Bereansearching Bible Studies

Note to the reader: This post is the first of what has become a finished work of ten verse-by-verse expositions of each of the ten chapters of the Book of Esther. The reader should fully understand that these studies are solely intended to show the many spiritually hidden aspects of God’s Magnificent Salvation Plan, which God has intricately interwoven within the historical account of the Book of Esther. The key to understanding the true meaning of the Book of Esther is to see that the whole book is an Historical Parable, which prophetically points us to the Person and Work of Jesus Christ, Who Is The Only Lord, God, and Savior. Moreover the book is one of concealment (“Esther” in Hebrew means “concealment”) that spans from Old Testament National Israel, to the future fulfillment of the feasts of Passover and Pentecost in the New Testament era, and a “preview” of the yet to be Judgment Day and beyond into eternity in the New Heavens and the New Earth. We can also see key personages of the Bible throughout this book by those who serve as “Types” to each represent 1) God the Father, 2) Old Testament National Israel, 3) the Lord Jesus Christ, 4) Eternal Israel, 5) The Holy Spirit, and 6) the Devil. A summary overview Christian commentary of the Book of Esther is Here (which also includes a link to a much more comprehensive study).

Introduction

The Book of Esther is a relatively short, ten chapter, book, presented entirely in a narrative style, which recounts actual historical events, which occurred in a real historical place (see photo) that had great importance to Old Testament National Israel, as they paved the way for the restoration of the Jerusalem and the physical Holy Temple (and, ultimately, the arrival of the prophesied Messiah, Who Is Jesus). It is indisputable that the Book of Esther is indeed about the miraculous “physical“ deliverance of the Jews of National Israel (the physical descendants of the patriarchs from the first, Abraham, through Isaac and Jacob and David). Because the Book of Esther is presented as an historical narrative (as are many other books in the Bible like Jonah, Ruth, Judges, Nehemiah, etc.), a reader can easily fail to see anything beyond that, particularly if that reader subscribes to the Literal-Grammatical-Historical hermeneutic of Bible study.

Nonetheless, the Book of Esther is far more importantly about the miraculous eternal “spiritual”deliverance of the true “Jews”, the body of believers, the church of Jesus Christ (those who are of the faith of Abraham, which include a remnant of both National Israel and the Gentile nations – – Romans 2:28–29; Romans 4:13–16; Galatians 3:26–29).   Because the Book of Esther has both an heavenly/eternal spiritual  meaning as well an earthly/historical meaning, it is therefore a very important “Historical Parable“, which involves significant use of “allegories” and “types“.

The true spiritual meaning of the Book of Esther, being ordained and crafted by God as an Historical Parable, has remained “hidden“, “concealed” and “closed up” to the Jews (and the vast majority of mankind) unto this very day! 

Moreover, many Bible students are already aware that there is not one direct/explicit reference to God to be found anywhere in the Book of Esther. This is because God has deliberately concealed Himself within the text, and, moreover, in the process, God has also deliberately concealed/hidden the Gospel of God’s Magnificent Salvation Plan, wrought by the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ, as well. In fact, the entire Book of Esther concerns “concealment” and “hidden” things of God!

We should recall what we read in Isaiah 45:15, “Verily thou [art] a God that hidest thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour.“

The very name, ‘Esther’, is Hadassah’s Persian name, which in Hebrew is אֶסְתֵּר (’es·têr)^H635 and just happens to be, phonetically, very similar to the Hebrew word אֶסָּתֵ֑ר (’es·sā·ṯêr)^H5641. That word is a variant/derivation of the Hebrew root word, סָתַר (sāṯar)^H5641, which means “to hide” or “to conceal”, or “to close-up”, and is found twice in this particular form in the Bible in Genesis 4:14 (translated in English as “shall I be hid;“) and also in Job 13:20 (translated as “then will I not hide“); as well as another variant of the same Hebrew word אַסְתִּיר (’as·tîr)^H5641, which is used only once in this particular form in the Bible, in Deuteronomy 31:18, where we read, “And I will surely ^H5641 hide ^H5641 my face in that day for all the evils which they shall have wrought, in that they are turned unto other gods.” (Note also that the word “hide” was doubled, and hence was translated as “surely hide”). In this later usage, God was specifically telling Moses in Deuteronomy 31:16-22 that in the future the people of Israel would commit spiritual adultery/apostasy, by worshipping other gods, at which point God would “hide/conceal” Himself from National Israel (the Jews) as a result. (It is therefore all the more ironic that, derived from this forewarned concealment of God’s Face, a Jewish tradition has arisen, such that hiding one’s face (wearing a mask) is considered proper when the Jews celebrate the day of Esther/The Feast of Purim.)

We should also remember what Joseph said to the good Pharaoh concerning the Pharaoh’s two dreams, which together had the same meaning in Genesis 41:32, “And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice; [it is] because the thing [is] established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.” This most certainly played out in the case of Adam and Eve as we read in Genesis 2:17, where the word “die” in the original Hebrew was doubled, “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely ^H4191die. ^H4191

So then, we can see that the name Esther is actually a cross-cultural “homophone“, in that in Persian Esther means “Star“, but in Hebrew, ‘Esther’ means “Concealed“. At a minimum, one could say that, by changing her name from ‘Hadassah’ (Jewish) to ‘Esther’ (Persian), it would have certainly helped her to “hide” or “conceal” her Jewish identity from potential enemies like Haman. While Esther’s name provides us with an interesting play on words (“pun”), we will soon learn from this study that there is far more hidden in the Book of Esther (by God) than just Esther’s Jewish identity.

Just as significantly, the Book of Esther is also a little known book of “Prophecy“! This is because it pointed to the Person and Work of Jesus, roughty 450 years into the future, and His establishing the New Covenant to offer a way of escape from the demands of God’s Law under the Old Covenant, and the New Testament era that followed. It also culminates with a future picture of Judgment Day, which is yet to come at the end of creation, and also the transition into eternity in Heaven that will follow for all who are counted among the people of Jesus… as well as the eternal death and destruction in Hell for all those who are not.

Nonetheless, the Primary Message of the Book of Esther is the same Gospel Message that can be found everywhere else in the Bible as it focuses on the Person and Work of the LORD Jesus Christ. The only difference is that, each time Jesus is found in the Bible, we can learn more about Him and God’s Gospel plan through Him (which glorifies God in the process).  However, to truly “see” Jesus (to believe with our hearts and not just our minds), we must have our “spiritual eyes” opened by God.  Given that this can be the case, then another purpose for God having provided us with the Book of Esther is that it will edify and strengthen the faith of the saints (the elect of God, the believers).

It should be noted that this exposition is intended to be read as a companion volume to the OVERVIEW commentary that can be found in “The Book of Esther: A More Complete Christian Commentary“

Verse By Verse Exposition of the Book of Esther

The Spiritual Theme of Chapter 1: God’s Magnificent Salvation Plan, whereby Queen Vashti, a spiritual ‘Type’ representing Old Testatment National Israel (being under the Law), rebels: making a way for the remnant of both Jews and Gentiles (being under Grace)(Esther 1:12 and Esther 1:19) Please see Deuteronomy 31:16-18 and Romans 4:15.

Chapter 1 can be divided into three parts:

1. The Introduction of King Ahasuerus and his great, glorious, and indivisible kingdom. (Esther 1:1-4)
2. The rebellion of a wife (Queen Vashti) to her husband (King Ahasueus) when bidden to his feast. (Esther 1:5-20)
3. The kingdom-wide decree against Queen Vashti published in every language to every people in that day with the consultation of 14 wise men. (Esther 1:21&22)

CHAPTER 1

Introduction of King Ahasuerus

Esther 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:)“

Here we are introduced to king Ahasuerus, which is אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ (‘ăḥašvērôš) in the original Hebrew, which means According to Strong’s Concordance of Persian origin.  It is said to be more of a title, referring to a king, rather than a specific name.  It is believed to be the same as either Artexerxes or Xerxes (which has been said to mean “Mighty Eye” or “Mighty Man“, but this is also unclear from the Biblical text alone). It has been claimed in more than one reference that the name means “venerable father“, which, if true, is extremely significant as we shall see later, but, if true, would suggest that the king is like ‘a father worthy of veneration’. Also, interestingly, the Blue Letter Bible claims that Ahasuerus can mean “I will be silent and poor“, which could be viewed as an indication of God’s Self depreciation in hiding Himself within the Book of Esther. However, apart from any other corroboration from the Bible, this is merely speculation, particularly given the other definitions above.

