TiL - Esther 8

Welcome to the truth and love podcast. You're with Rob and Dan tonight. We're going to answer some revelation questions and continue in the book of Esther I knew it was coming and I was ready for it this time

I've yet to spend some time to correct that video, but I was ready for it. How you doing, Dan? I'm good.

How are you doing? I'm doing pretty good. I'm pretty good I'm thankful to thankful to be with you and the times that we can get together and we can

Talk about God's Word and learn together I learned from you and I appreciate the the iron sharpening that goes on and I'm just so thankful Thank you guys for watching.

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So we really appreciate it Yeah, as I mentioned I thought tonight we would answer some questions from the book of Revelation Me me

I have been putting it out there in in certain places that I believe in a certain end times view, which is the post -millennial view

Yes Yeah And so you're gonna get some um, you're gonna get some feedback sometimes you're gonna get some pushback from others and Unsolicited feedback.

That's right. That's right You know and and I want to be obedient I think it's

Peter that tells us to be ready at all times to give an account give an answer the hope is within you

And and I want to be able to do that But I of course, I don't have all the answers down bad and that's why

I like Kevin Dan with me he Yeah, I'm sure you would admit the same thing we don't have all the answers but Dan is able to fill in some of the gaps that That I don't have and I really appreciate that.

Um, but the guy that I was talking to having some questions about Revelation He really came from he was a little sporadic and and he was coming from three different places in Revelation But it seemed like I didn't ask but it seemed like because of the way he was interpreting

Revelation he was coming from the Dispensational pre -trib pre -millennial view. It's just the way it come across and They they pride themselves and being the the more literal interpreters of the

Bible of Revelation And and we are I guess the more more liberal The ones who see more of the symbols

Symbology, I don't even know if that's a word symbolism symbolism. Yeah more the symbolism in Revelation And so that they can cause some tension in conversations, but but I try to have those conversations in love

But it's hard. It's hard when you Like I was in that position as Dan and I were talking about earlier.

I was in that position In fact, it was the only End -times view that I knew of knew that existed.

So of course, I thought it was the biblical position And so I would have interpreted I would have argued in the same way and I asked

Dan before the program I said, I guess I'm looking for a shortcut. I'm looking for an easy way out

What could I say or what could I do to help somebody See that it's okay to give it a chance to interpret revelation the way that I'm interpreting to Open their eyes or their ear to listen to what

I have to say and then gave a good explanation Then go ahead and share what you share with me and we'll look at some verses as an example

Well, it certainly didn't end up being a shortcut because if you do everything that I told you to do

It's gonna take a long time to get it done. That's true but it is sort of It'll peak your interest pretty quickly.

I mean, there's a lot of work to do to uncover everything that I'm talking about But but here we go. Here's what I was talking about I'll put together the two ideas of prophecy of Christ first and second coming and How they're interpreted in the

New Testament and how we we understand them to be to have been fulfilled Now when we look at the the prophecies in the the

Old Testament of Christ first coming We see stuff. That's sometimes symbolic sometimes not symbolic.

Sometimes there's very Specific detail sometimes it's a little bit more vague some of the stuff you you may

You May not be able to Understand right away what's going on? If you're just reading it in the

Old Testament You don't have any of the New Testament data to work with so Excuse me

Excuse me again So So if you if you look at the the prophecies concerning Christ first coming you realize that just one

After another after another after another happened exactly like it was laid out in the scriptures both symbolically and Literally, so the ones that were symbolic that you're like,

I don't know this could mean this it could mean that when you see the evidence Put forth of what actually happened in Jesus historical life.

It lines up perfectly. Oh, okay I understand what that means. Now. I can

I can take that to the bank. There was a Great like in the was

Isaiah 9 says there was a great darkness and that the light came but okay, that can mean a lot of different things

There's great darkness at a lot of different points in time as a timeout and actually be in dark outside It's gonna be cloudy for a long time.

There's a spiritual darkness where people just know what's going on But then you look over in the book of John It's a true light gives light to everyone was coming into the world

He was in the world the world was made through him yet the world did not know him so you see

Different things That were told in the Old Testament about the first coming all

Came true in the second coming when you look at the historical data about what happened around those events now if you do the same thing with the

Old Testament and mainly the New Testament prophecies of A Lot of the

New Testament prophecies Not all of them. I say all of them you slap me because I'm being a heretic some of them the ones that aren't dealing with Christ's second coming ones are dealing with him coming in judgment or Something like that.

