Purim 2023 and Persia (Iran) is still a threat
Painting of 1625 Titled ‘Feast of Esther’
The Jewish Feast of Purim 2023 begins at sunset on March 5th (some Jews begin celebrations and preparations earlier).
Before getting to that, notice that an interesting artifact has been found and translated:
March 1, 2023
A unique potsherd bearing the name of Persian King Darius the Great – the father of Ahasuerus, who features prominently in the biblical book of Esther – was found in an archaeological park in central Israel, the Israel Antiquities Authority announced on Wednesday.
The artifact, dating back to some 2,500 years ago, was spotted by chance by two visitors in December. One of them happened to be Eylon Levy, international media advisor to the President of the State of Israel Isaac Herzog, who was visiting Tel Lachish National Park with his friend Yakov Ashkenazi.
“When I picked up the ostracon and saw the inscription, my hands shook,” Levy recalled. “I looked left and right for the cameras, because I was sure someone was playing an elaborate prank on me.”
Indeed, the potsherd turned out to be a very rare find, as it is the first time that the name of Darius is found in Israel.
Darius reigned over the Persian Achaemenid Empire for several decades (522–486 BCE). Under his rule, the empire dramatically expanded. His son Ahasuerus would find himself reigning over millions of square miles, spanning from Egypt and the Balkans in the West to India and Central Asia in the Est.
“It happened in the days of Ahasuerus—that Ahasuerus who reigned over a hundred and twenty-seven provinces from India to Ethiopia,” reads the first verse of the book of Esther, who Jews all over the world will read out loud next week to celebrate the festival of Purim.
The artifact from Tel Lachish reads “Year 24 of Darius,” (in Aramaic), dating it to 498 BCE. At the time, Lachish belonged to the province of Edom/Idumea within the “Beyond the River” satrapy. As it was custom at the time, the province would pay taxes to the Persian administrative system. The taxes were collected and dispatched in Lachish, a major fortified city in the area. According to researchers at the IAA, the inscribed sherd may have been a dispatchment note written by a storeroom official working in the central administrative building. https://www.israel365news.com/367707/2500-year-old-inscription-bearing-name-of-biblical-king-ahasuerus-father-found-in-israel/
Yes, there continue to be artifacts found that support what the Bible teaches related to history.
That said, here is some information about Purim and the Book of Esther:
Purim, the joyous festival celebrating God’s miraculous deliverance of the People of Israel from their enemies. The story tells that the Persian Empire’s anti-Semitic ruler, Haman, wanted to annihilate the Jewish people. Esther courageously stepped up and defended her people, foiling Haman’s plans. …
In Israel and around the world on Purim, it is a tradition to dress up. Many children dress up as the protagonists of the Purim story and sometimes, they dress up as superheroes. But the soldiers of the IDF need not dress up as superheroes – by putting on their uniform and taking on their real-life role as defenders of Israel and the Jewish people, they have proven themselves as superheroes already.
“In every generation, there are those who threaten the existence of the Nation of Israel – including both ‘lone-wolf’ Palestinian terrorists and formal terror organizations like Hamas and Hezbollah (backed by the modern incarnation of Persia, Iran),” Dr. John A.I. Grossman, Chairman of LIBI USA, the official welfare fund of the IDF, said to Breaking Israel News. “Ultimately, it is up to each individual to decide if he or she will stand up, as Queen Esther did, on behalf of Israel. Today, these individuals are embodied in the soldiers of the Israeli Defense Forces,” he added. 03/08/20 https://www.breakingisraelnews.com/124198/soldiers-idf-modern-day-purim-heroes/
Here is some information which comes from the Book of Esther:
1 Now in the twelfth month, that is, the month of Adar, on the thirteenth day, the time came for the king’s command and his decree to be executed. On the day that the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, the opposite occurred, in that the Jews themselves overpowered those who hated them. 2 The Jews gathered together in their cities throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus to lay hands on those who sought their harm. And no one could withstand them, because fear of them fell upon all people. 3 And all the officials of the provinces, the satraps, the governors, and all those doing the king’s work, helped the Jews, because the fear of Mordecai fell upon them. 4 For Mordecai was great in the king’s palace, and his fame spread throughout all the provinces; for this man Mordecai became increasingly prominent. 5 Thus the Jews defeated all their enemies with the stroke of the sword, with slaughter and destruction, and did what they pleased with those who hated them. (Esther 9:1-5)
20 And Mordecai wrote these things and sent letters to all the Jews, near and far, who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, 21 to establish among them that they should celebrate yearly the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar, 22 as the days on which the Jews had rest from their enemies, as the month which was turned from sorrow to joy for them, and from mourning to a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and joy, of sending presents to one another and gifts to the poor. 23 So the Jews accepted the custom which they had begun, as Mordecai had written to them, 24 because Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to annihilate them, and had cast Pur (that is, the lot), to consume them and destroy them; 25 but when Esther came before the king, he commanded by letter that this wicked plot which Haman had devised against the Jews should return on his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows.
