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The Book of Esther (06) – Honoring Mordecai, Judging Haman

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1During that night the king could not sleep, so he gave an order to bring the book of records, the chronicles, and they were read before the king. 2And it was found written what Mordecai had reported about Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs who were doorkeepers, that they had sought to attack King Ahasuerus. 3Then the king said, “What honor or dignity has been bestowed on Mordecai for this?” And the king’s servants who attended him said, “Nothing has been done for him.” 4So the king said, “Who is in the courtyard?” Now Haman had just entered the outer courtyard of the king’s palace in order to speak to the king about hanging Mordecai on the wooden gallows which he had prepared for him. 5So the king’s servants said to him, “Behold, Haman is standing in the courtyard.” And the king said, “Have him come in.” 6Haman then came in and the king said to him, “What is to be done for the man whom the king desires to honor?” And Haman said to himself, “Whom would the king desire to honor more than me?” 7Therefore Haman said to the king, “For the man whom the king desires to honor, 8have them bring a royal robe which the king has worn, and the horse on which the king has ridden, and on whose head a royal turban has been placed; 9then order them to hand the robe and the horse over to one of the king’s noble officials, and have them dress the man whom the king desires to honor, and lead him on horseback through the city square, and proclaim before him, ‘So it shall be done for the man whom the king desires to honor.’ ”

10Then the king said to Haman, “Quickly, take the robe and the horse just as you have said, and do so for Mordecai the Jew, who is sitting at the king’s gate; do not fail to do anything of all that you have said.” 11So Haman took the robe and the horse, and dressed Mordecai, and led him on horseback through the city square, and proclaimed before him, “So it shall be done for the man whom the king desires to honor.”

12Then Mordecai returned to the king’s gate, while Haman hurried home, mourning, with his head covered. 13And Haman informed Zeresh his wife and all his friends of everything that had happened to him. Then his wise men and Zeresh his wife said to him, “If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, is of Jewish origin, you will not prevail over him, but will certainly fall before him.”

14While they were still talking with him, the king’s eunuchs arrived and quickly brought Haman to the banquet which Esther had prepared.

– Esther 6

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1Now the king and Haman came to drink wine with Esther the queen. 2And the king said to Esther on the second day also as they drank their wine at the banquet, “What is your request, Queen Esther? It shall be granted you. And what is your wish? Up to half of the kingdom it shall be done.” 3Then Queen Esther replied, “If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it pleases the king, let my life be given me as my request, and my people as my wish; 4for we have been sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, killed, and eliminated. Now if we had only been sold as slaves, men and women, I would have kept silent, because the distress would not be sufficient reason to burden the king.” 5Then King Ahasuerus asked Queen Esther, “Who is he, and where is he, who would presume to do such a thing?” 6And Esther said, “A foe and an enemy is this wicked Haman!” Then Haman became terrified before the king and queen.

7The king then got up in his anger from drinking wine and went into the palace garden; but Haman stayed to beg for his life from Queen Esther, for he saw that harm had been determined against him by the king. 8Now when the king returned from the palace garden into the place where they had been drinking wine, Haman was falling on the couch where Esther was. Then the king said, “Will he even assault the queen with me in the house?” As the word went out of the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face. 9Then Harbonah, one of the eunuchs who stood before the king, said, “Indeed, behold, the wooden gallows standing at Haman’s house fifty cubits high, which Haman made for Mordecai who spoke good in behalf of the king!” And the king said, “Hang him on it.” 10So they hanged Haman on the wooden gallows which he had prepared for Mordecai, and the king’s anger subsided.

– Esther 7
(NASB® © 2020)
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The public honoring of Mordecai – An image of the glorification of Christ at his appearance

On the same night that Haman is thinking about killing Mordecai, the king cannot sleep, and likewise, “the guardian of Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps” (Psalm 121:4). This is especially true of the time when the Antichrist will try to wipe out the name of Christ from this earth. The night passes with an extraordinary turn of events for the Jews. The king decides that the time has come to honor Mordecai publicly and to honor him before all the people with “royal apparel” and the “royal crown”! When the day comes, the despised Mordecai is led through the streets before all with glory, dignity, and honor (Esther 6:1–11). It is a picture of the appearance of Christ at his second coming, when he will come to this earth with power and glory and “every eye will see him” (Rev. 1:7; 2 Thess. 1:10).

Haman is hanged on his own gallows – A picture of judgment on the Antichrist

When Esther sees that divine providence is working for the benefit and blessing of the Jews and that the king honors Mordecai before the people, she takes courage and immediately comes into his presence at the banquet to pour out her heart. Similarly, the godly remnant will pour out their hearts when they see Christ clothed in glory (Zechariah 12:10–14).

Esther accuses Haman of his wickedness and implores the king to destroy him. The king grants her request, and Haman is hanged on his own gallows (Esther 7:1–10)! This corresponds to the time when God will hear the lamentations of the remnant and judge the Antichrist. “No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue that rises against you in judgment you shall condemn” (Isa. 54:17).

We marvel at how accurate these images are! Mordecai is exalted and appears before all the people in royal apparel (Esther 6), and subsequently Haman is hanged (Esther 7). We find the same sequence in prophecy. Immediately after Christ appears in glory, the Antichrist (together with the beast) will be removed in judgment and thrown into the lake of fire (2 Thessalonians 2:8; Revelation 19:11–20).

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