If you if you look at it from our perspective and you see things like the Olivet discourse

Which is Matthew 24 and a little bit 25 If you look at those things and you recognize them as being fulfilled in 70

AD You know 66 or so through 70 AD same with the book of Revelation and in other

Different passages to talk about those that sort of destruction if you line it up with the events that happen between 66 or so 80 and 70

AD it lines up with the same exact specificity as We saw in the

Old Testament So when you see the coming of Christ the first time symbolically, for instance in the book of Daniel or Isaiah or especially

Jeremiah You look ahead in the New Testament. You see hey this makes sense

This lines up with the Messiah coming at this certain time and in doing these certain things when you look at the prophecies concerning the end of the

Jewish age from our perspective And you line them up with the events that actually took place

Closer to the end of 66 or 70 AD they line up with the same sort of Consistency what's really interesting is

Matthew the book the whole book of Matthew It's sprinkled throughout Matthew. Here was the prophecy in the

Old Testament of Christ's coming and here's how the scripture And it says that over and over and over again throughout the book of Matthew now you get towards the end of the book of Matthew and Jesus starts talking again about You know his disciples asking me what's gonna happen with the end of the age when is the temple gonna be destroyed and he gives them specific answers and in the same way it says

That this is how the scripture was fulfilled when you look at the events that come later it's identical one for one with the same amount of Specificity the it lines up perfectly

With the events that happen later on Yeah, and you get plenty of examples

So I don't have to give I don't have to give the examples that I was looking at in Matthew Which you referenced and in another area that my boy.

That's it. No, it's okay What oh, I steal your thunder no, no, no, no, no, it was

Hailstones talk about in a little bit. Absolutely Another passage like like Dan said, you know like Matthew Chapter chapter 2 verse 17 then what had been spoken through Jeremiah So, you know, he's pointing back to the

Old Testament and saying this is how you interpret that verse And I it brought me it brought to mind

Isaiah chapter 53 where you know, there's some Some language there that's used that like you said concerning Matthew chapter 3

Verse 3 the voice one crying in the wilderness, you know, we understand that because of Matthew to be John the

Baptist But as we were discussing earlier, the Jews are still looking for that to be the Messiah where we see in Isaiah fulfillment of That as Jesus, you know, they're still looking for the

Messiah But as a 53 uses language that You know just reading it at face value

Not knowing any of the other context of the the rest of Scripture. You you really wouldn't really know what they're talking about And I was thinking about another another way that Um May help as a suggestion to to Maybe eat somebody into thinking about interpreting

Revelation the way the way we do or in a different way To maybe loosen up that grip a little bit.

I know one of the critique Depends on what kind of circles you you run in I know one of the critiques that we give to the to the pre -trib pre -millennial dispensationalist

Is that they they in try to interpret the newspaper? in light of Revelation or in light of the

Bible, you know They see what's going on in the newspaper and try to squeeze it in and make it fit into Scripture But in another critique

I would say and you know We often be guilty of but I would say another critique of an interpreting especially the book of Revelation Is is looking at it and interpreting it through?

The the lens of the day and time of which we live so, you know when we see

When we see, you know Sun Sun when it starts falling you're you're muted there you go.

Never mind Was unplugged

I Couldn't hear you nothing go on ahead really We're good Well, what

I was saying was maybe maybe another way or option to maybe help us loosen that grip

Maybe not at first Loosening the grip of their viewpoint on on Revelation interpretation, but that maybe it

Easing their mind to be open to hearing how we interpret Revelation is that and I and as I stated we all can be guilty of this, but The way

I see that those that hold their viewpoint interpreting Revelation is

Looking at it through the lens of the day and time in which we live So when we see, you know words like Sun Moon and stars falling

The first thing that we think of it, you know We go outside and we look up at the sky and we see the stars are still there

The third of the moon is you know, it's it's whole the third of the moon is not missing There's not a you know a third of the world that's

Been burned up or anything. So it's got to be in our future because it it's still here this the stars haven't fallen

So we understand some of the language in light of how how we would interpret Reading material that's written in there our day and time

But as Dan was describing And and I think Claude even brought it up in in our last laborers podcast, it's we've got to know the context

We've got to know how the original audience would have understood it the the intent of the author and how he wrote it and As Dan mentioned, you know looking at Matthew and other portions of the

New Testament They go back to the Old Testament to say this

This was written and fulfilled here This is language that that we used to represent

This event this kind of event happening For example

Judgment judgment language judgment type language, which we say in the New Testament. So with with that being said you know, we want we want to look at how language was used for the first coming prophecy was used there for the first coming and We kind of see that Similar thing going on in in Revelation and also, you know

Realize that we can have a bias in how we interpret scripture take off our glasses and how we would interpret scripture based on our current knowledge of Knowledge of our current language and dig in to how they would have understood the text and Some of the analogy some of the symbols that was going on So let's let's quickly look at those three different places that the the gentleman

I was having a conversation with Wanted to have answers for and the first one is

Revelation chapter 8 verse 7 I believe it is it says the the first sounded and there came hail and fire mixed with blood and They were thrown to the earth and A third of the earth was burned up and a third of the trees were burned up and all the green grass was burned up so his his big thing was

He goes outside a third of the earth or the earth is still intact a third of it's not gone

So it's got to be in our future. And so he He wants to take this literally

Um, so what what is your viewpoint on this passage of scripture?

There's a lot of background Yeah would get understood here this is talking about the

This is talking about well our viewpoint overall. Is it the book of Revelation especially right here is talking about the seven

It's How about the the events that surround the end of Jerusalem in 66 to 70

AD so These the idea of these trumpets trumpets it was lots of different things the this

When the Roman armies first came against Jerusalem it was during the

Feast of Trumpets for one for Number two every time that there was a another battle or another skirmish that would take place.

