Megillah Esther; "volume of Esther".
And a Jew implies more than simply someone who is Jewish; Shushan the palace implies more than just 'the capital city'.
And the word ha-bira; the palace -- is used by King David to describe specifically the Temple. (I Chronicles chapter 29,1-19).
The story of the Book of Esther takes place after the return to Zion, during the Persian empire.
(Ezra 1,1-9). And chronological is Esther's book before Nehemiah's time about 30 years.
Megillah teaches us how to see the 'hidden Hand'; Yeshua of YHWH, behind the events that ultimately led to Yisra'el's salvation from Haman. Some even suggest that the use of the name Esther from the Hebrew verb Lehastir; to "hide" - instead of her real name, Hadassah, teaches us this lesson (Esther 2,7).
So, Esther is related to the word "nistar", which means "hidden" -- and the word Megillah which is related to the word "megaleh", means "to reveal". Thus the Megillah of Esther can be literally translated as "the revelation of the hidden".
The great banquet
Ahasueros (Achashverosh) took over the mighty Persian empire after his father, Darius 1, in the year 486 BC. Soon after he ascended the throne, he conquered Egypt and Ethiopia.
He ruled over a kingdom of 127 landscape, extending from India to Ethiopia
Shushan was about 24 miles, north of the Persian Gulf, west of Persepolis.
And the great banquet lasted for 180 days, and it took place in the king's third reign, in the year 484.
When the feast was over, the king called for a new one, which lasted for 7 days (5).
But he became angry because his wife, Vasthi (daughter of the babylonian king, Belshazzar, and the granddaughter of Nebuchadnezzar ) would not come. So the king summoned his 7 wise men, of Persians and Medes, "who understood the law and justice" (13-14).
We find also another group of 7 eunuchs who served the king Ahasueros. But these "disappears" from the picture and is not mentioned until after Hamans downfall (1,10).
Number: 7 and 10
7 is a holy number but also a base-number. We meet the number 7 in connection with Daniel's description of the 70 year-weeks. "Seventy weeks are given your people and the holy city..." (Dan 9,24).
"Those 7 - a picture of the 10".
Similarly; the number 10, which we meet in connection with the toes of Nebuchadnezzar's statue and the horns of Daniel's "beast", is a base-number and represent an expression of "unity". We can, therefore, in the 7 find a model of the 10 kings. And this 7 were in fact present when Haman (the antichrist) appeared.
The king deposed Vasthi as Memukan had said (21). And Esther became Queen in the 10th month (Tebet), in the king's 7th year reign (16).
Queen Esther
She was daughter of Abihail, from the tribe of Banyamin (which means; 'The Son of My Right Hand'; Yeshua).
Who she was in her relationship with the Jews - were to be kept secret (this was repeated twice in verse 10 and 20). And the truth about who the Messiah is, was a mystery to many Jews.
Isaiah 53,1-2: Who hath believed our message ? and to whom hath the Arm (Yeshua) of Yahweh been revealed ? For He grew up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him. Acts 4,11: He is the Stone which was set at nought of you the builders, which was made the Head of the corner.
Mordecai
Esther 2,5-6: There was a certain Jew in Shushan the palace, whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Banyamite, who had been carried away from Yerushalayim with the captives that had been carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away.
Haman - enemy of the Jews - and image on the antichrist.
And he seemed to come out of "the void". But he's not just in the center of events - he also placed in the center of "all people".
Ahasueros became, according to ancient custom, "worshiped" as a "g-d" (ahuramaqda), (Dan 3,5; 6-8). And now got Haman, the same "worship". Esther 3,2: And all the king's servants, that were in the king's gate, bowed down, and did reverence to Haman; for the king had so commanded concerning him.
We find an analog to this in Daniel 3,1 and 7: Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold,...in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. "...at that time, when all the peoples heard the sound of the cornet,...and all kinds of music, all the peoples, the nations, and the languages, fell down and worshipped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up".
Rev 13,3-4: "And the whole earth wondered after the beast...and they worshiped..."Esther 3,2: But Mordecai bowed not down, nor did him reverence.
