Mordecai explained that if she did not rise up at this time then G-d would send someone else to save His people, but her and her father's house would perish.

Esther understood the message from Mordecai. She decided that she would do as he requested, she asked only one thing in return. That the Jews fast for three days for her. In the Septuagint we have a copy of the prayer of Mordecai. In it we see that Mordecai is praying to the G-d of Avraham. When Esther asked for the people to fast for her, she was in essence asking them to pray to G-d for her as well. In this story we see the reason for fasting is that we may concentrate on our prayers to G-d and put the things of the world behind us as we pray.

It now becomes very important to watch the dates that are mentioned in the book of Esther. Dates are always important, G-d has put them in the scriptures for a very important reason. Never just read over a date in the scriptures. Look them up and see what else happened on that day, they will tell a story.

Chapter 3 verse 12a reads...

"Then the king's scribes were called on the thirteenth day of the first month, and a decree was written according to all that Haman commanded;...."

This day, the thirteenth of Nisan, is the day that we start counting for the events that will follow. This is the day that all the events just mentioned between Esther and Mordecai took place. Keep in mind also that this is the day before Passover.

The time has come for queen Esther to appear before the king. She put on her royal robe and went into the inner courts of the king's palace. When the king saw her he had compassion on her, for he loved her very much. He showed this compassion by holding out the golden scepter to her.

In the book of Genesis, Ya'akov (Jacob) is blessing his children. When he comes to Y'hudah (Judah) he says...

“Judah is a lion's whelp; From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He bows down, he lies down as a lion; And as a lion, who shall rouse him? The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh comes; And to Him shall be the obedience of the people.”

Because of this prophecy, the Messiah is known as the “Lion of Judah.” He is also seen as the scepter. This can better be seen in Numbers 24.17 …

“I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near; A Star shall come out of Ya'akov; A Scepter shall rise out of Israel, and batter the brow of Moab, and destroy all the sons of Sheth.”

For the king to offer the scepter was to offer life. G-d offers life to us by extending His Scepter, the Messiah.

The king asks Esther what it is that she requests. Esther replies …

“If it pleases the king, let the king and Haman come today to the banquet that I have prepared for him.

The king could not believe his ears. This queen has risked her life to ask him if he and Haman would come to a banquet. He summoned Haman to come at once.

At the banquet, the king again asked Esther what her request was. She replied …

“My petition and request is this: If I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and fulfill my request, then let the king and Haman come to the banquet which I will prepare for them, and tomorrow I will do as the king has said.”

Haman is now on the top of the world. That is until he sees Mordecai in the king's gate. Haman refrained from doing anything to Mordecai at that time, instead he went home and called for his friends and wife. He began to tell them of all that he had, but it avails him nothing as long as Mordecai lives.

Anti-Semitism has no basis. It stems from nothing but Satan himself. Hitler is a very good example of this. Hitler was losing the war, he badly needed to get guns and ammo to his troops at the front. For this he needed his trains. Instead of using the trains to supply his troops with their needs, he choose to use them to send the Jews to the gas chamber. This makes no sense, but then again anti-Semitism never does.

Haman's wife and friends tell him to build a gallows seventy-five feet tall and to request from the king in the morning that Mordecai be hanged on it.

However, that night G-d would not allow the king to sleep. The king ordered that the chronicles be brought and read to him. When it was read that Mordecai had saved the kings life by reporting what his doorkeepers were plotting, the king asked how he was rewarded. His servants answered, “he has not been rewarded.”

At this time the king heard someone walking in the court and asked who it was. The servants answered, “it is Haman.” The king allowed him to come in.

Haman was there to ask that Mordecai be hanged. However, G-d had other plans. Before Haman could ask his request the king asked his own question …

“What should be done for the man that the king wishes to honor?”

Haman, being full of pride, thought that the king was referring to him. So Haman thought of the most elaborate things that his mind could think of. Then the king said …

“Hurry, take the robe and the horse, as you have suggested, and do so for Mordecai the Jew who sits within the king's gate! Leave nothing undone of all that you have spoken.”

