The Book of Esther

The book of Esther is the only OT book not found with the Dead Sea Scrolls. Sid Roth, host of Supernatural, feels this book is important to Christian (gentile) believers in these last days. Any comments/thoughts?

 
I will preface this with "I have not watched the video" - so take my opinion for what it is....

Esther is a very important book for me - and a very important book for today.... While it doesn't create any "New" doctrines per se - it does help to reinforce and clarify quite a few...

For example... Vashti is the "Beautiful gentile bride".... She is rejected because she refuses to appear before "The King" when he summons for her..... As a result - she is cast out... Notice that the fact that she is apparently busy doing "The business of The King" is no excuse....

Think about the parable of The Wedding Supper - where the invited guests all beg off and even abuse the servants of "The King" when he calls for them.... As a result - they are cast out/destroyed...

Think of The Exodus - where the first generation balks and refuses to enter the land on the day specified by God - and they are rejected and die in the wilderness....

Think of the Jewish Temple Leadership around say 33 AD (Give or take a couple years) - they formally rejected "The Messiah and King" that God had anointed... The Jewish Leadership STILL has not had another chance to formally accept Jesus as Messiah and King....

One of the important take aways for me....
we are so used to this idea of "Unlimited grace" that we forget that many things that God does have a definite time constraint.... There is "That Day" God gives you - and when that day is past - it's gone and YOU may never get that chance again....

For me - the "Rapture" comes to mind... How many of us will be too busy with everything else - and will "Beg off" the rapture... Turn away with excuses when God says "Come with me" - EVEN excuses that we are busy Evangelizing and there are still souls which need Him.... And then - once "We are ready" - we will try to say to God "Ok, I decided, I am ready now" -- but the opportunity is already past... Whoever is "Left behind" is left behind because THEY REFUSED to go... and since they refused God - God rejects them and turns them over....

In my mind - that's a terrifying lesson.

Thanks
 
What I found interesting about the video is that Roth compares the time of Esther and her situation with the "gentile" church of today which is Christianity. He agrees with you, @JohnC, that it is a very important to the church in end times and is forceful in his presentation. It encouraged me to want to take another look at Esther.
 
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I haven't watched the video but it is interesting that you posted this about the book of Esther Silk, because I was just thinking about the book of Esther earlier today...how it relates to the end times. We know that in the end times the enemy will attempt to wipe out Israel, and we see this same thing in the book of Esther. It makes me wonder if there is a connection.
 
Here's some fun related to that:
On Purim....
The 12th year of the King's reign....
The 12th month
the 15th of Adar (12th month)

Looking Forward to Purim - by somewhere around 100 years before....

Ezekiel 32:17
The 12th year of the captivity
12th month...
15th day of the month
Adar 15 (12th month - ref 32:1)

Fun, right?
Coincidence these are noted on the same day?

Ezekiel proclaims:

Ezekiel 32:17-
Judgement of:
Multitude of Egypt
The daughters of honorable nations
His helpers (Apparently pharoh's helpers)
Assyria
Elam (Persia)
Meshech (Turkey)
Tubal (Turkey)
Edom
Princes of the north
Sidon

and Pharoh - their ruler...

10 nations/groups judged here....
Compare to the judgement of Haman's 10 sons, destroyed together on Purim...
"Enemies" of Israel...
Proclaimed on what will become Purim in the future....

Interesting how all these nations are brought down to surround Pharoh in the pit of Sheol.....

Compare 32:21 to Revelation...
Speak to him do the gods of the mighty out of the midst of Sheol.....

Then....
the judgement of Haman .... Haman was the "Power" behind the violence against the Jews and behind his sons....
Without Haman's Power and Protection - those who hated the Jews and Haman's sons had no power against them....

Thanks
 
The book of Esther is the only OT book not found with the Dead Sea Scrolls. Sid Roth, host of Supernatural, feels this book is important to Christian (gentile) believers in these last days. Any comments/thoughts?