Blessed is Mordechai = Cursed is Haman
"Those 7 - a picture of the 10".
Similarly; the number 10, which we meet in connection with the toes of Nebuchadnezzar's statue and the horns of Daniel's "beast", is a base-number and represent an expression of "unity". We can, therefore, in the 7 find a model of the 10 kings. And this 7 were in fact present when Haman (the antichrist) appeared.
The king deposed Vasthi as Memukan had said (21). And Esther became Queen in the 10th month (Tebet), in the king's 7th year reign (16).
Queen Esther
She was daughter of Abihail, from the tribe of Banyamin (which means; 'The Son of My Right Hand'; Yeshua).
Who she was in her relationship with the Jews - were to be kept secret (this was repeated twice in verse 10 and 20). And the truth about who the Messiah is, was a mystery to many Jews.
Isaiah 53,1-2: Who hath believed our message ? and to whom hath the Arm (Yeshua) of Yahweh been revealed ? For He grew up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him. Acts 4,11: He is the Stone which was set at nought of you the builders, which was made the Head of the corner.
Mordecai
Esther 2,5-6: There was a certain Jew in Shushan the palace, whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Banyamite, who had been carried away from Yerushalayim with the captives that had been carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away.
Haman - enemy of the Jews - and image on the antichrist.
And he seemed to come out of "the void". But he's not just in the center of events - he also placed in the center of "all people".
Ahasueros became, according to ancient custom, "worshiped" as a "g-d" (ahuramaqda), (Dan 3,5; 6-8). And now got Haman, the same "worship". Esther 3,2: And all the king's servants, that were in the king's gate, bowed down, and did reverence to Haman; for the king had so commanded concerning him.
We find an analog to this in Daniel 3,1 and 7: Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold,...in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. "...at that time, when all the peoples heard the sound of the cornet,...and all kinds of music, all the peoples, the nations, and the languages, fell down and worshipped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up".
Rev 13,3-4: "And the whole earth wondered after the beast...and they worshiped..."Esther 3,2: But Mordecai bowed not down, nor did him reverence.
Blessed is Mordechai = Cursed is Haman
The secret of Purim is to reveal that Yahweh, is echad only when the two statements are equal:
Names and their meanings:
Ahasueros; Majesty.
Shushan; lily; lilies (iris) - speaks of beauty and fragrance (among torns).
Vasthi; "gorgeous - best".
Esther; to hide and star.
Hadassah; Myrtle, and it is one of the four species that the Jew's use on Succot.Mordecai; "little man" or "worshipper of Mars" - "devoted to Marduk" (Babylonian deity - II Kings 25,27 - Isaiah 39,1). Prior to the Babylonian exile, no one would have dared give his son such a 'goyish' name. This does not imply that Mordecai was assimilated, rather his name may reflect the assimilation of his generation ? and Mordecai is not a Jewish name.
Haman; noise.
7 eunuchs:
Mehuman; faithful (belongs to Elohiym, believers).
Bista; booty (contempt).
Harbona; donkey driver.
Bigtha; in the wine-press (given by G-d or fortune gift).
Abagta; G-d-given.
Setar; star (officer).
Karkas; severe - floor - banquet cup - eagle.
The 7 princes of Persia and Media ("wise men"), which saw the king's face, and which sat first in the kingdom.
Carshena; illustrious.
Sjetar; a star.
Admata; a testimony to them.
Tarsis; yellow jasper (marble seeking ?).
(Tarshish - Tharshish, a city of the Phoenicians in a distant part of the Mediterranean Sea to which the prophet Jonah was trying to flee, a city somewhere near and accessible to the Red Sea to which ships constructed at Ezion-geber on the Elanitic Gulf on the Red Sea were to sail ?).
Meres; lofty.
Marsena; worthy.
Memukan; dignified.
Sons of Haman:
Parsjandata; given by prayer.
Dalfon; dripping - rain drops.
Aspata; the enticed gathered (horse-place).
Porata; "fruitfulness" or "frustration" (given by destiny).