Haman's plan had backfired. He was now to do for Mordecai what he thought was going to be done for him. Haman was allowed by G-d to name his own punishment. Haman done as the king commanded. Afterwards he returned to his house mourning because of what he was forced to do for the man he hated more than anything else in the world.

While Haman was still talking to his wife, the king's eunuchs came to take Haman to the second banquet that Esther had prepared.

At the banquet the king again asked Esther what it was she wanted. This time the answer was different …

“If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it pleases the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request. For we have been sold, my people and I, to be destroyed, to be killed, and to be annihilated. Had we been sold as male and female slaves, I would have held my tongue, although the enemy could never compensate for the king's loss.”

Esther still has not revealed that she is a Jew. Haman has no idea what is about to happen. The king can not believe what he has just heard. Who would dare to raise a hand against the queen. Esther's answer …

“The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman!”

Haman's whole world had just fell out from under him. For the first time he realized that Esther was a Jew. Haman has dug a pit and has now fallen in as the scripture says in Proverbs 26:27a …

“Whoever digs a pit will fall into it,..."

In those days, punishment came in many forms, none of which Haman wanted to have administered to him. For example, they would skin you alive, gouge out your eyes, etc.

The king was besides himself. He left the room so he could think. While he was gone, Haman through himself across Esther to pled for his life. However, when the king came in and found Haman on top of the queen, he didn't quite see it that way. He thought Haman was trying to rape the queen. The king had Haman removed and hanged on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai.

Remember that you were told to pay attention to the dates. Let's retrace them. The starting date was Nisan the 13th, the people were to fast and pray for three days then the queen would appear before the king, that puts the first banquet on Nisan the 16th. At the first banquet Esther asked for Haman and the king to come to another banquet the next night. That brings us to where we are now, the second banquet, the date is the 17th of Nisan. Why is this date special? In the scriptures, we will be using two calendars. From Genesis 1.1 - Exodus 12.1 you will be using what is called, “The Civil Calendar.”

From Exodus 12.2 - Revelation 22.21 you will use the “Religious Calendar.” Let's take a look at this date, the 17th of Nisan.

In Genesis 7.1-8.22 we learn about the flood. It also gives us the day that the ark sat down on top of Mt. Ararat, that day was the 17th day of the seventh month. Since we are in the Civil calendar, the seventh month is Nisan. So on the 17th day of the month of Nisan Noah was saved and Satan was defeated from destroying the righteous.

Next we go to Exodus 12.1-14.31. This is the story of the Passover. Remember that when counting these or any other days in the scriptures, that the days start at sundown. The children of Yisrael were to offer a lamb on the 14th of Nisan and eat it on the 15th of Nisan.

On the night of the 15th, Pharaoh allows the people to go into the desert for three days to worship G-d. They leave on the 15th of Nisan and go to Succoth to get the bones of Joseph, they did not however camp there. They left Succoth and camped at Etham. The day now changes to the 16th of Nisan. From there G-d told them to turn and camp at Pi Hahiroth. The day is still the 16th of Nisan. That day Pharaoh pursues Yisrael and finds them at the sea. A pillow of fire separates Yisrael from Pharaoh and his army. G-d parts the Red Sea. Night sets in and the day changes to the 17th of Nisan. The children of Yisrael crossed the sea and came up alive on the other side on the 17th of Nisan.

Pharaoh, who is a picture of Satan was killed in the sea. So on the 17th of Nisan the children of Yisrael were saved and the enemy was defeated.

Yeshua was sacrificed on the 14th of Nisan, was in the grave three days and three nights. He rose from the grave on the 17th of Nisan. On the 17th of Nisan we were saved and the enemy was defeated because he (Satan) took an innocent life that did not belong to him.

On the day that Haman was hanged, the king gave Esther his house and Mordecai his signet ring. Remember that Esther is a picture of the believer. When Satan is destroyed we will be given back what Adam lost to Satan. We have that in part now but we will have it in it's fullness in the Messianic Kingdom. We will be snatched away and Yeshua will be coronated in Heaven. We can see a picture of this in Daniel 7.13-14 …

“I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed.”

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