The Book of Esther (04) – Haman

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1After these events King Ahasuerus honored Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and promoted him and established his authority over all the officials who were with him. 2All the king’s servants who were at the king’s gate bowed down and paid homage to Haman; for so the king had commanded regarding him. But Mordecai neither bowed down nor paid homage. 3Then the king’s servants who were at the king’s gate said to Mordecai, “Why are you violating the king’s command?” 4Now it was when they had spoken daily to him and he would not listen to them, that they told Haman to see whether Mordecai’s reason would stand; for he had told them that he was a Jew. 5When Haman saw that Mordecai neither bowed down nor paid homage to him, Haman was filled with rage. 6But he considered it beneath his dignity to kill Mordecai alone, for they had told him who the people of Mordecai were; so Haman sought to annihilate all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, who were found throughout the kingdom of Ahasuerus.

7In the first month, which is the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, Pur, that is the lot, was cast before Haman from day to day and from month to month, until the twelfth month, that is the month Adar. 8Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from those of all other people and they do not comply with the king’s laws, so it is not in the king’s interest to let them remain. 9If it is pleasing to the king, let it be decreed that they be eliminated, and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who carry out the king’s business, to put into the king’s treasuries.” 10Then the king took his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews. 11And the king said to Haman, “The silver is yours, and the people also, to do with them as you please.”

12Then the king’s scribes were summoned on the thirteenth day of the first month, and it was written just as Haman commanded to the king’s satraps, to the governors who were over each province and to the officials of each people, each province according to its script, each people according to its language, being written in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed with the king’s signet ring. 13Letters were sent by couriers to all the king’s provinces to annihilate, kill, and destroy all the Jews, both young and old, women and children, in one day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to seize their possessions as plunder. 14A copy of the edict to be issued as law in every province was published to all the peoples so that they would be ready for this day. 15The couriers went out, speeded by the king’s order while the decree was issued at the citadel in Susa; and while the king and Haman sat down to drink, the city of Susa was agitated.

– Esther 3
(NASB® © 2020)
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Haman – An image of the Antichrist

In chapter 3, we see how King Ahasuerus elevates “Haman”, the Agagite, in the kingdom and sets him above all the princes. Haman, “the adversary of the Jews,” is a picture of the Antichrist. His elevation in the kingdom is a shadow of the time when God will allow the Antichrist to take a place of supremacy and power on earth, especially in the land of Israel. Haman uses his power to glorify himself and forces everyone to bow down before him in reverence. The Antichrist, “the man of sin,” will do the same when he later demands worship (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4).

Haman’s conspiracy to remove the Jews from the empire—A picture of the great tribulation

Mordecai’s refusal to bow down to Haman results in Haman’s hatred (Esther 3:2). Similarly, the Antichrist will not heed God and will try to wipe out the name of God from the earth.

Haman also sets out to “destroy all the Jews throughout the kingdom” (Esther 3:5–15), a picture of the terrible persecution that the Antichrist will bring about during the Great Tribulation in his attempt to destroy the God-fearing Jews, the remnant. Haman has ten sons who obviously help him carry out his plan (Esther 5:11, 14; 9:7–10). Perhaps they are a picture of the ten allied nations of Western Europe, called “the beast”, who will assist the Antichrist in carrying out his persecution of the God-fearing remnant. The king gives Haman his “signet ring” to authorize the evil plan (Esther 3:10).

This speaks of God allowing the Antichrist to pursue his plans of persecution against the God-fearing remnant for a time. He does this in order to test their authenticity and deepen His work in them. Haman’s evil intentions put the lives of the Jews in great danger.

The weeping and wailing in every single region is correspondingly great (Esther 4:1-3). It is a picture of the sorrow and deep soul-searching that the Jewish remnant will go through in the great tribulation. Mordecai also “puts on sackcloth and ashes and goes out into the city and raises a loud and bitter cry.” In this, we recognize Christ’s feelings. He will empathize in the deepest way with everything the remnant will go through during their time of tribulation (Isa. 63:9). Especially in the book of Psalms, we see Christ’s sympathetic suffering with the remnant presented.

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