his kingdom as well.
God uses the destruction of
certain Gentile powers in the past, in this manner, to demonstrate particular
things about the future destruction of Antichrist and his kingdom. The certainty of the destruction of Antichrist and his kingdom is told through
historical fact - these Gentile powers were destroyed in past time, as
Antichrist and his kingdom will be destroyed in future time. And the way in which these Gentile power were destroyed - passing completely out
of existence - depicts the way in which Antichrist and his kingdom will be
destroyed and pass completely out of existence as well, bringing a
full and complete end to the Times of the Gentiles.
(Note in this same respect that
there are four oracles connected with Balaam’s last prophecy, with the last two
oracles having to do with
Antichrist, in Biblical
prophecy, is connected with both the Assyrians and the Amalekites. But neither the Assyrians nor the
Amalekites have existed for millenniums; nor will they exist at the time of the
fulfilment of Balaam’s closing prophecy, though they are seen being destroyed
at this time.
These nations exist in history
alone, and both have been completely destroyed in past time, never to rise
again. But, as previously shown, both
are used different places in the manner seen in Balaam’s prophecy to point to the
certainty and completeness of the end of Gentile world power in that coming day
when it is headed up under Antichrist.)
Thus, related Scripture clearly
shows that Haman’s identification with a particular province in the kingdom was
for purposes rich in spiritual significance. This identification
provides an association with the king of the Amalekites in history; and it is
clear from Balaam’s prophecy that this same association carries over into the
antitype and will extend to Antichrist yet future.
Though the Amalekites had
apparently long since ceased to exist during Haman’s day, the association (through the use of the name “Agag”) was there; and though
the Amalekites will not exist during the days of the one whom Haman typifies, the
association - from the type in Esther, from Israeli
history, and from Balaam’s prophecy - is there.
Both men (Haman and Antichrist)
are identified in Scripture with the king of one of the most bitter enemies of the Israelites in history -
the Amalekites - a nation which, because of that which the people of this
nation had done surrounding Israel, was to be destroyed to the extent that their
very remembrance would be put out of existence. Both men, because of their
actions surrounding Israel, occupy a parallel place to that of the Amalekites in Israeli history; and both men,
because of these same actions, are seen coming to the same ignominious end as
the Amalekites (cf. Isa. 26: 13, 14).
Israel’s last great enemy is
referred to as an Assyrian, though
the Assyrians passed off the scene of world history over two and one-half millenniums
ago; Israel’s last great enemy is associated with the Amalekites, though the Amalekites, as the
Assyrians, also passed off the scene of world history over two and one-half
millenniums ago; and Israel’s last great enemy is also associated with particular
past Gentile regal powers (from
Nebuchadnezzar to Alexander the Great), though these powers, as well, passed
off the scene of world history over two millenniums ago.
Antichrist, with his worldwide
kingdom, seated on Satan’s throne, will embody all of the things opposed to
God's plans and purposes surrounding Israel, seen in these Gentile powers; and this association dates back to
even the very time of the inception of the nation of Israel itself, during
Moses’ day. Antichrist will bring all
anti-Semitism embodied in these Gentile powers from history into full fruition, which alone could bring about his fall
and form his epitaph. But he will go
beyond this and seek to exalt his throne after a similar fashion to that which Satan sought to do at a time
prior to man’s creation.
He will sit, “as God ... in the
Antichrist will have previously
broken his covenant with Israel, destroyed Jerusalem, and be in the process of
attempting to wipe the Jewish people from off the face of the earth (cf. Dan. 9: 26, 27; Matt. 24: 15-22; Luke 21: 20-24; Rev. 11:
2; 12: 13-17). This is where Esther chapter three begins
within its type-antitype framework - with this man (typified by Haman), holding
a position of power in the kingdom directly under God (though a rebel ruler, as
Satan), demanding worship, and seeking to destroy the Jewish people. And the Jewish people, a monotheistic people,
will have the same attitude toward this man and his actions as seen in the type
in Esther.
When this man rises to that
position in the kingdom typified by Haman and the position which he held, he
will, through his false prophet, require that the people in the kingdom view
him as divine and worship him. But the Jewish people, as Mordecai in the type,
will refuse.
This man will have both defiled
the rebuilt Jewish temple and have committed blasphemy through declaring himself to be God.
And, resulting from these actions, he will meet with the same rejection
at the hands of the Jewish people that Haman experienced in Esther.
When these things come to pass
in that future day, exactly the same thing seen in Esther will occur. The Jewish people - as Mordecai in the type -
will refuse to worship Antichrist, bringing his wrath down upon them; and,
exactly as in Mordecai’s day, the decree will go forth that all
the Jews in the kingdom are to be destroyed.
And also, exactly as in the
type, the King (God) will deliver the Jews into Antichrist’s hands for a set period of time - “a time and times and the dividing of time,” for three and one-half
years (cf. Esther 3: 10, 11; Dan. 7: 25).
There though will be more to the
matter in the antitype than simply a monotheistic people refusing to worship
this man. And this is related in the
type in Esther, along with other Scripture, as well.
Haman’s charge against the
Jewish people was brought about by Mordecai’s refusal to bow and worship,
knowing that this same attitude would be exhibited by the entire monotheistic
nation. But the charge which he brought
before the king, in order to bring about the destruction of the Jews throughout
the kingdom, was stated in a different manner.
He went back to the root of the matter:
“And Haman said
unto the king Ahasuerus, There is a certain people
scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of thy
kingdom; and their laws are diverse from all people; neither keep they the
king’s laws: therefore it is not for the king’s profit to suffer them.
If it please the king,
let it be written [in laws governing the kingdom] that
they may be destroyed...” (Esther 3: 8, 9a).
Antichrist, seated on Satan’s
throne, will bring this same charge against the Jewish people yet future
(individuals scattered throughout his kingdom, whose laws are diverse). This was a charge brought against Daniel,
resulting in his being cast into the lions’ den. “The law of his God,” which
he kept, was different than “the law of the Medes and Persians.” And neither law could accommodate the other
in this respect, for neither the law of God nor the law of the Medes and
Persians could be changed or altered (with this unchangeableness of the law of
the Medes and Persians typifying the unchangeableness of the law of God within
one facet of the overall type [cf. Dan. 6: 5, 8, 15]; Psa. 12: 6;
138: 2; Mal. 3: 6; Luke 4: 4, 8, 10; 1 Cor. 10: 11).
Then, the three Hebrews who had
previously refused to worship the image which Nebuchadnezzar had set up in the
plain of Dura relates the other side of the matter from Esther - having to do
with worship, as well as law (Dan. 3:
17, 18).
The Israelites will refuse to worship
Antichrist. And, at this time, because
of the resulting genocidal activities of Antichrist, the Israelites will begin
their return back to a law different than laws governing the
Gentiles, one which cannot be changed or broken.
The law governing the Jewish
people during both Daniel’s and Esther’s day was the old covenant given through
Moses. This covenant, along with the new
covenant which will one day be made with the house of
According to Dan. 7: 25, Antichrist
will seek to change both “times and laws”; and,
continuing from this statement, apart from any break in the thought, the text
goes on to reveal that the Jewish people will be delivered into Antichrist’s
hands (exactly as in Haman’s day), for “a time and times and
the dividing of time.” Thus, contextually,
his seeking to bring about a change in “times and laws” can
only have to do with things relating to the Jewish people.
The Jewish people were delivered
into Haman’s hand by the king; and, yet future, they will be delivered into
Antichrist’s hand by the one whom the king typified,
by God Himself. In that future day, God
will deliver the Jewish people into Antichrist’s hand for the last three and
one-half years of the Tribulation.
“And the king
took his ring from his hand, and gave it unto Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the Jews’ enemy.
And the king said unto
Haman, The silver is given to thee, the people also, to do with them as it
seemeth good to thee” (Esther 3:10, 11).
And during this three and
one-half-year period, as Antichrist seeks to bring about the destruction of the
Jewish people, he will seek to bring about a change in both times
and laws which God has
established. He will seek to prolong the
time in which these Jewish people have been delivered into his hand (prolonging
the Times of the Gentiles), and he will seek to bring about a change in laws
which God has established (allowing Gentile law to continue, as he seeks to
extend the period surrounding the Times of the Gentiles as well).
But this man will utterly
fail. He will be brought to the
same end as the Assyrians,
the Amalekites, and other Gentile nations in the past. God has established times and laws,
integrally associated with His plans and purposes surrounding the Jewish
people; and man can no more bring about a change in these times and laws than
he can bring about the destruction of the Jewish people.
Antichrist though, seated on
Satan’s throne, will show the folly of the fullness of that which characterizes
both Satan and fallen man, by raising his hand against God, against His Word,
and against His people. And, relative to
the whole of the matter, it has been written in God’s unchangeable
Word:
“But the
judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to
destroy it unto the end.
And the kingdom and dominion,
and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the
people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom
is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.
Hitherto is the end of
the matter...” (Dan. 7: 26-28a).
All these things having to do
with Antichrist’s reign, shown in the type in Esther (among other types), will
occur for a Divine purpose.
God will deliver the Jewish people
into Antichrist’s hands, for a period of time, in order to bring His plans and
purposes surrounding
The Jewish people, in that
coming day, will be brought to the same position, through the same means, as
seen in that which God allowed to occur during Moses’ day. During Moses’ day, through the genocidal
actions of the Assyrian Pharaoh in
The Jewish people calling upon
the God of their fathers during Moses’ day, in the Book of Exodus, is seen
again in Biblical typology in the Book of Esther, presenting another facet of
the complete picture. The Jewish people
during Esther’s day not only arrayed themselves in sackcloth and ashes
(portending repentance in the antitype [cf. Jonah
3: 5-10]), but Esther is seen going in before the king himself, to
beseech the king on behalf of her people.
During a yet future day, God
will deliver the Jewish people into Antichrist’s hands, for a set period of
time, in order to bring them to the place seen in both the Books of Exodus and
Esther. And when the Jewish people are
brought to this place and do that revealed in these two types - repentance,
followed by their calling upon the God of their fathers - they have a promise,
from God Himself, which He will then fulfil:
“If my people,
which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my
face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will
forgive their sin, and will heal their land” (2
Chron. 7: 14).
God, however, will not fulfil
this promise until the conditions in the promise have been met. And He will use Antichrist to bring
(1) CHRONOLOGY OF ESTHER CHAPTERS
3-9
As the ten chapters in the Book of
Esther centre mainly around three and one-half years of Jewish history yet
future - the last three and one-half years of Daniel’s Seventieth Week - the
chapters detailing these events, in a type-antitype framework (chs. 3-9), themselves, centre mainly around a very
limited time within this three and one-half-year period. These chapters centre mainly around that which will occur very near the end, and at the
end, of this time.
Chapter three provides details
concerning that which God would have man to know from this book about
Antichrist’s reign. This chapter centers
around God’s wrath surrounding the Jewish people being
brought to an apex through the reign of Antichrist. And it will be brought to an apex beginning
with God positioning this man on Satan’s throne. And when this occurs, that which God has been
setting the stage for throughout 3,500 years of Gentile persecution - 2,600
years during the Times of the Gentiles - will be brought to fruition in the
short space of three and one-half years.
The Jewish people, as revealed
in this chapter, will be delivered into this man’s hands; and all of the other
things set forth in this chapter will be brought to pass in the antitype as
well. These things, according to this
chapter, will centre around the world worshiping
Antichrist, the Jewish people refusing to worship this man, and the Jewish
people resultingly coming under the sentence of death.
Then, beginning chapter four,
the Jewish people are seen being brought to the place where they array themselves
in sackcloth and ashes (depicting repentance in the antitype [cf. Jonah 3: 5-10]), with Esther in the following
chapter going in before the king himself because of the dire straits in which
the Jewish people found themselves.
In this respect, chapter four
begins with events foreshadowing that which will occur very near the end of
Daniel’s Seventieth Week. It will be
near the end of this period of time that the Jewish people will find themselves
in such dire straits under Antichrist’s reign (exactly as the Jewish people
found themselves during Haman’s day) that they will have no choice other than
to do that foreshadowed by the Jewish people in Esther chapters four and
five. Then chapters six through nine
simply foreshadow that which will subsequently occur when the Jewish people
have been brought to the place depicted by an arrayal in sackcloth and ashes,
calling upon the God of their fathers (previously seen in chs. 4, 5).
Thus, chapter three alone covers
all of the time in the last half of Daniel’s Seventieth Week. Events in this chapter bring about the
sequence of events seen in subsequent chapters.
And the remaining chapters associated with this three and one-half-year
period of time (chs. 4-9) have
to do with events which will occur very near the end, and at the end, of the
time in which the Jewish people have been delivered into Antichrist’s hands,
not with events occurring throughout this entire period.
(2) THEN WILL I HEAR FROM HEAVEN
When the Jewish people have been
brought to the place depicted by an arrayal in sackcloth and ashes, calling
upon the God of their fathers, then God will hear from heaven and intervene on
their behalf. Until then, there will be
no such intervention. Until then,
trouble at the hands of the Gentiles will ensue for the Jewish people - trouble
which will be brought to an apex under the reign of the one whom Haman in
chapter three typifies.
But, when that foreshadowed by
events in Esther chapters four and five come to pass, the latter part of that
which God stated in 2 Chron.
7: 14 will come to pass as
well. God will hear from heaven,
forgive the Jewish people, and heal their land.
And, in the process of this
occurring, that seen in Esther chapters six through nine will come to pass as well.
God goes into great detail in these four chapters to outline Haman’s fall,
which foreshadows Antichrist’s fall.
As it occurred in the type, so
will it occur in the antitype. Haman’s
fall came about through the king’s intervention on behalf of the people whom
this man had sought to destroy; and Antichrist’s fall will come about through
God’s intervention on behalf of the people whom this man will seek to destroy.
* * *
6
The
King’s Hand Turns
Now it came to pass on
the third day, that Esther put on her royal apparel,
and stood in the inner court of the king’s house, over against the king’s
house: and the king sat upon his royal throne in the royal house, over against
the gate of the house.
And it was so, when
the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, that she obtained favour
in his sight: and the king held out to Esther the golden sceptre that was in
his hand. So Esther drew near, and
touched the top of the sceptre.
Then said the king
unto her, What wilt thou, queen Esther? and what is thy request? it shall
be even given thee to the half of the kingdom (Esther 5: 1-3).
Esther chapter three began with
Haman’s promotion to a position of power in the kingdom, directly under the
king. In this position of power, Haman
was to be accorded honour and worship.
And, in keeping with the custom among many Gentile nations of that day,
it is evident from the text that Haman was apparently viewed in a divine
manner.
Haman being viewed in this
manner would account for the different things which transpired in the chapter.
First, Mordecai refused to bow before Haman and worship him, though it was
customary among the Jews of that day to recognize and honour individuals
holding high positions of power (cf. 2 Sam. 14: 4;
18: 28; 1 Kings 1: 16). Then,
because of Mordecai’s refusal to bow and worship, Haman reacted in a manner
which went far beyond Mordecai’s actions alone.
Haman, because of Mordecai’s refusal to bow and worship, sought to slay
not only Mordecai but all of the Jewish people dispersed throughout the
kingdom.
Haman knew that the Jews in the
kingdom followed laws which were different than the laws of the Medes and
Persians. Further, he could only have
known that the Jews were a monotheistic people, and the laws which they
followed were the laws of their God.
And, knowing these things, he knew that all of the Jews in the kingdom
which he controlled under Ahasuerus, following the laws of their God, would do
the same thing which Mordecai had done.
They, as well, would refuse to bow before him and worship. And, as a result, Haman issued a decree,
validated by the king, that all of the Jews throughout the kingdom were to be
slain.
Following this, beginning
chapter four and leading into chapter five, the Jewish people are seen reacting
to this decree. Because of Haman’s
decree, and the dire straits in which this decree left the Jewish people, Jews
throughout the kingdom arrayed themselves in sackcloth and ashes; then the
queen, arraying herself in royal apparel (proper apparel [cf. Esther 4: 21),
entered into the inner court of the King’s house and appeared in the king’s
presence on behalf of the Jewish people.
And it is at this point in the
book that matters began to change rapidly relative to both Haman and the Jewish
people. In one respect, Haman, at this
time, is seen at the height of his power. He is seen possessing everything, with the
fate of the Jewish people resting in his hands. But in another respect,
Haman, at this time, is seen nearing the end of his power. He
is seen about to lose everything, with the Jewish people about to be delivered
from his hands.
Then, beyond that, the Jewish
people at this point in the book are seen as a people who, following
deliverance, are about to come into possession of all that which Haman possessed -
his house, and his position in the kingdom (8: 1-7; 10: 3).
In the latter part of chapter
five - after the Jewish people had arrayed themselves in sackcloth and ashes, and after the queen had gone in before the king -
Haman called attention to that which he now possessed, in his exalted
position. He spoke of the glory of his
riches, his large family (which included ten sons), his position in the kingdom
above all the other princes, and his being the only person in the entire
kingdom whom the queen had invited (with the king) to a banquet (vv. 11, 12).
But there was one problem
insofar as Haman was concerned, which, until the matter was resolved, cancelled
out everything else:
“Yet all this availeth me nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting
at the king’s gate” (v. 13; cf. v. 9).
The Jews in the type, in the
person of Mordecai, were seen as a people whose laws were different than the
laws of the Medes and Persians. They
would not bow down and worship Haman, which brought about his wrath. But the
entirety of the matter is brought to an apex because of a position in which
Mordecai is continually seen to occupy in the book - seated in
the king’s gate. And this fact, combined with the former,
was something which could have only been uppermost in Haman’s thinking after
the Jews had been brought to the place where they are seen arraying themselves
in sackcloth and ashes, along with the queen appearing before the king (arrayed
in royal garments) on the Jew’s behalf.
