Purim 5786 בס״ד
The Scroll of Esther is not only about the past, but it must also be understood in relation to the future. In other words, there is a prophetic connection associated with Esther.
The villain of this Scroll is Haman, who is called the enemy of the Jews. This term in Hebrew is צורר היהודים. The same word צורר is used when speaking of the antichrist, צורר המשיח.
When speaking of Haman and his desire to destroy all the Jews in the kingdom of King Achashverosh, it is written:
אם על המלך טוב יכתב לאבדם ועשרת אלפים ככר כסף אשקול על ידי עשי המלאכה להביא אל גנזי המלך
“If it pleases the king, let it be written to destroy them, and I will weigh out ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who do the work, to bring it into the king’s treasuries.”
Esther 3:9
This is an exceedingly large sum of money. This may indicate that the antichrist will be a very wealthy individual. According to Revelation chapter 13, the antichrist will take control of an empire that will rule over all the nations of the world. This is similar to Haman, who gained authority within a vast empire that ruled over a significant portion of the world.
Haman used his leadership position within the empire in order to exterminate the Jewish people from his realm.
In Revelation chapter 17, the emphasis is placed upon an empire that is described as a beast, prophetically having seven heads. This beast is said to be drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Yeshua.
Although many teach that the antichrist empire will only arise after Daniel’s seventieth week has begun, such a view cannot be supported Scripturally. In Revelation chapter 13 and verse 5 it is written:
Καὶ ἐδόθη αὐτῷ στόμα λαλοῦν μεγάλα καὶ βλασφημίας, καὶ ἐδόθη αὐτῷ ἐξουσία ποιῆσαι μῆνας τεσσεράκοντα δύο
“And there was given to him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and authority was given to him to act for forty-two months.”
Revelation 13:5
This verse makes clear that during the first half of the final seven years, the antichrist empire will be allowed to act. This has serious implications for those who incorrectly teach that all seven years consist entirely of the wrath of G-d.
It is impossible to teach Biblically that the entire final seven years are fully the wrath of G-d. There is no Scriptural passage that supports such a claim.
The seals in Revelation chapter 6 are not connected to the wrath of G-d. If one carefully studies the first four horsemen, it becomes clear that the first three are all related to the fourth horseman, who is called Death, and Hades follows with him. This fourth horseman is given authority over a fourth of the earth to kill with the sword, with famine, and by the beasts of the earth.
The first horseman goes out conquering, in order to conquer. He is given a crown, demonstrating his success. The second horseman removes peace from the earth and is given a sword. The third horseman holds scales, and it is declared that food becomes very expensive, indicating famine. The primary characteristics of the first three horsemen are all present in the fourth.
Most Bible translations render the color of the fourth horse as pale. This is inaccurate. The Greek word is χλωρός, which properly translated means green. It corresponds to the Hebrew word ירקון, which is derived from the Hebrew term for green. Scripturally, green is associated with intense suffering and affliction, and this is precisely what the fourth horseman brings.
This is consistent with what is stated in Revelation 17:6:
καὶ εἶδον τὴν γυναῖκα μεθύουσαν ἐκ τοῦ αἵματος τῶν ἁγίων καὶ ἐκ τοῦ αἵματος τῶν μαρτύρων Ἰησοῦ
“And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Yeshua.”
This antichrist empire is revealed in greater detail in Revelation chapter 17. The seven heads are said to be seven mountains. Prophetically, a mountain represents a seat of government, as Isaiah 2:2–3 teaches. These seven heads are also seven kings, Revelation 17:10. Since there is no kingdom without a king, these seven heads represent seven kingdoms.
Revelation 17:10 states that five have fallen. The general consensus is that these are Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Greece. One is, which refers to Rome. The seventh has not yet come, and when it does, it will remain only a short time. It is my view that the seventh empire is the Nazi empire, which in comparison to the others existed for a relatively short period, from January 30, 1933 to May 8, 1945.
Verse 11 states:
καὶ τὸ θηρίον ὃ ἦν καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν καὶ αὐτὸς ὄγδοός ἐστιν καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἑπτά ἐστιν καὶ εἰς ἀπώλειαν ὑπάγει
“And the beast which was and is not is himself also the eighth and is of the seven and goes to destruction.”
This reveals a direct connection between the Nazi empire and the antichrist empire. Just as Haman was obsessed with exterminating the Jewish people, so was Adolf Hitler. Even when this exhausted resources needed for the war effort, the Nazi empire continued to kill Jewish individuals. This demonstrated that genocide against the Jewish people was its primary objective.
Likewise, the so-called final solution will be central to the objective of the antichrist empire. As we move forward, it is evident that the world is becoming increasingly antisemitic. This is related to the spirit of the antichrist. A growing number of nations display a pro-Palestinian preference and an anti-Israel bias, which indicates to students of prophecy that the rise of the antichrist empire is not in the distant future.
Many refer to Revelation 3:10 and the promise of being kept “from the hour of trial” ἐκ τῆς ὥρας τοῦ πειρασμοῦ. They incorrectly associate this with the activity of the antichrist, rather than with what the text states, namely the wrath of G-d poured out upon those who dwell upon the earth.
The phrase “those who dwell upon the earth” consistently refers to those designated to receive G-d’s wrath. The wrath of G-d does not begin with the seals, but with the trumpets and bowls in Revelation chapters 8, 9, and 16.
Revelation 3:10 does not promise believers that they will not enter Daniel’s seventieth week. Rather, it promises that believers will never experience the wrath of G-d because of the sufficiency of Messiah’s work on the Cross.
Purim Sameach to all!