Adalja; I shall be drawn up of Yah (exhausted - poor).
Aridata; the Lion of the decree.
Parmasjta; superior (highest being).
Arisai; Lion of my banners (?) - like a Lion (Yeshua HaMashiach, Lion on the Judah tribe).
Aridai; the Lion is enough (haris - delight).
Vaisata; strong as the wind - worth honored - given to the best.
Nisan (Abib); mature (ripe) corn (ripe for the harvest).
Adar; fire (eish) (the 12 months).
(Matthew 9,37-38, harvest; katzir)
See: Ketz; End of Days
"Cursed is Haman", ארור המן, has a gematria of 502.
"Blessed is Mordechai", לברוך מרדכי, has a gematria of 502.
This, also, is the secret behind teshuva, repenting or better returning. When a sin causes us to do teshuva, the teshuva makes the sin into a mitzva (a good deed) ! After all, any thing that moves us closer to Yahweh, is defined as a mitzva, and Elohiym is echad.
Names and their meanings:
Ahasueros; Majesty.
Shushan; lily; lilies (iris) - speaks of beauty and fragrance (among torns).
Vasthi; "gorgeous - best".
Esther; to hide and star.
Hadassah; Myrtle, and it is one of the four species that the Jew's use on Succot.Mordecai; "little man" or "worshipper of Mars" - "devoted to Marduk" (Babylonian deity - II Kings 25,27 - Isaiah 39,1). Prior to the Babylonian exile, no one would have dared give his son such a 'goyish' name. This does not imply that Mordecai was assimilated, rather his name may reflect the assimilation of his generation ? and Mordecai is not a Jewish name.
Haman; noise.
7 eunuchs:
Mehuman; faithful (belongs to Elohiym, believers).
Bista; booty (contempt).
Harbona; donkey driver.
Bigtha; in the wine-press (given by G-d or fortune gift).
Abagta; G-d-given.
Setar; star (officer).
Karkas; severe - floor - banquet cup - eagle.
The 7 princes of Persia and Media ("wise men"), which saw the king's face, and which sat first in the kingdom.
Carshena; illustrious.
Sjetar; a star.
Admata; a testimony to them.
Tarsis; yellow jasper (marble seeking ?).
(Tarshish - Tharshish, a city of the Phoenicians in a distant part of the Mediterranean Sea to which the prophet Jonah was trying to flee, a city somewhere near and accessible to the Red Sea to which ships constructed at Ezion-geber on the Elanitic Gulf on the Red Sea were to sail ?).
Meres; lofty.
Marsena; worthy.
Memukan; dignified.
Sons of Haman:
Parsjandata; given by prayer.
Dalfon; dripping - rain drops.
Aspata; the enticed gathered (horse-place).
Porata; "fruitfulness" or "frustration" (given by destiny).
Adalja; I shall be drawn up of Yah (exhausted - poor).
Aridata; the Lion of the decree.
Parmasjta; superior (highest being).
Arisai; Lion of my banners (?) - like a Lion (Yeshua HaMashiach, Lion on the Judah tribe).
Aridai; the Lion is enough (haris - delight).
Vaisata; strong as the wind - worth honored - given to the best.
Nisan (Abib); mature (ripe) corn (ripe for the harvest).
Adar; fire (eish) (the 12 months).
(Matthew 9,37-38, harvest; katzir)
See: Ketz; End of Days
70 days - 70 years
The two decrees (Esther 3,12; 8,3-6; 8,9): Recall that the original decree calling for the destruction of the Jews was sent out on the 13th day of Nisan. Several days later Haman was hanged and Esther requested the king to repeal this decree. He agreed, though the actual letters were not sent out until the 23rd of Sivan - two months later.
By comparing these two dates, we find an amazing reminder of Jeremiah's prophecy of the seventy years. Between the 13th of Nisan until the 23rd of Sivan - 70 days elapsed. (17+30+23) During these seventy days, the Jew's throughout the Persian empire were under fear of destruction.