It's an example of what happens to those that choose to do harm to the Jews. The sons of Haman were all hung on the gallows prepared for Mordecai. After WWII, there were 10 Nazi's hung. On March 4, 2015 , (13 Adar 5775), the day before Purim, Esther's Fast, PM Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to the U.S. Congress. This is what was written about that day:

Despite all the controversy surrounding the invitation, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed a joint session of the US Congress Tuesday. He came to represent “The People of the Book”, and in doing so he made certain to reference that Book.

What is the significance of the two passages Netanyahu chose to quote from the Bible?

The first passage he referenced is a timely one; he drew the parallels between the situation of the Jewish people today and the time, 2,500 years ago, when they faced similar danger at the hand of another Persian leader.

The story of Esther is particularly appropriate as, Netanyahu pointed out, Wednesday night the Jewish people celebrate the holiday of Purim, which commemorates that very story.

At that time, Persian King Ahasuerus ruled over 127 provinces, or all the known world of the day. His viceroy, Haman, had a burning hatred for the Jewish people, and manipulated the otherwise peaceful Ahasuerus into permitting him to order the deaths of all Jews in his empire.

Were it not for the bravery of the Jewish Queen Esther, who risked her life to bring Ahasuerus’s attention to Haman’s wicked plans, the Jewish people would have been wiped out on this very day. All these events took place in the region that is modern-day Iran.

Like Esther, Netanyahu risked his political life to bring benevolent America’s attention to the Persian plot to destroy Israel and all the Jewish people. A nuclear Iran would pose an existential danger to the State of Israel, as Iran’s leaders have on many occasions expressed a desire to wipe the Jewish state off the world map.

The destruction of the state, however, is not enough, just as it was not enough for Haman to take down only his Jewish enemy, Mordechai. Haman plotted to wipe out all of Mordechai’s people, just as Iranian-backed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has expressed, “If all the Jews gather in Israel, it will save us the trouble of chasing them down around the world.”

Netanyahu also concluded his speech with another Biblical reference, this time to Moses, who led the Children of Israel out of Egypt and through the desert for forty years. In his farewell speech to the people, Moses encouraged them to be brave and strong, to have faith in God and not be intimidated by the enemies they would inevitably face.

Netanyahu appealed to US Congress, which sits under an image of Moses himself, to stand with Israel, to be brave and strong, and not be intimidated by the common enemy the US and Israel face: a nuclear Iran.
http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/3...iranian-threat-jerusalem/#RUhFKMLYf86wL78I.97

Netanyahu was not received by Pres. Obama (the King did not hear him) and what happened the next day? These headlines:
  • One more winter storm is hitting nearly 100 million Americans
  • U.S. ambassador to South Korea attacked in Seoul
  • House Benghazi panel subpoenas Hillary Clinton's emails
  • Drug-resistant "superbug" infects patients at another L.A. hospital
  • Iran Talks Closer on One-Year Nuclear ‘Breakout’ Demand
  • John Kerry Seeks to Calm Arab States Unsettled by Iran Talks
  • McConnell Backs Away From Quick Action on Iran Bill
Yes, while every day there's bad news somewhere, I felt these were rather striking for the day after his speech on the subject of Iran.

Genesis 12:3 (KJV)
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.​
 
Wow, that's what I'm talking about!! Loved those posts @Abdicate and @John C. Roth starts out by saying that Esther was the "Persian" name but her Hebrew name means "hidden". Purim means "lots", like casting lots? Is there a discrepancy in dates celebrated, the 14th and 15th? Why is that? I am now wondering why the Book of Esther wasn't found in the Dead Sea Scrolls...could it be that Roth is right - it is more about the gentile church. I begin to see the relevance to today that I didn't see before.
 