We should be aware that King “Ahasuerus” is also mentioned in two other places in the Bible, providing cross-referencing with the Book of Esther in terms of historicity, and self validation that the book is indeed an integral part of the Bible. We see the King’s name referenced in Ezra 4:6 and later in Daniel 9:1, “In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, which was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans;” Although it is never specifically stated, it would therefore also seem possible that, if this is indeed the same Ahasuerus, that Darius might also be the son of Esther, as she was the queen the king Ahasuerus. And we also know that it was king Darius who decreed that the building of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem was not to be hindered, and decreeing the full support of his kingdom to hasten that restoration in Ezra 6:1-12 (as well as providing all that was necessary to support the priestly duties and sacrifices therein).

We also read that Ahasuerus’ vast kingdom comprised 127 provinces (“from India even unto Ethiopia“).  This is a large prime number, and as a result, it cannot be divided into any smaller numbers.  God’s kingdom is also great and indivisible. Interestingly, Sarah lived 127 years as we read in Genesis 23:1 ¶ “And Sarah was an hundred and seven and twenty years old: [these were] the years of the life of Sarah” (also 37 years after bearing Isaac).   We also know that Abraham was told that in Genesis 22:18 “And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.”  But Sarah, as the mother of Isaac, was also the vehicle by which God would bless all the nations of the earth through here Descendent, Jesus Christ.  So the number 127 would therefore seem to point to “all the nations of the earth” from another vantage point.

Esther 1:2, “[That] in those days, when the king Ahasuerus sat on the throne of his kingdom, which was in Shushan the palace,“

The Shushan (שׁוּשַׁן (šûšan))^H7800 palace is also mentioned in Nehemiah 1:1 and Daniel 8:2. It is derived from the original Hebrew word meaning “lily”, שׁוּשַׁן (šûšan)^H7799, but, according to some interpreters, the focus of the name Shushan seems to be more on the color of the lily, which is “white”. White is the color that God uses to represent purity and righteousness, and thus the Shushan palace can be more readily viewed as an allegorical type for Heaven, where The King of Kings reigns on His Throne.

Esther 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:“

This is the first feast that we read about in the Book of Esther. Given the sequence of events, a feast for all of the king’s princes and servants throughout his empire showing his “power” can be said to at least be reminiscent of the first feast ordained of God that we read about Exodus 12:1-20. There we read that God ordained the first  “LORD’S passover” feast, which was also to be in the beginning of the year, which established the first month of the year in the Hebrew calendar. God also commanded that the feast be kept every year “forever” as a holy convocation as we read in Exodus 12:14, “¶And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever. Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel. And in the first day [there shall be] an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save [that] which every man must eat, that only may be done of you.”

Other verses are similarly reflective like Deuteronomy 4:37, “And because he loved thy fathers, therefore he chose their seed after them, and brought thee out in his sight with his mighty power out of Egypt;” and Job 36:22, “Behold, God exalteth by his power: who teacheth like him?“

And the “seven days” are also reminiscent of what we subsequently see in Esther 1:5.

And what did the passover feast signify and display? It showed God’s Almighty “Power” to provide salvation to Old Testament National Israel from the tenth, and final, plague on Egypt, and it was made known everywhere, as represented by both the nation of Israel and the Egyptians, as well as God’s host in Heaven. We see this clearly stated by God in Psalm 106:8-10, “Nevertheless he saved them for his name’s sake, that he might make his mighty power to be known. He rebuked the Red sea also, and it was dried up: so he led them through the depths, as through the wilderness. And he saved them from the hand of him that hated [them], and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.“

We should also note that by saying it was the “third year of his reign” reminds us of the number three which is representative of the “Unfailing Purpose of God, hence God’s Sovereign Will and Testimony”. Please see Numbers in the Bible.

Esther 1:4, “When he shewed the riches of his glorious (כָּבוֹד (kāḇôḏ))^H3519kingdom and the honour (יְקָר (yᵊqār))^H3366  of his excellent (תִּפְאָרָה (tip̄’ārâ))^H8597 majesty (גְּדוּלָה (gᵊḏûlâ))^H1420 many days, [even] an hundred and fourscore days.”

Note that the Hebrew word translated as “majesty” גְּדוּלָה (gᵊḏûlâ))^H1420 is also be translated to English as “dignity ” in Esther 6:3, and “greatness” in Esther 10:2.)

All “Glory” and “Honor” and “Majesty” Belong to God, as He Alone is Excellent!

Psalm 8:1, “{To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm of David.} O LORD our Lord, how excellent (אַדִּיר (‘adîr))^H117 [is] thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory (הוֹד (hôḏ)) ^H1935 above the heavens.“

Psalm 8:5 “For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory (כָּבוֹד (kāḇôḏ)) ^H3519 and honour (הָדָר (hāḏār)) ^H1926.

Psalm 21:5, “His glory (כָּבוֹד (kāḇôḏ))^H3519 [Is] great in thy salvation: honour (הוֹד (hôḏ)) ^H1935 and majesty (הָדָר (hāḏār)) ^H1926 hast thou laid upon him.”

Psalm 24:10, “Who is this King of glory (כָּבוֹד (kāḇôḏ))^H3519? The LORD of hosts, he [is] the King of glory (כָּבוֹד (kāḇôḏ))^H3519. Selah.“

Psalm 45:3, “Gird thy sword upon [thy] thigh, O [most] mighty, with thy glory (הוֹד (hôḏ)) ^H1935 and thy majesty (הָדָר (hāḏār)) ^H1926.”

Psalm 72:19, “And blessed [be] his glorious (כָּבוֹד (kāḇôḏ))^H3519 name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled [with] his glory (כָּבוֹד (kāḇôḏ))^H3519 ; Amen, and Amen.“

Psalm 93:1, “¶The LORD reigneth, he is clothed with majesty (גֵּאוּת (gē’ûṯ))^H1348; the LORD is clothed with strength (עֹז (ʿōz))^H5797, [wherewith] he hath girded himself: the world also is stablished, that it cannot be moved.”

Psalm 96:6, “Honour (הוֹד (hôḏ)) ^H1935and majesty (הָדָר (hāḏār)) ^H1926[are] before him: strength (עֹז (ʿōz))^H5797and beauty [are] in his sanctuary.”

Psalm 104:1, “Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour (הוֹד (hôḏ)) ^H1935  and majesty (הָדָר (hāḏār)) ^H1926.“

Psalm 111:3. “His work [is] honorable (הוֹד (hôḏ)) ^H1935 and glorious (also “majesty” (הָדָר (hāḏār)) ^H1926: and his righteousness endureth for ever.“

Psalm 113:4&5, “The LORD [is] high above all nations, [and] his glory (כָּבוֹד (kāḇôḏ))^H3519 above the heavens. Who is like unto the LORD our God, who dwelleth on high,“

Psalm 145:5, “I will speak of the glorious (כָּבוֹד (kāḇôḏ))^H3519 honour (הָדָר (hāḏār)) ^H1926 of thy majesty (הוֹד (hôḏ)) ^H1935, and of thy wondrous works.” [NOTE: The Hebrew word that was translated as “works” should more accurately be translated “words” (דָּבָר (dāḇār))^H1697.  Therefore, we can also read it more correctly as saying “I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous words.“]

Psalm 145:10-13, “All thy works shall praise thee, O LORD; and thy saints shall bless thee.They shall speak of the glory (כָּבוֹד (kāḇôḏ))^H3519 of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power; To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious (כָּבוֹד (kāḇôḏ))^H3519 majesty (הָדָר (hāḏār)) ^H1926 of his kingdom. Thy kingdom [is] an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion [endureth] throughout all generations.“Actually, all of Psalm 145 extols, and speaks praise to, Almighty God’s Glorious Honor and Majesty.