In the antitype, matters will be
exactly the same. The Jews will be seen
as a people whose laws are different than the Gentile nations. They will not bow down and worship Antichrist,
which will bring about his wrath. But, as in Haman’s day, the entirety of the
matter will not be brought to an apex because of any attitude which the Jews
may have toward Antichrist, his ascribed deity, and their laws. Rather, it will be brought to an apex because
of the position which the Jews will hold - seated in the King’s gate. And
this fact, combined with the former, will have to be something uppermost in
Antichrist’s thinking after the Jewish people have been brought to the place
where they will have no choice but to call upon the God of their fathers (in
complete accord with the type, seen in both Mordecai’s and Esther’s actions).
This entire scene in the
antitype will begin to occur near the end of the Tribulation, for it will only be
at this time (with the Jewish people having almost completed their passage
through “the time of Jacob’s trouble” [Jer. 30:7], having
endured Antichrist’s wrath for almost three and one-half years) that the Jewish
people will be brought to the place of repentance. Thus, it will be at this time that Antichrist
will be seen in the antitype viewing himself at the height of his power, as
Haman in Esther chapters three through five.
Yet, exactly as in Haman’s case, he will know that all of this power and
prestige will avail him nothing as long as
Antichrist, as Haman, will
initially vent his wrath upon the Jewish people because of their refusal to
worship him. But also, exactly as in the
type, Antichrist’s wrath will be exhibited in its fullness because of the
position held by the Jewish people within God’s economy - the ones
seated in the King’s gate. Or, as ultimately seen through Esther, it
would be the ones crowned and arrayed in royal apparel (who, alone, are destined to enter into
the inner court of the King’s house on the third day [5:
1; cf. Hosea 6: 1, 2], clothed in royal apparel, for no one
will be able to enter clothed in sackcloth [4: 2]).
It was at this time that Haman
vented his wrath against the Jewish people in all its fullness by building a
gallows upon which he planned to impale Mordecai; and it will be at this time,
in the antitype, that Antichrist will vent his wrath against the Jewish people
in a manner causing conditions to ultimately become such that “except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved” (Matt. 24: 22).
It will also be at this time,
through Gentile persecution which has lasted for centuries and millenniums, that the Jewish people will finally be brought
to the place where God has been working to bring them. And, once the Jewish people have been brought
to this place, God will step in and begin to rapidly bring about changes.
As things began to rapidly
change for both Haman and the Jewish people at this point in the type, so will
it be in the antitype. Why? The answer, whether type or antitype, is the
same.
In the type, Haman
had raised his hand against the Jewish people, bringing them to the place where they had arrayed themselves in
sackcloth and ashes, with the queen going in before the king (on the third day,
arrayed in royal apparel) on their behalf.
And in the antitype, Antichrist will raise his hand against the
Jewish people, bringing them
to the place of repentance, a place where the Jewish people (who are to appear
before the King on the third day, arrayed in royal apparel) will have no choice
but to call upon the God of their fathers.
In the preceding respect, God
brought two things to pass in the type: (1) Haman had filled his cup of
iniquity, which God had both measured and allowed (cf. Gen. 15: 16); and (2) the
Jewish people, through God delivering them into Haman’s hands, for a time, had
been brought to the place in which God had promised to intervene on
their behalf (cf. Ex. 2: 23-25; 3: 9-12; Lev. 26: 39-42).
Haman’s wise men, along with
Haman’s wife, possibly summed up and stated the whole of the matter best after
Haman began his fall. And because of the
nature of their statement, as it pertained to the issue at hand, the Holy
Spirit saw fit to move the writer of this book to record the statement for all
to read, throughout all time:
“If Mordecai be of the seed of the Jews, before whom thou hast
begun to fall, thou shalt not prevail against him, but shalt surely fall before
him” (6: 13b).
And the antitype will be no
different, with the statement from Esther 6: 13b
applying equally to Antichrist and the Jews in that coming day as it applied to
Haman and the Jews over twenty-four hundred years ago. When Antichrist, through venting his wrath
upon the Jewish people, causes them to come to the place of repentance toward
God (the place to which God will bring them through delivering them into Antichrist’s
hands, for a time, allowing Antichrist to vent his wrath upon them), things
will begin to change rapidly.
Antichrist’s fall will begin at
this point and will occur in the same rapid and complete manner seen in Haman’s
fall. This last king of
Nebuchadnezzar
was at the height of his power when he lifted up his eyes and said,
“Is not this
great
But before the king had even
finished speaking, a voice from heaven revealed that the kingdom would be taken
from him and that he would be driven out into the field, among the animals, to
live and to eat grass, for seven years (a complete period of time). And the same hour God brought the matter to pass, exactly as He had revealed to Nebuchadnezzar (v. 33).
And Belshazzar, during what
could possibly be considered the height of his reign, not only defiled vessels
taken from the temple in Jerusalem at a drunken feast in Babylon but, at the
same time, praised “the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood,
and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know.” And Belshazzar, also at this time, failed to
acknowledge and glorify the God responsible even for his very life - the One
responsible for man’s “breath,” which provides life (Dan. 5: 1-4, 23; cf. Gen.
2: 7).
At the very time that these
things were occurring, God stepped in and began to rapidly bring about changes.
God first revealed a message of doom through the fingers of a man’s hand
writing four words upon the wall – “Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin” (words
interpreted for the king by Daniel, a Jew [Dan. 5:
5,25-28; cf. Psa. 147: 19, 20]): God had numbered and finished
Belshazzar’s kingdom, Belshazzar had been weighed in the balances and had been
found wanting, and his kingdom had been divided and given to the Medes and the
Persians.
Then, that very night, bringing
matters to pass in complete accord with that which had been written upon the
wall, two things were taken from Belshazzar -
his breath, and his kingdom. Belshazzar was slain; and the kingdom
passed into the hands of the Medes and the Persians, setting the stage for
later events as seen in the Book of Esther (vv. 30,
31).
Belshazzar hadn’t learned the
lesson from Nebuchadnezzar’s previous experiences along similar lines. Rather, he made similar mistakes and paid a
similar price. And Antichrist will not
have learned the lesson through Haman’s previous experiences in the type. Rather, he, in the antitype, will make exactly
the same mistakes and will
pay exactly
the same price which Haman
made and paid.
Thus, God will bring matters to
pass in a similar swift manner for the last king of
One simply cannot do that which Haman did and escape
God’s wrath. If a person could, God, by
allowing such to occur, would be violating that which He has set forth in His
unchangeable Word - an impossibility (cf. Gen. 12:
1-3; Psa. 12: 6, 7; 138: 2).
And, on the same basis, one
simply cannot do that which
Antichrist will do and escape God’s wrath.
When Antichrist raises his hand against the Jewish people in that coming
day, his fate, as Haman’s in the type, will be sealed.
(Though God is not dealing with
Israel on a national basis during the present dispensation, the principles
which God has set forth in His Word surrounding Israel must not only remain
true and valid but must remain in effect as well [e.g., Gen. 12: 2, 3]. And,
with that in mind, note something which will illustrate this matter, regardless
of the dispensation or time.
World War II in Europe
[1939-1945] was not lost by
God will allow Antichrist to
exercise power over the Jewish people for a time, as seen in Haman’s exercise
of power over the Jewish people for a time in the type. But, when God’s plans and purposes for
allowing this to occur have been brought to pass, exactly as seen in the type, things
will begin to change rapidly.
That is to say, when God has
used Antichrist’s wrath to bring His Own plans and purposes to pass - God using
man’s wrath to effect praise (Psa. 76: 9, 10) - then things will begin to change
rapidly. And when these things do begin to change,
Antichrist, at the zenith of his power, is going to suddenly
and swiftly not only find
himself removed from power but he will find himself, as well, in the same
position which he had sought for the Jewish people. And, again, this will occur exactly as in the
type
A CROWN OF TWELVE STARS
Both Mordecai seated
in the gate and Esther seated
on the throne are positions
referred to over and over in the Book of Esther (e.g., 2: 17,19, 21; 4: 2; 5: 1, 9, 12, 13;
6: 10, 12; 7: 5). And “the gate,” as “the throne,” points to a place of regality in the kingdom. Both point to two different facets of the
same thing (ref. Chapter 3).
The Book of Esther deals with
God’s wrath from a two-fold perspective.
The book deals with the purpose for God’s wrath (to bring
In the type in the Book of
Esther, Mordecai is seen seated in the king’s gate and Esther is seen crowned
as queen at the same time Haman occupies power under the king. How could this possibly foreshadow that which
will occur in the antitype, for
The answer can be found in
Revelation chapter twelve, comparing Scripture with Scripture. Note how this chapter begins:
“And there
appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon
under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars” (v. 1).
It is evident from subsequent
revelation in the chapter that the “woman” represents
Note that the woman (v. 1), during the time that Antichrist is in
power, seated on Satan’s throne (v. 3; cf. Rev. 13: 2), is seen crowned. In
fact, exactly as in the Book of Esther, both
But note that there is a
difference in the regality in the antitype, which would be the same difference
seen in the positions occupied by Mordecai and Haman in the type.
In the type, though Mordecai is
seen seated in the king’s gate, he
didn’t actually hold a position of power in the kingdom. This continued reference to his position at
the king’s gate portended the position which he was about to hold.
In the antitype, matters are exactly
the same. Though
There are two words used for
crown in the Greek text of the first three verses of Revelation chapter
twelve. The word used in verse one,
relative to the crown upon the woman’s head, is stephanos. And
the word used in verse three, relative to the seven crowns upon the seven heads
associated with the dragon, is diadema.
The change in words for “crown” in the text reveals one thing:
(For additional information
concerning the use of stephanos and diadema in the
preceding respect, refer to the Appendix [Apx. I]. Also, see the
author’s book, JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST revised edition], Chapter XII.)
Then, aside from viewing the,
matter in the preceding respect through Mordecai alone, that seen through
Esther seated on the throne depicts another facet of the type. Note that Esther reveals herself to be a Jew
only when it is time for Haman to be put down (at the end of two days, on the
third day [cf. Esther 5: 1; 7: 4-6; Hosea 6: 1, 21),
which was following the Jewish people’s appearance in sackcloth and ashes and
Esther’s appearance before the king. It
will be at this time in the antitype when the stephanos upon the woman’s head will change to a diadem (similar to Christ appearing in Rev. 19: 12 with diadems upon His head rather than crowns
depicted by the word stephanos [as in Rev. 14: 14],
immediately before Antichrist is put down).
Thus, the manner in which
regality is seen relative to
FAVOUR IN THE KING’S SIGHT
The stage is set in Esther
chapters four and five for that which is about to occur - the Jewish people
being brought to the place where they array themselves in sackcloth and ashes,
along with Esther appearing before the king (arrayed in royal apparel) on
behalf of the Jews in the kingdom.
Then, in chapters six and seven,
things begin to rapidly transpire in a completely different manner than in the
past - things which in a very short period of time carry Haman from the top to
the bottom. Haman suddenly finds his
world turned upside-down.
The sequence begins with Haman
holding a high regal position directly under the king, a position to which the
king himself had elevated him; and, in this position, the fate of the Jewish
people had been placed in his hands. Then, all at once, by command of the king,
Haman found himself being humiliated at the hands of a Jew; and he was
powerless to do anything about the matter (6: 10-12). And shortly after that, Haman found himself
in particular circumstances, which resulted in his being impaled upon a gallows
at the command of the king, because of a Jew; and, again, Haman was powerless
to do anything about it (7: 6-10).
But why did these things
occur? Why were
matters so completely turned around?
The answer is given in the Book of Esther and elsewhere in
Scripture. This complete change occurred
because of two things: (1) that which the Jewish people did, and (2)
God keeping his promises to the Jewish
people.
(1) “WHAT
IS THY REQUEST”
There is really nothing more
fundamental in the study of the Jewish people in Scripture than that which is
outlined in the Book of Esther. But how
many Christians know and understand these things? Or, how many Jews know these things, or are
willing to admit them? Or, how many
Gentiles (and, yes, even many Christians)
know why they are singling the Jewish
people out for persecution?
The answer to the questions is
simply, very few to none. Very few Christians have any
understanding at all concerning that which Scripture teaches concerning Israeli
persecution; the Jewish people, spiritually dead, are in no position to either
understand or admit the truth about Israeli suffering at the hands of the
Gentiles; and the Gentiles, also spiritually dead, along with being alienated
from “the commonwealth [‘citizenship’]
of Israel” (Eph. 2: 12),
are in no position to understand that which they are doing as well.
But the simple truth of the
matter has been set forth in God’s unchangeable Word for all to see.
Down through the centuries God
has allowed the Jewish people, because
of their disobedience, to be dispersed among and persecuted by the Gentile
nations. The matter surrounding
And disobedience is
the direction which the Jewish people took.
Then, God, in complete accord with His Word, uprooted and drove His
people from their land and scattered them among the Gentiles, where they have
found no rest. And dispersed among the
nations in this manner, they have been, are being, and will continue to be
persecuted by these same nations, until...
And the thought of the Jewish
people being dispersed among and persecuted by the Gentiles, until, presents the other side to the
matter. God has allowed, continues to
allow, and will continue to allow this persecution to occur at the hands of the
Gentiles, for a purpose. God has
delivered His people into the hands of the Gentile nations, to
effect their ultimate repentance, in order that His plans and purposes concerning
And to bring this about will
take more than 6,000,000 Jews being slain in the death camps in
This is why God will deliver the
Jewish people into this man’s hands for three and one-half years. Through this man’s actions, that which
occurred in
It will take this type Gentile
persecution to bring the Jewish people to the place seen during Moses’ Day,
when they were forced to cry out to the God of their fathers; it will take this
type Gentile persecution to bring the Jewish people to the place seen in Esther
chapters four and five, where the Jews arrayed themselves in sackcloth and
ashes, along with Esther going in (arrayed in royal apparel) before the king.
All of these things,
foreshadowed by these two types, will occur in the antitype at a future date,
under the reign of the future Assyrian, for a purpose. This is what individuals don’t seem to
understand about Jewish persecution at the hands of the Gentile nations - past,
present, or future. But this is so
fundamental to any correct Biblical interpretation
surrounding
But the preceding is simply not
the case, in either instance. Christians
are interested in other things, even if
But all of that is immaterial,
for the entire matter concerning how God has decreed that His plans and
purposes surrounding
[* NOTE. The
author does not believe that part of the
(2) IT SHALL BE EVEN GIVEN THEE...
God has been working with the
Jewish people through centuries and millenniums of time in order to bring them to
one place, for one purpose. That
place has to do with their repentance, and that purpose has to do with regality.
The means which God will use to
bring Israel to this place is seen in Esther chapter three; Israel
being brought to this place is seen in chapters four and five; then, that which
God will then do, along with God’s purpose for bringing Israel to this place, is seen in succeeding chapters
(chs. 6-10).
When
Haman was put down, and
Antichrist will be put down. The house
of Haman was given to a Jew, and the house of Antichrist will be given to the
Jews. Deliverance was provided for the
Jewish people, and deliverance will be provided for the Jewish people. And a Jew occupied the position which Haman
had occupied, and the Jewish people will subsequently occupy the position which
Antichrist will occupy.
This is what the Book of Esther is about - God, through His
means, in His time, bringing His people to the place which they were called to
occupy in the beginning, the place which they are seen occupying at the end of
this book.
*
* *
7
Haman’s Fall from Power
Yet all this availeth me nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting
at the King’s gate.
... If Mordecai be of the seed of the Jews, before whom thou hast begun to
fall, thou shalt not prevail against him, but shalt surely fall before him (Esther 5: 13; 6: 13b).
Haman, in Esther chapter five,
is seen at the height of his power, with the Jewish people having been
delivered into his hands. Then, matters
in both respects began to suddenly and swiftly change. Through commands of the king, Haman was first
humiliated
at the hands of a Jew; and
there was nothing whatsoever that
he could do about the matter. Then Haman
found himself under the sentence of death and impaled upon a gallows because of a few; and, again, there was nothing
whatsoever that he could do
about the matter.
Then, if that wasn’t enough, all
which Haman possessed - his house, and his position in the kingdom -
ultimately passed into the hands of the Jews.
And bringing matters to pass after this fashion was something completely
out of his hands as
well. Though he possessed power directly
under the king, he was powerless to
effect any type change in the direction which matters took at this time.
What precipitated Haman’s fall,
particularly the manner in which it occurred?
The answer is very simple. Haman made a fatal mistake upon his rise to power, setting in
motion a particular course of events.
Haman not only raised his hand
against the Jewish people but, in the process, he went to extreme measures and
sought to destroy all the Jews in the kingdom.
And this not only sealed Haman’s fate at the outset, but it sealed Haman’s fate in a
particular manner.
The laws of the harvest came
into view for Haman at this time. A
person not only always reaps the same thing which he sows - like for like - but he also always reaps more than he sows. As
in Hosea 8: 7, if he, in like fashion to Haman, sows “the wind,” he will reap “the whirlwind” (the
word translated “whirlwind” is in an intensive
form in the Hebrew text, pointing to a violent, tornado-like whirlwind).
And these laws of the harvest
relate not only to curses but to
blessings as well – “... I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth
thee...” (cf. Gen. 1: 11, 12, 21, 24,
25; 12: 1-3; Prov. 22: 8; Matt. 13: 8; Luke 19:
13-24; Gal. 6: 7-9). According to Gen.
12: 3 (which has to do with
the descendants of Abraham through Isaac and Jacob), in the light of the laws
of the harvest. two things are in view: (1) God
will abundantly
bless individuals because of
their positive treatment of the Jewish people, or (2) God will bitterly curse individuals because of their negative treatment of the Jewish
people (cf. Matt. 25: 31-46).
Thus, Haman could not escape reaping
that which he had sown in this respect; nor can anyone else, for no one can escape set laws which God
has established. Haman could not simply
be removed from power, with that being the end of the matter. Rather, his fall must show a reaping in keeping
with established laws of the harvest. He
must not only
reap that which he had sown but he must also reap more than he had sown, “in due season” (which points to another law of the harvest - reaping occurs
at a set time, following the sowing).