There was a trumpet that was blown literally a trumpet that was blown that would signify that there was it was

The Romans right again, they were coming to do something Coming to take over something or build a siege wall or something of that nature

Also What's really important is that their symbolism? Intermixed with this that leads us back to the destruction of false religion

Here's what I mean by that it points back to the plagues that happened in the land of Egypt Remember they had the the water that turned to blood the

Nile the stuff in the bowls the stuff that was Hanging out all of it turned to blood

Here we have blood Then you see there was hail except for in the land of Goshen There was it was showing that the people of God would be saved from the the hailstones in in Egypt Now here,

I don't believe that that's so much literal hailstones literal blood Well literal blood because there's blood being shed

But what's being thrown down upon them is great destruction destruction such as was seen in Egypt during this the destruction of the crops and the people who were outside when the hailstones fell

Um Now the people who were preserved from that were in the land of Goshen There were the people who were called out and set apart

They weren't actually in the land of Egypt proper, but they were often the place with those who were who are called

To be a part of the covenant people of God So here you also see those who had escaped

Who had run away who had no heated the warnings that there was coming a destruction who had also left

We're not going to be a part of receiving this judgment So when it says a third of the earth was burned up and third of the trees were burned up and a third of all

The grass was burned up This is when the Roman Empire came in and they actually destroyed the land the trees and the grass by fire

Right, and there was a great burning smoke rising up all over the city There was destruction of crops and trees and animals and people who are outside and it was a lot of some people even point to the

What they call it the the the blood as being The the blood basically saying because of you shed the blood of Christ upon the cross this is being visited upon you

Mm -hmm There's a bunch of different stuff. Oh, yeah a little bit.

It also talks about a third several different ways Back into Ezekiel 13

Ezekiel 13 describes this event 13 13 through 14

Says therefore thus says the Lord God. I will make a stormy wind to break out in my wrath

There shall be a deluge of rain in my anger and great hailstones and wrath to make a full end

No break down the wall that you have smeared with whitewash and bring it to the ground

So this foundation will be laid bare when it falls you shall perish in the midst of it

You shall know that I am the Lord. Oh Yeah, right there so Part of this was the

Romans building the siege works against the walls of Jerusalem where they would come destroy burn and this was the the end where They would or this is the beginning of the end where God was going to bring down destruction upon The city of Jerusalem because of all that done

One of the things that I brought up with him was Understanding the context understanding the language and understanding how they the original audience would have understood it and and so You have to look at the context understand that but when you look at the word earth and I think it's pronounced gay, but in in the original language is

GE and Maybe I think maybe it's pronounced gay, but it's spelled

GE and so that can be translated also as land Yeah, and so one of the one of the arguments was

This is going to be for the whole earth. It's gonna be for the whole earth But if the context is is telling us that it's for for that specific localized area

Then the translation should be or could be used as land to help us, but you know better understand that it's localized right

We even use earth in that sort of way sometimes like we have big

Equipment called earth movers We're not moving the entire planet. How about picking up some dirt moving it from here to there, right?

So That's right, that's right And we just need to understand

Language and how it's used in our own bosses and that and another critique that come to my mind

And you know listen to you talk is that you you know, I mentioned this just a few minutes ago

We we critique that viewpoint of Interpreting the newspaper and trying to squish what they see in the newspaper into the book of Revelation But but here's a critique and I think

I have an answer for it So I heard you and your explanation of Revelation chapter 8 here

You you brought up the Romans and you're saying, you know This represents when the Romans came and they were cutting down the trees

Cutting on the grass and burning it and there was just smoke and fire everywhere And that was your interpretation.

So but basically if there was a critique to that it may sound like Where you're just doing instead of interpreting the newspaper of 2022 you're interpreting the the newspaper of the first century and Pushing it into the scripture, but I'll give you a chance

But my explanation of that Would be well, I'm looking at what

Jesus says in Matthew chapter 24, and I'm looking at all the key Texts that are speaking of when he says this is going to happen

You know, he says this is what you should look for But he also says this is when this is going to happen And you can find that in Matthew chapter 10

Matthew chapter 16 Matthew chapter 23 and Matthew chapter 24, especially Verses 33 and 34 all these things must take place or will take place within this generation

He says in chapter 23 these things will take place in in your generation So we have a we have a time frame and so that's why

I believe you know It's okay for you know, Dan to look at the newspaper if you will the the first century and say

That this is lining up with with that war with the Jewish war with that timetable between 66 and 70

AD and the things in history that happened because this is when Jesus said to look for it and so we're looking for it then and that's what we see and that's how we can relate what the

Romans did to Chapter like chapter 8 in Revelation. Does that make sense?

Yeah, it does. Um One thing I can see somebody saying is okay. Well, maybe

No, Matthew, then maybe the grant Matthew was dealing with 70

AD but Revelation doesn't say anything like that except that it does You go to chapter 1 verse 1 it tells you how you're supposed to read it

Revelation of Jesus Christ, which gave which God gave to show that word is really cool

It means to signify To his servants signify or some it's going to be in symbols signs the things that must soon take place now couple that with the

There's the words that Jesus spoke saying this generation will not pass away until all these things take place

And then Jesus dies on the cross raises from the dead has risen up into heaven and then he goes up into heaven and Sends an angel a messenger back down to talk to John and tells him.