26 So they called these days Purim, after the name Pur. Therefore, because of all the words of this letter, what they had seen concerning this matter, and what had happened to them, 27 the Jews established and imposed it upon themselves and their descendants and all who would join them, that without fail they should celebrate these two days every year, according to the written instructions and according to the prescribed time, 28 that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, every family, every province, and every city, that these days of Purim should not fail to be observed among the Jews, and that the memory of them should not perish among their descendants.
29 Then Queen Esther, the daughter of Abihail, with Mordecai the Jew, wrote with full authority to confirm this second letter about Purim. 30 And Mordecai sent letters to all the Jews, to the one hundred and twenty-seven provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, with words of peace and truth, 31 to confirm these days of Purim at their appointed time, as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had prescribed for them, and as they had decreed for themselves and their descendants concerning matters of their fasting and lamenting. 32 So the decree of Esther confirmed these matters of Purim, and it was written in the book. (Esther 9:20-32)
Note: Since Purim is a national holiday and is not listed as a holy day in Leviticus 23 or elsewhere, it is not a biblically required observation for those in the Church of God. As Esther 9:27-28 points out it was a Jewish invention for Jews.
But interestingly, some believe that Jesus (who was physically a Jew) kept it:
Wieseler, Hug, Meyer Lance, Godet, Weiss, Farrar, Watkins, think that the Feast of Purim, celebrated on the 15th of Adar (or March) (2 Macc. 15:36), in commemoration of the deliverance of the people from the evil intention of Haman (Esther 9:21, etc.), was that national fast and feast which Jesus thus honoured. Purim was not one of the divinely appointed festivals, but it is also stated that the Lord undoubtedly attended one of the national and recently appointed festivals, that of Dedication (John 10:22). …
The claims of the Purim feast turn principally on the fact that, since it occurred, about a month before the Passover, on the 14th or 15th of Adar, this visit might have taken place in the course of the four months referred to in John 4:35, and therefore between the sojourn in Samaria and the Passover of John 6:4, which Jesus diet not attend. …
It must be admitted that the majority of modern critics assume the Feast of Purim to be that intended (Pulpit Commentary on John 5:1).
A feast of the Jews.—The writer does not tell us what feast this was, and we must be content to remain without certain knowledge. There is, perhaps, no Jewish feast with which it has not been identified, and it has been even proclaimed confidently that it must have been the Day of Atonement! (Caspari, Chron. and Geogr., Introd., Eng. Trans., p. 130). Our reading is to be regarded as the better one, though not a few authorities insert the article, and interpret “the Feast” to mean the Feast of Passover.The time-limits are John 4:35, which was in Tebeth (January), and John 6:4, which bring us to the next Passover in Nisan (April), i.e., an interval of four months, the year being an intercalary one with the month VeAdar (and Adar) added, or, as we should say, with two months of March. The only feast which falls in this interval is the Feast of Purim, and it is with this that the best modern opinion identifies the feast of our text. It was kept on the 14th of Adar (March), in commemoration of the deliverance of the Jews from the plots of Haman, and took its name from the lots cast by him (Esther 3:7; Esther 9:24 et seq.). (Elliot’s Commentary on John 5:1).
That being said, some have wondered about the Book of Esther in light of the current events in Iran and Israel. Iran and Israel were actually allies during the time of the Shah of Iran. And interestingly that in the time of Esther it was only a minority of the Persian empire that wanted to eliminate the Jews. It is possible that a regime change in Iran (which could be brought about by many means, including attacks by Israel) could change the relationship between the Jews and Persians (Iranians) again.