In connection with a reaping of
this nature, there is an irony seen in Haman’s experiences in the Book of
Esther, which will be duplicated in Antichrist’s experiences in the antitype.
Haman’s fall occurred “in due season,” resulting from that which he had sown. Haman, through anti-Semitism of the worst
kind - attempted genocide - brought the Jewish people to the place where they,
in turn, brought about his downfall.
Instead of destroying the Jewish people, Haman brought them to a place which, because of the identity of and God’s
promises to the people whom he had sought to
destroy, resulted in his own destruction.
God, in order to bring His plans
and purposes surrounding the Jewish people to pass, delivered the Jewish people
into Haman’s hands, for a time. And
Haman, through attempted genocide, brought the Jewish people into the very
place which not only resulted in their deliverance but in his destruction.
Haman brought the Jewish people
to the place where Jews throughout the kingdom arrayed themselves in sackcloth
and ashes, along with Esther appearing before the king on behalf of her
people. Then, with the king acting on
behalf of the Jewish people, things began to change. And this change was both sudden and rapid.
In the
antitype, God, in order to bring His plans and purposes surrounding the Jewish
people to pass, will deliver them into Antichrist’s hands, for a time (for
three and one-half years). And
Antichrist, through attempted genocide, will bring the Jewish people into the
very position which will not only result in their deliverance but in his destruction.
Antichrist will bring the Jewish
people to the place where Jews throughout his worldwide kingdom will have no
choice other than to repent and turn from their disobedience (foreshadowed by
the Jewish people in the type arraying themselves in sackcloth and ashes [cf. Jonah 3: 5-10]); and the Jewish people in that day
will call upon the God of their fathers for deliverance (foreshadowed by Esther
appearing before the king and subsequently petitioning the king on behalf of
her people).
When these things occur, the
King will not only hear and remember but will also act on behalf of the
Jewish people. And changes will then
begin to occur, in a sudden and rapid manner.
Haman fell under God’s judgment at
the very beginning, at the
time he raised his hand against the Jewish people, with the magnitude of that judgment being determined by
the laws of the harvest. And, through
his anti-Semitic policies and practices, Haman, in the end - completely
contrary to that which he had set out to accomplish - brought about deliverance for the Jews and destruction for himself.
And in a parallel, previous type
in the Book of Exodus - the Israelites in Egyptian bondage, under an Assyrian
ruler - exactly the same thing can be seen as set forth in the Book of
Esther. The Books of Exodus and Esther
simply present two word pictures of the same thing from two different
perspectives. And, in this respect, one
will shed light upon and form commentary material for the other.
Note how
matters are presented in the Book of Exodus when the Israelites were brought
into such dire straits that they had no place to turn other than to the God of
their fathers. And the irony of the
matter was the same as seen in Esther ‑ the one persecuting the
Israelites would ultimately be responsible for both their deliverance and his own destruction:
... they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of
the bondage.
And God heard their
groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with
Jacob.
And God looked upon
the children of
And the Lord said, I
have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in
And I am come down to deliver
them...” (Ex. 2: 23b-25; 3: 7, 8a).
God, as seen in the type in the
Book of Exodus, in the immediate future under Antichrist, will once again bring
the Israelites into such dire straits that they will have no choice other than
to call upon the God of their fathers. And, when this occurs, the Jewish people
have the promise that God will hear, remember, and act - as
in the types, or as in God’s promises such as those in Lev. 26: 40-42 and 2 Chron. 7: 14.
Antichrist, as the Assyrian
during Moses’ day, or as Haman during Esther’s day, will bring the Jewish
people into such dire straits that they will have no choice other than to do
that seen in the types - calling upon the God of their fathers, an arrayal in
sackcloth and ashes, and a petitioning of the king on the behalf of the Jewish
people (all foreshadowing different facets of that seen in Lev. 26: 40; 2 Chron. 7: 14; Isa. 1: 16-19).
And, exactly as in the types, God will then hear, remember, and act (as promised in Lev.
26: 42; 2 Chron. 7: 14; Isa.
1: 25ff).
In one type, the Israelites were
delivered, and the power of
And so will it be in the
antitype. The Jewish people will be
delivered, and Gentile world power, as it has existed for the past 2,600 years,
will be destroyed through the overthrow of Antichrist and his ten-kingdom
federation.
Christ,
personally, will appear and overthrow Antichrist and those ruling with
him. The “Stone”
(Christ) will smite the “image upon
his feet” (feet having ten toes, pointing to Antichrist’s ten-kingdom
federation, the final form of Gentile world power); and through this revealed
means, the whole of Gentile world power, headed up under Antichrist in that
coming day, will be destroyed.
And Gentile world power, once
destroyed, will “become like the chaff of the summer threshing floors,” which
the wind will carry away. Gentile world
power, in that day, will pass out of existence; and the Stone which smote the
image at its feet will become “a great mountain
[kingdom]” and fill “the whole earth” (Dan.
2: 34, 35, 44, 45).
In this respect, as in the case
of the Assyrian in Egypt during Moses’ day, or as in the case of Haman in the Medo-Persian
kingdom during Esther’s day, so will it be in that future day when the last
Assyrian, the latter-day Haman, arises in the world. God, through delivering the Jewish people
into this man’s hands, for a time, will use this man to bring His plans and
purposes to pass. Then, as in all past
anti-Semitism, God will judge this man in exact accord with that which He has
set forth in His Word (cf. Gen. 12: 1-3).
HAMAN’S END
When things began to rapidly go awry
for Haman, he was first humiliated at the hands of a Jew. And this was not humiliation at the hands of
just any Jew. Rather, this was
humiliation at the hands of the Jew who sat in the king’s gate, who had refused
to bow and worship Haman. This was the
Jew toward whom Haman had first vented his wrath, resulting in his ultimate
fall and the Jewish people’s deliverance.
God used
this particular Jew to first humiliate Haman as his rapid fall from power began
to occur. The “due season” for reaping was at hand, and there must not only be a reaping but it
must be in complete keeping with God’s set laws surrounding the harvest. Haman had sown “the wind,” and now he must “reap
the [violent] “whirlwind.”
Esther chapter three records
Haman’s rise to power and his exhibited hatred for the Jewish people, carried
to the point of attempted genocide.
Chapters four and five record the action which the Jewish people took,
because of that which Haman had done.
They arrayed themselves in sackcloth and ashes, and Esther appeared
before the king on the Jewish people’s behalf.
Then, in chapter six, suddenly matters began to change rapidly.
Haman, in chapter six, is seen
appearing at the king’s house early in the day in order “to speak unto the king” about impaling Mordecai “on the gallows that he
had prepared for him” the previous day (v. 4). And he stood in the outer court at this time,
making his presence known, awaiting a summons to appear in the king’s presence
in order to make known his request.
But the king hadn’t been able to
sleep during the preceding night; and, to pass the time and keep up with events
in the kingdom that he ruled, he had “the book of the
records of the chronicles” brought into his chambers.
The king made inquiry concerning
that which had been done to reward Mordecai concerning this deed. And he was told that nothing had been done. The king immediately realized that the matter
had not been handled properly at all, and he needed someone to rectify the
existing situation.
Looking for such a person to
carry out his wishes along these lines, he asked, “Who is in the court?” And he was told, “Behold, Haman standeth in the court.” Then, with Mordecai uppermost in both Haman’s
thoughts and the king’s thoughts - though for entirely different reasons - the
king said, “Let him come in” (vv.
3-5).
After Haman had entered into the
king’s presence, the king, before Haman could make know his request, asked
Haman a question. The king asked, “What shall be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour?” And
Haman, not knowing anything about that which had preceded,
thought the king had him in mind. Haman, self-centered
in the whole matter of things occurring in the kingdom, thought in his heart, “To whom would the king
delight to do honour more than to myself” (v. 6)?
Haman had no idea that a Power
far higher and mightier than existed in the kingdom - the source of all power - had begun a work which would reverse everything. It would lead first to Haman’s humiliation
and death, and then it would culminate in the exaltation of the Jewish people.
The king hadn’t been able to
sleep during the previous night. The
king, during this time, asked for “the book of the
records of the chronicles.” Then he found a
particular place in the book where Mordecai’s deed was recorded. Why did this sequence of events occur at this
particular time? The reason is evident.
God, in His sovereign control of
all events and circumstances, brought these things to pass. “... he that keepeth
And the king wouldn’t be allowed
to sleep for another reason, seen in the type-antitype structure of the book.
The king typified the One Who neither slumbers nor sleeps, with
In this respect, the “due season” for Haman to reap that which he had sown was at
hand. And Haman, reaping that which he had
sown, began his sudden and rapid fall early in the day, immediately following a
night in which both the king couldn’t sleep and Mordecai’s act had been brought
to his attention. Then, all in the same
day, Haman
was humiliated at the hands of a Jew and subsequently slain because of a Jew.
(1) HAMAN HUMILIATED
Haman, believing that the king
was talking about him when asking what
should be done for the man whom the king delighted to honour, answered with the same
self-centered mind-set seen in Satan’s previous actions when he had sought to
exalt his throne (Isa. 14: 13, 14).
Haman, with himself in mind, said
that the person should be arrayed in royal apparel, with a crown placed upon
his head. Then he should be allowed to
sit on the king’s own horse, with a noble prince leading the horse through the
street of the city, proclaiming before the one seated on the horse, “Thus shall it be done
to the man whom the king delighteth to honour” (vv. 6-9).
Then, with the king’s next
words, the bottom dropped out of Haman’s world.
The king said to Haman,
“Make haste, and
take the apparel and the horse, as thou hast said, and do so even to Mordecai
the Jew, that sitteth at the king’s gate: let nothing fail of all that thou hast spoken” (v. 10).
Haman had appeared in the king’s
presence to speak with him about impaling Mordecai on the gallows which he had
prepared for him only hours before.
However, because of the previous intervention of the One Who never slumbers
nor sleeps - typified by the king, being unable to sleep - the king was the
first to raise an issue surrounding Mordecai (note God’s providential control
of all things, typified by the king’s control of all things). Haman now had no choice other than to do as
the king had commanded; and, being forced to follow the king’s command, Haman
began his trip down a path of utter humiliation and no return - first, at the hands of Mordecai, and then because of Esther.
Haman, prior to his subsequently
being removed from power via death, was forced to array Mordecai in royal
apparel, see to it that he was seated on the king’s own horse, lead the horse
through the street of the city, and proclaim before Mordecai, seated on the
horse, that this was the one whom the king delighted to honour.
Haman was forced to do this for
the one whom the king knew was seated at his gate, the very one about to
replace him in the kingdom, the one whom he had sought to impale on a gallows
which he had built for that purpose.
After Haman had done as the king
commanded, two things are seen in the text:
“And Mordecai
came again to the king’s gate. But Haman
hasted to his house mourning, and having his head covered” (v. 12).
Mordecai’s position at the
king’s gate portends regal power in the kingdom, which he was about to possess (ref. Chapter 3); and this was portended
in another respect by his being arrayed in royal apparel and being led through
the street of the city on the king’s horse.
Haman, before he was slain, was forced, by the king’s command, to openly
demonstrate Mordecai’s connection with regality (the very power which he himself possessed) through carrying out
that which he himself said should be done to the man whom the king delighted to
honour.
Haman, through being forced to
carry this out, suffered a degrading humiliation, which could only have been
vastly different than anything he had ever come close to experiencing prior to
this time. And this happened in the life
of a man at the height of his power, ruling directly under the king.
Then, when Haman appeared at his
home, mourning, with his head covered (humiliated in his own house), his wife
and his wise men perhaps summed up and stated the whole of that which was
occurring best:
“If Mordecai be of
the seed of the Jews, before whom thou hast begun to fall, thou shalt not
prevail against him, but shalt surely fall before him” (v. 13b).
Haman, because of that which he
had done to the Jews, was on the way down.
He was in the process of reaping that which he had sown. And his reaping would not only be in
exact keeping with that which he had sown and how he had sown, but it would occur, as well, in a
rapid and concluding manner.
(2) HAMAN SLAIN
The next step in Haman’s
fall is seen in chapter seven.
Esther, through a sequence of events surrounding a royal banquet,
brought about circumstances resulting in Haman’s death immediately after he had
been humiliated at the hands of Mordecai.
He was first humiliated at the hands of a Jew; now, later that same day, he
was to
be slain because of a Jew.
It was while Haman spoke with
those in his home concerning events which had occurred earlier in the day that
the king’s servants appeared in order to hurriedly escort him to a banquet which Esther had prepared (6: 14). Because
of that which Haman had done, necessitating his reaping the violent whirlwind, God wasted no time moving him from the
place of utter humiliation to the place of death.
Haman, hurriedly escorted to the banquet, had another surprise awaiting him; and this again came at
the hands of a Jew. This time though he wouldn’t be returning
to his home with his head covered, to mourn.
This time his lifeless form would be carried back to
his house and impaled upon the very gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai.
(The gallows was located “in the house of Haman” [7: 9]. The term “house” is an all-inclusive term, indicating all which Haman possessed. The
gallows was located somewhere on his property.
Also, the normal use of a
gallows in that day was not as an instrument of death itself but as a place
where those already slain were to be impaled, as an open display of guilt,
humiliation, etc. [e.g., Esther 9: 10, 13, 14]. Haman was apparently slain
before being impaled on the gallows. And
being impaled upon the gallows, especially this particular gallows, would simply be a continuation of the
humiliation which Haman had
previously experienced - humiliated in both life and in death, demonstrating
publicly his guilt and shame.)
The record of Haman’s death
begins later on the same day that Haman had led Mordecai through the street of
the city, the day following his building the gallows for Mordecai. Haman was with the king at the second part of
Esther’s banquet of wine. And it was
here that Esther made known her petition to the king, which had its origin in
her appearance before the king in chapter five.
The king had previously promised
Esther that her request would be granted, even to the half of his kingdom (5: 3). And
Esther had told the king that her request would be made known at a banquet of
wine which she would prepare for the king and for Haman. The first day, the king repeated his promise
(5: 6);
but Esther delayed her request until the second day of the banquet (5: 7, 8), which
is where chapter seven begins.
Then, at the beginning of the
banquet on the second day, the king again asked Esther about her request. And he once again promised that her request
would be granted, even “to the half of the kingdom” (7: 2).
And Esther then made known her
request:
“If I have found
favour in thy sight, 0 king, and if it please the
king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request:
For we are sold, I and
my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish...” (vv. 3b, 4a).
The king, apparently startled,
then asked Esther:
“Who is he, and where is he, that durst presume in his heart to do so” (v. 5b)?
And
Esther answer,
“The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman” (v. 6a).
The statement is short, simple,
and concise; but it was all Esther needed to say. The one who had come “to the kingdom for such a time as this,” the queen herself, had spoken. And though God could have effected
deliverance for the Jews through another means, had He chosen to do so, He
chose to do it this way (4: 14). Now
Esther’s part was done; and the remainder was left to the king.
Haman, hearing this, was “afraid.” But seeing the
king’s reaction, he could only have become terrified. The king arose from his
place at the banquet and, exhibiting wrath, walked out into the garden. And such an act by an Eastern king in that
day could only mean one thing for the
person responsible for his wrath - judgment without mercy.
Haman knew this, and he knew
that he had only one recourse - to turn to the queen
herself, one now revealed to be among those whom he had sought to destroy. Haman fell down upon the couch where Esther
was reclining at the banquet, to plead for his life. But when the king walked back in and saw
this, matters only became worse. The king apparently interpreted this as
an act of violence committed against the queen herself (vv. 7, 8).
The king
asked, “Will he even assault the queen with
me in the house?” And
as the words went out of the king’s mouth, “they covered Haman’s face” - an act
which
portended impending execution (v. 8b, NASB).
Then the king’s attention was
called to the gallows which stood in Haman’s house, “which Haman had made for Mordecai, who had spoken good for the king.” And the king said, “Hang [‘impale’] him thereon!” (v. 9).
“So they hanged [‘impaled’] Haman on the gallows
that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was
the king’s wrath pacified” (v. 10).
This was the manner in which God
saw fit to bring matters surrounding Haman to an end. Haman was at the height of his power one day,
and he ended that day by building a gallows on which to impale Mordecai. Then, the very next day, he was humiliated
beyond degree and subsequently slain, at the hands of and because of the very
ones that he had sought to slay. And
that day ended with a continued humiliation by his being impaled on the very
gallows which he had built for Mordecai.
And if that wasn’t enough,
Haman’s ten sons (in whom he took great pride [5:
11]) were later slain and impaled on the same gallows. And if that wasn’t enough, the book ends with
Mordecai (whom Haman hated above all others in the kingdom) occupying all which
Haman had possessed - his house, and his position in the kingdom.
Such is the manner in which God
carries out that which He has promised and decreed. And as it occurred in the type, so will it occur
in the antitype, which takes us to the fall of Antichrist and the elevation of
the Jewish people yet future.
ANTICHRIST’S END
If one first views that which
God has revealed about Haman’s end in the Book of Esther, little really needs
to be said about Antichrist’s end, for, in reality, it has already been
said. The whole of the matter has been
set forth in Haman’s experiences in the type, which foreshadow Antichrist’s
experiences in the antitype. And the
antitype must follow the type
in exact detail.
Thus, viewing that which
happened to Haman in the type, one has already seen that which is about to happen to Antichrist in the antitype. And the same holds true concerning the
experiences of Mordecai and Esther in the book.
Seeing that which happened to Mordecai and Esther, one has
already seen that which is
about to happen to the nation of
Antichrist’s end is seen
numerous places in Scripture. He is seen
destroyed in the Sea in Exodus (14: 23-28);
he is seen slain and impaled on a gallows in Esther (7:
10); he is seen coming to a violent end in Daniel
(2: 34, 35, 44, 45; 8: 23-25; 11: 36-45);
and he is seen destroyed by Christ at His coming in the New Testament (e.g., 2 Thess. 2: 8; Rev. 19: 11ff).