Psalms 148:13, “Let them praise the name of the LORD: for his name alone is excellent; his glory (הוֹד (hôḏ)) ^H1935 [is] above the earth and heaven.“

Psalm 150:1&2, “¶ Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power.  Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness (גֹּדֶל (gōḏel))^H1433.“ “Excellent greatness” can also be considered as “magnificence“

1 Chronicles 16:25-28, “For great [is] the LORD, and greatly to be praised: he also [is] to be feared above all gods.  For all the gods of the people [are] idols: but the LORD made the heavens.  Glory (הוֹד (hôḏ)) ^H1935 and honour (הָדָר (hāḏār)) ^H1926 [are] in his presence; strength and gladness [are] in his place. Give unto the LORD, ye kindreds of the people, give unto the LORD glory (כָּבוֹד (kāḇôḏ))^H3519 and strength.“

1 Chronicles 29:10-13, “¶Wherefore David blessed the LORD before all the congregation: and David said, Blessed [be thou, LORD God of Israel our father, for ever and ever. Thine, O LORD, [is] the greatness (גְּדוּלָה (gᵊḏûlâ))^H1420, and the power, and the glory (תִּפְאָרָה (tip̄’ārâ))^H8597, and the victory, and the majesty (הוֹד (hôḏ)) ^H1935: for all [that is] in the heaven and in the earth [is thine]; thine [is] the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all. Both riches and honour (כָּבוֹד (kāḇôḏ))^H3519 [come] of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand [is] power and might; and in thine hand [it is] to make great, and to give strength unto all. Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious (תִּפְאָרָה (tip̄’ārâ))^H8597 name.“

New Testament References

Matthew 24:30, “And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.“

1 Timothy 1:17, “Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, [be] honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.“

Jude 1:25, “To the only wise God our Saviour, [be] glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.”

Revelation 4:11, “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.“

The One Hundred and Eighty Days Equals Six Months, or One Half of a Year

It is important to note that God specifies a 180 day period, or exactly six months between the first feast at the beginning of the year and the feast to which Vashti refused to come. Could it be that we are being provided some insights on God’s timeline of history?  The Old Testament Covenant Period was 2000 years from Abraham until Jesus’ (the promised Messiah’s) Atonement (when the Passover feast fulfilled) in 33 AD, and then from Jesus’s Atonement and Resurrection in 33 AD, which marked the beginning of the New Testament Covenant Period until now. Note that the length of time from then until now is almost exactly equal to 2000 years as well (note that it would be fully 2000 years in 2033 AD, only a handful of years from now, if those days are not cut short first).

Esther 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;“

This is the second feast, which is at the end of the six-month period. This feast can be viewed spiritually in two different ways:

1. It can be viewed as representing either the end of the Old Testament era (the first half of the year, the 180 days) from Abraham to the cross where the Passover Feast that marked the beginning of the seven day Feast of unleavened bread was fulfilled by Jesus’ Atoning Sacrifice as we read in Leviticus 23:5&6, “In the fourteenth [day] of the first month at even [is] the LORD’S passover. And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread.” And then in Numbers 28:16&17, “And in the fourteenth day of the first month [is] the passover of the LORD. And in the fifteenth day of this month [is] the feast: seven days shall unleavened bread be eaten.” Please note how it was also on the fifteenth day that God declares the children of Israel departed from their bondage in Egypt, because of what we read in Numbers 33:3&4 “And they departed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the morrow after the passover the children of Israel went out with an high hand in the sight of all the Egyptians. For the Egyptians buried all their firstborn, which the LORD had smitten among them: upon their gods also the LORD executed judgments.” Or…
2. It can be representative of the literal “six month” period between the Passover/unleavened bread feast (the first feast that begins in the middle of the first month) and the last feast of the Old Testament, which is the Feast of Tabernacles, which followed six months after Passover that begins in the middle of the seventh month and was also a seven-day feast. That last feast, the ingathering Feast of Tabernacles, is a picture of eternity in which the believers are in new spiritual bodies (typified by the “tabernacles“) in the New Heaven and New Earth. And while it represents the entry and habitation of the believers (eternal Israel) into Heaven, it is a place to which unbelievers neither partake of, nor enter into. Note how well this ties in with what we read in Zechariah 14:16&17, “¶And it shall come to pass, [that] every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles. And it shall be, [that] whoso will not come up of [all] the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain.“

In any case, this six month period (180 days) is analogous to the period preceding the first coming of the Lord Jesus Christ (the Old Testament era, but particularly the period from Abraham to Jesus), while the second half of the year (the last 180 days) would be analogous to the period from the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ to the end of the world (the entire New Testament era). And we should all understand that, “spiritually”, the seven day Feast of Tabernacles, which will only be fulfilled after Judgment Day, is representative of the believers in Heaven partaking of the Heavenly Feast with Jesus for the perfection of time (the number seven) which represents eternity.

Esther 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.”

These descriptions are similar to much of what we see in relation to the Tabernacle and the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. Ultimately they are pictures of God’s Throne Room in Heaven. The description of the tapestry and the vessels of gold and silver remind us of the description of the Heavenly Jerusalem in Revelation Chapters 21 and 22. 

Remember what King Solomon said in 2 Chronicles 2:5-7, “And the house which I build [is] great: for great [is] our God above all gods. But who is able to build him an house, seeing the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain him? who [am] I then, that I should build him an house, save only to burn sacrifice before him? Send me now therefore a man cunning to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, and in iron, and in purple, and crimson, and blue, and that can skill to grave with the cunning men that [are] with me in Judah and in Jerusalem, whom David my father did provide.” (Please also see  Isaiah 54:10-12)

But the fact that the specific colors were enumerated it is worthwhile to just think a moment about what each color could mean when we think about how they are presented in scripture. We should also bear in mind that each color as translated into English below is of foreign origin and hence is not replicated elsewhere in the Old Testament.

• white: reminds us of the purity, holiness, and righteousness of God. It should be noted that there are two words in this verse that are translated as “white”. One is חוּר (ḥûr)^H2353, as in “linen white” the other is דַּר (dar)^H1858, which is only found this once and means “pearly white”. The word most often found in the original Hebrew for white is לָבָן (lāḇān)^H3836 as we see in Isaiah 1:18^H3836.
• green: reminds us “life” as we find in trees, fruitful trees, that represent believers in the Bible. The word translated as green in this verse is כַּרְפַּס (karpas)^H3768 but the word “green” in the original Hebrew is רַעֲנָן (raʿănān)^H7488 as we find in Psalm 52:8, Jeremiah 17:8, and Hosea 14:8.
• blue: reminds us of Heaven…the sky was made blue for this reason
• purple: reminds us of royalty, remember that as God/Jesus is our King (John 19:2&John 19:5)
• red: although this word for “red”, בַּהַט (bahaṭ)^H923 is only found this once in the Bible here, the words that are most often found in the original Hebrew for “red”, אָדַם (‘āḏam)^H119 and אָדֹם (‘āḏōm)^H122 remind us of our sins, and that the only remission is by the Blood of Jesus shed for the believer and atoning for the believer’s sins (Isaiah 1:18^H119 and Isaiah 63:2^H122 and 2 Kings 3:22^H119)
• black: generally reminds of darkness, where no light is, and not having the righteousness of God in Heaven. The word that is translated as “black” here in Esther is סֹחֶרֶת (sōḥereṯ)^H5508 but the word translated as black in the original Hebrew is שָׁחֹר (šāḥōr)^H7838 as we find in Zechariah 6:2& Zechariah 6:6. Another word, אִישׁוֹן (‘îšôn)^H380 is that used to describe the blackness of the pupil of the eye and as used here in Proverbs 7:9, “In the twilight, in the evening, in the black ^H380 and dark night:” Finally, there is the Hebrew word that we find translated as “black” (but most often translated as “to mourn” as in Psalm 38:6) in 1 Kings 18:45 is קָדַר (qāḏar)^H6937, “And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was black ^H6937 with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel.” and in Jeremiah 4:28, “For this shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above be black: ^H6937 because I have spoken [it], I have purposed [it], and will not repent, neither will I turn back from it.” So in essence we are reminded that Heaven, the Palace of God, can be obscured from the unsaved by being blackened by clouds, such that it will cause mourning by the unsaved. This is evident also when we see this word also translated as “dark” in Ezekiel 32:7, “And when I shall put thee out, I will cover the heaven, and make ^H6937 ➔ the stars thereof dark; ^H6937 I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give her light.” and Joel 2:10, “The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, ^H6937 and the stars shall withdraw their shining:“

Esther 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 (יָד (yāḏ))^H3027 of the king.“

The “royal wine in abundance” clearly points to then shed Blood of The Lord Jesus Christ, represented by the wine (shed in abundance). The vessels of god being diverse from one another could be viewed as representative of the fact that every believer is a different creature each having a diverse role in the Body of Christ. 1 Corinthians 12:14, “For the body is not one member, but many. And the word “state” (יָד (yāḏ))^H3027 is translated elsewhere in the Old Testament over 1300 times as “hand” or “power“. So it can also be interpreted as “by the hand of the king” or “by the power of the king”.