Interestingly, the connection between the original Purim and Iran has not been lost by all. Notice the following:
JERUSALEM, Israel – On the 14th of the Hebrew month of Adar, Israel celebrates the festival of Purim, a holiday that’s been observed for at least 2,400 years. This year, the festivities begin Wednesday evening and in walled cities like Jerusalem go on for two days.
“And Mordecai wrote these things and sent letters to all the Jews, near and far, who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, to establish among them that they should celebrate yearly the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar, as the days on which the Jews had rest from their enemies, as the month which was turned from sorrow to joy for them, and from mourning to a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and joy, of sending presents to one another and gifts to the poor.” (Esther 9:20-22)
In Israel, these same traditions are observed today. It’s a joyous holiday and it’s observed joyfully. The story of how God used Queen Esther to deliver the Jews scattered throughout 120 provinces still strengthens Israelis today.
Most know of Iran’s frequent declarations to bring an end to Israel. Hate speech and similar threats against America are often heard from Iranian leaders, making one wonder what motivated the U.S.-led negotiations with Iran on its nuclear program.
What’s the tie with the 5th century story? Iran is modern-day Persia, the same place where Haman, the king’s chancellor, plotted to kill every Jewish man, woman and child in the empire’s provinces.
Haman described the Jews as being different from all the rest of the people, keeping to their own traditions. But what really motivated his evil schemes was a diabolical hatred of a Jew who refused to bow down to him. Mordechai, the queen’s cousin, refused to obey the king’s edict to bow before the chancellor and it infuriated him – so much so that he devised a plot to annihilate the Jews and convinced the king to sanction it.
That threat is pretty much as real today as it was then. And it seems a little ironic that it’s the same country.
The anti-Semitic spirit driving the desire to wipe the Jews off the face of the earth is alive and well today. http://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/israel/2016/march/purim-2016
Iran and Israel, It’s Purim All Over Again
Some 2,000 years ago, the Jewish people, Exiled in the vast empire of Persia faced a plot engineered by the king’s chief minister to annihilate them…Today the Jewish People in their historical homeland, the Jewish State of Israel, are once again being openly threatened by an evil Persian Empire of Terror known today as Iran. Today’s Hamans – Iranian “Supreme Leader” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Hizbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, to name just a few, are no less committed to the destruction of the Jewish People as were Haman and his ten sons of old. They openly and clearly call for Israel’s destruction and make no secret of the nuclear weapons, the type that can wipe out the Jews in one day…
Among the cohorts to today’s Iranian Hamans are the scientists working feverishly to enrich sufficient uranium to make a nuclear bomb. One such scientist was Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan Behdast assassinated in early January. Should anyone doubt Mostafa’s personal commitment to the cause of mass murder of Jews, his wife proudly clarified that telling point.
Earlier this month Iran’s FARS News Agency (FNA) reported that Fatemeh Bolouri Kashani, wife of the aforementioned assassinated Iranian scientist who was a senior official at the Natanz uranium enrichment facility, told the FNA: “Mostafa’s ultimate goal was the annihilation of Israel.”…
The primary lesson of Purim for today’s Jewish leaders is that just as in the original Purim story the Jews had to ultimately defend themselves so too today the Jews cannot pin their national survival on vague promises of support as the Iranian nuclear clock continues to tick.
As Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu heads off to Washington to meet with US President Barack Obama on the week of the Purim holiday, he will no doubt have in mind the lesson of Purim: the only ones who can be relied on to defend the Jews are the Jews themselves.
While there is a lot of truth in the above, the only one who could be relied upon to defend the Jews is God Almighty–yet He only promised to do that if they obeyed Him. And while I do not believe that Bible prophecy allows for Iran to eliminate the nation of Israel, the reality is that if there is a war between Iran and Israel, Israel will suffer much more losses than the ancient nation did during the time of Esther.