Then, exactly as the Jews were
delivered in Exodus, Esther, and Daniel, with regality in view (Ex. 14: 30, 31; 19: 5, 6; Esther 8: 1-7; 10: 2, 3; Dan.
12: 1ff), so will it be yet future (Isa. 1: 25-2:
5; Ezek. 37: 21-28; 39: 25-29). Matters can end no other way for either the persecutor or the
persecuted, for the type has been set; and,
again, the antitype must follow the type
in exact detail.
One section of Scripture will
perhaps suffice to illustrate the end of Antichrist, apart from the types - Isaiah chapter fourteen.
Note that this chapter deals
with the
king of
The things stated in Isa. 14: 12-17 really couldn’t be said of any earthly
king of
In this respect, in verses which
have Satan ultimately in view, the entire career of the last king of Babylon, the
latter-day Assyrian, is outlined
in Isa. 14: 13-17 - from his seeking to exalt himself as
God (vv. 13, 14), to his utter humiliation
and death (vv. 15-17). As it happened to Haman in the type, so will
it happen to this man in the antitype, for the same reasons.
“For thou hast
said in thine heart ... I will be like the most High.
Yet thou shalt be
brought down to hell [Heb., sheol, the place of the dead;
cf. v. 9], to the sides of the pit.
They that see thee
shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is
this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms:
That made the world as
a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of
his prisoners?”
Thus
will this man come to his end - as Haman - with no one to help, for no one will
be able to help (cf. Dan. 11: 45).
* *
*
8
Haman’s House Given to Esther
Then the king said, Hang [impale] him thereon!
So they hanged [impaled] Haman on the gallows
that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then
was the king’s wrath pacified.
On that day did the
king Ahasuerus give the house of Haman the Jews’ enemy unto Esther the queen. And Mordecai came
before the king; for Esther had told what he was unto her.
And the king took off
his ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it unto Mordecai. And Esther sat Mordecai over the house of Haman ...
Then the king
Ahasuerus said unto Esther the queen and to Mordecai the Jew, Behold, I have
given Esther the house of Haman, and him they have hanged [impaled] upon the gallows,
because he laid his hand upon the Jews (Esther
7: 9b, 10; 8: 1, 2, 7).
The Old Testament can be divided
into three major sections - Genesis through Esther (historic), Job through the Song of Solomon (personal and experiential),
and Isaiah through Malachi (prophetic). And
the Book of Esther coming at the end of the first of these three major sections
would be the proper place for this book in the Canon of Scripture.
Insofar as the historical nature
(and much of the typical nature) of that seen throughout the first part of
these three major sections is concerned, Esther - having to do with
This first major section of
Scripture (Genesis through Esther) is often thought of only in the sense of
providing Biblical history, along with spiritual lessons drawn from Biblical
history. However, viewing this section of
Scripture from this perspective alone only presents
part of the picture. This section,
through mainly its type-antitype structure, is highly prophetic in nature. In fact,
from a typical perspective, this first section is just as prophetic in nature as the third section - from
Isaiah through Malachi, containing the major and minor prophets (major and
minor in the sense of length, not importance).
Also, though this first section
centers around
For example, viewing two parts
of Genesis (chs. 2-4 and 23-25),
chs. 2, 3 have to do with Christ and the Church, and ch. 4 has to do with God and
Both aspects of these typical
teachings can be seen in the lives of Joseph
in the latter part of Genesis (chs. 37-45) and Moses
in the first part of Exodus (chs. 2-4).
Both Joseph and Moses took Gentile brides during a time after they
had been rejected by and separated from their brethren (having to do with Christ and the
Church, following Christ’s rejection by and separation from Israel, His
brethren according to the flesh); but the time came when both Joseph and Moses dealt
with their brethren again (having
to do with God and Israel, with that time when God resumes His national
dealings with Israel).
(Much of the preceding is
developed more fully in the author’s books, HAD YE BELIEVED MOSES, THE BRIDE IN
GENESIS, and SEARCH FOR THE BRIDE.)
Then, whole books deal with
matters in this typical manner. Most of
the Book of Exodus deals with God and
And, viewing‑Matters from a different perspective yet,
note that the journey of the Israelites
under Moses and Joshua typifies the journey
of Christians under Christ today. An
earthly
land lay before one in the
type, and a heavenly land lies
before the other in the antitype.
This type-antitype
structure is that which is referenced through the use of the word typos
(type) in the Greek text of 1 Cor.
10: 6, 11; this is the basis upon which particularly the second, third,
and fourth of the five major warnings in Hebrews are to be understood (Heb. 3-10); and this forms the basis of a proper understanding of the entire pilgrim
walk of the Christian today (a journey from Egypt [a type
of the world] to Canaan [a type
of the heavenly land, connected with an
INHERITANCE [which can be lost! (Gal. 5: 21; Eph.
5: 5)] and a REST - [i.e., a “Sabbath-rest,” which we should “fear” lest we “come short of it:” (Heb. 4: 1, 9, 11)]-
awaiting Christians].)
Thus, saying that this first
major section of Scripture is historic in nature, apart from being prophetic, would be far from correct.
Within its typical structure, this section of Scripture is highly
prophetic - as prophetic as any section of subsequent Scripture. And not only are numerous prophecies seen in
the types extending from Genesis through Esther but also in places such as
Balaam’s prophecies (Num. 22-24), or that
seen in God’s promises and warnings to Israel in Lev.
26 and Deut. 28 as well.
This section of Scripture
provides a detailed history of
This is the way in which God
designed and structured this opening section of His Word. And if man would properly understand God’s
revealed Word, he must recognize this fact and study this Word after the same
fashion in which it has been given.
This opening section of
Scripture, from Genesis through Esther, forms the backdrop for not only the second major section
(a section covering five books, from Job through the Song of Solomon) but the
third major section as well (all of the prophetic books, extending from Isaiah
through Malachi). That would be to say,
Genesis through Esther forms the backdrop for the remainder of the Old
Testament. And if man does not understand (or if he
ignores) that placed at the beginning, it will be impossible for him to ever
come into a proper understanding of later revelation (including, of course, the
New Testament as well), for the latter is inseparably tied to and built upon
the former in this respect.
God’s revelation to man is progressive in the sense that it has been designed
so that a proper understanding of later revelation rests on a proper
understanding of former revelation. One
part progresses into the other, and Scripture
must be compared with Scripture - later revelation with later
revelation (1 Cor. 2:
9-13; cf. Isa. 28: 10)
For example, in the second
section, there are numerous Psalms covering not only Israel’s present condition
(scattered among the Gentile nations) but also that which lies in the future
for Israel (the end of Gentile world power. with Israel restored to her land
and elevated to her proper place among the nations [e.g., chs. 2, 8,
22-24, 37, 45-47, 76, 83, 89, 97, 102, 110, 121, 126, 137, 145]). And
these Psalms cannot be properly understood apart from the backdrop provided by
the first section of Scripture.
The fact that numerous Psalms
cannot be properly understood apart from this first section should be easy
enough to understand, for this first section of Scripture reveals the history
of
And all of the prophets present exactly
the same central theme. It is that seen throughout the preceding
Psalms, or the preceding historical books, viewing the latter from both
historical and typical vantage points.
Each of the prophetic books
(seventeen in all, as there are seventeen historic books) deals with different
facets of God’s punishment upon Israel for the nation’s disobedience, followed by
the Jewish people’s repentance, followed by the destruction of Gentile world
power, followed by God restoring Israel. These things comprise the
overriding theme of all Old Testament prophecy as it pertains to
Each of the prophetic books,
beginning with Isaiah, covers, after some fashion, this panorama of Israeli
history - events extending from the time of the nation’s inception almost three and one-half millenniums
ago to
the Messianic Kingdom yet
future. But no two of these seventeen
books cover exactly the same thing, after exactly the same fashion. Each book centers around
a particular and peculiar facet of study within this panorama of events.
In this respect, studying these
prophetic books is much like studying types.
As no one type provides the complete picture in and of itself, no one
Old Testament prophetic book provides the complete picture in and of itself as
well.
Over and over in the Old
Testament - beginning in Genesis - the end of Gen tile world power comes into view. There is an emphasis
placed in this realm, for Gentile world power must be brought to an end before
Gentile
world power is going to come to an end. And its end will be as
depicted in Dan. 2: 34, 35, 44, 45,
among numerous other places in the Old Testament. Christ will return and personally destroy
Gentile world power in its final form, headed up under Antichrist in that
coming day. And once Gentile world power
has been destroyed in this manner, Scripture pictures it as “chaff” thrown into the wind from a threshing floor, being carried
away by that wind.
“A threshing
floor” is used in Scripture to depict judgment. This
is true of God’s judgment upon Christians at the end of this dispensation (cf. Ruth
3: 2ff; Matt. 3: 11, 12), and it is
equally true of God’s judgment upon the Gentile nations at the end of the Tribulation.
If one understands these things
about Gentile world power, the latter part of the Book of Esther will fall
naturally into place. It is simply the
story of God bringing
And to deny that this sequence
of events will occur at the end of Man’s Day is to deny the central theme of
all Old Testament Scripture, as it pertains to
God, through the writers of the
Old Testament, has provided a voluminous amount of information on this
subject; and there is no
reason for anyone today to be uniformed or ignorant concerning that which God
is about to do. It has all been laid out in the
Old Testament Scriptures, beginning with Moses and ending with the Prophets.
THE HOUSE OF HAMAN
A reference to one’s house, such as “the house of Haman,” is often used in Scripture in a different manner than we
would normally think of the expression in the West today. The thought from Scripture, in its broadest
usage, can have to do with all which appertains to that person - all his property, all his possessions,
and all the people associated with him.
Or, note in Heb. 3: 5, 6, the house of Moses and the house of Christ. One
has to do with Israelites, who possessed an earthly calling under Moses during the
past dispensation; and the
other has to do with Christians, who possess a heavenly calling
under Christ during the present dispensation.
Then, the entire nation of
Or the thought of “a house” could be used in a different sense yet, with the context
always being the determining factor. “The house of David” in 2 Sam 7: 16, for example, had to do with David’s
lineage in a regal respect (with
the kingly tribe of
David had sought to build the
Lord a house, but the Lord said that He would make a house out of David instead. God, referring to David’s lineage, stated
that He would establish David’s house - i.e.,
raise up his seed after him (v. 12). And, in this manner, the throne of David
- having to do with not only David but with Messiah, Israel, and the kingdom - would be established “forever” (cf. Ezek. 37: 24-28; Joel 2:
27; Luke 1: 31-33).
The reference to the “house of Haman” in the Book of Esther must be understood in a contextual
respect as well. This is a reference to all
which appertained to Haman -
property, possessions, and
people. And the king giving the house of
Haman to Esther following Haman’s death was simply his giving to Esther all
which had appertained to Haman (8: 1).
Then, after the king had given
the house of Haman to Esther, he removed his ring from his finger. This was the ring which he had previously
both given to and taken from Haman; and he now gave it to Mordecai. All this was then followed by Esther placing
Mordecai over the house of Haman (3: 10; 8: 2).
Mordecai, at this time, came
into possession of all which Haman had previously possessed. The king’s ring (giving him power in the
kingdom [3: 12; 8: 8]) and Haman’s house (property, possessions, and people in the
kingdom) now belonged to Mordecai. He
now held the exact position which Haman had previously held - a
regal position directly under the king, with the delegated authority to exercise power throughout the
kingdom, emanating from the king (cf. 8: 15-17; 10:
1-3).
And
moving this into the antitype, one finds exactly the same thing concerning the
house of Antichrist and the Jewish people. All which will appertain unto
Antichrist in that day will come into possession of the Jewish people following
his being put down, exactly as in the type. The Jewish people, rather than
Antichrist, will possess the King’s ring; and they, coming into possession of
Antichrist’s house, will then rule the house.
This is when and how the Times
of the Gentiles will end. Twenty-six hundred
years of Gentile rule will come to a sudden and climactic end. The
sceptre will pass from the hands of the Gentiles into the hands of the
Jews. The house which the Gentiles had
ruled for millenniums will be placed under Israeli control; and the Jewish
people, as God’s firstborn son, exercising the rights of primogeniture (cf. Ex. 4: 22, 23),
will then rule the house.
(1) THE TIMES OF THE GENTILES
“The times of
the Gentiles” (Luke 21: 24) should never have occurred. That is to
say,
But, because of Jewish
disobedience, God allowed that which has occurred for the past 2,600 years.
And, as it began for a revealed purpose, that purpose will one day be realized,
bringing an end to this period of time. That is to say, the Times of the
Gentiles is about to be brought to an end, for God’s purpose for allowing this time to occur is
about to be realized.
This period known as the Times
of the Gentiles began about 605 B.C. The stage was set over one hundred years
earlier when God allowed the Assyrians to come down and take the northern ten
tribes into captivity in 722 B.C. Assyria was the Gentile world power of that
day; and, over one hundred years later, in 612 B.C., the Babylonians, Medes,
and Scythians conquered this empire, completely destroying its capital city,
Nebuchadnezzar succeeded his
father, Nebopolassar, in 605 B.C. And he not only brought about the beginning
of the Times of the Gentiles by completing the captivity of the Jewish people
(a captivity which began shortly after he came to power), but he also
subsequently brought the
Thus, it was near the beginning
of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign in
The Book
of Daniel deals with the Times of the Gentiles within the scope of that seen in
the four parts of Daniel’s image (ch. 2), or
the four wild beasts (ch. 7).
This period began with a king in
It all revolves around the
Gentiles and
And during the interim,
The Times of the Gentiles exists
for
a purpose. This period exists because
of Jewish disobedience, and
it will not pass out of existence until the reason for God’s purpose
surrounding this period of time has been realized. It will not be brought to an
end until
The beginning and end of the
Times of the Gentiles are inseparably tied to
(2) THE
FINAL YEARS
What then is about to
happen? The answer can be found in
Scripture alone, and it can
be found innumerable places in Scripture. God’s purpose for the
Times of the Gentiles is about to be realized.
And central events which will
occur during this time have been pre-recorded for all to see. Specific reference is made in Scripture to
The nation of
But, through this man’s actions,
God’s
purpose for the Times of the
Gentiles - which really has to do more with
The Jewish people will be
brought into such dire straits through the actions of Antichrist that they will
have no place to turn other than to the God of their fathers. They will be brought to the place of repentance; and, once this occurs, there will no longer
be a need for the Times of the Gentiles.
It will be then, when
THE SCEPTRE
The earth’s sceptre is about to
change hands. Satan, who, with his
angels, rules the earth through the Gentile nations, is about to be put down
(cf. Ezek. 28: 14; Dan. 10: 13-20; Luke 4: 6; Eph.
6: 12); and Christ, with His co-heirs, will then take the kingdom (cf. Rom. 8: 17-20; Heb. 1: 9; 3:14 - 4: 11; Rev. 19: 7-21).
The Gentile nations, during the
present day, rule the earth under Satan in this manner. They, under Satan and his angels, hold the
sceptre.
But the Times of the Gentiles is about to end, Gentiles are about to relinquish the sceptre,
and the nation of
Thus, the government of the
earth is about to undergo a complete change - exactly as seen in the Book of
Esther, though only the Jewish and Gentile side of the matter is presented in
this book. One has to go to the Book of Ruth to see the corresponding other part
of the picture - Christ and His co-heirs taking the kingdom. But viewing the complete picture from both
Ruth and Esther, governmental rule is about to pass from the hands of Satan, his angels, and the Gentile nations into the hands of Christ, His co-heirs, and
the nation of
(1) HELD BY THE GENTILES
The Gentile nations have held
the sceptre - ruling under Satan, who rules under God (in a rebel capacity) -
since the days of Nebuchadnezzar, about 2,600 years ago. And, as previously shown, this has been for a
reason and a
purpose surrounding
That time when
God’s purpose for allowing the
Gentiles to exercise control in this manner will have been realized, and there
will be no further need for the Times of the Gentiles to continue. Furthermore, it will be time for the final
outworking of the principles set forth in Gen. 12:
2, 3. Not only will the sceptre
be taken from the Gentiles and given to Israel, but God - to remain true to His
Word - will have to enact judgment upon the same nations which He used to bring
Israel to the place of repentance (cf. Zech. 1: 14,
15).
This is the
why of the scene which
Scripture presents of the nations both near and at the end of the Tribulation.
Mass chaos will exist among the nations near the end of the Tribulation because
of God’s wrath (Rev. 6: 12 -17; 16: 17-21). Then, at the end of the Tribulation, the
Stone cut out of the mountain without hands will suddenly and swiftly destroy the final form of Gentile world
power, under Antichrist (Psa. 2: 1-5; Dan. 2: 34, 35, 44, 45; Rev. 19: 11ff). Only then will God’s wrath be pacified, as seen in the type in Esther 7: 10.
(2) TO BE HELD BY
During the subsequent Messianic
Era, as previously seen,
God deals with mankind at large
through Abraham and his seed, through Isaac and Jacob. This would have to do with the lineal
descendants of Jacob through his twelve sons (the nation of Israel); it would
have to do with a lineal descendant of Jacob through Judah and David, Who is
destined to sit on David’s throne (Christ); and it would have to do with those
placed “in Christ,” through a work of the [Holy] Spirit during
the present dispensation (Christians).
Blessings in that day will flow out to the nations of the earth through
God’s three firstborn Sons - Christ,
But, again, the Book of Esther
deals only with
The power emanated from the king
in Esther’s day, exactly as it will emanate from the King during that coming
day (cf. Esther 8: 9, 10, 15-17; 9: 1-5; Psa. 2: 6-9; Joel 3: 6-8). Christ will dwell in Israel’s midst, seated
on David’s throne (Joel 2: 27; Luke 1: 31-33); the centre of the [this] earth’s
government will then be Jerusalem, not Babylon, Rome, Washington, or any other Gentile capital city;
and by means of this rule, though administered with “a rod of iron,” the Gentile nations of the earth will be blessed
through Israel.