Esther 1:8, “And the drinking [was] according to the law; none did compel (אָָנַס (‘ānas))^H597: for so the king had appointed (יָסַד (yāsaḏ))^H3245 to all the officers of his house, that they should do according to every man’s pleasure (רָצוֹן (rāṣôn))^H7522.“

This teacher is not entirely confident as to the meaning of this verse. However, the original Hebrew words are worth reviewing for possible insights. It could be saying to us that while on the literal historical surficial level, it looks like every person gets to decide whether to drink the wine or not by his or her own “free will”, the reality is that on the spiritual level, it is not man’s will that leads one to salvation (by spiritually taking part of the Lord’s Supper or entering into the Feast of Tabernacles), but rather the Will of God. Romans 9:16, “So then [it is] not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.“

The original Hebrew word that is translated as “compel” is אָָנַס (‘ānas)^H597, is only found this one time here, and nowhere else in the Bible, so comparing scripture with scripture is not possible. The word is also said to mean “constrain”.

The original Hebrew word that is translated as “appointed” is יָסַד (yāsaḏ)^H3245 . It has also been translated elsewhere in the following manner: foundation (15x), lay (8x), founded (8x), ordain (2x), counsel (2x), established (2x), foundation (with H3117) (1x), appointed (1x), instructed (1x), set (1x), sure (1x). For example in Isaiah 28:16, “Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay ^H3245 in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner [stone], a sure ^H3245 foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.” And we know that this foundation stone, the chief corner stone, is the Lord Jesus Christ as we are told in 1 Peter 2:6 and Ephesians 2:20.

The original Hebrew word that is translated as “pleasure“ is רָצוֹן (rāṣôn)^H7522 which has been translated into English in other parts of the Old Testament in the following manner: favour (15x), will (14x), acceptable (8x), delight (5x), pleasure (5x), accepted (4x), desire (3x), acceptance (1x), selfwill (1x).

We should also consider that, if the final feast represents the yet to be fulfilled ingathering Feast of Tabernacles that will be celebrated by the believers in Heaven, then the royal wine in abundance points us to the eternal celebration of the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Verse 8 would seem to speak of the fact that, in eternity, no one is compelled, because all the elect have already partaken of the water of life and of the blood of the Lamb, freely.

And let us not forget that the law only compels and condemns, while grace makes the believers ‘free’. The believers are not compelled, but freely choose to do the Will of God because of what we read in Jeremiah 31:33&34, “But this [shall be] the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.“

Overall it would seem to be a beautiful picture of the believer’s joy and pleasure to be in glory with their Savior.

Introduction of Queen Vashti

Esther 1:9, “¶Also Vashti the queen made a feast for the women [in] the royal house which [belonged] to king Ahasuerus.“

Queen Vashti, whose name in Hebrew is וַשְׁתִּי (vaštî)^H2060 meaning “Beautiful” was, evidently, indeed a beautiful first queen, but she rebelled against the king, and she refused to come to his feast, choosing rather to hold her own feast for the women in the royal palace, which notably belonged to the king.  Deuteronomy 31:16-18 explains how such rebellion was forewarned along with the resultant punishment, as does Jesus’ parable of the “Great Supper” in Luke 14:16-24, particularly the last verse Luke 14:24, “For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.“ And note that it was the “chief priests and Pharisees” who knew that Jesus was describing them through those parables as we read in Matthew 21:45, “¶And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them.“

When we realize that Vashti is representative of Old Testament National Israel, which had become rebellious and apostate, we can see that not only was she in rebellion, but in effect she was also recruiting “the women” to her apostasy. We can also see how Vashti might be likened to the corporate ‘Christian’ church of our day, which has in large part become apostate in not preaching the true Gospel (e.g., teaching ‘free will” which glorifies man, versus ‘Sovereign Grace’ which glorifies God), while also actively seeking to win new converts to such apostasy.

Esther 1:10, “¶On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry (טוֹב (ṭôḇ))^H2896 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,“

“Merry” with wine?

Some commentators have claimed, when looking only at the literal historical context “the king was merry with wine“, that it is safe for them to presume that the king was in a state of ‘drunkeness’. This is simply not true, and is a careless error, because there is no place in the book of Esther where there is an explicit reference to “drunkenness” on the part of the king Ahasuerus. Moreover, the word that is translated as “merry” is the word (טוֹב (ṭôḇ))^H2896, which has been translated into English in other places in the Old Testament in the following manner: good (361x), better (72x), well (20x), goodness (16x), goodly (9x), best (8x), merry (7x), fair (7x), prosperity (6x), precious (4x), fine (3x), wealth (3x), beautiful (2x), fairer (2x), favour (2x), glad (2x), miscellaneous (35x). Perhaps the clearest example how else it can be translated is in the very first instance in the Bible in Genesis 1:4, “And God saw the light, that [it was] good (טוֹב (ṭôḇ))^H2896: and God divided the light from the darkness.”

And let us not forget this extremely important statement by Joseph (serving as a “Type” of the Lord Jesus Christ) to his brothers (representing the Jews of Old Testament National Israel) in Genesis 50:20, “But as for you, ye thought evil against me; [but] God meant it unto good (טוֹב (ṭôḇ))^H2896, to bring to pass, as [it is] this day, to save much people alive.” The importance of this verse being that it relates directly to the Atonement and Jesus and thus to the spiritual meaning of Esther 1:10!

Please see the Additional Notes at the end of this study to see the ‘spiritual’ implications of this phraseology.

The Seven Chamberlains?

The “seven chamberlains” most certainly remind us of the “the seven Spirits which are before his throne“(God’s Throne in Heaven) in Revelation 1:4 and who are also referred to as “the seven spirits of God” in Revelation 3:1, Revelation 4:5, and Revelation 5:6.

Although the chamberlains are presumed to be eunuchs, we find their names to mean as follows:

1. Mehuman, מְהוּמָן (mᵊhûmān)^H4104, of Persian origin meaning “Faithful“. [This name is found only once in the Bible.] Jesus is “Faithful” and True as we read in Revelation 19:11, “¶And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him [was] called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.“
2. Biztha, בִּזְתָא (bizṯā’)^H968, of Persian origin meaning “Booty“. [This name is found only once in the Bible.] Zephaniah 1:13, “Therefore their goods shall become a booty (מְשִׁסָּה (mᵊšissâ))^H4933, and their houses a desolation: they shall also build houses, but not inhabit [them]; and they shall plant vineyards, but not drink the wine thereof.” Jesus, as the Conquering Victor, will reclaim the world as His possession (the “booty” or spoil”) on Judgment Day.
3. Harbona, חַרְבוֹנָא (ḥarḇônā’)^H2726, of Persian origin meaning “Ass-Driver“. [This name is found only here and in Esther 7:9.] (Please see Zechariah 9:9 & Matthew 21:5, as they specifically point to Jesus as driving both the ass and the colt of an ass). Also  Exodus 13:13, “And every firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb; and if thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break his neck: and all the firstborn of man among thy children shalt thou redeem.” And please remember that, spiritually speaking, all believers are the “asses” who are redeemed by the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ and driven by Him to bring the Gospel to a dead and dying world!
4. Bigtha, בִּגְתָא (biḡṯā’)^H903, of Persian origin meaning “In the Wine Press“. [This name is found only once in the Bible.] Please see this detailed study on “Winepress” in the Bible. The key to remember here is that Jesus’ Atoning Sacrifice involved Jesus having to endure the Wrath of God on behalf of the believers “in the winepress of shame”, and that Jesus will tread “the winepress of wrath” upon the unbelievers on Judgment Day. #1) Isaiah 63:1-6, “Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. Wherefore [art thou] red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat (winepress, גַּת (gaṯ) ^H1660 )? I (Jesus) have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people [there was] none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment. For the day of vengeance [is] in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come. And I looked, and [there was] none to help; and I wondered that [there was] none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me. And I will tread down the people in mine anger, and make them drunk in my fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth.“ #2) Revelation 14:19, “And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast [it] into the great winepress of the wrath of God.  And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand [and] six hundred furlongs.”  #3) In Revelation 19:13, we see this picture of Jesus, “And he [was] clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.“ And just a few verses later in Revelation 19:15, we read “And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.”
5. Abagtha, אֲבַגְתָא (‘ăḇaḡṯā’)^H5, of foreign origin “God-Given“. [This name is found only once in the Bible.] Isaiah 9:6 tells us that Jesus is God’s Gift to the world,”For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” And also as we read in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.“
6. Zethar, זֵתַר (zēṯar)^H2242, of Persian origin meaning “Star“. [This name is found only once in the Bible.] (similar to, but not the same as, ‘Esther’). Remember what we read in Numbers 24:17, “I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.” and in Revelation 22:16, “I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, [and] the bright and morning star.“
7. Carcas, כַּרְכַּס (karkas)^H3752, (Yes, this name sounds, fittingly, just like “carcass“) of Persian origin meaning “Severe” (or “Eagle“?). [This name is found only once in the Bible.] The Eagle is a carnivore bird that is used by God as a reference to Jesus as Judge, and let us not forget that God’s Judgment is most “Severe”…please see Revelation 4:7 where the fourth and last representative attribute of Jesus is the “flying eagle“.