Hey, these things are the things are going to soon take place Now said twice there are big events that are going to happen and they're going to happen soon

Yeah, so if we take all of that together Revelation I believe is speaking of the same events as we see in the

Discourse down in Matthew 24. He says that generation will not pass away.

You look here. It says things that will soon take place now Some people will say things are going to start to take place soon

But that they're going to take thousands of years to fully Complete themselves and I'll be honest with you

I'd I don't see how you can stretch soon into an event that starts next week and runs for 2 ,000 years these things are going to take place soon.

He doesn't say the first part of what I say is going to take place soon These things are going to take place soon.

Yeah, listen to what I say the whole of it soon, right?

I've never seen that definition of soon in Greek or in English or Swahili Exactly, you know and he says the time is near and I'm a fellow partaker of the tribulation

So yeah, John John is just dropping Dropping neon signs everywhere.

I was gonna say yes, but as neon signs really John did say his fellow partaker in the tribulation.

So he's saying I'm here for it That's right. No, he was there for the for the for the beginning parts, you know, because Jesus said no, there's wars and rumors of wars

That's okay. It's just the beginning of it But then you're gonna have these things happens and then we see that run so John's there for the birth pangs and the you know getting started and Get getting stuff rolling.

So I'm on partner in that and here we go Get ready. Hold on buckle up Here goes the second one that he wanted to point out which

I which I had to find Revelation chapter 9 which is similar

Yeah verse 18 a third of mankind was killed by these three plagues by the fire and the smoke of the brimstone which proceeded out of their mouths

So he wanted to he wanted to say mankind Meant The number out of the whole population of the of the world the earth the globe and I Didn't quite see it that way.

How do you see it? I Don't quite see it that way either the word there for mankind is anthropos which could just be right there anthropoid, which is the

Plural form It just means men It can mean mankind means man or mankind

So it'd be men or or mankind So, I don't see

I don't see any reason Make it could be translated that way, but it's one of those things that it should be translated

Based on the context So the only reason it's a kind is because the person who came to it thought that I was talking about a global You know one third of every human on the planet whereas I would say be one third of the people who are there at the time of the

Destruction when the when the plagues were visited upon them those who had followed the false

God and hen rejected Christ I also think that the

This this is the locust. They're are speaking of the Roman soldiers. There are several times where they

They did all sorts of stuff to him and It says we don't have time to get into it, but there's a really good a

Really good case to be made that the word Angel in verse 11 It means messenger

We're from the bottomless pit messenger from hell, basically Whose name is

Abaddon and Greek is called Apollyon is actually Titus Other room in general the pretty good case be made there

So what you see and there were those times where it says that they couldn't hurt them or torment them for five months

And there was a time where they couldn't do anything They had to be called away or move, but they were still the people of Jerusalem were still trapped in Their spot.

I mean they were still hungry besides stuff going on But they were tormented by these these

Roman soldiers who are still around there watching them and at the end that protection that time where they couldn't touch them was

Pulled off and they were just slaughtered massacred, and that's what the sixth

Trumpet Yeah, six, so seventh trumpet is the one where it's over it's done complete so Well, I think you're exactly right

Context is is key context is key everywhere But you know, especially here in this conversation context is is really keen and so important because you look at other places in Scripture Where this

Greek word is translated as as men but Probably the same person that I'm talking to would would fully admit.

Okay. Yeah in that place. It's referring to Mankind men as in including encompassing men and women so you know you can use the word men as As Including man and woman or it can just mean it can just mean man here

The same the same method of interpretation should take place. Look at the context

And and we you know as I said before we're going back to to Jesus and Matthew 24 and John and looking at the timetable

We want to look at the context What is he talking about here? What what part what portion of mankind is he referring to and if we do that we will learn the meaning of The author here

John what he meant by mankind by looking at the context and not just Yeah, it's also interesting this is the same chapter where people will go back a few verses and look at the description of the locusts and Say that they're helicopters, you know

I Don't think that that does justice to if you remember from verse chapter 1 verse 1 things that must take place soon

It would have to be something that the first century readers would understand. Otherwise, it makes no sense

Also, if you look down there in verse 20, it says the rest of man of mankind or the rest of the men

Who were not killed by these places? So who didn't die at that time and did not repent of their works the works of their hands, which was the killing of the

Messiah So as not to worship demons, which was the idols of gold and silver brass and stone and wood

They were serving a false god of their own making not the God who had actually come in the flesh and been among them they did not repent of their murders and sorceries and immorality and their thefts and it says that they

They would die Because they would not repent they were there and all of that that stress and trouble and yet They did not repent and from the the council we have

Those who were inside the city did not repent of their sin Didn't turn from didn't cry out to Christ for help

During this time, right kept on in their idolatry Until they met their end

Yeah, and we can say all day long until we're blown to paste reading context reading context, but What is the context well

You know Dan just showed it to us verse 20 and verse 21 It's screaming to us.