This is
what the future holds for
* * *
9
Mordecai’s
Rise and Greatness
And Mordecai went out
from the presence of the king in royal apparel of blue and white, and with a
great crown of gold, and with a garment of fine linen and purple: and the city
of
The Jews had light,
and gladness, and joy, and honour.
And in every province,
and in every city, whithersoever the king’s commandment and his decree came, the Jews had joy and gladness, a feast and a good
day. And many of the people of the land
became Jews; for the fear of the Jews fell upon them ...
And the king Ahasuerus
laid a tribute upon the land, and upon the isles of the sea.
And all the acts of
his power and of his might, and the declaration of the greatness of Mordecai,
whereunto the king advanced him, are they not written in the book of the
chronicles of the kings of Media and
For Mordecai the Jew
was next unto king Ahasuerus, and great among the Jews, and accepted of the
multitude of his brethren, seeking the wealth of his people, and speaking peace
to all his seed (Esther 8: 15-17; 10: 1-3).
In chapters one and two of the
Book of Esther, the complete story of the Jewish people is told in brief,
minute form. Then, throughout chapters
three through ten (forming commentary material for chs. 1, 2),
the thought of the Jewish people ultimately occupying their God-ordained place
on earth - as seen in the opening two chapters (a place having to do with regality) - is
continually brought to the forefront.
And, as the sequence of events depicted in the book relative to
Israel and the Gentile nations draws to a close, information surrounding the
Jewish people occupying their proper place within God’s economy is
brought to the forefront in an ever-increasing manner.
Throughout chapters three
through ten, which have to do mainly with a time near and following the end of
Gentile world power (foreshadowing events during the last three and one-half
years of the Tribulation, progressing on into the Messianic Era), regality relative to
Mordecai, at different times
throughout the first part of the book, is seen seated “in the king’s gate” (2: 19; 3: 2, 3; 4: 2, 6; 5: 9,
13; 6: 10, 12), an act
portending regality (cf. Gen. 22: 17, 18; 24: 60). Esther, in chapter five, is
seen appearing before the king in “royal apparel” on
the third day, which is the
time when Israel will appear in the King’s presence arrayed in this manner -
after two days, on the third day; after 2,000 years, in the third 1,000-year period (cf. Hosea 6: 1, 2).
And following Haman’s death (ch. 7), the
whole of chapter eight is given over to thoughts surrounding the
Jewish people and regality. Then, following Haman’s ten sons being
slain (ch. 9), the whole of chapter ten is given over to
thoughts surrounding the Jewish people and regality once again, which is how the book ends.
Events surrounding Haman’s death
at the end of chapter seven foreshadow the destruction of Gentile world power
(headed up under Antichrist) at the end of Man’s Day, resulting in the end of
the Times of the Gentiles. God’s purpose for the Times of the Gentiles will
have been realized, for the Jewish people will have been brought to
the place of repentance.
Then, in chapter nine, another
word picture is given concerning the end of the Times of the Gentiles. Haman’s ten sons (foreshadowing Antichrist’s
ten-kingdom confederacy) are slain and impaled upon the same gallows which
Haman had built for Mordecai, the same gallows upon which Haman had previously
been impaled.
Thus, the whole of that seen in
chapters seven and nine foreshadow the destruction of Antichrist and his
ten-kingdom confederacy, depicting the destruction of Gentile world power at
the end of Man’s 6,000-year Day.
But in chapters eight and ten,
quite another story is seen. The Jewish
people are seen occupying their proper God-ordained place in relation to the [millennial] kingdom
and regality. And this place is seen to
be the highest of all positions in the kingdom on earth - next unto the King (10: 3).
Insofar as the Book of Esther
itself is concerned, chapters seven and nine together present a complete
picture of the end of Gentile world power, and chapters eight and ten together
present a complete picture of Israel in the Messianic Era, following the
destruction of Gentile world power. And
this is where the book ends - Gentile world power destroyed,
And as the book progresses more
and more toward that day,
ANTICIPATING THAT COMING DAY
And to show all these things in
what would be considered the commentary section of the Book of Esther (chs. 3-10), God begins at
the very heart of the matter. Viewing Esther within a type-antitype
frame work, God begins very near the end of Man’s Day and details a sequence of
events, lasting three and one-half years, which brings Man’s Day to a
close. Then, following this sequence of
events, which completes Man’s Day, the Messianic Era is ushered in.
This sequence of events begins
with the rise of Antichrist to a position of world power near the middle of the
coming Tribulation. This will be the man
who, in the antitype of Haman, brings Israeli persecution to an apex - attempted worldwide
genocide. And, as also seen in the type, this will
be the man whom God will use, through this intensified persecution, to bring
Thus, the reason God begins at
this point in the book is evident. The
Book of Esther throughout centers around
Accordingly, Esther chapters
three through ten begin very near the end of the Times of the Gentiles, showing
the final outworking of God’s plans and purposes surrounding the Times of the
Gentiles. God simply moves to near the
end of the matter (not only here but numerous other places in Scripture as
well) and reveals a concluding sequence of events at the end of 2,600 years of
Gentile persecution during the Times of the Gentiles.
The purpose for the Times of the
Gentiles will ultimately be realized.
But,
until that day arrives, matters relative to
(1)
Thus, Israel in the world today
still finds itself in exactly the same position which the Jewish people have
occupied since the days of Nebuchadnezzar - living during the Times of the Gentiles,
scattered among the nations, persecuted by these nations, and still unrepentant. And,
these conditions will, they must, persist until God’s purpose for the Times of the Gentiles has
been realized.
During the Times of the
Gentiles, there have been two restorations of remnants of Jews to the
The first remnant returning to
the land (near the beginning of the Times of the Gentiles) ultimately found
itself uprooted from the land and scattered among the nations. And this exact same fate awaits the second
remnant returning to the land (near the end of the Times of the Gentiles). This remnant too is about to be uprooted from
the land and scattered among the nations, where most of world Jewry still
resides (about one-third of world Jewry is presently in the land, with the
remaining two-thirds still scattered among the nations).
The first remnant was uprooted
in this manner through the actions of Titus and his Roman legions in 70 A.D.
Titus marched against
The second remnant, in the land
today, will be uprooted in a similar manner by Antichrist and his armies.
Antichrist, after three and one-half years (in the middle of the Tribulation,
Daniel’s 70th Week), will turn against the Jewish people, break his seven-year
covenant with
Then, for the last three and
one-half years of the Tribulation,
God’s purpose for the Times of
the Gentiles will then be realized.
Thus, in that coming day, preceded
by Jewish persecution and suffering over millenniums of time, God’s plans and
purposes surrounding
“For the gifts and calling of God are without
repentance [‘without a change of mind’]” (Rom.
11: 29).
The context of Rom. 11: 29 has to do with
The Infinite God, unlike finite
man, does not get in a hurry in matters of this or of any other nature. Nor does God do things as man might seek to
do them.
“For my thoughts
are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.
For as the heavens are
higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts
than your thoughts” (Isa. 55: 8, 9).
God is often seen taking
millenniums to bring His plans and purposes to pass. He is seen working with man in general, with
(2) THE REMNANT PRESENTLY IN THE LAND
As previously seen, the Jewish
people in the world today can be divided into two categories: (a) those in the
land, forming the present nation of
But why is there a segment of
world Jewry back in the land today?
There has been no repentance on
Is this somehow the beginning of
God’s restoration of the Jewish people back to their land, as foretold by the
prophets, anticipating their repentance and that seen at the end of the Book of
Esther? Or, is this something else?
Note a short history of
The present existing Jewish
nation in the
Then, at the beginning of the
20th century,
Chaim Weizmann, a chemist, had
been placed in charge of the Laboratories of British Admiralty during the
war. And, as director, he discovered a
process for synthesizing acetone, a substance necessary for the manufacture of
high explosives - something which helped, in a major way, to bring about an
Allied victory in the war.
Weizmann was an ardent
Zionist. And the British government,
near the end of the war, exercised governmental control over
Weizmann, because of his
contribution to the war effort, in a manner of speaking, was in
Weizmann was the person largely
responsible for Arthur James Balfour
(Foreign Secretary in
“His
Majesty’s government view with favour the establishment in
Then in the late ’30s, WII, with
its Holocaust, began to envelope
And the nation in the land today
can be traced back to the succeeding events of May 14, 1948, when David Ben-Gurion stood beneath a
picture of Theodor Herzl in the Tel Aviv Museum Hall and, shortly before
sunset, declared
Events beginning with Theodor
Herzl and continuing through men such as Chaim Weizmann paved the way and
opened the door for that which occurred in Tel Aviv May 14, 1948. And the Jewish frame of mind, worldwide, at
the conclusion of WWII was the central driving thrust which brought all that
had preceded into reality.
So, again the question: Is the
remnant presently in the land today (approaching 5,000,000 strong) somehow the
beginning of God’s restoration of the Jewish people back to their land, as
foretold by the prophets, anticipating that seen at the end of the Book of
Esther? Or, is this something else?
To address the issue, note two
simple facts: (a) The Times of the Gentiles presently continues, and (b)
And, in keeping with the
preceding, Scripture clearly reveals when God’s purpose for the Times of
the Gentiles will be brought to pass - under the reign of Antichrist yet
future, at the end of Man’s Day. Only
then, not before, will God heal His people, heal their land,
and restore His people to their land within a theocracy.
The remnant presently in the
land is there as a result of Zionism, which, in this case, is little more than finite man’s efforts to
help an infinite God fulfil His plans and purposes - an effort to push God’s plans and purposes ahead of His timetable. Thus, from a Scriptural standpoint, under no
stretch of the imagination could this remnant be said to exist in the land in
fulfilment of Old Testament prophecies concerning God restoring the nation to
its land.
For the latter to be true, God
would be violating His Own Word – [which is] an impossibility.
He would be ignoring the purpose behind the past 2,600 years of Jewish
history - the scattering of a disobedient people among the Gentiles in order to
bring about their repentance. He would
be re-gathering a disobedient and unrepentant people back to a desolate land, during the Times of the Gentiles, before His purpose for scattering these people
among the Gentiles had been realized (e.g.,
Isa. 1: 4-15).
Thus, God re-gathering His
people in fulfilment of the restoration foretold by the Old Testament prophets
is simply not what is presently occurring.
According to Scripture, both
In more ways than one, the
remnant presently in the land has returned before the time. Not only has this remnant
returned before God has completed His purpose for the Times of the Gentiles,
but this remnant has returned while Christ is still exercising His high
priestly ministry in the heavenly sanctuary.
And, according to the type in Numbers chapter thirty-five, the
slayer (Israel, in the
antitype) cannot return to the land of his possession (the land of Israel, in the antitype)
until the death of the high priest (which,
in the antitype, could only have to do with the termination of Christ’s present high priestly ministry after the
order of Aaron, when He departs the heavenly sanctuary and comes forth as the
great King-Priest after the order of Melchizedek).
According
to the type in Numbers chapter thirty-five, for
When Antichrist rises to power
in the immediate future, he will attempt to slay the slayer. He
will break his covenant with
Hitler attempted to bring about
a Jew-free
Thus, to bring matters to pass,
a remnant of Jews has been allowed to return to the land near the end of Man’s
Day, not as part of the prophesied Old Testament restoration of the Jewish
people, but as a Zionistic undertaking which has occurred under God’s sovereign
control of all things. God, in His
sovereignty, has allowed this remnant to return in order to bring about a
conclusion to the outworking of His plans and purposes surrounding the Times of
the Gentiles and Israeli repentance.
(For a detailed discussion of the
slayer in Numbers chapter
thirty-five, refer to the Appendix [Apx. I].)
WHEN THAT DAY
ARRIVES
The day of
Further,
The first festival, the
Passover, has to do with
Israel’s national conversion after Christ returns and the Jewish people (still
scattered among the nations) look upon the One “whom they have
pierced” (Zech. 12: 10). The
Jewish people, in that day, will look upon the Aleph and the Tau (the first and last letters in the Hebrew alphabet, as Alpha and Omega in the Greek alphabet [cf. Rev. 1: 8;
21: 6]). These two letters form an un-translated
word in the Hebrew text of Zech. 12: 10, which follows
and refers back to “me [Christ]” in the verse.
But note within this order where
Then, a restored nation, in a
restored land, during the Messianic Era, is seen through events surrounding the
seventh and last festival - the Feast of Tabernacles. And it is toward this day that the whole
of Scripture moves.
(1) NEXT UNTO THE KING
In that day,
The Jewish people, in that day,
will fulfil the one thing which they have yet to fulfil surrounding their
calling. They, as Jonah following his being raised from the dead after two days, on the third day, will carry God’s
message to the Gentiles. And, as in
Jonah’s experience, the Gentiles will hear and take heed (cf. Isa. 43: 1, 10;
Jonah 1: 17; 2:10 - 3: 10).
(2) GREATNESS, ACCEPTANCE, WEALTH, PEACE
The end of the matter is seen in
both Esther chapters eight and ten.
Chapter eight depicts one facet of
The only word which probably
needs any comment at all is the word “wealth.” This is the translation of a Hebrew word
which has to do with “good,” or a reference to
“the welfare of the people.”
And it will be in that day, in
accord with Esther 8: 17 - “...many of the people of the land became Jews; for the fear of the Jews fell
upon them” - that the Gentiles are going to recognize the Jew in complete
accord with his true identity and calling:
“Thus saith the
Lord of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take
hold out of all the languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt
of him that is a Jew, saying, We shall go with you: for we have heard that God
is with you” (Zech. 8: 23).
“Ten” is the
number of ordinal completion, pointing to all of the Gentiles,
calling attention to that which the future holds for both
* * *
Appendix I
Two Types of Crowns
There are two words in the Greek
text of the New Testament which are translated “Crown” in
English versions. The first and most
widely used word is stephanos (or the
verb form, stephanoo), referring to a “victor’s crown” or a crown denoting certain types of “worth” or “valour.” The other word is diadema, referring to “regal
authority,” “kingly power.”
Stephanos (or the verb form, stephanoo) is the
only word used for “crown” in the New Testament outside
the Book of Revelation. This, for
example, is the word used referring to the “crown of thorns” placed
upon Christ’s head immediately preceding His crucifixion (Matt. 27: 29; Mark 15: 17; John 19: 2, 5). This is also the word used throughout the
Pauline epistles, referring to “crowns” awaiting faithful Christians (1 Cor. 9: 25; Phil. 4: 1; 1 Thess. 2: 19; 2 Tim. 2: 5; 4: 8). James, Peter, and John also used stephanos in this same sense (James 1: 12; 1 Peter 5: 4; Rev. 2: 10; 3: 11). The writer of Hebrews used this word (the
verb form, stephanoo) referring to positions which will
ultimately be occupied by Christ and His co-heirs in “the world [‘inhabited world’] to come” (2: 5-9). Then John used the word six additional times
in the Book of Revelation in several different senses (4:
4, 10; 6: 2; 9: 7; 12: 1; 14: 14).
Diadema, the other word used for “crown” in the New Testament, appears only three times; and all
three occurrences are in the latter part of the Book of Revelation (12: 3; 13: 1; 19: 12). The first two references have to do with
power and authority possessed by incumbent earthly rulers immediately preceding
and within the
The way in which these two words
are used in the New Testament relative to the government of the earth must be
borne in mind if one is to properly understand the Scriptural distinction between
the use of stephanos and diadema. Diadema (referring to the monarch’s
crown) is used only where one has
actually entered into and is presently
exercising regal power. Stephanos
is never used in this respect; it
appears in all other occurrences, covering any instance where the word “crown” is used apart from the present possession of regal power. The possession of such power at a future date
(or a past date) can be in view through the use of stephanos. Then,
diadema is
used when one actually comes into possession of this power.
In this respect, overcoming Christians have been
promised a stephanos (victor’s
crown), never a diadema (monarch’s crown); but the promised stephanos will become a diadema at the time overcoming Christians
assume positions on the throne with Christ.
There can be no such thing as either Christ or His co-heirs wearing a stephanos in that day. They can only wear the
type crown referred to by the word diadema.
To illustrate the matter, note
how stephanos and diadema are used relative to the Antichrist and
his kingdom. Stephanos is used of the type crown worn by the
Antichrist when he is first introduced in the Book of Revelation (6: 2), but later diadema is
used relative to his exercise of delegated power and authority (12: 3; 13: 1, 2).
Antichrist is seen wearing a “crown,” as he goes forth “conquering, and to
conquer” in Revelation chapter six.
He is crowned and moves after the described fashion in view of
ultimately attaining regal power over the earth; but, at this time, as shown by both the
context and the word stephanos, he has not attained such power.
Then, in chapter twelve he is
once again seen wearing a “crown” (all
seven heads are crowned at this point in the book. Antichrist will be the seventh head [seventh
ruler] in a succession of rulers), and in chapter thirteen those ruling with
him (the ten horns) are also crowned. As
shown by both the context and the word diadema, the matter is entirely different at this point in the book. Antichrist has now attained regal
power over the earth, and he
has subordinate rulers exercising power with him. Thus, diadema, not stephanos, is used in
these passages.
The use of stephanos relative to crowns in connection with
Then note the type crowns on
Christ’s head - past and future - in Matt. 27: 29;
Rev. 14: 14; 19: 12. Matthew 27:
29 refers to that past time
when Christ was arrayed as a mock King.
The word used for “crown” in
this verse is stephanos. Diadema could not be used in this instance, for
this word would show Christ actually exercising regal power and authority,
wearing “a crown of thorns.” And this, of course, was something which He
did not do at this time, particularly wearing “a crown of
thorns.” Rather, the opposite
was shown by the “crown [stephanos] of thorns” - shame
and humiliation, relative to the government of the earth.