Because nearly all of the names of the princes are unique, it must be clearly understood by the reader that the associated spiritual implications are not necessarily provable, given that there are no other cross-references provided in the Bible. Therefore, the derived meaning or interpretation cannot be viewed as certain. This is particularly so when it comes to names that are found only one time in the entire Bible.

Nonetheless, it would seem safe to say that all of these names of the chamberlains do point us to Jesus (The “Counselor” according to Isaiah 9:6, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” Jesus Counseled with God, The Father, in Heaven, and that Jesus Is The Means for bringing the whole Counsel of God to mankind through His Word, The Gospel, as is proclaimed in the Bible. Remember what Jesus said at the last supper in Matthew 26:27, “¶And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave [it] to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”

We should also note the significance of the number seven (“7“), which is a prime number that, in the Bible, represents “Perfection” or “Fulfillment” of whatever God has in view in the text. However, we should particularly look at Revelation 4:5, “And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and [there were] seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.” and Revelation 5:4-6, “¶And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. ¶ And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.“

So, dear reader, can you now see how these seven chamberlains can relate to Jesus, The “Counselor“, and His Gospel going forth to all the earth, in perfect accordance with God’s Magnificent Salvation Plan?

Esther 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 (טוֹב (ṭôḇ))^H2896  to look on.“ (טוֹב (ṭôḇ) means “good”)

At the end of the 180 days, which brings us to the middle of a year being a six month period, we see another seven day feast (just like the seven days of unleavened bread associated with the Passover feast and the ingathering Feast of Tabernacles). Which brings Vashti in view, in that she, spiritually representing National Israel, the Old Testament people of God. Bearing in mind that in the Old Testament all of the males were required to present themselves before the Lord, just as Vashti was “required” (commanded) to be present before her king.

And just like Vashti, Old Testament National Israel essentially refused, in their hearts, to worship God from the beginning to the end. They, in essence, refused to come to the ultimate Passover/seven day unleaved bread feast and to present themselves before the Lord, just as Vashti refused to come at the king’s command and will not come up to the ultimate Feast of Tabernacles. She refused to acknowledge and worship The Essence and Fulfillment of the Passover, The Lord Jesus Christ, Who Is The “Lamb of God” and “The Bread of Life”, Who was sacrificed by God for the sins of God’s Eternal Israel, and Who Is the Eternal Rest for the Believers in fulfillment of the Feast of Tabernacles.

And is it not MOST interesting that to this very day, all the Jews throughout the world including in what is now the renewed National Israel, continue to annually celebrate the Passover Feast and the seven days of unleavened bread. By so doing, each and every Jew is refusing to accept that those feasts were already fulfilled by Jesus as the Lamb of God and the Bread of Life (and refusing God’s Command to Come to Him).

Until the Cross, God continued to consider Old Testament National Israel to be His beautiful Bride.

There is another reference to six months (provided twice) in Esther 2:12,  wherein each of the two halves of a full year involved steps in Esther’s purification, “¶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;)” 

Could “One Year” Represent God’s Entire Salvation Plan, But Being Divided into Two Equal Parts?

In Esther 2:12, we read of a year of purification, “¶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;)” 

A Possible Indication of God’s Timeline of History?

Could it therefore also be that we are being provided some insights on God’s timeline of history?  The Old Testament Covenant Period lasted ~2000 years from Abraham until Jesus’ (the promised Messiah’s) Atonement, and then from Jesus’ Atonement, which marked the beginning of the New Testament Covenant Period with the pouring out of God’s Holy Spirit until now, is about 2000 years as well.

Therefore that 12 month period, being divided into two equal parts, is a reference to the Acceptable Year of the Lord, which is the whole New Testament Era (as prophesied in Isaiah 61:2, “To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;” and referenced in Luke 4:19, “To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.”), wherein the 1/2 and 1/2 are a representation of equal importance of the two facets of purification. The first is the focus on the death of Christ associated with the myrrh and the oil, typifying the application of the death of Christ by the Holy Spirit. The second 1/2 refers to the prayers of the saints for the elect sinners. Out of these two come, the choice of the favored bride, the new queen, Esther, representing the entire body of believers, the Bride of Christ from both the Old and New Testaments.

The division of the year in Esther 2:12 might be interpreted as saying that the first six months represented the period of the Old Testament believers (the remnant saved by grace) that began with Abraham and ended ~2000 years later with Jesus’ death linked with the “myrrh“; while the last six months represents the New Testament Era, entailing the Church age, involving the active evangelizing of the whole world with the Gospel for the building Jesus Christ’s Church right up until Jesus’ Return in Judgment at the End of the World (~2000 years from 33 AD to the present time) linked with the “sweet odours“, hence God’s Holy Spirit having been poured out together with His Intercessory prayers on behalf of the saints.

Queen Vashti’s Refusal

Esther 1:12, “But the queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s commandment by his chamberlains: therefore was the king very wroth (קָצַף (qāṣap̄))^H7107, and his anger burned in him.“

Again, we need to remember what we are told by God in Deuteronomy 31:16-18 explains how this can be so, as does Jesus’ parable of the “Great Supper” in Luke 14:16-24, particularly the last verse Luke 14:24, “For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.“ Jesus was clearly emphasizing the point that those who were bidden, but refused to come, would NEVER partake of the Great Supper and hence, by reference, will never be welcome into the Kingdom of God in Heaven.

At one time or another, everyone, in some way or another, will be confronted with having to deal with the invitation to Come to Jesus for forgiveness of sins and to come to the great wedding feast in Heaven with Jesus, as prepared by God the Father. Everyone will have to respond by either “hearing” The Word of God and lovingly and joyfully responding to that invitation, or 

1. Make excuses because of each one’s love of this world, in opposition to God’s warning in 1 John 2:15, “Love not the world, neither the things [that are] in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”, and Matthew 10:37, where Jesus said, “He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” or…
2. Dismissively mock Jesus and His Ambassadors, as we read in Matthew 27:41, “¶Likewise also the chief priests mocking [him], with the scribes and elders, said, He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God.” (and remember that these scribes and elders were those Jews who “knew” what the scriptures said, but, because they were spiritually blind, they could not “know” Jesus, Who was the embodiment of those scriptures) and in Acts 2:13, at Pentecost, “¶Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.“, or…
3. Hate the messengers because they hate the message (they hate Jesus). Remember what Jesus said in John 15:18, “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before [it hated] you.” and John 15:19, “If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.” And remember that by God’s standard, that would make all of them “murderers” as we read in 1 John 3:15, “Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.“)

In the end, on Judgment Day, these latter individuals will find out the Truth, but it will then be too late.

Jeremiah 10:10, “But the Lord is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath (קֶצֶף (qeṣep̄))^H7110 the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation.”

Hebrews 2:3&4, “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard [him]; God also bearing [them] witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost,according to his own will?“

Esther 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:“

We should immediately consider Ecclesiastes 8:5&6, “Whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing: and a wise man’s heart discerneth both time and judgment. Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the misery of man is great upon him.” (remembering also Ecclesiastes 1:18, “For in much wisdom [is] much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.“)

Such men were specifically named in 1 Chronicles 12:32. They were those who came to support David as King, versus Saul, “And of the children of Issachar, [which were men] that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads of them were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their commandment.” They were also called “men of war” having “a perfect heart” towards David in 1 Chronicles 12:38.

The Believers Are Wise and Know the Times, the Law, and Judgment

The believers are well versed in understanding and wisdom to know that Jesus is coming back again soon and for the need to be ready for Jesus’ return on Judgment Day, the Day of the Lord. The believers understand what Judgment Day really means. 1 Thessalonians 5:1-5, “¶But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.

Esther 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;)“

The Seven Princes?

Like the seven of the Kings Chamberlains in Esther 1:10, these “seven princes” of this empire (Persia and Media) “which saw the king’s face” and “sat first in the kingdom” also remind us of the “the seven Spirits which are before his throne“(in Heaven) in Revelation 1:4 and who are also referred to as “the seven spirits of God” in Revelation 3:1, Revelation 4:5, and Revelation 5:6.