KJV....1st Chapter:
Est 1:1
Now it came to pass in the days of Ahasuerus, (this is Ahasuerus which reigned, from India even unto Ethiopia, over an hundred and seven and twenty provinces:)
Est 1:2
That in those days, when the king Ahasuerus sat on the throne of his kingdom, which was in Shushan the palace,
Est 1:3
In the third year of his reign, he made a feast unto all his princes and his servants; the power of Persia and Media, the nobles and princes of the provinces, being before him:
Est 1:4
When he shewed the riches of his glorious kingdom and the honour of his excellent majesty many days, even an hundred and fourscore days.
Est 1:5
And when these days were expired, the king made a feast unto all the people that were present in Shushan the palace, both unto great and small, seven days, in the court of the garden of the king's palace;
Est 1:6
Where were white, green, and blue, hangings, fastened with cords of fine linen and purple to silver rings and pillars of marble: the beds were of gold and silver, upon a pavement of red, and blue, and white, and black, marble.
Est 1:7
And they gave them drink in vessels of gold, (the vessels being diverse one from another,) and royal wine in abundance, according to the state of the king.
Est 1:8
And the drinking was according to the law; none did compel: for so the king had appointed to all the officers of his house, that they should do according to every man's pleasure.
Est 1:9
Also Vashti the queen made a feast for the women in the royal house which belonged to king Ahasuerus.
Est 1:10
On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, and Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the seven chamberlains that served in the presence of Ahasuerus the king,
Est 1:11
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.
Est 1:12
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.
Est 1:13
Then the king said to the wise men, which knew the times, (for so was the king's manner toward all that knew law and judgment:
Est 1:14
And the next unto him was Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media, which saw the king's face, and which sat the first in the kingdom;)
Est 1:15
What shall we do unto the queen Vashti according to law, because she hath not performed the commandment of the king Ahasuerus by the chamberlains?
Est 1:16
And Memucan answered before the king and the princes, Vashti the queen hath not done wrong to the king only, but also to all the princes, and to all the people that are in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus.
Est 1:17
For this deed of the queen shall come abroad unto all women, so that they shall despise their husbands in their eyes, when it shall be reported, The king Ahasuerus commanded Vashti the queen to be brought in before him, but she came not.
Est 1:18
Likewise shall the ladies of Persia and Media say this day unto all the king's princes, which have heard of the deed of the queen. Thus shall there arise too much contempt and wrath.
Est 1:19
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.
Est 1:20
And when the king's decree which he shall make shall be published throughout all his empire, (for it is great,) all the wives shall give to their husbands honour, both to great and small.
Est 1:21
And the saying pleased the king and the princes; and the king did according to the word of Memucan:
Est 1:22
For he sent letters into all the king's provinces, into every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people after their language, that every man should bear rule in his own house, and that it should be published according to the language of every people.
 
It must have been in the video, but somewhere it was said that the King ordered his wife (after 186 days of feasting and wine imbibing) that the Queen should come in and show her crown to all his nobles (male) as she had been throwing a feast for the women. The implication (altho I don't necessarily see it precisely in the above scriptures) that she was supposed to be naked wearing only her crown. I wouldn't have gone either had I been her. Not naked anyways. You would think he would have reconsidered the whole deal once he sobered up. I sure wouldn't want to be the next Queen. Just saying. I get that women are 2nd class citizens, including queens and everybody had to do whatever whimsy hits the King but one wouldn't think such a ruler would last very long.
 
That being the case, it doesn't change the fact that The King is The King... It doesn't change the fact that Vashti is the one who was rejected because she would/did not comply with the King's request.... and that Vashti not showing up (For whatever reason - morals, the treachery of others, distraction, perception of her real duty, or whatever...) resulted in her being cast out and Esther being chosen instead of her....

See, one of the mistakes we make is not taking OUR King seriously... We don't really think seriously about His power and authority as KING.... We don't recognize the CONSEQUENCES of refusing his call.... We think that we are the important ones - that the world centers around Us... That we have the right and authority to tell God how it's going to be... That no matter how far off we wander and how strongly we resist, complain, and grumble - he is BOUND to come and get us and fight with us to bring us back into the fold against our own wills....

This is one side of Jesus that our church of today does not preach/teach/talk about... They love to talk about "Our friend" - but they DON'T talk about "Our king" and what that all means....

Reference the parable of The Wedding Supper - Matt 22:1-14
Notice that the folks who begged off of the wedding may well have had bona fide excuses...
but what was their response? First, they simply refused....
THEN - they fought AGAINST the call - abusing and even killing those who were sent to tell them...
and what is the response of The King - to destroy them....

