Bible Study Seattle

Esther is a fantastic book in the bible.  The whole story is clearly an allegory for history.  People disagree on who the characters represent.  This author believes we have multiple views of history in this one book.  For interpretation we follow Moses rule: “For from your viewpoint a thousand years are merely like yesterday or a night watch.”  Psalm 90:4  Also, a day can equal a year: “For I am assigning you one day for each year of their guilt; thus you are to bear the guilt of the house of Isra’el for 390 days.  Then, when you have finished that, you are to lie on your right side and bear the guilt of the house of Y’hudah for forty days, each day corresponding to a year; this is what I am assigning you.”  Ezekiel 4:5-6  

Thus, a year can also equal a thousand years prophetically.

“These events happened in the days of King Xerxes, who reigned over 127 provinces stretching from India to Ethiopia.  At that time Xerxes ruled his empire from his royal throne at the fortress of Susa.  In the third year of his reign, he gave a banquet for all his nobles and officials. He invited all the military officers of Persia and Media as well as the princes and nobles of the provinces.  The celebration lasted 180 days—a tremendous display of the opulent wealth of his empire and the pomp and splendor of his majesty.”  Esther 1:1-4

Queen Vashti refuses to appear at the end of the seven day feast at the end of the 180 celebration.

“When the turn came for Ester the daughter of Avichayil, whom Mordekhai had adopted as his own daughter, to appear before the king, she didn’t ask for anything other than what Hegai the king’s officer in charge of the harem advised. Yet Ester was admired by all who saw her.  She was brought to King Achashverosh in his royal palace in the tenth month, Tevet, during the seventh year of his reign.  The king liked Ester more than any of his wives; none of the other virgins obtained such favor and approval from him. So he put the royal crown on her head and made her queen in place of Vashti.”  Esther 2:15-17

Esther becomes queen in the tenth month of the seventh year.  Using a thousand years for one year, we can see history.  King Xerxes represents God.  Queen Vashti reprents his bride Israel.  “But like a woman unfaithful to her husband, so you, Israel, have been unfaithful to me,” declares the Lord.  Jeremiah 3:20  So God found a new wife!  

We are not told when in the third year the 180 feast occurs.  If it happened in the beginning the end would be just past half way through Xerxes third year.  Prophetically that’s 2,500+ years from the fall of Adam.  The Exodus occured in 1615BC, 2512 years after Adam’s fall.  The Israelites were unfaithful to God, so he made that generation die in the desert.  If the 180 day celebration was in the end of Xerxes third year, we are 3,000+ years from the fall.  Saul’s reign began in 1100BC, 3,027 years from Adam’s fall.  Again the Israelites were unfaithful to God, demanding a human king.  “And the Lord told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.”  1 Samuel 8:7

Notice that Esther is not queen until the tenth month of the seventh year.  This would mean that God’s new bride isn’t there until the later part of the Millennium, about 6,750+ years from Adam’s fall or sometime after 2623AD, six centuries future to us!