I'm speaking about a specific people not Not all of mankind the whole of population of the whole globe

I'm speaking about a certain people and so there's the context that helps us understand revelation chapter 9 verse 19 and 20 and 21

Now while you're moving on to the next one Let me bring something else up if you do put all of these things together and you have the

Sun Moon and stars falling you have a third of the grass and the water burned up and you have a third of the

Fish dying and you have all the birds falling out and you have smoke and locusts and all these things if you stop to think

Of what would actually be left of the earth at that point?

Well first off if the Sun Moon and stars come and hit the earth That's a wrap.

That's it. Yeah, nothing left. So there's nothing to come after that So, I mean even if you take this as being in the future

That can't mean that the Sun Moon and stars are actually gonna fall out of the sky and fall to the earth because if they do

That's a wrap. That's it. There's no there's no reason to have the rest of the book of Revelation because it's over So it has to mean something other than the literal

Sun Moon and stars falling from the sky onto the earth And there's more stuff to come and it can't happen if everything's destroyed

And this is not Islands can't be away and mountains can't be found if If they're burned up already

Exactly context context context and that's that's the third scripture that he that he wanted to go to was Revelation 16 20

Every island fled away and the mountains were not found. He would say that this this has not happened

But how could it happen if you take it literally and the earth is destroyed by the the falling stars

So that's I mean that's one part of the context just you know common -sense reading hey, what's the great city the great city

Exactly The great city for my understanding would would be Jerusalem and the

Jerusalem is also called Babylon Mm -hmm. So you see here the great city was split into three parts and the cities of the nations fell

Babylon the great was remembered before God to give her the cup of wrath of his fierce wrath

So, what does that mean? Means that the great city was split into three parts.

It means that Jerusalem was shattered But other nations around fell as well and that in the midst of the destruction of those nations

Babylon or Israel was given her cup of wrath to drink So much so that you couldn't be on an island and escape and you couldn't go hide in the mountain and escape

Every island fled away do islands actually flee No, but as an island usually a safe haven from from somebody trying to get you

It usually is can you hide up in the mountains hole up in the mountains for long periods of time and escape your your captors?

Absolutely, who was it the that dude who's got caught out in Murphy the the

Unabomber Yeah, he was caught out in Murphy, North Carolina and he holed up in in the mountains of North Carolina for a long time

Because you can get lost up there, but there's nowhere to run There's nowhere to hide the judgment is coming and then look you got that huge Hailstones about a hundred pounds the same hailstones as you saw back in the other chapter and that you saw back in Exodus who are following on those who would not worship the one true

God They came down from heaven upon men and then blasphemed

God because of the hail Instead of saying Oh God have mercy on us they

Chose some expletives and tossed them towards God, you know, he gave hailstones. They gave expletives.

It's not a good Not a good thing to do. Yeah And if you want to take this first a little more literally

With all this destruction going on, of course, it's gonna look like the islands have fled

Zero visibility and the mountains were not to be found With all the smoke and fire going on from the brimstone and And even if the brimstone is is figurative language speaking of that, you know the destruction that the

Romans brought on Jerusalem still yet You've got all this rubble fire smoke that creates zero visibility if you know what you want to take it a little more literally

One of the one of the critiques that he had in this conversation was there because my argument was revelation

For the most part a revelation is speaking of the destruction of Jerusalem and he said that you know, there's no islands in Jerusalem but what you have to understand is the

The scene in which this takes place is the Roman Empire Which is coming

Against Roman Rome and its allies are coming against Jerusalem to destroy

Jerusalem But but the scene that is taking place is happening within the

Roman Empire and there are definitely islands within the Roman Empire Yeah, I was reading somewhere that There was recorded a massive earthquake that happened that actually moved the island of Crete at that time

So, I mean there's a lot of evidence to support what happened here in Revelation 16, um, and so I Think I was gonna say something else, but I forgot what it was.

But um But yeah, we don't get to Esther. We ain't never gonna make it. You're right.

You're exactly right. I remember I remember what I was gonna say but but just keeping it bearing in mind that you know the entire scene here is the

Roman Empire and one of the one of the other points that I brought up was You know, he he want to talk about the the earth the word earth world and speaking of the whole globe

But you look back in in the

Gospels where The the call has gone out from Caesar to tax the whole world

Well, did Caesar tax the whole world? No, he couldn't because he did not have power control

His kingdom did not encompass the whole world What it meant was the whole known world the whole

Roman world where Caesar was able to People he was taxing people he was able to tax and so that was the world that it was referring to and that's what we

Want to do and we look at the context. So I hope that was helpful And useful to you and like I said, if you have any if you have any questions, we'd be glad to try to answer and It may be cool to Request questions on Revelation or go through more questions in Revelation is kind of a series.

So Maybe we can do that later. Let's jump into to Esther before we before we do run out of time

We are in Esther chapter 8 and if you will recall What just happened in Esther?

Was the hanging of Haman? He was he was begging for his life

On the bed of Esther King comes in and he says you you're gonna you want to do this to even to the king's wife and Then you have a eunuch there and says well that there's some there's some gallows that at Haman's house

Won't you just take him over there? And the king granted it they took Haman over there to the gallows that he made for Mordecai and Haman was hanged that brings us to Esther chapter 8.

I'm gonna read I'll read verses 1 & 2 and Let you give some explanation there.