Related to more recent matters, Israel365 News posted the following last year:
This Purim; History repeats itself as Iran expected to get nukes to try to destroy Israel
March 16, 2022
On the eve of Purim, a signed agreement resurrecting the Iran deal looms imminent. For those who forgot, another lucrative agreement between a politician and a Persian ruler signed 2,500 years ago was also intended to annihilate the Jewish people. Still, it didn’t work out as planned. …
If the deal does get signed on Thursday or Friday, it will coincide with the holiday of Purim (The holiday begins Wednesday evening and ends on Thursday evening, but in Jerusalem, it is celebrated 24 hours later). This would be remarkable as negotiations have been ongoing for 11 months. …
Rabbi Winston quipped. “They are clearly not thinking this through. They could have chosen any day of the year to sign this deal, but pushing to sign an anti-Israel deal with Iran on Purim displays total ignorance. It is astounding. But that is typical of the enemies of Israel.”
“In this case, the Iran deal is, of course, a direct existential threat to Israel. But now that the negotiations have revealed the battle lines, Iran and Russia allying together, it is obvious, or at least it should be, that this endangers the entire world.” …
Despite claims by the Biden administration that the JCPOA will permanently prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, many lawmakers are convinced that is not true. https://www.israel365news.com/267537/this-purim-history-repeats-itself-as-iran-expected-to-get-nukes-to-try-to-destroy-israel/
Purim 2022, Persia: Iran’s Nuclear plot to annihilate Israel could be foiled by Russia-Ukraine war
March 7, 2022
Could a Purim Iran deal turn the world around? Upon looking at the recent developments of the soon-to-be signed Iran Nuclear deal, a Purim-like miracle could occur with modern-day Persia and their plot to annihilate the nation of Israel.
Five permanent member nations
In the bizarre reality of international politics, Russia is acting as a major party in the ongoing negotiations in Vienna by the Biden administration focused on reviving the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) known as the Iran nuclear deal. …
“It is necessary to understand clearly what Moscow wants. If what they demand is related to the JCPOA, it would not be difficult to find a solution for it,” said an Iranian official. “But it will be complicated if the guarantees that Moscow has demanded are beyond the JCPOA.”
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has made public calls for closer ties with Russia. Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine was preceded by a visit from Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi to Vladimir Putin in Moscow, the first of its type in five years. …
Purim is Coming Up
Rabbi Hillel Weiss, the former spokesman for the Sanhedrin, noted that negotiations for the Iran deal have been in the works for quite some time. Before the invasion of Ukraine, diplomats had announced that it was about to be signed.
“It is not by chance that after all this time, the signing, or rejection, of the Iran deal is going to happen on Purim,” Rabbi Weiss said.
The rabbi then referred to a verse from the Book of Esther:
And so, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month—that is, the month of Adar—when the king’s command and decree were to be executed, the very day on which the enemies of the Yehudim had expected to get them in their power, the opposite happened, and the Yehudim got their enemies in their power. Esther 9:1
The reference to “the opposite happened” is understood to be a central theme of the holiday. The day that Haman established as the destruction of the Jews turned out to be a day of celebration and salvation.
Haman or King Darius
“Iran is at a point of decision,” Rabbi Weiss said. “They could follow in the path of Haman, who was not, in fact, Persian, or they can follow in the footsteps of the Persian King Darius who facilitated the return of the Jews from exile and the construction of the Second Temple.” …
“This Iran deal has always been seen as an existential threat to Israel,” Rabbi Weiss said. “It could be that coming at the same time as the war in Ukraine, at the time of Purim, could turn everything upside down.” https://www.israel365news.com/267179/purim-2022-persia-irans-nuclear-plot-to-annihilate-israel-could-be-foiled-by-russia-ukraine-war/
FM @Amirabdolahian : Agreement window is still open, but not forever https://t.co/disqfBfcv8 pic.twitter.com/055ZO49q6b
— Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran (@Iran_GOV) March 1, 2023
Irrespective of the possible JCPOA deal, Iran will one day attack Israel ((Isaiah 22:8-14). And it could happen this year or next.
The Bible is clear that the tiny nation called Israel (modern Judah) is at risk and will face military problems. Iran may well cause them.
The situation in the Middle East is tense. Regional war involving Israel, Iran, Syria, and others this year is a real possibility. Damascus, the capital of Syria, could become a ruinous heap (Isaiah 17:1). But this does not mean that the USA and Israel would get off without troubles and cost. Just like Afghanistan was a major problem for the old Soviet Union, Iran could be a major drain on the USA (and at minimum would raise terrorist issues).
