The late Chuck Missler used to say that rabbinic scholars saw prophecy in the Bible as patterns not just prediction. I believe he was borrowing from classical rabbinic hermeneutics.
The Rabbinic Maxim: The core Jewish hermeneutical principle is Ma’aseh Avot Siman LaBanim (מעשה אבות סימן לבנים), which translates to “The actions of the fathers are a sign for the children”. The Origin: Prominently articulated by the medieval commentator Ramban (Nachmanides) in his commentary on Genesis 12:6, this Midrashic rule teaches that the historical events experienced by the Patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) served as literal historical events and prophetic blueprints or templates that would recur throughout Jewish and world history.
Looking for patterns in the Bible makes the Bible come to life for me. I recently made a post demonstrating patterns I found in Joshua which seem to mirror the End Times progression. Now I believe I found found more in the Book of Esther. What is compelling about seeing these prefigurements is that it demonstrates how God really is in control of everything. Somehow God can allow free will, but at the same time accomplish his plan perfectly. The Bible tells us that this is his way of authenticating his sovereignty.
Isa 46:8-10 “Remember this and stand firm, recall it to mind, you transgressors, remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’
Consider these events in Esther and compare them with events the Bible tells us are yet future:
| Esther 1:10-12 Vashti refuses to come when called by the King | Matthew 23:37-39 Jesus laments the rebellion of the Jewish people corporately for rejecting him as their Messiah | In typology Vashti is like the Jewish people who rejected their King |
| A search goes out throughout the entire Kingdom all 127 provinces, for a bride who will become queen. Esther is chosen: Est 2:17 “the king loved Esther more than all the women, and she won grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins, so that he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.” | 2 Corinthians 11:2 2Co 11:2 For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ. Revelation 5:9-10 Rev 5:9 And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.” | After the Jewish people corporately rejected their King, the Holy Spirit goes out and selects a bride for Christ throughout the entire World |
| Esther marries the King and afterward there is a great celebration. Est 2:18 Then the king gave a great feast for all his officials and servants; it was Esther’s feast. He also granted a remission of taxes to the provinces and gave gifts with royal generosity. | The marriage of the Church and Christ happens in Heaven. Rev 19:7 Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; | Note the Bride is selected and the marriage occurs before Haman plots his genocide of the Jewish people in Kingdom |
| Esther 3:1-3 Haman is promoted in the kingdom to the #2 positon. He represents the Antichrist who comes on the scene after the Church has been taken. Est 3:1 After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, and advanced him and set his throne above all the officials who were with him. Est 3:2 And all the king’s servants who were at the king’s gate bowed down and paid homage to Haman, for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai did not bow down or pay homage. | The Church is taken and then the Antichrist is revealed. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3 Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, …… 2Th 2:7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. 2Th 2:8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. | Just like Haman, the archetype of the Antichrist, the Bride is in the Heavenly palace when Haman is promoted |
| Haman arranges for an edict to have all the Jewish people killed. Est 3:8-9 Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom. Their laws are different from those of every other people, and they do not keep the king’s laws, so that it is not to the king’s profit to tolerate them. If it please the king, let it be decreed that they be destroyed, and I will pay 10,000 talents of silver into the hands of those who have charge of the king’s business, that they may put it into the king’s treasuries.” | Revelation 12:13-15 And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle so that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she is to be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time. The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood. | Satan is behind the acts of the Antichrist in the End Times Biblical story. Although the Book of Revelation is rendered into symbols, this set of passages is clear enough to understand. The dragon is Satan who gets thrown to Earth. The woman described earlier is a picture of Jacob / Israel and his 12 sons (Genesis 37:9-10). Israel will be persued by the Antichrist in an attempt to eliminate the Jewish people during the Tribulation period. |
| Haman has 10 sons. Est 9:10 the ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews, but they laid no hand on the plunder. | Rev 17:12 And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received royal power, but they are to receive authority as kings for one hour, together with the beast. | The Antichrist has 10 kings just like Haman has 10 sons |
| God reverses Haman’s plan and kills him instead. Est 8:7 Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, “Behold, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and they have hanged him on the gallows, because he intended to lay hands on the Jews. Est 9:1 Now in the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, on the thirteenth day of the same, when the king’s command and edict were about to be carried out, on the very day when the enemies of the Jews hoped to gain the mastery over them, the reverse occurred: the Jews gained mastery over those who hated them. | Rev 19:19 And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. | In the end, God foils the plans of the evil one. God’s people will inherit the Kingdom |
| Haman’s sons and all of those who hate the Jewish people are judged. Est 9:2 The Jews gathered in their cities throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus to lay hands on those who sought their harm. And no one could stand against them, for the fear of them had fallen on all peoples. Est 9:16 Now the rest of the Jews who were in the king’s provinces also gathered to defend their lives, and got relief from their enemies and killed 75,000 of those who hated them, but they laid no hands on the plunder. | Rev 19:21 And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh. (Mat 25:40) And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. | All the evil doers will be judged. Haman, his sons and all people who hate God and his chosen people will find everlasting torment in the Lake of Fire |
| Institution of Purim and Mordecai’s exaltation Est 9:20 And Mordecai recorded these things and sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, both near and far, obliging them to keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar and also the fifteenth day of the same, year by year, as the days on which the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month that had been turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and gladness, days for sending gifts of food to one another and gifts to the poor. Est 10:2-3 And all the acts of his power and might, and the full account of the high honor of Mordecai, to which the king advanced him, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia? For Mordecai the Jew was second in rank to King Ahasuerus, and he was great among the Jews and popular with the multitude of his brothers, for he sought the welfare of his people and spoke peace to all his people. | Rev 19:6-8 Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”— for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. | The Feast of Purim is instituted to commemorate this great deliverance, and Mordecai is elevated to a high position. |
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