We need to think hard about this.... that WE don't work to set ourselves against God - basically forcing God to destroy us or to cast us off to accomplish HIS plan and purpose....

Thanks
 
I get your point and it's a good one. But....I don't see God asking us to do something against His own commandments. Which I think parading your naked wife around your male nobles would be. But IF it was God asking me to parade buck naked down the street, I would ask for valid ID (confess Christ came in the flesh, etc) than I would do so promptly.
 
Isaiah went naked in public for 3 years by the command of The Lord....

Isaiah 20:2-3
"At the same time spake The Lord by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying 'Go and loose the sackcloth from off thy loins, and put off thy shoe from thy foot. And he did so, walking naked and barefoot. And The Lord said 'Like my servant Isaiah hath walked naked and barefoot three years for a sign and wonder upon Egypt and upon Ethiopia......"

99% chance that basically everybody thought the guy was totally nuts.... Could you imagine what the religious leaders did when the fellow showed up in church NAKED? Sat down at the bench next to you at lunch Naked.... The shame on his wife and kids... etc...
 
Isaiah went naked in public for 3 years by the command of The Lord....

Isaiah 20:2-3
"At the same time spake The Lord by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying 'Go and loose the sackcloth from off thy loins, and put off thy shoe from thy foot. And he did so, walking naked and barefoot. And The Lord said 'Like my servant Isaiah hath walked naked and barefoot three years for a sign and wonder upon Egypt and upon Ethiopia......"

99% chance that basically everybody thought the guy was totally nuts.... Could you imagine what the religious leaders did when the fellow showed up in church NAKED? Sat down at the bench next to you at lunch Naked.... The shame on his wife and kids... etc...

And why did the Lord have him, His prophet, do this?
 
So - Esther does not explicitly say that The King wanted her to dance naked... That's an inference.... BUT, that doesn't really change the lesson for us either way....

When I see Vashti - I see a cautionary tale for the church.... A TERRIFYING lesson....
"The Beautiful Gentile Bride"..... Think - we call ourselves "The Bride of Christ"...
And here's a Gentile bride that refuses the call of the king and is cast out....
Let that soak in for a minute....

And as Abdicate points out - it's NOT like God has not already shown us His willingness to leave folks behind when they don't want to go.... Literally - per Romans 11:20-24 - that's how WE received our opportunity!

Do not think of yourself as "The Beautiful Bride" that God cannot possibly cast off no matter what we do.....
Remember the lesson of the Parable of the Ten Virgins.... The 5 "Foolish" were NOT cast off because they had no oil... They were rejected because they FAILED to go with the bridegroom.... The 5 Foolish virgins though "The Oil" was The Most Important Thing...

They were so narcissistic and self-absorbed that when they saw The Bridegroom - they ran away thinking that "The Oil" was what was really The #1 most important thing to The Bridegroom... When HE showed up - there were only 5 betrothed virgins there.... He came, found 5 and took 100% of the 5 he found.... If he HAD come and found 10 - but 5 had oil... He STILL would have taken 100% of the 10 he found....

See - it's the BRIDEGROOM'S responsibility to get the Betrothed virgin from the chamber to the wedding.... If she is IN the Chamber but has no oil - then the oil is his problem at that point....

and Jesus returning "At a time you think not" will ENSURE that we are not 100% "Ready" to our own satisfaction.... But - what is your priority - Leave the Bridegroom to go find some "Oil" or Go with the Bridegroom?

When He calls - ANSWER the call! ANSWER THE CALL NOW! Today! Don't worry about the preparation, planning, events, calendar, lunch for the kids, dinner next tuesday with Jim and Laura, and the new bible study class you are teaching..... Learn from Vashti...

My fear is that we won't learn from Vashti... On that day - when He calls - we will go running the other direction like the 5 foolish virgins... Refusing His call for any one of 10,000 various reasons....

And when we do - that's it.... It's done... The end of the church... The remains are cast out.