1. Carshena, כַּרְשְׁנָא (karšᵊnā’)^H3771 said to be of foreign origin, meaning “Illustrious“. [This name is found only once in the Bible.] Another word for illustrious is ‘notable’, as we see Acts 2:20&21, “The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: And it shall come to pass, [that] whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” ‘Notable‘ there is from the original Greek ἐπιφανής (epiphanēs)^G2016, which can also be translated as ‘illustrious’.
2. Shethar, שֵׁתָר (šēṯār)^H8369  said to be of foreign origin, meaning “a Star“. [This name is found only once in the Bible.] Note that Shethar is similar to ‘Zethar‘, זֵתַר (zēṯar)^H2242 the chamberlain mentioned above, and ‘Esther’, אֶסְתֵּר (‘estēr)^H635). The first two names are masculine, while Esther is feminine. Remember that the “stars of God” are indeed associated with the Throne of Heaven as we read in Isaiah 14:13, where, by implication, the devil sought to usurp God’s authority over them, “For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:“
3. Admatha, אַדְמָתָא (‘aḏmāṯā’)^H133 probably of Persian derivation, meaning “a Testimony to them“. [This name is found only once in the Bible.] Please see Revelation 6:9&10, “¶And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony (μαρτυρία (martyria)^G3141 which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our bloodon them that dwell on the earth?“)”
4. Tarshish, תַּרְשִׁישׁ (taršîš)^H8659 meaning “Yellowish Jasper (stone)”. [Note that the land of the same name, “Tarshish”, was known as a source of silver according to Jeremiah 10:9. Moreover, “Tarshish” is a representative of the “Gentiles”, being a great-grandson of Noah through Noah’s son Japheth and Japheth’s son Javan, as we read in Genesis 10:2-5.] Also, the “Breastplate of Judgment”, as described in Exodus 28:15-21, had four rows of three precious stone and the very last stone, of the twelve stones that represented the twelve tribes of Israel, was translated as “jasper”, but that original Hebrew word is יָֽשְׁפִה (yāšp̄ih)^H3471. We should also consider that in Revelation 21:19&20, we read, “And the foundations of the wall of the city [were] garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation [was] jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.” Interestingly, please note that the last stone of the breastplate of judgment became the first stone in the Heavenly Temple’s foundation.
5. Meres, מֶרֶס (meres)^H4825 of foreign derivation said to mean “Lofty“. [This name is found only once in the Bible.] Given that it is found only once in the Bible it is impossible to compare with use elsewhere. However, we can say that it could be compared to the Hebrew word שְׂאֵת (śᵊ’ēṯ)^H7613, which effectively means “lofty” given the following uses in the Old Testament: rising (7x), dignity (2x), excellency (2x), accepted (1x), highness (1x), raise up (1x). For instance in Job 31:23, we read, “For destruction [from] God [was] a terror to me, and by reason of his highness ^H7613 I could not endure.”
6. Marsena,מַרְסְנָא (marsᵊnā’)^H4826 Persian derivation meaning “Worthy“. [This name is found only once in the Bible.] Note what we read in Revelation 3:4, “Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy (ἄξιος (axios))^G514.” And Matthew 10:38, “And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy ^G514 of me.” Remembering that the believer’s worthiness is entirely imputed to him or her by Jesus, because, ultimately, Jesus Alone Is Worthy, as we read in Revelation 4:11, “Thou art worthy ^G514, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.“
7. Memucan, מְמוּכָן (mᵊmûḵān)^H4462 Persian derivation said to mean “Dignified“. [This name is found only once in the Bible.] Again, becuase this name is only found in the Book of Esther, it is impossible to compare with uses elsewhere in the Bible. However, we should also note that the Hebrew word גְּדוּלָה (gᵊḏûlâ))^H1420, which is translated into English as “dignity ” is found in Esther 6:3, but is also as translated as “majesty” in Esther 1:4 and “greatness” in Esther 10:2. As mentioned above, there is also the Hebrew word שְׂאֵת (śᵊ’ēṯ)^H7613, which, has been translated twice in the Old Testament as “dignity” (e.g., Genesis 49:3, “Reuben, thou [art] my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power:“) as well as: rising (7x), excellency (2x), accepted (1x), highness (1x), raise up (1x). In the New Testament, the name Memucan could equate to the Greek word σεμνός (semnos)^G4586 translated three times as ‘grave‘, (as in Titus 2:1&2, “¶But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine: That the aged men be sober, grave^G4586, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.“), but which is has also been translated as honest (1x) in Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things [are] honest^G4586, whatsoever things [are] just,whatsoever things [are] pure, whatsoever things [are] lovely, whatsoever things [are] of good report; if [there be] any virtue,and if [there be] any praise, think on these things.“

Because nearly all of the names of the princes are unique, it must be clearly understood by the reader that the associated spiritual implications are not necessarily provable, given that there are no other cross-references provided in the Bible. Therefore, the derived meaning or interpretation cannot be viewed as certain. This is particularly so when it comes to names that are found only one time in the entire Bible.

Nonetheless, it would seem that, based on these descriptive meaning of each of the names, these seven princes most likely do represent Jesus’ saints (all of the believers because of Jesus’ imputed righteousness), who are spiritually present before the Throne of the King, Almighty God. Note that Jesus said in Revelation 3:21, “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.”

Only the Believers will be able to “See the King’s Face” in the Throne Room of Heaven

1 John 3:2, “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.“

And in Revelation 22:3&4, we read this concerning the saints in Throne Room of Heaven with Jesus, “And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: And they shall see his face; and his name [shall be] in their foreheads.“

Esther 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.”

The point here is that as we read in “1 Corinthians 5:6, “¶… Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?” and in Matthew 16:12, “Then understood they (the disciples) how that he (Jesus) bade [them] not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees”. The doctrines of the corporate church of the Old Testament (National Israel), which brought about apostasy and rebellion of clinging to the ceremonial laws, had to be purged (and National Israel had to be punished through banishment) to prevent the apostasy of false doctrines/false gospels spreading to contaminate/mislead the true church (in this case referenced by the “princes”) as well as everyone else in the world.

Esther 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.“

We should note here, given that Vashti can be shown to be a spiritual “Type” for National Israel, under the Law of the Old Testament, that National Israel, by rejecting God’s Son, Jesus Christ, as the promised Messiah and the Fulfillment of the Old Testament Passover Feasts, would not only be disobedient to God’s Commandments, but would effectively be setting a precedent for the whole world to reject Jesus Christ as the promised Messiah…which is clearly intolerable to God in Heaven the Creator.

Clearly Vashti was being disobedient. We must remember what Jesus says to His Bride, the Church (the saints) in John 14:15, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.”

Esther 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.“

For the queen to be disobedient to the king’s commandment, is the same as a wife usurping the authority of her husband, rejecting subordination, which is rebellion and contrary to God’s word as we read in 1 Peter 3:1, “¶Likewise, ye wives, [be] in subjection to your own husbands;” and in 1 Peter 3:5, “For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands:“. (Please see more below regarding Esther 1:20) Moreover, if punishment for rebellion is not meted out quickly then the rebellion will spread as we read in Ecclesiastes 8:11, “Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. Esther 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.“

There is a lot of information for us here is this verse. Note the consistency with Daniel 6:8, “Now, O king, establish the decree, and sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not.” The original Hebrew word that is translated Esther 1:19 as “altered”, and in Daniel 6:8 as “altereth” is from the original Hebrew עֲדָא (ʿăḏā’)^H5709, which has also been translated into English in the following manner: take away (3x), passed (1x), departed (1x), altereth (1x), took (1x), pass away (1x), removeth (1x). So we could say that the decree of the king cannot ever “pass away”. Remember what Jesus said (and which is quoted three times!) in Matthew 24:35,  Mark 13:31, and Luke 21:33, “Heaven and earth shall pass away,  but my words shall not pass away.“

We also read in Isaiah 14:24, “The LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, [so] shall it stand:“ and then just three verses later in Isaiah 14:27, “For the LORD of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul [it]? and his hand [is] stretched out, and who shall turn it back?“

God Word is “settled” forever in Heaven (the throne room of God). God and His Word are unchangeable as we read in Psalm 119:89&90, “LAMED. For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven. Thy faithfulness [is] unto all generations: thou hast established the earth, and it abideth.” and Malachi 3:6, “For I [am] the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.“

