Purim is around the corner. Time to start thinking about the story of Esther, Mordechai, and the reprehensible Haman. But there’s more to the story than you might suspect.
The story of Purim tells about the exile of the Jewish people and Satan’s war against the people of God. In the Greek (LXX) version of the book of Esther, the story begins when Mordechai sees a vision of the powers of darkness preparing to make war on the Jewish people:
Behold, a day of darkness and blackness, tribulation and anguish, affliction and great tumult upon the earth. And all the righteous nation was troubled, fearing their own afflictions; and they prepared to die. (Esther 1:1 LXX)
The apocalyptic preface to the book reminds us that, behind the charm and innocence of the Purim story, spiritual forces are at war, even as God takes His people from exile to redemption. Remove the mask from the Esther story and you will discover God at work in history and in your personal life.
The new teaching of the month, Apocalypse of Esther, is already in the mail and on the way to our FFOZ Friends. This audio teaching by D. Thomas Lancaster points us toward the principle of bitachon—trusting God despite our circumstances.
Every month, our FFOZ Friends receive a special newsletter and an exclusive teaching of the month. The February edition of the newsletter has three big announcements:
- The launch of the new 12-21 website, our new ministry arm for Messianic youth and young adults.
- The March 2017 launch of the new HaYesod module: HaYesod: The Sabbath.
- The April 2017 release of an all-new, simple-to-use, abbreviated Passover Haggadah designed specifically for Christians and Passover Seder demonstrations.
If you are an FFOZ Friend, watch your mailbox.
Source: First Fruits of Zion
