Ariel Magazine Purim Edition Cover copy - Ariel Ministries

cover story
Purim and the End Times
By Ivan Nagy - Ariel Hungary
Let me start with a personal experience. I
once celebrated a Jewish biblical Sabbath
in 1998 while visiting Camp Shoshanah.
Actually, I have been a Gentile believer
since 1989, but I didn't know much about
the Jewish feasts in the Bible. This was the
very first time for me and my wife to
partake with other believers in a biblical
celebration. We were deeply touched. For
us, it was very different than other
Christian and even Pagan traditions. I
personally have no problems, for example,
with Christmas and all of the non-biblical
traditions celebrated during the holiday
season. We certainly have our freedom to
enjoy and celebrate religious and
non-religious things. But as time passed,
my wife and I learned more and more about
the meaning of the Jewish biblical feasts,
and it has helped us to understand God’s
program concerning Jews and Gentiles.
Among the nine major feasts of Israel, there
are two that were inaugurated after the
Mosaic feasts. One is Hanukkah, the Feast of
Dedication or the Feast of Lights; the other
is the Feast of Purim in the Book of Esther.
The Book of Esther is the only book in the
Scriptures where God’s name is nowhere
to be found. There is no prayer, and there is
no reference to God. But if so, why is this
book and this feast of Purim in the Bible?
The story of Esther shows us God’s
faithfulness to His Covenants, especially
to the Abrahamic Covenant. There is a
principle in the Abrahamic Covenant that
is important to understand, not only for
Jews, but also to for Gentiles: the one who
curses you, I will curse (Gen. 12:3).
Jews learn from the Book of Esther all
about God’s providence toward them. Even
in dispersion or in captivity, there is
providence, and such will be the case until
all of Israel is saved. Gentiles will learn
from this book that they have a great
responsibility toward the Jews. After the
Great Tribulation, the judgment of the
Gentiles will be on the basis of
anti-Semitism or pro-Semitism. All the
Gentiles will be divided into two camps:
the pro-Semitic sheep camp or the
anti-Semitic goat camp. Those Gentiles,
who will support the Jews during the
Tribulation, will show their faith through
their works (James 2:14-17). They will be
Although there is no direct reference to the Messianic person or program in this
book, we see some similarities with the End Times and the Tribulation period.
The Jews are scattered in the whole Persian Empire – The Jews are scattered in
the world (though the first re-gathering in unbelief happens with the
establishing of the State of Israel).
Haman wants to kill all Jews – The Antichrist wants to kill all Jews.
At the end, Haman (and his sons) will be killed – The Antichrist (and his entire
family, according to Isaiah 14:21) will be killed.
The Jews destroy their enemies – The judgment of the Gentiles.
The Feast of Purim – The Marriage Feast of the Lamb.
The Abrahamic Covenant guarantees that the Jews will survive as a nation
during the times of the Gentiles – The Abrahamic Covenant (and the three other
unconditional Jewish covenants guarantees that there will be a Messianic
Kingdom.
blessed as they enter into the Messianic
Kingdom. The other Gentile group, the
goats, will aid the Antichrist in the
program of Jewish destruction, and they
will be killed. In this sense, they will be
cursed and sent to hell. Once again, the
Book of Esther is a great warning to
Gentiles who are anti-Semitic.
The most common name of the feast is
Purim. This is the biblical name, as
represented in Esther 9:26. Pur means
“lot”, so Purim (the plural form) means
“lots”. The reason this name is in Esther
9:24 is because Haman had cast Pur, the
lot, to destroy the Jews (Esther 3:7; 9:24).
This event happened in the 4th century BC
30
in the Persian Empire, when Xerxes (or
Ahasuerus) was king. The conspiracy of
Haman against the Jews was not successful,
and thanks to the leading of Mordecai and
the intercession of Esther the Queen, the
Jews destroyed their enemies, who wanted
to annihilate them. To celebrate this event,
Mordecai and Esther the Queen ordered the
Feast of Purim.
The passage which describes the feast is
Esther 9:17-32. The feast was observed on
the 13th day of the month of Adar in the
provinces. On the next day the people
rested and made it a day of feasting and
gladness (v. 17). The Jews in Shushan
assembled on the 13th and 14th day, and on
the 15th day they rested and made it a day of
feasting and gladness (v. 18). The day
became a day of gladness in contrast to
becoming a day of sorrow, and it was a day
of feasting and not fasting; it was a good
day, not a day of mourning. They sent
portions one to another, instead of having
things taken away from them. They kept the
feast on a yearly basis.