Likewise the believer is also told to be ground, settled, and unmoveable as we read in Colossians 1:23, “If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and [be] not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, [and] which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;” and 1 Corinthians 15:58, “¶Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.“

Royal Estate

We need to take a look at the spiritual meaning of the king giving queen Vashti’s “royal estate unto another better than she“. A number of things come to mind…

1. Remember in Mary’s Magnificat declaration, upon hearing her cousin Elisabeth prophesy when coming into Elisabeth’s presence at which time John the Baptist leaped for joy in Elisabeth’s womb? Among the words Mary spoke included, in Luke 1:52, “He hath put down the mighty from [their] seats, and exalted them of low degree.“
2. And remember Hannah’s similar prayerful song of thanksgiving in 1 Samuel 2:1-11 and this excerpt in 1 Samuel 2:6-8, “The LORD killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up. The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up. He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, [and] lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set [them] among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth [are] the LORD’S, and he hath set the world upon them.“
3. We also know that the believers are referred to throughout the Bible as the Bride of Jesus Christ (and Jesus Christ is also God).  That Bride is described in the Bible with all the attributes ascribed to Esther.  The true believers replaced National Israel (pictured by Vashti), God’s former chosen people, whom He effectively divorced at the cross (We see this in Jeremiah 3:8 regarding the initial divorce by God of the first ten tribes of Israel, “And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.” as well as Isaiah 50:1, “¶Thus saith the LORD, Where [is] the bill of your mother’s divorcement, whom I have put away? or which of my creditors [is it] to whom I have sold you? Behold, for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves, and for your transgressions is your mother put away.“) because they would not come when bidden to the final Passover Feast (they rejected Jesus as Messiah, the Perfect Passover Lamb of God and His Wedding Feast and Great Supper…see Matthew 22:1–14  and  Luke 14:15-24).
4. And we should also remember that, just as King Ahasuerus was provoked to anger with Vashti for her rejection of him and his bid for her to come to the feast and had her own feast, so too was God enraged with National Israel and condemned her for her disobedience and rejection of Him in Isaiah 65:2-7, “I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way [that was] not good, after their own thoughts; A people that provoketh me to anger continually to my face; that sacrificeth in gardens, and burneth incense upon altars of brick; Which remain among the graves, and lodge in the monuments, which eat swine’s flesh, and broth of abominable [things is in] their vessels; Which say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou. These [are] a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the day. Behold, [it is] written before me: I will not keep silence, but will recompense, even recompense into their bosom, Your iniquities, and the iniquities of your fathers together, saith the LORD, which have burned incense upon the mountains, and blasphemed me upon the hills: therefore will I measure their former work into their bosom.” And again later in the same chapter in Isaiah 65:11-13, “But ye [are] they that forsake the LORD, that forget my holy mountain, that prepare a table for that troop, and that furnish the drink offering unto that number. Therefore will I number you to the sword, and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter: because when I called, ye did not answer; when I spake, ye did not hear; but did evil before mine eyes, and did choose [that] wherein I delighted not. ¶Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, my servants shall eat, but ye shall be hungry: behold, my servants shall drink, but ye shall be thirsty: behold, my servants shall rejoice, but ye shall be ashamed:“
5. Romans 11:25, “¶For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.“

Esther 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.”

Note the consistency with God’s Word on this topic. God ordained that the marriage relationship between a man and a woman is unequivocally a spiritual ‘Type’ for the marriage relationship between Christ and His Church as we read in Ephesians 5:22-25, “¶Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so [let] the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. ¶Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;“

And reading a bit further on we find this additional admonition from God in His Word as we read in Ephesians 5:33, “Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence [her] husband.”

Ephesians 6:2, “Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.” While this has temporal implications and hearkens us back to the Ten Commandments in Exodus, we should be aware of the spiritual implications interwoven within the text. In essence, we are to honor God our Father in Heaven and our mother the Church from where we heard the Word preached, and, once saved, by being an active part within it.

Colossians 3:18&19, “¶Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. ¶ Husbands, love [your] wives, and be not bitter against them.“

1 Timothy 2:12, “But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve.“

Clearly Vashti did not render due reverence to her husband, king Ahasuerus per God’s directive. She served as the exact personification of what we read in Jeremiah 3:20, “Surely [as] a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith the LORD.”

A Remnant Will Nonetheless Still Be Saved

However, God tells us that there will still be a remnant of National Israel that will be saved when we look back a few verses to Jeremiah 3:14&15, “¶Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion: And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.” God is promising that The remnant of National Israel would be brought into the body of believers, the church, but only in an extremely small number. They would be taught by God’s “pastors” who would teach them the Truth about Jesus, the source of all knowledge and understanding, such that they would be saved.

Esther 1:21, “¶And the saying pleased the king and the princes; and the king did according to the word of Memucan:“

King Ahasuerus thereby replaced his first queen, Vashti, for her disobedience in not coming to the King’s feast at the middle of the year (180 days after the first feast), when she was bidden by his commandment. God has similarly put away National Israel for its disobedience.

Esther 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.“

Where else have we heard of a decree going out to the entire known world in every language? Yes, we can see a strong similarity with the Bible, and most particularly the New Testament that reveals the Gospel of Jesus Christ and His Salvation Program to every people in the world in every language!

And regarding “every man should bear rule in his own house” is of course manifest whereby God rules over His Own House and Jesus rules over His Own Church. God Alone Is Sovereign over all of His Creation, exactly as the Bible declares. And then, even at the earthly/temporal level, the Bible declares the same thing as we read in Esther 1:22 (in addition to that already referenced with regard to Esther 1:18 and Esther 1:20).

1. 1 Timothy 3:1-5, “¶This [is] a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)“. Note: Technically speaking, regarding “a bishop” (See also Titus 1:7), only Jesus is “blameless”, so we should remember that 1 Peter 2:25, “For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.“
2. 1 Timothy 5:8, “But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.“
3. Hebrews 3:5, “And Moses verily [was] faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after; But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.“
4. And let us not forget what God tells us of His Order of Headship in 1 Corinthians 11, particularly in 1 Corinthians 11:3, “But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman [is] the man; and the head of Christ [is] God.” and 1 Corinthians 11:8&9, “For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man. Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man.“

And as far as reaching every nation and tongue we have:

1. Revelation 14:6, “And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.“
2. And Jesus said in Acts 1:8, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both inJerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.“

Additional Notes

It has been asked of this teacher by someone who is very familiar with the Bible (a former Dean of a well known Theological Seminary)…

“What are the implications of a pagan, drunken, self-centered, and rash king (who seeks and is bound by the counsel of his advisors) being likened to God?”

This Teacher’s Reply to the Question Can Be Broken Down into Five Parts:

1) Can A Pagan King Be Likened To God?

Let us take a look at the first part of the question: is it really possible that a “pagan” king can be likened to God?  If we turn to Genesis 41:39-44, we can see a similar account where another pagan king, a pharaoh of Egypt, elevated Joseph (who, like Mordecai, is a classic allegorical pre-figurement of Jesus Christ) to his right hand.  Notice the language, “And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck;  And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him [ruler] over all the land of Egypt.”  Isn’t it Jesus Christ to whom every knee will eventually bow? (see Philippians 2:10)  And doesn’t the fine linen pertain to the righteousness of Christ which will eventually also be imputed to the believers? (See Revelation 18:19).  What about kings Cyrus and Darius of Persia when they each gave a commandment to rebuild the temple? (see Ezra 1:1-2, Ezra 6:12)  (Also note that in Ezra 6:14, Artaxerxes (Ahasuerus) is also listed with Cyrus and Darius, right after the God of Israel as having given that commandment.)  In Daniel 6:25, we read, “Then king Darius wrote unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you.”  Who is it that has the power to declare to all people, nations and languages, that dwell in all the earth, “Peace be unto you?”  Only Almighty God Himself! (John 20:19, John 20:21, John 20:26, and Revelation 1:4)  So then, you be the judge…can a pagan king be likened to God?

2) Is God Drunken with Wine?

Regarding the issue of “drunkenness”, there is no place in the book of Esther where there is an explicit reference to “drunkenness” on the part of the king Ahasuerus.  What was recorded in Esther 1:10 was only, “When the heart of the king was merry (טוֹב (ṭôḇ))^H2896 with wine.”  And, as was pointed out earlier, the original Hebrew word that is translated as “merry“, is most often (361X) translated as “good.”