Passover and purim
Yisra'el's salvation from Haman's decree came after a three day fast (Esther 4,3). This fast took place on the 15,16 and 17th of Nisan. Interestingly, for the events that led to the repeal of Haman's decree took place during Passover; freedom from slavery to a foreign nation and the beginning of the journey to the Promised Land.
Two years after the story of Megillah, King Darius, stepson of Esther gave the Jews permission to return and build the Second Temple (in the second year of Darius). This brought many more Jew's back to their land a few years afterward, during the 7th year of his reign of Darius.
Commandments that Mordecai instituted for purim. (Esther 9,20-22; 30).
Mordecai and Esther sent out a second letter explaining in one short phrase; "Peace and Truth" to each other. These two key words point us to Zechariah's prophecy about the fast days becoming holidays (Zechariah 8,18-19), when Yisra'el keeps Shalom and Emet ~ Peace and Truth; Yeshua the Messiah - as a yearly reminder of the yet unfulfilled prophecies of Zechariah.
Prayer is the secret to mobilize many of the common prayer. Esther had 7 women in her prayer group, she also pleadedfor spiritual support of 'All the Jews who were in Shushan' (Esther 4,16).
(Shushan; lily; beauty and fragrance - among torns).
Come to Me
I (Yah) will go and return to My place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek My face: in their affliction they will seek Me earnestly.
Job 36,15: He delivereth the afflicted by their affliction, and openeth their ear in oppression.
Romans 10,9: That if you make confession (hoda'ah) with your mouth (peh) of Adoneinu Yeshua, and mayest believe (have emunah) in your heart (lev) that Elohim raised Him from the dead (mesim), you shalt be saved (delivered). For with the heart one believe unto righteousness, and with the mouth is confession made to salvation (Yeshu'at Eloheinu).
The two decrees (Esther 3,12; 8,3-6; 8,9): Recall that the original decree calling for the destruction of the Jews was sent out on the 13th day of Nisan. Several days later Haman was hanged and Esther requested the king to repeal this decree. He agreed, though the actual letters were not sent out until the 23rd of Sivan - two months later.
By comparing these two dates, we find an amazing reminder of Jeremiah's prophecy of the seventy years. Between the 13th of Nisan until the 23rd of Sivan - 70 days elapsed. (17+30+23) During these seventy days, the Jew's throughout the Persian empire were under fear of destruction.
Passover and purim
Yisra'el's salvation from Haman's decree came after a three day fast (Esther 4,3). This fast took place on the 15,16 and 17th of Nisan. Interestingly, for the events that led to the repeal of Haman's decree took place during Passover; freedom from slavery to a foreign nation and the beginning of the journey to the Promised Land.
Two years after the story of Megillah, King Darius, stepson of Esther gave the Jews permission to return and build the Second Temple (in the second year of Darius). This brought many more Jew's back to their land a few years afterward, during the 7th year of his reign of Darius.
Commandments that Mordecai instituted for purim. (Esther 9,20-22; 30).
Mordecai and Esther sent out a second letter explaining in one short phrase; "Peace and Truth" to each other. These two key words point us to Zechariah's prophecy about the fast days becoming holidays (Zechariah 8,18-19), when Yisra'el keeps Shalom and Emet ~ Peace and Truth; Yeshua the Messiah - as a yearly reminder of the yet unfulfilled prophecies of Zechariah.
Prayer is the secret to mobilize many of the common prayer. Esther had 7 women in her prayer group, she also pleadedfor spiritual support of 'All the Jews who were in Shushan' (Esther 4,16).
(Shushan; lily; beauty and fragrance - among torns).
Come to Me
I (Yah) will go and return to My place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek My face: in their affliction they will seek Me earnestly.
Job 36,15: He delivereth the afflicted by their affliction, and openeth their ear in oppression.
Romans 10,9: That if you make confession (hoda'ah) with your mouth (peh) of Adoneinu Yeshua, and mayest believe (have emunah) in your heart (lev) that Elohim raised Him from the dead (mesim), you shalt be saved (delivered). For with the heart one believe unto righteousness, and with the mouth is confession made to salvation (Yeshu'at Eloheinu).
Amein.