Then, in Rev. 14: 14, Christ
is seen once again wearing a stephanos (though not “a crown of thorns” this
time). And, again, there is no display
of regal power, though that future time when he would wear a diadema is
anticipated by both the time (near the end of the Tribulation) and His
actions (anticipating His treading the winepress at the time of His return (cf.
Isa. 63: 1-6; Joel 3: 9-16; Zech. 14: 1-9; Rev. 19: 11-21). This
is the last time in Scripture that the word stephanos is
used relative to a crown resting upon Christ’s head.
But, when that time arrives -
anticipated by Christ seen with a stephanos on his head and a sharp sickle in His hand in Rev. 14: 14 - Christ will come forth wearing “many crowns [‘diadems’]” (Rev. 19: 12). He can come forth in this manner at that
time, for the Father will not only have delivered the kingdom into His hands
but He will now have a consort queen and be ready to ascend the throne (cf. Dan. 7: 13, 14; Rev. 19: 7-9); and because of this, when He comes forth, the announcement can be
sounded for all to hear: “King of kings, and Lord of lords.”
Christ, at that time, will have entered
into His long-awaited regal
position; and the first order
of business will be the putting down of the Beast, the kings of the earth, and
Satan and his angels (Rev. 19: 17-20: 3). They
cannot be allowed to reign beyond the point Christ assumes regal power. Their crowns (diadems) must,
at this time, be taken and given to others - those to whom they will then rightfully
belong.
An understanding of the
distinction between stephanos and diadema will also reveal certain things about
the twenty-four elders which could not otherwise be known. They each cast a stephanos before the throne, not a diadema. This shows that they were
not then occupying regal
positions, though crowned and seated on thrones.
At one time they would have
occupied such positions (wearing diadems, seated on thrones); but with the disarray in the governmental
structure of the earth, resulting from Satan’s rebellion, they ceased
exercising regal power (for, not participating in his rebellion, they no longer
retained active positions in his rule).
Their crowns could then be referred to only through the use of the word stephanos; and these crowns would, of necessity,
have to be retained until the time of Rev. 4: 10.
God’s system of government (an
incumbent remaining in office until replaced by his successor) would necessitate the twenty-four
elders retaining their crowns until their successors were on the scene and ready to ascend the
throne. And at this point in the book,
for the first time in man’s history, the one who is to rule with the second
Man, the last Adam - Christ’s bride
- will have been made known and shown forth.
This will have occurred at events surrounding the judgment seat (chs. 1-3); and
these elders can now cast their crowns before God’s throne (ch. 4),
for their successors will be on the scene and ready to ascend the throne with
Christ.
(For a discussion of the
twenty-four elders in the preceding respect, refer to the author’s books,
JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST [revised edition], Chapter XII, and RUTH, Appendix.)
-------
The Death of the High
Priest
Whoso killeth any person, the murdered
shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses: but one witness shall not
testify against any person to cause him to die.
Moreover ye shall take no satisfaction [ransom] for the life
of a murderer, which is guilty of death: but he shall be surely put to death.
And ye shall take no satisfaction [ransom] for him that
is fled to the city of his refuge, that he should come again to dwell in the
land, until the death of the priest [the high priest (v.
25)]
So ye shall not pollute the land
wherein ye are: for blood it defileth the land: and the land cannot be cleansed
of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it (Num. 35: 30-33).
Numbers chapter thirty-five relates the account
of God instructing the children of
Three of the cities of refuge were to be on the
east side of
These cities were set
aside to provide a
sanctuary
for any
man who killed another man through an unpremeditated act. The Divine
decree given to Noah and his sons following the Flood required the death of the
slayer at the hands of man:
“Whoso sheddeth man’s
blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man”
(Gen. 9: 6).
And God’s injunction
concerning capital punishment for a capital crime was later reiterated to Moses
and is part of the Mosaic Economy as well (Ex. 20:
13; 21: 12).
The command concerning capital punishment for a
capital crime was thus given to Noah and his sons over eight hundred years
before it was delivered to the children of
Although capital punishment for a capital
offence has never been repealed, provision was later made for a man who killed
another man unintentionally. This was the Divinely established purpose
for setting aside the six cities of refuge (cf. Ex.
21: 12, 13). These cities were to be located at places where
at least one city would be easily accessible to any Israelite living in the
It fell the lot of the near kinsman to fulfil
God’s injunction concerning capital punishment for a capital crime. The near
kinsman was to confront the slayer and, in turn, slay him. God’s
requirement in the matter was blood for blood (Num. 35: 16-21; cf.
Deut. 19: 21).
God’s previous instructions to Noah and his sons
remained unchanged within the framework of
God’s instructions to Moses. Something though was added to these
instructions within the Mosaic Economy. Provision was made for the person
guilty of accidental, unpremeditated murder. And once the Israelite
guilty of such an act had taken advantage of that provision - once the slayer
had fled to and was inside the walls of one of the six designated cities of
refuge - the near kinsman, as long as the slayer remained in this place,
couldn’t touch him.
Any individual though who fled to one of the
cities of refuge must, at a later time, be returned to the area where the
slaying occurred and stand before a judicial court; and, should the testimony
at this court prove to be negative, at least two witnesses were required to
testify against the man in this manner.
If the slayer was found to be guilty of wilful
murder, he would no longer be granted sanctuary in a city of refuge.
Rather, he would be turned over to the near kinsman to be slain; and the near
kinsman, slaying the man, would not be guilty of blood himself.
But if the slayer, on the other hand, was found to
be guilty only of involuntary manslaughter, he would be returned to the safety
of the city of refuge to which he had previously fled (Num.
35: 22-28).
Then there was the matter of a ransom. This ransom constituted
a payment for the life of the one found to have committed involuntary
manslaughter. No ransom though was provided for the life of a person
found guilty of wilful manslaughter. Rather, he was to forfeit his own
life (blood
for blood),
apart from a ransom.
But though the ransom was a provision for the
one having committed involuntary manslaughter, there was a stipulation: The
ransom could not be used until the death of the high priest (Num. 35:28,32).
Once the high priest in the camp of Israel had died
and the ransom had been used, the individual who had previously been found
guilty only of involuntary manslaughter was then free to leave the
particular city of refuge where he had been provided a sanctuary and return to the land of
his possession.
And
once this had occurred, the near kinsman no longer had any claim on that individual.
In the Old Testament (in the type) it was individual Israelites who found themselves
guilty of manslaughter (wilful or involuntary) and, consequently, in a position
where they would either be slain or be granted protection in a city of
refuge. Today (in the antitype) it is the entire nation of
The nation of
If it was a premeditated act, the nation would
have to be cut off. No ransom could be provided (it would have to be blood for blood; the nation
would have to pay with its own life); nor, if a premeditated act, could the nation ever be allowed to return to
the land of her possession (which would mean, in the final analysis, that God’s
promises to Abraham, beginning with Gen. 12: 1-3,
could never be realized).
However, if Jesus was delivered into Israel’s
hands after a manner which would allow the nation’s act of crucifying her
Messiah to be looked upon as unpremeditated murder - i.e., allow the nation’s act
to be looked upon as having been done through ignorance - then Israel
could be granted protection and a ransom could be provided. And beyond
that, the ransom could one day be used by the nation, at which time
The Biblical testimony concerning the manner in
which the nation’s act must be viewed was given by Jesus Himself at
Note the words of Jesus:
“… Father, forgive them;
for they know not what they do” (Luke
23: 34a).
Then note the words of Peter:
“Ye men of
But ye denied the Holy One and the
just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; And killed the Prince of
life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses...
And now, brethren, I wot that through
ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers” (Acts 3:12a, 14, 15, 17).
Thus, Jesus was delivered into the hands of
Israel (cf. Ex. 21: 13; Acts 2: 23) after a
manner which not only allowed the Jewish people to act after the described
fashion but also prevented them from acting after any other fashion as
well. Consequently, Israel is to be granted protection, a ransom will be
provided, and the Jewish people will be free to one day avail themselves of
this ransom and return to the land of their possession, though only after the
antitype of the death of the high priest - at which
time all of God’s promises to Abraham, beginning with Gen.
12: 1-3, will be fulfilled.
THE HIGH PRIEST AND THE
RANSOM
In the camp of
Aaron ministered in the sanctuary in the earthly
tabernacle, with blood, on behalf of the people. Jesus, on the other
hand, is presently ministering in the heavenly sanctuary, with blood, on behalf
of the people - a ministry patterned after the order of Aaron. And, as
evident from Hebrews chapter five, along with other related Scripture, Christ’s
present ministry after the order of Aaron will not continue indefinitely.
There is coming a day when Christ’s present
ministry in the heavenly sanctuary will end. And the termination of this
ministry, along with certain events which will occur relative to
And these events, as they pertain to the slayer,
have to do with two things in the antitype: (1)
The word ransom (Num. 35: 31, 32 [translated “satisfaction,” KJV]) is from a
cognate form of the word for “atonement” in the Hebrew text. The underlying
thought behind “atonement”
is to
cover;
and that is the same thought expressed by the “ransom” in this chapter.
This ransom provided a covering - a covering from view, a putting away, a
blotting out - of the previous capital act (an unpremeditated act). And
once the ransom had been used, which could be only after the death of the high
priest, the whole matter was put away. The person was then free
to return to the land of his possession; and the near kinsman of the one slain
could no longer have any claim on him whatsoever, for the matter had been put away and could never be
brought up again.
(In the type, this ransom was connected with
some aspect of the person and work of the high priest, or of other
priests. For example, this ransom could not be used until the high
priest had died. Then, this ransom had to do with a
covering [with atonement] from defilement
wrought through contact with a dead body. And such a work in Numbers
chapter nineteen, where cleansing from this type defilement is dealt with, was
performed by a priest.
The high priestly ministry of Aaron and his
successors in the camp of
Thus, that being dealt with in Numbers chapter
thirty-five - portending a priestly work - has to do with the cleansing
of saved individuals from defilement [defilement wrought through
contact with a dead body], not with issues surrounding the death of the firstborn
[issues surrounding eternal salvation].
And the Jewish people, for two reasons, find
themselves in a position today where they cannot avail themselves of this
cleansing [cleansing from contact with the dead body of their Messiah]: (1) The
Jewish people today are in an unsaved state; and (2) the
Jewish people, even if they were in a saved state today, could not presently
avail themselves of the ransom [cleansing] because of the nature of
Christ’s present priestly ministry.
Cleansing from all defilement during the present
dispensation is brought to pass through only one means - through
Christ’s present ministry in the heavenly sanctuary, on the basis of His shed
blood on the mercy seat. Though Christ is not of the Levitical line, His
present ministry is patterned after the order of Aaron’s ministry; and, because
Christ is not of the Levitical line, if God were dealing with Israel on a
national basis today, He could not deal with the Jewish people in relation to
Christ’s present ministry in the sanctuary [else He would violate that which He
Himself established].
The Jewish people, if they were being dealt with
in relation to the priesthood today, would have to be dealt with in relation to
that set forth concerning the priesthood in the Mosaic Economy [as will be done
during the coming Tribulation, when God completes His national dealings with
Israel during Man’s Day]. The priest, within the Mosaic Economy, had to
be of the Levitical line. And Christ is not of this
line. Christ is from the tribe of
Thus, dealing with the Jewish people in relation
to Christ’s high priestly ministry today would be completely out of the
question. They could not go to Christ and receive
cleansing, for the Mosaic Economy does not recognize a priestly ministry of the
nature Christ is presently exercising [a non-Levitical ministry patterned after
the order of Aaron, a Levite]. And any priesthood which the Jewish people
themselves could enact today, from the Levitical line, would be completely
non-efficacious.
However, note that Christ [though from the tribe
of
But, before the Jewish people can enter into the
picture as matters pertain to the priesthood and the ransom, seen in Numbers
chapter thirty-five, Christ must first terminate His present ministry in the
sanctuary and come forth as the great King-Priest after the order of
Melchizedek. And, as well, a new covenant [which will replace the old
covenant] will be made with
In the preceding respect, from the vantage point
of the antitype, it is an easy matter to see why the high priest in the camp of
Thus, the ransom for
In that day,
It will be in that day - not before - that
(Insofar as Christians are concerned, Christ’s
present ministry in the heavenly sanctuary will terminate when the Church is
removed from the earth into the heavens, at the end of the present
dispensation. However, Christ’s ministry in the sanctuary will apparently
continue for others through the Tribulation, else the saved among the
earth-dwellers would have no High Priest.
Christ though will not come forth as the great
King-Priest after the order of Melchizedek, appearing to
Also, the Jewish people one day availing
themselves of the ransom in Numbers chapter thirty-five would correspond with
the fulfilment of events set forth in the second of the seven feasts of the
Lord in Leviticus chapter twenty-three - the feast of Unleavened Bread, which
immediately followed the Passover.
“Leaven” points to that which is
vile, corrupt (cf. Matt. 13: 33; 16:1-12; 1 Cor. 5: 6-8); and
the fulfilment of this festival in the type had to do with a cleansing of the
house, a removing of all leaven from the house immediately following the
Passover
(cf. Ex. 12: 8-20; Lev. 23: 6-8).
And in the antitype, it is the same. The
fulfilment of this festival will immediately follow the fulfilment of the
Passover. It will occur immediately following
And this is where the account of the slayer
availing himself of the ransom in Numbers chapter thirty-five, following the
death of the high priest, is seen being fulfilled in the antitype (along with
the fulfilment of that seen in Numbers chapter nineteen). Israel in that day will
be cleansed of this defilement, and the house will no longer be leavened.
Accordingly, only in that coming day, only following cleansing
from Israel’s present defilement wrought through prior contact with the dead
body of the nation’s Messiah, will the Jewish people be free to return to the
land covenanted to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and only then can the Jewish people
realize their calling in this land, with God’s promised blessings flowing out
through Israel to the Gentile nations of the earth after the fashion which God
intended when He called this nation into existence.
(A knowledge of the preceding facts will reveal
not only truths surrounding Christ’s present and future ministries but
also truths surrounding
To equate the present restoration of a remnant
of the descendants of Abraham through Isaac and Jacob to the land of Israel
with the fulfilment of any of the Old Testament prophecies dealing with
Israel’s restoration to this land [such as the vision of the valley of dry
bones in Ezek. 37] is to ignore the fact
that Israel is the slayer. And this is an established Biblical fact which
cannot be ignored.
The present restoration of a remnant to the land
can have nothing
whatsoever
to do
with the fulfilment of any of the numerous Old Testament prophecies surrounding
Thus, the ransom which Christ paid to effect
However, a remnant must be present in the land
immediately preceding the end of Man’s Day for certain prophecies surrounding
Israel and the nations to be fulfilled, though the existence of this remnant
has nothing to do with the fulfilment of Old Testament prophecies surrounding
Israel’s restoration. Thus, the existence of the nation of
In this respect, the remnant in the land today constitutes
the nation which will shortly make the seven-year covenant with
Antichrist. And this remnant will, in turn, later be uprooted from the
land [something which will never occur after the Jewish people have been
re-gathered in fulfilment of Old Testament prophecy (cf. Isa. 2: 14; Jer. 32: 37-44; Ezek. 37: 19-28; 39: 25-29;
Joel 2: 27-32; Micah 4: 1-7)].
In the middle of the Tribulation, when
Antichrist breaks his covenant with Israel, the nation of Israel, as we know it
today, will be uprooted from their land; and the Jews dwelling in the land at
that time, who do not escape to a place which God has specially prepared for
them in the mountainous terrain of the land [Matt.
24: 16-20; Rev. 12: 6,14] will either be slain or be sold as slaves
throughout the Gentile world [cf. Joel 16; Luke 21:
20-24; Rev. 11: 2].
During the last half of the Tribulation there
will be no Jewish nation in the
During this time, the entire world -
particularly the centre of Antichrist’s kingdom in the Middle East [including
the
Christ must first complete His present
ministry in the sanctuary and return to earth. Only then can
* *
*
Appendix II
The Time of Jacob’s Trouble
WITH A PARTICULAR EMPHASIS ON REV.
17, 18
And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven
vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither, I will shew unto thee the
judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication,
and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her
fornication.
So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I
saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy,
having seven heads and ten horns.
And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and
decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her
hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY,
Revelation chapters six through eighteen
reveal events which will occur during the coming seven-year Tribulation, “the time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jer. 30: 7). This will be the time when the final seven
years of Daniel’s Seventy-Week prophecy will be fulfilled (Dan. 9: 24-27), completing a prophecy which began
to be fulfilled about 2,450 years ago but was interrupted seven years short of
completion almost 2,000 years ago, at the time of Christ’s crucifixion. In this respect, the Tribulation period comprises
the fulfilment of the last seven years of the previous dispensation.
Events during this time will
revolve around
God will use the judgments of
the Tribulation (chs. 6-18) - judgments which will reach a severity
unparalleled in man’s history (cf. Matt. 24: 21, 22)
- to bring
All of the judgments during the
Tribulation are seen occurring within the scope of that contained in the
seven-sealed scroll. That’s why a search
is seen in chapter five for an individual worthy to break the seals of the
scroll alone, with nothing
stated in this chapter about the subsequently revealed judgments under the
seven trumpets and seven vials (seen in chs. 8 - 11,
15, 16).
The reason for this is evident from revelation provided later in the
book.
The seven trumpet judgments lie
within the seventh seal, and the seven vial judgments lie within the seventh
trumpet (8: 1, 2; 11: 15; 15: 1ff). In this respect, all of the trumpet and vial
judgments lie within the seventh seal, making all of the judgments seen within
the seals, trumpets, and vials lie within the scope of that seen in the
seven-sealed scroll.
This is also why a terminus can
be seen when the seventh trumpet is blown (10: 7;
11: 15), for the seventh trumpet contains the seven vials, which bring
matters surrounding these judgments to an end (16:
17). Thus, once the seventh seal
is broken, the door is opened for all of the remaining judgments to occur.