So it says on that day King Ahasuerus gave the house of Haman the enemy of the

Jews To Queen Esther and Mordecai came before the king for Esther had disclosed what he was to her the king took off his signet ring which he had taken away from Haman and Gave it to Mordecai and Esther set

Mordecai over the house of Haman Yes, you did

Now when it says the house of Haman It means all of his affairs everything that he had was now

Mordecai's so He oh man, so Mordecai got his position

From the king. He got all of Haman's stuff I Don't know if he actually wanted his family he probably kicked them out

Or worse, I really don't know But well, it kind of reminded me of first Samuel 15 you know, we talked about in the past as we've walked our way through Esther and we've learned about the

That Genealogy, if you will of Haman genealogy of Mordecai, but but of Haman, you know

We take him back to the the Agagites, which it says here He's an Agagite and we take it take them back to the

Amalekites and and back in first Samuel God told Israel to wipe all of them out even the animals

Every single thing that was there they were to wipe out but Unfortunately, they didn't and here we have a descendant of one of those

Amalekites Haman the Agagite and here is to me when

I read these two verses. It was almost like a reversal Haman was killed which is what was supposed to have happened not

Haman, but his ancestors back in first Samuel and then the

Israelites Are given their house and like you said, we don't know exactly what happened to the members of that house but now

It's given back to us. It's rightful owner, which is the Israelites And so I when

I read the two verses, like I said, I just saw a reversal from From what

Israel didn't do to what they were supposed to do. Yep All right, let me read verses 3 through 7

Then Esther spoke against the king fell at his feet wept and implored him to avert the evil scheme of Haman the

Agagite and His plot which he had devised against the Jews the king extended the golden scepter to Esther So Esther arose and stood before the king

Then she said if it pleases the king and if I found favor before him and the matter seems proper to the king and I Pleasing in his sight, let it be written to revoke the letters devised by Haman the son of Ahimeh the

Agagite which he wrote to destroy the Jews who are in all the king's provinces

For how can I endure to see the calamity which will befall my people and how can

I endure to see the destruction of my Kindred so King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the

Jew behold I have given the house of Haman to Esther and him they have hanged on the gallows

Because he stretched out his hands against the Jews crazy

Yeah, what a crazy turn of events Yeah Yeah, now she's she's uh, it's it's almost like you see.

Hey, I've you have all of his stuff and Now what she's like, but they they can still come kill us.

We should probably do something about that So she she begs and pleads. Um, she's like, well, we've come this far.

We've got We've got Haman out of the way. So we need to do we need to do something else.

We need to do a little bit more So she goes and she pleads with them and in the next verse he says

You may write as you please With regard to the Jews in the name of the king and seal it with the king's ring for an edict written in the name of the king

And sealed with the king's ring cannot be revoked because if you remember the thing that was going on with Haman Were the the plot that Haman had codified into law by the king?

Couldn't be done away with either. It was still in effect. So he said well while that can't be done away with Go ahead and write your own so you see

Esther being faithful Even then She could have she had everything that she needed.

I mean she preserved herself But that wasn't enough She needed to preserve her people alive

Then that makes a lot of sense Especially knowing the promises of God For the coming

Messiah that they're gonna come through a certain bloodline I Don't believe she was a part of that bloodline

Which means that they would have had to keep the another bit of people alive Yeah, I don't

I don't know where she came from Benjamin yeah, it was it was for there from Benjamin so The scepter wasn't supposed to depart from Judah So if only

Benjamin was left Mm -hmm the the Promises and prophecy of God would have failed

So it wasn't enough to preserve her alive The rest of the people of God had to be preserved alive as well and to just from what

I'm seeing here, we can also see a Heart that we could emulate

To me To me this is a second time where Esther could have in her mind at least saved herself, you know

When when Mordecai was pleading with her or or telling her you go to the king Maybe you were put in this position for such a time as this go to the king on behalf of our people

But you know in her mind she could have even though he said, you know, you're not safe She could have felt the security of the palace

I mean all these things could have been going through her mind. She could have felt that security felt like she was gonna be okay and not said a word and felt like she was preserving herself and here you have a second opportunity for Esther to be thinking

I'm good and even even Mordecai. He's good now He's the king has given me the house of Haman.

I'm giving it to Mordecai to rule over So so me and Haman and my you know, my close

Family, you know, we're fine but the heart that I see from Esther that you know is one that we could emulate is

You know, it's almost like there's not a second thought to it it's immediately because This has happened if you look at verse 1 on that day

I mean so this is happening Haman's hanged and then this event happens and The king gives the the house to Esther Esther gives it to Mordecai and then immediately she's coming

Just like the the plan was all along. She's she's fulfilling this plan. She's going to the king to plead for her people

She's revealing her heart that it's not just for herself, and it's not just for Mordecai, but she is

She is pleading Putting her life again on the line because we see that golden scepter again

Um, you know, he could have still called for her death But he he puts forward that golden scepter to say, you know, you're accepted you you're

I'm I will listen to you. You're okay. You're safe, but he still had that power to put her to death to speak that boldly and Brazenly to the king to you know, he's already given her he's already given her this house.