We should take a moment to review what is a “parable”?…A parable is an earthly story with a heavenly or spiritual meaning.  While we may speculate that in the historical context this means drunkenness, we have to be careful to see what God means “spiritually” by the use of such language.  If it can only mean drunkenness, then we would also have to accuse God of being a drunkard, because in Judges 9:12-13, we read, “Then said the trees unto the vine, Come thou, [and] reign over us.  And the vine said unto them, Should I leave my wine, which cheereth God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?”  Incidentally, in this parable, “the vine” represents Jesus Christ (John 15:1+5), and as everywhere in the Bible, good wine represents the shed blood of Jesus Christ.  Even “Strong wine” as we find in Numbers 28:7 “And the drink offering thereof [shall be] the fourth [part] of an hin for the one lamb: in the holy [place] shalt thou cause the strong wine to be poured unto the LORD [for] a drink offering.”

Also take for example, in Luke 10:34, we read how the Good Samaritan treated the “half-dead man” (BTW: the half-dead man is someone who is physically alive, but spiritually dead, and hence unsaved), “And went to [him], and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.”  The wine represents the shed blood of Jesus Christ, and the Oil represents the Holy Spirit (Psalms 23:5, Please see this study on Psalm 23), and Jesus is that Good Samaritan as He saves every believer.  In Psalm 104:14&15, we read how the Lord God “causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth;  And wine [that] maketh glad the heart of man, [and] oil to make [his] face to shine, and bread [which] strengtheneth man’s heart.”  We have just observed what the wine and oil represents, and every believer should know that the bread represents Jesus Christ’s body that was given for us (please see John 6:35 and John 6:31 and Matthew 26:26, Mar 14:22, and Luke 22:19 ).

Before we leave the subject of wine at the feast (Jesus’s death on the final Passover) to which Vashti (National Israel) refused to come.  Did the wine (Jesus’s shed blood, as the atoning sacrifice culminating with His crucifixion) cheer God (make His heart merry)?  In Isaiah 53:5 we read how Jesus “[was] wounded for our transgressions, [he was] bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace [was] upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”  And then in Isaiah 53:10, “Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put [him] to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see [his] seed, he shall prolong [his] days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.“ and again in Hebrews 12:2, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of [our] faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

One other aspect that relates to feasting and wine that is in the book of Esther (mentioned earlier above) relates to the “banquets of wine” at which king Ahasuerus sat down with Haman in the presence of Esther (Esther, chapters 5-7).  Did God ever sit down at a feast table with Satan in the presence of believers where wine was also present?  Indeed He did!  At the last Passover feast, the “last supper,” God (as Jesus Christ) sat next to Judas Iscariot (who we know was indwelt with Satan, Luke 22:3) in the presence of Jesus’s eleven other disciples (believers) at the Passover feast where we know the Jesus instituted the sacrament service with wine (representing His shed blood).  As Jesus said in John 13:18, “I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the scripture (Psalms 41:9) may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me.“

Note also how that immediately after the banquet of chapter 7, Haman was hung on the high gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai.  The same day as the Passover Feast at which Judas Iscariot subsequently betrayed Jesus (under the prompting of Satan, see John 13:2), Jesus was hung on the cross (see Galatians 3:13).  The fact of the matter is, although Satan sought to destroy Jesus at the cross, it was Satan who was actually dealt a death blow on that same cross.  (Incidentally, at the same time, so was Judas Iscariot (who in effect was typifying Satan) hanged, see Matthew 27:5).  On the last day, Judgment Day, Satan and all his dominion will be permanently cut-off and cast into the lake of fire, as typified by the death and subsequent hanging of Haman’s ten sons.

3) Is God Self-Centered?

There is not too much that can be said about this other than God is the Great “I AM.”

In Revelation 4:11, we read, “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.“

In  Esther 1:4, we read about king Ahasuerus’s “riches of his glorious kingdomand the honour of his excellent majesty …”  ( Psalm 148:13, “Let them praise the name of the LORD: for his name alone is excellent; his glory [is] above the earth and heaven.” and Psalm 150:2, “Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness.“)

In Esther 1:1 we read that the kingdom comprised 127 provinces*.  This is a large prime number, and as a result, it cannot be divided into any smaller numbers.  God’s kingdom is also great and indivisible.  Just as the decrees or commandments of king Ahasuerus could not be rescinded, neither can the laws of God be nullified by another decree.  God’s law is eternal and irrevocable (as is to be expected of a just God). Matthew 24:35, Mark 13:31, Luk 21:33, God says, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.”  God also says in the Bible (Romans 6:23), “For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”  When someone goes to hell for his sins, it is an irrevocable edict.  And if someone is saved by grace (through Jesus’s perfect fulfillment of the law), God assures that person will remain in Heaven forever.

* Interestingly, Sarah lived 127 years as we read in Genesis 23:1 ¶ “And Sarah was an hundred and seven and twenty years old: [these were] the years of the life of Sarah“.   We also know that Abraham was told that in Genesis 22:18 “And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.”  But Sarah, as the mother of Isaac, was also the vehicle by which God would bless all the nations of the earth through here Descendent, Jesus Christ.  So the number 127 would therefore seem to point to “all the nations of the earth” from another vantage point.

4) Is God Rash?

The anger and wrath of a just God in the face of sin is never rash.  When God sends sinners to hell for eternity, some might consider that rash (particularly in our day).  If all we see in Esther chapter 1 is a simple historical account, it might appear as though the action of Ahasuerus was rash.  Keep in mind that one sin is sufficient to send anyone to hell (just look at what happened to Adam and Eve, and hence all of mankind descended from them, for their one sin).  Queen Vashti was bidden by the king to come to the feast (while at the same time she was holding her own feast “for the women [in] the royal house which [belonged] to king Ahasuerus.”).  Again, please see the Parables of the Two Feasts.

Please see Deuteronomy 31:16-18, because it lays the foundation for understanding why National Israel, as a people, fell under and have remained under God’s wrath and condemnation: “¶And the LORD said unto Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers; and this people will rise up, and go a whoring after the gods of the strangers of the land, whither they go [to be] among them, and will forsake me, and break my covenant which I have made with them. Then my anger shall be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide my face from them, and they shall be devoured, and many evils and troubles shall befall them; so that they will say in that day, Are not these evils come upon us, because our God [is] not among us? And I will surely hide my face in that day for all the evils which they shall have wrought, in that they are turned unto other gods.”

God provides additional commentary in Psalm 95:10&11 regarding the nation of Israel after their coming out of Egypt, “Forty years long was I grieved with [this] generation, and said, It [is] a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways: Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest.“

Remember the parable of Matthew 22:1-14?  In that parable, the “remnant”, that Jesus said was bidden to the wedding feast, but who refused to come and then mistreated and even slew the King’s servants (the prophets), was National Israel!  Like Vashti, she acted rebelliously.  She refused to come.  She was disobedient.  Anyone who takes the same action in response to God’s command to “Come unto me” and to the wedding/marriage feast of the Lamb (Revelation 19:7-9) will be cast out of the presence of God forever.  Would anyone dare call that rash?

[It has also been pointed out to this teacher, that Queen Vashti, who certainly does represent Old Testament National Israel, also has attributes that can also be likened to the New Testament apostate “Christian” church (as opposed to the true eternal church of Jesus Christ), which in effect also refuses God’s command to come to His feast, because it is conducting its own feast in the house that otherwise belongs to God]

[Some may think that because National Israel was restored as a nation among nations again in 1948, with its capital established in Jerusalem in 1967, that this means that God brought this about to restore His relationship with National again. Absolutely NOT! Rather, it is because it is the fulfillment of Jesus proclamation concerning the “parable of the fig tree.” Matthew 24:32&33, “¶Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer [is] nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, [even] at the doors.” The parable was provided in the context of determining the time of the end of the world. Note that it does not say that there would be any fruit. Let him who has ears hear. For more on this topic, please see “Will the Temple Ever Be Rebuilt?]

5) Would God Seek and Be Bound to the Advice of Counselors?

The answer to this question is found in the fact that God is in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  That is why we read in Genesis 1:26,  “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.”  God Counsels with Himself.  Note also how there were 7 counselors.  The number seven pertains to the perfection of God’s plan, so it is entirely appropriate that there would be 7 counselors.  Please see Revelation 1:16 and Revelation 1:20 regarding the 7 stars in Jesus’s right hand that were described as a “mystery” and which were “the angels (messengers) of the seven churches.”  Finally, as was explained above, God is bound by His own law that He established before the foundation of the world.

Remember also what God says in Proverbs 15:22, “Without counsel, plans go awry, But in the multitude of counselors they are established.“

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