Also, note something about the
layout of chapters six through eighteen in this book. That seen in these chapters forms a
chronology of events, but this chronology is interrupted numerous times
throughout the book in order that additional, explanatory data can be
supplied. And this explanatory data,
forming commentary material, drops back and covers events which occur during the
same time already covered by
the preceding material. This form of
revelation is something seen throughout Scripture. A complete, chronological sequence of events
is given. Then Scripture drops back and
provides additional, explanatory data, or other material about to be further
developed in subsequent chapters.
To illustrate, note Revelation
chapter twelve in this respect. Verses one through six cover the complete sequence of events. Then the remaining verses in the chapter drop
back and form commentary material for the sequence of events already covered in
the first six verses.
The whole of that seen in
chapters six through eighteen is laid out in this manner. For example, the breaking of the first six
seals in chapter six covers time during most of the Tribulation. But chapter seven drops back in time,
providing commentary material as it relates to
Understanding how the book is
structured is particularly important for correctly understanding chapters
eleven through fourteen, along with chapters seventeen and eighteen. Then bear in mind that
OVERVIEW OF CHAPTERS SIX THROUGH EIGHTEEN
The general overview of Revelation chapters six
through eighteen, detailing events which will occur during “the time of Jacob’s trouble,” would be:
Chapter Six: The first six seals are broken
(depicting judgments extending throughout most of the Tribulation, leaving the
trumpet and vial judgments to occur during time near the end of the Tribulation
(probably within about the last year), when conditions will become as seen in Matt. 24: 21, 22 (cf. Rev.
6: 12-17; 16: 17-21).
Chapter Seven: One
hundred and forty-four thousand Jews, twelve thousand from each of the twelve
tribes, are sealed - an introduction to God’s evangels of the Tribulation, who will proclaim
the message seen in Matt. 24: 14 - with the apparent results of
their ministry seen in the latter part of the chapter. This chapter provides commentary material on
particular events which occur during the time covered by the breaking of the
first six seals in the previous chapter, which would cover time during most of the
Tribulation. It is evident from subsequent revelation
that the 144,000 in this chapter are saved and set apart during the first three
and one-half years of the Tribulation, with their ministry occurring during the
last three and one-half years.
Chapters Eight, Nine: The first six trumpets are blown, depicting judgments apparently occurring near the end
of the Tribulation (note again that the previous breaking of the first six
seals appears to carry matters to a time near the end of the Tribulation).
Chapter Ten: An announcement is made concerning the
blowing of the seventh trumpet, which is seen producing an end to all of the
judgments connected with the seven-sealed scroll. And, as previously stated, matters can be
presented in this manner because the seventh trumpet contains the seven vial
judgments (note v. 7).
Chapter Eleven: This is the first of a number of
chapters (chs. 11-14, 17, 18) which drop back and cover events
occurring, at times, throughout the entire seven years. And chapter eleven is one of the chapters
which drops back to the beginning of the Tribulation and covers specific events
occurring throughout this period. The
ministry of the two witnesses occurs in this chapter, along with the city of
Jerusalem being trodden under foot by the Gentiles for the last three and
one-half years of the Tribulation (cf. Dan. 9: 26;
Matt. 24: 15ff; Luke 21: 20-24; 2 Thess. 2: 3ff; Rev.
11: 2, 3).
It appears evident that the
ministry of the two witnesses occurs during the first half of the Tribulation,
for several reasons: (1) Their ministry appears to be
centered in
At the end of their ministry,
the two witnesses will be slain; and their “dead bodies” will
be allowed to lie, unburied, “in the street of the great city,
which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified” (v. 8).
Then, “after three days and an
half” (apparently marking off a day for each year of their
previous ministry), breath will re-enter
their bodies, they will stand “upon their feet,” great fear will
fall upon those seeing them, and they will ascend “to heaven in a cloud” (vv. 9-12).
This chapter also records “the voice of the seventh angel,” introduced in the previous
chapter (10: 7). And, for reasons already given, the end of
the matter is pictured again, pointing this time to the goal toward which everything in the book
moves - the kingdom of this world (under Satan and his angels) becoming the
kingdom of our Lord and His Christ (under Christ and His co-heirs).
Chapter Twelve: More commentary is provided in this
chapter. But one can’t begin at this
point in the book. The previously provided commentary material has to be
understood first in order to properly understand this chapter. And, in like manner, revelation in this chapter,
along with revelation in previous chapters, is necessary in order to properly
understand revelation in subsequent chapters.
This is simply the manner in which the book has been laid out and
structured.
This chapter, as all of the book and the Bible as a whole, is rich in
metaphors. Three metaphors are used to
depict individuals or groups of individuals - a woman, a dragon, and a man
child. And all three are identified in the
chapter.
Note something which Scripture
doesn’t do. It doesn’t provide revelation of this nature
(metaphors) and then leave the interpretation to man. Rather, Scripture is its own interpreter, not only
when using metaphors but at all times.
“The woman” can
only be identified as
Note that the woman gives birth
to the man child very near the middle of the Tribulation. This birth will occur
following that time when Satan and his angels have been cast out of their place
in heaven, following that time when all seven heads of the Beast have been
crowned (which shows the timing of this event to be near the middle of the
Tribulation), but before Jerusalem is
destroyed in the middle of the Tribulation and the Jews then find themselves
subjected to the Beast’s wrath (vv. 3, 4).
(In the preceding respect, the
gestation period for childbirth as it relates to the woman and man child is
seen covering at least most of the first half of the Tribulation, paralleling
the ministry of the two witnesses.
Individuals comprising the man child will evidently be saved at different
times throughout this period, progressively continuing to add to the total
until the number is complete - 12,000 from each of the twelve tribes of
Chapter Thirteen:
Commentary is provided in this chapter
for the Beast (and his false prophet), who has already been introduced in the
preceding chapter. “The Beast” arises out of the sea, referring to the Gentile nations; and “the false
prophet” arises out of the earth [or, the land (as opposed
to “the sea”)] referring to the
Chapter Fourteen: This chapter provides additional commentary
material on the 144,000 in order to explain previous revelation. The 144,000, previously seen removed from the
earth (12: 5), are seen in heaven in this
chapter (vv. 1ff). Thus, it is evident that they will have to be
sent back to the earth to carry out their ministry, which will occur during the
last half of the Tribulation (cf. Matt. 24: 14;
Mark 13: 10).
They will be removed from
Satan’s jurisdiction either at the time of or shortly after their birth (Satan
will have previously been cast out of heaven and will no longer have access to
this realm [12: 4, 7-10]). Then, at a later
time, they will have to be sent back to the earth, allowing them proclaim the
gospel of the kingdom to the Gentiles for the last three and one-half years of
the Tribulation.
(This would have its parallel in
Christ being taken to
The 144,000 will form a
first fruit of the nation (v. 4; “first fruit”
is singular in the Gk. text).
The 144,000, who will carry the message
of the one true and living God to the Gentiles worldwide during the last half
of the Tribulation will form a first fruit of the nation with respect to the nation’s
calling. Then the entire nation will form the
main harvest and occupy a
position of this nature during the Messianic Era, following the Jewish people
having been brought to the place of repentance at the end of the Tribulation.
Of particular interest is the
statement introducing the identity of the 144,000 in verse four, along with that
stated in verses six through eight.
In the introductory statement,
the 144,000 are said to not be “defiled with women” (v. 4a).
That is, the 144,000, though out of the nation of
A first fruit of the nation will
have been saved, and cleansing will have occurred (something awaiting the remainder of the
nation); and, with this cleansing, they will find themselves referred to as “virgins,” in sharp contrast to the way in which the nation as a whole
will still be viewed.
Then there is the mention of good
news to be proclaimed worldwide, in connection with judgment (vv. 6, 7),
which, contextually, would appear to be an allusion to the ministry of the
144,000 (though an angel is seen proclaiming the message, which would be in
complete keeping with the way angels appear throughout the book - having a part
in announcements, carrying out certain activities, etc.). And this is immediately followed by attention
once again being called to “that great city [or, ‘the great city’]” (the wording in the Greek text is
always the same and can be translated either way).
The opening reference to “the great city” in 11: 8, identifying the
city as
(That “Babylon”
is used as a metaphor when
referencing “that great city” in 14: 8 and 16: 19
appears evident from the way similar metaphors are used when “the great city” is introduced in 11: 8 [cf. Isa. 1: 9, 10],
along with the extensive use of other metaphors in the book. And this will be shown to be the correct way
to view matters through Scriptures dealing with “that
great city,” called “
That is to say, the context on
both sides of 14: 8 and 16: 19 will show, beyond question, that “
With this addition, sufficient
detail has been given - based on numerous Old Testament references - for a
proper understanding of that about to be presented in chapters seventeen and
eighteen (though the judgments depicted by the pouring out of the seven vials
precede the revelation in these two chapters).
All of this previous revelation is brought together in chapters
seventeen and eighteen, where “that great city”
is seen as “
(Note Peter’s reference at the
end of his first epistle to having written this epistle from “
If Peter was using a
metaphor, which appears far
more likely than not, comparing Scripture with Scripture would limit the
association of this metaphor to only one city - not
Chapters Fifteen and Sixteen: Chapter fifteen introduces the vial
judgments, and chapter sixteen provides details concerning the pouring out of
all seven vials, which can only occur very near the end of the seven years; and
these vial judgments bring all of the judgments seen within the scope of the
seven-sealed scroll to an end (vv. 17-21).
(Throughout Scripture God is
seen using numbers to reveal
specific truths, with the whole of Scripture established on a
numeric structure, a septenary structure, at the beginning [Gen. 1: 1-2: 3]. Different numbers carry particular
meanings. And, in this respect, in
Revelation chapters six through sixteen, there are three sets of sevens comprising all of the judgments seen in
the seven-sealed scroll - seven seals, seven trumpets, and seven vials.
“Three”
is the
number of divine perfection, and
“seven” is a complete number, used throughout Scripture as God’s
number. Thus, all of these judgments together
show Divine
perfection within God’s complete judgment upon the earth-dwellers during “the time of Jacob’s trouble” - judgments covering time during
Daniel’s Seventieth Week, designed to bring
Chapters Seventeen and Eighteen: These two chapters deal with a
woman and a
scarlet coloured Beast (v. 3). “The woman” is associated with
(A “mystery
[Gk. musterion, meaning, ‘a
hidden thing,- a secret’]” in the New Testament
is usually defined as something previously hidden but now revealed [cf. Rom.
16: 25; Eph. 3: 4, 5]. This definition
though should not be thought of along the lines of something not found in
previous revelation, for there is nothing in the New Testament that does not
have its roots somewhere in the Old Testament.
Rather, a “mystery,” in reality, pertains
to something
previously made known [e.g., seen
in the types] but not opened up [or
fully opened up] to one’s understanding until a later point
in time.
The revealing of a mystery
requires Divine action [e.g., Christ,
in time past, opened His disciples’ understanding by explaining previously
revealed revelation surrounding mysteries (cf. Matt.
13: 10, 11; Eph. 3: 2, 3); and the indwelling [Holy] Spirit, today, leads individuals “into all truth” surrounding mysteries (cf. John 16: 13-15; 1 Cor. 13: 2)]. That is, the [Holy] Spirit takes something in the Scriptures which
cannot be understood [or fully understood] in and of itself and, through Divine
leadership [using additional revelation which casts light on the earlier
revelation (today, comparing Scripture with Scripture under the leadership of
the indwelling Spirit)], opens the matter to an individual’s understanding.)
“ These are ‘mysteries’ [a reference to ‘the
mysteries of the kingdom of the heavens’ in Matt. 13] because men by nature
and by their own abilities are unable to discover and to know them. It must ‘be
given’ to a man ‘to know’ them. This Divine giving is done by means of
revelation...” - R. C. H. Lenski
THE WOMAN AND THE BEAST
The woman is mentioned first in
the introductory material (vv. 1-7), but the
order is reversed in the identification.
The Beast is identified first, and the woman is then identified. And, as the identity of the Beast is
contingent on previous revelation in the book, so must it be with the identity
of the woman. One must reference that
which has already been revealed (which
would include not only the preceding chapters in the Book of Revelation but
revelation preceding this book as well, particularly that seen in the Old Testament).
And, interpreting chapters seventeen and eighteen in this manner (which is
the only Biblical way to
properly interpret them), both the woman and the Beast
can be easily identified, leaving no question concerning the proper identity of
either one.
“The Beast” is
identified as the ruler of a ten-kingdom federation of nations during the Tribulation (v. 12). The reference to his being the eighth
but of the seven (vv. 8-11) is apparently a reference
to this man coming into power as the seventh head, receiving the deadly wound
by the sword, and then being healed (previously stated in 13: 3, 14) - becoming the eighth in this manner,
but still of the seven.
In verse nine, “the seven heads” are said to be seven mountains. And, in Scripture, “a mountain” is often used in a metaphorical sense referring to a
kingdom (e.g., Isa. 2: 1-4; Dan. 2: 34, 35, 44, 45; Matt. 17: 1ff),
which is what verse ten goes on to say.
These “seven mountains,” used in a metaphorical sense, in this particular instance
refer to seven kings of a kingdom (or kingdoms). Verse nine should
literally read, “And they [the seven mountains previously
mentioned] are seven kings...” These verses form a description of the kingdom
of the Beast, “on which the woman sitteth [or, ‘where the woman resides’].”
The thought of the woman
residing within the kingdom of the beast is identical to and in complete
keeping with the woman residing in the midst of the nations in verses one and fifteen. Residing in the midst of one would really be part and parcel to
residing in the midst of the other,
for the kingdom of the beast in that coming day will encompass all
nations (cf. vv. 1, 7, 9, 15).
“The woman” is
then identified. And, in the light of
the way that the woman is depicted in relation to both the nations and the
kingdom of the Beast (residing in their midst), the thought in verse seven of
the Beast carrying the woman must, contextually, be understood in a similar
sense - the Beast bearing the woman
in the sense of the woman being identified with the Beast (cf. John 19: 15; note the way that this same word in the
Greek text is used in Luke 14: 27 and John
16: 12 [translated, “bear”).
The identity of the woman is
given following a sequence of events which brings the reader to at least the
middle of the Tribulation, when the Beast has come into power as world ruler
and turns on the woman (all seven heads crowned [cf. 12:
3; 17: 7]), seeking to destroy her from off the face of the earth (v. 16; cf.
12: 13-16). And God, at this time, will
allow that depicted in this chapter to occur in order to bring about the
destruction of the harlot, though
this destruction will be at the hands of the Beast (v.
17). That is to say, God will use the most corrupt
form of Gentile world power this world will ever know to ultimately bring to
pass His plans and purposes surrounding the woman.
Then, in verse eighteen, the woman is identified beyond question,
through two different means:
The woman is first said to be “that great city.” And comparing
Scripture with Scripture, allowing Scripture to interpret itself, the identity
of “that great city” has to be understood in the
light of the way in which it has already been given in the book. As previously stated, it appears evident and
can be shown contextually that “
But this verse doesn’t stop with
the identification of the woman with “that great city.” Rather, the verse goes on to provide a second
means of identification, pinning matters of identification down beyond
any possible question. The verse continues by adding the words,
“which reigneth over the
kings of the earth.” A better translation
of these words would be, “the one having kingly authority
over the kings of the earth” (ref.
Wuest’s
Expanded Translation - “which possesses
[imperial] power over...”), limiting matters in the
light of Ex. 4: 22, 23 to
And, with this addition,
Scripture in this verse has, so to speak, validated the identity of the woman in
the mouth of two witnesses - something
required within the Mosaic Economy (cf. Num. 35:
30; Deut. 19: 15).
(Regarding the latter mode of
identification, note that which Moses was instructed to make known to the Egyptian
Pharaoh when God sent him to deliver the Israelites [an Assyrian ruler in
Egypt, typifying the Coming Assyrian who will rule the world (cf. Isa. 52: 4; Micah 5: 5)]. Moses was instructed to say unto Pharaoh, “Thus saith the Lord,
“Sonship”
implies rulership. Only sons can rule in God’s kingdom (past, present, or future), and in the
human realm, only firstborn sons can
rule [only firstborn sons find themselves in a position to exercise the rights
of primogeniture within a family, with regality being one of these
rights]. In short, Moses, announcing to
Pharaoh that
And this recognition was made
known while
Now, note the latter part of Rev. 17: 18.
There is only one nation on
the face of the earth that this can be referencing - the nation which is not to
be reckoned among the nations [Num. 23: 9]. Only one nation on the face of the earth possesses a position of regal
authority over the kings of the earth [over
all the Gentile nations]. This nation was identified in Ex. 4: 22, 23, immediately prior to Moses leading
the Israelites out of Egypt; and this nation is identified in Rev. 17: 18, after exactly the same fashion [previously introduced after this
fashion in Rev. 12: 1], immediately prior to
Jesus leading the Israelites out from a worldwide dispersion yet future.
Dating from Moses’ day,
Also, note that
And exactly the same thing, for exactly the same reasons, is seen
relative to the bride of Christ. The one who will rule as consort queen
with the Son is spoken of in Scripture in both masculine and feminine respects, with
both having regal implications [cf. Rom. 8: 14, 15,
19; Gal. 4: 5; Eph. 5: 23-32; Heb. 12: 23; Rev. 19:7-10])
In Revelation chapters seventeen
and eighteen, the woman is identified with and spoken of as a
city (“And ‘the woman’ which thou sawest is that great city...” [17:18a]).
This has caused problems for some within our Western
way of thinking. But note that the same
thing is done in Rev. 21: 9, 10 relative to
Christ’s bride and the new Jerusalem (“Come hither and I will shew thee ‘the bride, the Lamb’s wife.’ And he carried me away in the spirit ... and shewed me that great city, the holy
That is, in these sections of
Scripture, “
Thus, in the preceding respect,
in Revelation chapters eleven through eighteen, the name “
Further, if Scripture is compared
with Scripture,
“...it cannot be [lit.