What else do you want? But she's still following this plan and showing her heart for her people and I think you're exactly right too it's um is about It shows

God's providence preserving his people for that for his Messiah to come

All right, let's look at the next few verses Starting in verse starting verse 9.

So the king's scribes were called at that time in the third month That is the month of Saban on The 23rd day and it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded the

Jews the satraps and the governors and the princes of the provinces which extended from India to Ethiopia 127 provinces

To every province according to its script and to every people according to their language as well as the

Jews According to their script and their language He wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed it with a king's signet ring and sent letters by couriers on horses

Riding on steeds sired by the royal stud in them.

The king granted the Jews well Let's look at those verses first What kind of a steed was that royal?

Was it a noble steed? Sorry, I had to throw in a track reference

Yeah So they sent it out from far and wide from one end to the other from India to Ethiopia and everywhere in between Every language every people out there

Heard the name of the king sealed it with his ring sent it with his letters gave it on horses and not just any horses horses that were were were

Bloodline related to the king. So this was I mean if you think about it, you're gonna try to come after me and my kin

Mm -hmm. I'm gonna go after you With everything that I have

I'm even coming after you with royal horses that were bred royal We'll keep it at that and he said he let him send off whatever it was that they were going to send off So the king spoke and said here's what we're gonna do.

They just did it acted This is a really

Really cool story to looking at what God is doing Because as we've learned the king we learned it from Daniel We learn it here in in Esther the king cannot revoke and you mentioned it just a few minutes ago

The king can't revoke his decree that he's given already, right? And so we keep finding ways to That God is providing a way

That the Jews can be preserved and so what what is this way Of course, we're going to see here in a second.

But what is this way if he can't revoke that decree? That the Jews are to be destroyed to be killed

What what is the way that the king is going to allow or do? So that they can be preserved and like you mentioned this is part of it.

He's sending out This This letter

That's the first part. I remember how how Haman had to spend time putting on his letter and all the different dialects all the different languages to So that everybody in all these 127 provinces could understand it and here

Mordecai is doing the same thing and he's also

Sending with it or sending it on the these royal steeds that you were referencing and so So that's that's the first part of it that this letter

That is Going to be an encouragement that's going to be The way that the king is going to allow and provide means for the

Jews to be preserved Yeah, it's kind of amazing that the king is over here doing exactly what

God wants him to do And have no clue He just he doesn't even know that he's in for God of the

Jews Proverbs 21 one said that the king's heart is in the hand of the Lord and like the rivers of water

He took that wherever he wishes In other words the king's heart is just like Water in a pipe.

He can put it over here. He can put it over there He can put it up. You can put it down. It can run it backwards forward side to side

You do whatever he wants to with it His purposes are going to be a question they're going to be accomplished through the king

So this King who's doing God's work don't even know about it Yeah.

Yeah, and Another great thing that you can do here if you're watching listening and this is something that Dan and I brought up before but if you

These these things must take place God has that has decreed them issued them told told us that it's going to happen and and so if if the king would have

Did that which was illegal and went against the decree that he had made

Then what God had told us was going to happen in Ezekiel 38 and 39 There again, just as just as Dan was telling us that the

Messiah couldn't come if the people of Judah The line of Judah was destroyed God would have been proven wrong if The king would have just listened to Esther went against his decree

But no the decree had to go forward because God said these things must must happen.

These people must come against Jerusalem But also they're going to be preserved

And so that whole scenario that we see playing out here was decreed and prophesied by the

Lord in Ezekiel 38 and 39 and you can You can go back to those chapters and see that going on here

All right, starting at verse 11 and then the king granted the Jews who were in each and every city the right

To assemble and to defend their lives. There we go to destroy to kill and to annihilate

The entire army of any people or province which might attack them including children of women and to plunder their school on one day all the provinces of King Hasuerus the 13th day of the 12th month that is the month of Adar a copy of the edict

To be issued as law in each and every province was published to all the peoples

So that the Jews will be ready for this day to avenge themselves on their enemies keep reading, okay

The couriers hastened and impelled by the Kings command Went out riding on the royal steeds and the decree was given out to the citadel in Susa Then Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal robes of blue and white

With a large crown of gold and a garment of fine linen and purple in the city of Susa shouted and rejoiced for the

Jews were For the Jews there was light and gladness and joy and honor in each and every province and each and in each and every city wherever the

Kings command and His decree arrived there was gladness and joy for the Jews a feast and a holiday

And many among the peoples of the land became Jews Wow for the dread of the

Jews had fallen on them Yeah, if I'm not mistaken that day

Where they were able to defend themselves Was the day before they're supposed to be destroyed.

I'm trying to look up the verse to make sure I'm not telling fibs Why are you trying to find it?

You know as I'm reading that what a glorious passage and another great turn of events

Just previously. We're in a time of darkness for Mordecai just previously. We're seeing

Mordecai out in the streets crying and screaming and and in sackcloth and ashes

Mourning over this decree that he's found out were Mordecai given

Haman The king has given Haman permission to send out this decree to destroy all the

Jews all of his people and so Mordecai and Esther are in this time of grief and darkness and kind of reminds me of the conversation we had about the prophecy of the

Messiah They were in darkness and Jesus brought it Jesus is the light brought us brought the great light that that shone into the darkness

But what a tremendous turn of events here where now the Lord has made a way where there was no way and Now they're in in the light

It's interesting that he uses that word. There was light and gladness and joy and honor

Yeah, I was mistaken. It was the same Okay, but it was interesting.