It may take a regional war in the Middle East and perhaps terrorist attacks on USA-related targets for the apparent peace deal of Daniel 9:27 to take place. The situation in Syria, Iran, and Israel will change–and military conflict may well be one of those changes.
Some items of possibly related interest may include:
Iran in Prophecy Is Iran in Bible prophecy? If so, what does the Bible teach? What names, other than Persia, may be used to describe Iran? There are also two related videos: Iran In Prophecy and Iran and Israel Conflict.
Is the Future King of the South Rising Up? Some no longer believe there needs to be a future King of the South. Might Egypt, Islam, Iran, Arabs, or Ethiopia be involved? Might this King be called the Mahdi or Caliph? What does the Bible say? A YouTube video of related interest may be: The Future King of the South is Rising.
The Arab and Islamic World In the Bible, History, and Prophecy The Bible discusses the origins of the Arab world and discusses the Middle East in prophecy. What is ahead for the Middle East and those who follow Islam? What about the Imam Mahdi? What lies ahead for Turkey, Iran, and the other non-Arabic Muslims? An item of possibly related interest in the Spanish language would be: Líderes iraníes condenan la hipocresía de Occidente y declaran que ahora es tiempo para prepararse para el Armagedón, la guerra, y el Imán Mahdi.
Jerusalem: Past, Present, and Future What does the Bible say about Jerusalem and its future? Is Jerusalem going to be divided and eliminated? Is Jesus returning to the area of Jerusalem? There is also a related YouTube video you can watch titled Jerusalem To be divided and eliminated.
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Saxon (non-Dutch) Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? What will happen to Jerusalem and the Jews in Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo-Saxon nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first? Here is a link to the Spanish version of this article: Anglo-América & las Tribus Perdidas de Israel. Information is also in the YouTube sermons titled Where are the Ten Lost Tribes? Why does it matter? and British are the Covenant People. A short YouTube of prophetic interest may be: Are Chinese threats against Australia for real?
Will the Anglo-Saxon Nations be Divided and Have People Taken as Slaves? Will the lands of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand be divided? What about Jerusalem? What does Bible prophecy teach? Are there non-biblical prophecies that support this idea? Who will divide those lands? Who will end up with the lands and the people? Here is a link to a video titled Will the USA and other Anglo-nations be Divided and Their People Made Slaves? Here is a related item in the Spanish language ¿Serán divididas las naciones anglosajonas?
British are the Covenant People What do ‘British’ and ‘Britain’ mean in Hebrew? Are the descendants of the Anglo-Saxons people of the covenant? Does the British royal family connect to the throne of David? What does the Bible teach? What does history show us? Is there any DNA evidence related to British-Israelism? When did Christianity make it to the British Isles? Could Jeremiah have made it to the British Isles? What type of Christians made it to the British Isles? Did the last King of England believe in British Israelism?
Biden-Harris: Prophecies and Destruction Can the USA survive two full presidential terms? In what ways are Joe Biden and Kamala Harris apocalyptic? This book has hundreds of prophecies and scriptures to provide details. A Kindle version is also available and you do not need an actual Kindle device to read it. Why? Amazon will allow you to download it to almost any device: Please click HERE to download one of Amazon s Free Reader Apps. After you go to your free Kindle reader app (or if you already have one or a Kindle), you can go to: Biden-Harris: Prophecies and Destruction (Kindle) to get the book in seconds.
Proof Jesus is the Messiah This free book has over 200 Hebrew prophecies were fulfilled by Jesus. Plus, His arrival was consistent with specific prophecies and even Jewish interpretations of prophecy. Here are links to seven related sermons: Proof Jesus is the Messiah, Prophecies of Jesus’ birth, timing, and death, Jesus’ prophesied divinity, 200+ OT prophecies Jesus filled; Plus prophecies He made, Why Don’t Jews Accept Jesus?, Daniel 9, Jews, and Jesus, and Facts and Atheists’ Delusions About Jesus. Plus the links to two sermonettes: Luke’s census: Any historical evidence? and Muslims believe Jesus is the Messiah, but …
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