‘.... it is not possible’] that a prophet perish out of
And it is clear from the
subsequent verse (v. 34) that “Jerusalem” is used in verse thirty-three referring to the
entire nation – the Jewish people - exactly as it is used in Rev. 17: 18.
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee...”
Thus,
according to
Note the buildup
in the Book of Revelation to chapters seventeen and eighteen. All the way through (from ch. 6ff)
it has been
This is the grand climax of
God’s purpose for having allowed the Assyrians to come down about 722 B.C. and
take the northern ten tribes into captivity and the Babylonians to come over
about 605 B.C. and take the southern two tribes into captivity. God allowed what is called the
Diaspora (the dispersion of
His people among the Gentiles) because of continuing Israeli disobedience
extending over centuries of time. When Israel’s cup of iniquity had become
full (cf. Gen. 15: 16; Num. 14: 22, 23), God
uprooted and scattered His people in this manner to effect repentance, also taking centuries of time (and
continuing today), in order that the Jewish people would ultimately occupy the
position for which they were called into existence almost 3,500 years ago.
And this grand climax ends with
Note a number of Old Testament
references having to do with
“How is the faithful city become an harlot!” (Isa. 1: 21a).
“Thou hast
played the harlot with many lovers...
Thou hadst a whore’s
forehead, thou refusedst to be ashamed” Ger.
3:1b, 3b; cf. vv. 6‑14).
“Son of man, cause
“And the
Babylonians came to her in the bed of love, and they defiled her with their
whoredom... So she discovered her whoredoms, and discovered her nakedness...” (Ezek. 23: 17a, 18a; cf. vv.
35-37).
“And now will I
discover her lewdness in the sight of her lovers, and none shall deliver her
out of mine hand” (Hosea 2: 10; cf. vv. 2ff).
Chapters seventeen and eighteen
in the Book of Revelation have to do with
Though the nation will have paid
a
heavy price, one beyond comprehension, her harlotry will be a thing of the past.
(Note that judgments during the
Tribulation - seen particularly in the vial judgments - will be directed
primarily toward
Following Israel’s salvation and
cleansing, those comprising the nation in that day, as the 144,000 previously
comprising a first fruit of the nation, will then be looked upon in the same
manner as the 144,000, as “virgins.” And
the nation, as the 144,000 during the Tribulation, will then, in complete
obedience, carry God’s message to the ends of the earth.
The matter is brought to an end
at the conclusion of chapter eighteen (18: 20-19: 3),
the festivities surrounding the marriage of the Lamb follow (19: 7-10), and
Christ then returns with His angels to destroy Gentile world power (19: 11ff). Man’s
Day will then be over, and the Lord’s Day will begin on earth, with God’s firstborn Sons - Christ, Israel, and the Church (following the adoption) - occupying
their proper positions on and over the earth.
(The identifying expression, “that great city [or, ‘the
great city’],” appears nine times in chapters eleven through eighteen,
pointing to “Jerusalem,” revealing some
facet of Israel’s harlotry. These nine references are used in a
progressive manner in these chapters and carry the reader from an
introduction to Israel's harlotry
[11: 8], to a time showing Israel’s harlotry
at its apex during the
closing years of Daniel’s Seventy-Week prophecy [ch.
17a], to a time revealing the end of Israel’s harlotry [chs. 17b, 18].
Thus, “that
great city [or, ‘the great city’],” is
used nine times in these chapters of the book referring to
One thing though bears repeating
- something which must be kept in mind
- about the destruction of “that great city”
seen in Revelation chapters seventeen and eighteen. Though there will be a destruction of the
literal city of Jerusalem in the middle of the Tribulation, the destruction of
Jerusalem seen in these two chapters of the book is not that destruction. Rather, the destruction seen in these two
chapters is the destruction of the harlot, though not the destruction of the Jewish people per se [an impossibility (cf. Jer. 31: 35, 37)].
This is a destruction revealing the
end of
Failing to see and understand
the way in which the name “
The matter couldn’t be stated
any plainer than seen in this closing verse of the seventeenth chapter. Beginning with the introductory verse to “the great city” in Rev.
11: 8, Rev. 17: 18 forms a concluding verse for this complete section. And, relative to identification, this
concluding verse spells matters out in no uncertain terms.
Then, as previously shown, this
woman is also revealed to be “the one having kingly
authority over the kings of the earth” [v.
18b], identifying the woman a second time through another means in this
concluding verse [cf. Ex. 4: 22, 23]. And, relative to identification, this again spells
matters out in no uncertain terms.
Then, as also previously shown,
this woman is guilty of shedding “the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of
all that were slain upon the earth” [18: 24]
- a statement which can pertain to
With respect to Revelation
chapters seventeen and eighteen as a whole, “the time of Jacob’s
trouble” is seen drawing to a close in the Book of Revelation in
the only natural way which could be expected - with the destruction
of the harlot, with an end wrought to Israel’s harlotry in order that God’s
purpose for calling the nation into existence might be realized.
There
could really be no other way for one
to expect chapters six through eighteen to end. Again, these chapters cover “the time of Jacob’s trouble,” and the end seen in these chapters is the
end toward which all previous revelation surrounding Israel’s disobedience and
resulting dispersion among the nations moves; and, as previously noted, it
moves in this direction and ends at this revealed goal immediately prior to
Christ’s return, the destruction of Gentile world power, and the Messianic Era
being ushered in (chs. 19b, 20a).
(Revelation chapter eighteen,
concluding matters, dwells somewhat at length on an interchange of worldly wealth
between Israel and the Gentile nations [apparently having occurred over
centuries of time], resulting from Israel’s harlotry, as the Jewish people
found themselves dwelling among and forming forbidden alliances with the
nations [vv. 3, 9-16]. The Jewish people, through this means, became
rich in worldly goods at the
expense of the Gentiles; and the Gentiles in turn, through this same means, became
rich in worldly goods at the
expense of the Jews. And, to the
detriment of both
But all of this interchange of
worldly wealth will end with the destruction of the harlot, which will be followed by the
destruction of Gentile world power
[18: 17-21; 19: 2, 3, 11-21]. Then true wealth - the blessings which God has
reserved for Israel and the nations
- will subsequently flow out
through Israel to the nations after Israel has been cleansed of her
harlotry and occupies her rightful, God-ordained place at the head of the
nations.)
Attempts to interpret Revelation
chapters seventeen and eighteen usually centre around
An interpretation of this
nature, associating that seen in these chapters with Rome, is derived through
one means alone - through reading secular history into Biblical prophecy,
while, at the same time, ignoring both that stated in the text and context of
the prophecy. Revelation
17: 9 is not dealing with a
city built on seven hills. There is no
reference whatsoever in this verse to a geographical location of this nature. The corrected text, understood in the light of
the context, makes this very clear. Nor could that stated in
verses such as 18: 20, 24 be said of the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church could not be charged with “the blood of prophets, and of saints, and all that were slain upon the
earth.” As previously shown,
that could be and is said of the Jewish people alone. Scripture
is very
clear on this matter as well.
Israel ultimately found herself
scattered among and in subjection to the very nations which she had been called
to rule over and be separate from; Israel ultimately found herself at the tail
rather than at the head of the nations; Israel, rather than being the wife of
Jehovah within a theocracy, ultimately found herself in a place separated from
the theocracy (actually, within Satan’s kingdom, among the nations through whom
Satan ruled [cf. Dan. 10: 13-21]); in a national respect, the wife of Jehovah
found herself having forbidden relationships with the Gentile nations
(something which had begun to occur long before her dispersion among these
nations); and Israel, in this place, ultimately found herself viewed as “The
Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth,” as she resided among various
Gentile lovers, aligning herself with these nations in a manner completely
contrary to God’s revealed will (Lev. 26; Deut. 28; cf.
Ezek. 16: 28-39; 23: 1-35; Hosea 2: 5-13).
(The Catholic Church, at
the very most, could be
considered no more than a daughter [18: 7],
with the shed blood, in the final analysis, being credited to the mother
[though even considering Rome to be a daughter would be an incorrect way to
view matters surrounding these two chapters, for, principally, nations are being
dealt with (cf. 17: 1, 2, 15), not religious
organizations].)
Note in
the Book of Daniel how matters are handled concerning the identification of the
third and fourth “great beasts” in chapters seven and eight
(another picture of that seen in the image from ch. 2). Beginning with the third beast, matters move,
without a break, from the
Seeing
(Nor can the thought of a
revived Roman Empire be derived from Dan. 9: 26,
as many attempt to do, seeking to connect the prophesied destruction of
Refer to the subsequent part of
this article, Comments on Daniel Chapters Two, Seven, and Nine, for additional information pertaining
to Daniel’s
image [Dan. 2], the four wild beasts [Dan. 7],
and the
prince that shall come [Dan. 9])
An exact wording of the text,
the context, and comparing Scripture with Scripture are everything in correct Biblical interpretation. As has been shown, the Book of Daniel
identifies all four parts of the image, and the fourth part is identified as
other than Roman; and, in like manner, as has been shown, the Book of
Revelation identifies the harlot, and the harlot is identified as other than
Roman as well.
COMMENTS ON DANIEL CHAPTERS TWO, SEVEN, AND NINE
The most widely held position
among students of the Word concerning Daniel’s image in Daniel chapter two (or
the “four great beasts” in Daniel chapter seven)
views the four parts of the image (or the “four great
beasts”) as representing (1) Babylon, (2) Media-Persia, (3) Greece, and (4) Rome. This would be the
position set forth in the Scofield Reference Bible
footnotes for example, a position followed by most commentators.
(1) DANIEL CHAPTERS TWO AND SEVEN
The only part of the prophecy
really in question would be the fourth part of the image (ch. 2), or the fourth “great beast” (ch. 7). Daniel
identifies the first three beasts (and, correspondingly, the first three parts
of the image) as particular Gentile nations forming world kingdoms whose governmental
rule had been established in Babylon (the first by conquering the Assyrian
Empire, and the latter two by conquering Babylon itself), and this part of the
prophecy has been fulfilled and is a matter of history.
But should the fourth part of
the image (or the fourth beast) be identified as
Greece was the third kingdom
(represented by the belly and thighs of brass on the image); and the fourth
kingdom (represented by the legs of iron, and in its final form by the feet
part of iron and part of clay) would, from history, seem to be Rome - the next
world power following Greece - with the final form of the image looked upon as
a revived Roman Empire. This interpretation
would appear to be substantiated by Dan. 9: 26. In this verse, as previously shown, “the
prince that shall come,” would be Antichrist; and “the people of the prince
[understood as ‘his people’],” who would one day
destroy the city of Jerusalem, are looked upon as a reference to the Romans
destroying Jerusalem in 70 A.D under Titus. Thus, Antichrist is said to be a latter-day
Roman prince who will rule a revived
In other words, all of Daniel’s
image except the feet would have a historical fulfilment. The legs would represent the Roman Empire in
history, and the feet would represent the revived
Is the preceding though the way
Scripture sets forth the fourth and final part of this Babylonian kingdom? Or is this an attempt to interpret Biblical
prophecy through using events in secular history rather than interpreting
prophecy by comparing Scripture with Scripture? The answer is easy to ascertain if one remains
solely within that which Daniel (and related Scripture) reveals about the whole
matter.
Note first of all that Daniel’s
image is seen standing in
The mechanics of the preceding,
of course, form the interpretation held in common by almost anyone reading
Daniel. This is simply what the record
in Daniel states, along with secular history.
But note something often
overlooked about the preceding: This
kingdom is Babylonian throughout.
The powers represented by the head of
gold, the breast and arms of silver, and the belly and thighs of brass all
reigned from
(Note that “
The fact that the image in
Daniel chapter two is Babylonian in its entirety is one place where those who
view a
If there were such a thing as a
revived Roman Empire though, there could possibly be room for the final form of
the Roman Empire to be connected with
Those viewing Rome as
representing the fourth part of the image try to press secular history into
Biblical prophecy at a point where it seems to possibly fit, but really doesn’t.
Then they further complicate the matter
by a misinterpretation of Dan. 9: 26.
But the most interesting thing
about the whole matter - the central thing which voids all thought of
(No
break in time is seen in the Book of Daniel between
powers represented by the third and fourth parts of the image, similar to no
break in time being
subsequently seen in the book between the sixty-ninth and seventieth weeks in
Daniel’s Seventy-Week prophecy. However,
it is evident from both Biblical and secular history that a break in time exists at these respective points in
both prophecies, though no break in time precedes these in either prophecy.
This break though between the
third and fourth parts of the image doesn’t lead to and end with
The first part of the image is
identified in Dan. 2: 37, 38. Then,
following this, the remaining three parts of the image are presented, though
not identified at this point in the book. Then, note the prominence given to the fourth
part - two verses cover the first part (vv. 37, 38), one verse the next two parts (v. 39), but
six verses are devoted to the final form, along with its destruction (vv. 40-45). And
such prominence relative to the fourth part is true elsewhere in Daniel as well
(see chs. 7, 8, 11).
Why would such prominence be given
to
The identities of the other
three parts of the image, beginning with the breast and arms of silver, are given
in the vision of the “four great beasts,” and the interpretation of
this vision is given in chapters seven and eight. The “four great beasts” are said to represent four kingdoms (four sequential kingdoms forming the
one Babylonian kingdom [7: 17; cf. v. 23]), and beginning with the second beast,
the last three are identified in chapter eight. For the identity of the second, compare verses three and
four with verse twenty (cf. Dan. 5: 28, 31); for the identity of the
third, compare verses five
through eight with verses twenty-one and twenty-two; and for the identity of the fourth, compare verses nine through fourteen
with verses twenty-three through twenty-six. Note that the identity of the second is Media and Persia (a dual kingdom, corresponding to the
breast and arms of silver on the image), the identity of the third is Greece
(corresponding to the belly and thighs of brass), and the identity of the
fourth is the kingdom under Antichrist (corresponding to the legs of iron and the feet part of iron and
part of clay).
Where is
Following Alexander the Great’s
death, the kingdom was divided among his four generals (vv. 8, 22), and the
vision then goes immediately into the days of Antichrist yet future (the “little horn” in v. 9
is not Antiochus Epiphanes, but Antichrist [see parallel verses, vv. 23-26]).
So, what happened? The kingdom under Alexander the Great’s four
generals gradually faded from view. And
though the prophecy in Daniel chapter eight covers this division of the kingdom
following Alexander the Great’s death (8: 8b),
it does not cover events during the reign of these four generals following this
division. Rather, following this division of the kingdom, Daniel’s prophecy in
chapter eight goes immediately into the power represented by the fourth part of
the image (or the power represented by the fourth beast), i.e., into the days
of Antichrist (vv. 9ff).
(The same prophetic scene is
repeated in Dan. 11: 3, 4, 21ff, providing
additional details. And whether the verses lying between the division of
Alexander the Great’s kingdom in this section [v.
41 and the appearance of Antichrist [v. 21]
‑ i.e., vv.
5-20 - are looked upon as
depicting events during the years following Alexander the Great’s death or
depicting events during the several years immediately preceding Antichrist’s
rise to power is immaterial insofar as the matter at hand is concerned. Exactly the same thing is seen in chapter
eleven as was previously seen in chapter eight. The kingdom seen following the four-way division
of Alexander the Great’s kingdom is the same in both chapters - that of Antichrist, not Rome [cf. 8: 8, 9, 21-23; 11: 4, 21])
About two hundred and eighty
years following Alexander the Great’s death (about 40 B.C.), Rome appeared on
the scene as the succeeding world power, but not as a world power fulfilling
any part of Daniel’s prophecy surrounding the kingdom of Babylon. This prophecy will not again continue to be
fulfilled until Antichrist appears during Daniel’s Seventieth Week. Then, and only then, will the fourth part of
the image from Daniel chapter two and the fourth beast in Daniel chapter seven
come into existence.
(2) DANIEL CHAPTER NINE
Now,
what about “the people of the prince that shall come” in Dan. 9: 26? Does that not refer to a destruction of
First note the expression, “the people of the prince that shall come,” and compare this with a
similar expression in Dan. 7: 27 – “the people of the saints
of the most High [lit. ‘the high places’
(also pl. in the Heb. text in vv. 18, 22, 25b)]”
who will one day take the kingdom (v. 18).
Note in verse eighteen that the
ones who will one day take the kingdom are said to be “the saints of the most High [‘the high places’],”
and in verse twenty-seven they are said to be “the
people of the saints of the most High [‘the high
places’].” The expression, “the people of the saints of the most High [‘the high places’]” in verse twenty-seven, is,
contextually, a reference to the saints themselves from verse eighteen.
And this same type expression in
Dan. 9: 26 should be understood the same way
that interpretation has already been established in the previous chapter of the
book. “The people of
the prince” in Dan. 9: 26,
contextually, has to be understood as a reference to the prince himself (and possibly also including those ruling
with him). Failure to
recognize the book’s own built in interpretation for Dan.
9: 26 has resulted in confusion.
The destruction of
The destruction in Dan. 9: 26 must occur within the framework of time
covered by the Seventy Weeks. This
destruction has to do with events occurring in connection with Daniel’s
prophecy of the Seventy-Weeks and can only occur during time covered by this
prophecy, and contextually it occurs in connection with Antichrist breaking his
covenant with Israel in verse twenty-seven (cf. Dan.
11: 22-32; 12: 11; Matt. 24: 15; 2 Thess. 2: 3, 4;
Rev. 6: 3, 4).
(3) “THE
END OF THE DAYS” (DAN. 12: 13)
Where this man’s actions will
lead is outlined in detail in both the Books of Daniel and Revelation, along
with a number of other books and numerous sections of Scripture. This is the man whom God, in the final
analysis, will use to bring His plans and purposes surrounding
Then, God’s firstborn Sons - Christ,
-------