They were they were given the opportunity to fight for their lives. Yep fight for the very survival and that scared the

Mess out of folks and they're like now they only we're gonna destroy these folks Now I Believe some folks did come out against them they they'd circled the wagons got ready and he said hey,

I can't keep them from coming after you but Circle up and fight get ready for it

And just to I Guess I could kind of kind of wrap it up here. Is there anything else that you want to say about chapter 8?

No, not really. They did it does say There was a joy there was a feast and a holiday

This ends up being The festival Purim Which is still celebrated today by Jews Can you repeat the name of it because you broke up there for a second

Purim Purim? Yeah Yep, in fact, it says it in Chapter 9 verse 31 may describe before that but Yeah, especially verse 31

What a what a fantastic time for for these people for God's people and as I wrap this up,

I was just I was reflecting on some of the some of the words that I saw some of the Things that are presented here, and I don't want to stretch it too far

Dan. So you you Pull on my reins. I'm not a royal steed, but you can pull on my reins and And draw me back in if I try to stretch it too far, but but part of this

Part of this decree that was written and given out to all the Jewish people it says which is interesting that it says this

And it'd be interesting to kind of look into it to see I Mean Why didn't they have this right to begin with?

But which Which verse is it? There it is in in verse 11

Yep, the king granted the Jews who were in each city in every city the right to assemble and and I'm sure this has a reference to military military warfare assembling for battle

Because I mean that's the context though. That's what's going on here. They were getting ready to defend them. So militarily

However, they were given they were given the right to assemble and I can't help but think about how

God has given us the the right or the the privilege And the command to to assemble and we're able to do that today.

And then I think about Mordecai in verse 15 and I think about I Think about the signet ring up here earlier in earlier verses.

I think about the signet ring. I think about the What accompanied the the letter with the signet ring the horses that were bred from the royal stud and then you have

Mordecai in verse 15 he comes out. What does he come out in? Royal robes of blue and white with a large crown of gold and garment of fine linen and purple

So who who is he representing? Who is this letter representing? The the seal the horses the the robe the crown the gold the garment

The the letter saying we represent the king Mordecai and his garments is saying we represent the king and I can't help but think as We here in America have the right the privilege and even the command from God to it to assemble we assemble and as his people we are arrayed in and clothed in his garments of righteousness and We are told that they will know us we they will know that we are we are from the king

We are of the king. We are we are born from the king. We are his by our fruit And bow how we treat each other how we live they will know of whom we are

Who we belong to because of how we are now clothed in in Christ's righteousness and how that is is manifested itself in our lives and Then the result of what happened here in Esther Not all not only were the

Jews preserved and saved but here at the end it says in Many among the peoples which were not

Jews Remember there were 127 provinces and Who knows how many dialects and languages that they had to interpret the letter into?

Tons and tons of people among the peoples of the land

Became Jews and that's what we're called that that's what we're called to to be a part of as Christians not just to represent him, but to share the gospel and To to be ambassadors for Christ and call all men everywhere to repent of their sins and put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ so that peoples of all the nations

Will become Christian was will bow their knees submit to Christ and and Be an heir with him to be a son and daughter of the king

What a what a glorious? Well, what a glorious life he has given us

That that this can unfold that this can be a part of our lives and You know life has had its ups and downs throughout history.

We're gonna We're gonna see ups and downs in in our lifetime and throughout history but the trajectory is that we are clothed with his righteousness his his kingdom his church is moving forward and people will come into his

Assembly and his congregation his church and His kingdom will continue to grow and have dominion on this earth as we as we subdue it with the gospel

And that that gospel is is that we we've all sinned and fallen short of God's glory.

We cannot earn or Make up for anything that we've done

We cannot earn heaven. We must have someone outside of us and the Old Testament as we talked about Prophesied of this one to come the

New Testament points to that one that come and it's God's Son Jesus Christ who came to this earth to to forgive us of our sins and Grant us everlasting life

And giving us his righteousness so that we could Be his and we could live forever with him.

And so the again the call To all men is to repent of your sins and put your trust in Jesus Christ And we encourage you to do that if you've not and if you have joined with us as we share this gospel

With our community and with the world Any last thoughts today? Nope Good deal.

Good deal. I really appreciate you a lot. And if you don't mind we close us in prayer.

Sure Dear God in heaven We thank you for today for giving us a chance to look at the book of Revelation and the book of Esther knowing that they're all part of one story your redemption of your people of your creation and your there's wonderful grace and glory being shown across the entire

Entirety of the universe we pray that that would continue to be done Through what would be done here on earth as is done in heaven that you would protect us keep us save us sanctify us and Gather us to yourself and closer to one another in Jesus name.

We pray. Amen. Amen Thank you guys for watching. We really really appreciate it.

And as always remember that Jesus is King Go live in the victory of Christ Go speak with the authority of Christ and continue to go share the gospel of Christ.