At that point "Esther" - the Virgin daughter of Israel so to speak - will be chosen... "Faithful and Obedient Israel" will regain her appointed place - the branches will be "Grafted back into the root" so to speak.... and any faithful remnant of Gentile Christianity that forms will have to merge into Judaism (Micah 5:3)

Thanks
 
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Again, @JohnC, loved the post and I confess, I didn't see that before. And all of a sudden, I can see several instances in scripture where that lesson springs out. As @Abdicate said....Israel rejecting God's call....and look what happens. But He always leaves a way to return, albeit rougher, such as the rough road of the Jew since the resurrection. But when Judgement starts happening, don't look back (as in Lot's wife). You have me wondering about the call in say, a pretrib rapture. Ready or not?
And I never did see One Night with the King....should I?
 
So....Chapter 2
Est 2:1 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.
Est 2:2 Then said the king's servants that ministered unto him, Let there be fair young virgins sought for the king:
Est 2:3 And let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather together all the fair young virgins unto Shushan the palace, to the house of the women, unto the custody of Hege the king's chamberlain, keeper of the women; and let their things for purification be given them:
Est 2:4 And let the maiden which pleaseth the king be queen instead of Vashti. And the thing pleased the king; and he did so.
Est 2:5 Now in Shushan the palace there was a certain Jew, whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite;
Est 2:6 Who had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captivity which had been carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away.
Est 2:7 And he brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle's daughter: for she had neither father nor mother, and the maid was fair and beautiful; whom Mordecai, when her father and mother were dead, took for his own daughter.
Est 2:8 So it came to pass, when the king's commandment and his decree was heard, and when many maidens were gathered together unto Shushan the palace, to the custody of Hegai, that Esther was brought also unto the king's house, to the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women.
Est 2:9 And the maiden pleased him, and she obtained kindness of him; and he speedily gave her her things for purification, with such things as belonged to her, and seven maidens, which were meet to be given her, out of the king's house: and he preferred her and her maids unto the best place of the house of the women.
Est 2:10 Esther had not shewed her people nor her kindred: for Mordecai had charged her that she should not shew it.
Est 2:11 And Mordecai walked every day before the court of the women's house, to know how Esther did, and what should become of her.
Est 2:12 Now when every maid's turn was come to go in to king Ahasuerus, after that she had been twelve months, according to the manner of the women, (for so were the days of their purifications accomplished, to wit, six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet odours, and with other things for the purifying of the women;)
Est 2:13 Then thus came every maiden unto the king; whatsoever she desired was given her to go with her out of the house of the women unto the king's house.
Est 2:14 In the evening she went, and on the morrow she returned into the second house of the women, to the custody of Shaashgaz, the king's chamberlain, which kept the concubines: she came in unto the king no more, except the king delighted in her, and that she were called by name.
Est 2:15 Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her for his daughter, was come to go in unto the king, she required nothing but what Hegai the king's chamberlain, the keeper of the women, appointed. And Esther obtained favour in the sight of all them that looked upon her.
Est 2:16 So Esther was taken unto king Ahasuerus into his house royal in the tenth month, which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.
Est 2:17 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.
Est 2:18 Then the king made a great feast unto all his princes and his servants, even Esther's feast; and he made a release to the provinces, and gave gifts, according to the state of the king.
Est 2:19 And when the virgins were gathered together the second time, then Mordecai sat in the king's gate.
Est 2:20 Esther had not yet shewed her kindred nor her people; as Mordecai had charged her: for Esther did the commandment of Mordecai, like as when she was brought up with him.
Est 2:21 In those days, while Mordecai sat in the king's gate, two of the king's chamberlains, Bigthan and Teresh, of those which kept the door, were wroth, and sought to lay hand on the king Ahasuerus.
Est 2:22 And the thing was known to Mordecai, who told it unto Esther the queen; and Esther certified the king thereof in Mordecai's name.
Est 2:23 And when inquisition was made of the matter, it was found out; therefore they were both hanged on a tree: and it was written in the book of the chronicles before the king.
 
So, in keeping with Esther as the church, she is adopted when she was orphaned. Is there any hint that her bloodline is Jewish?
 
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