127
Ahasuerus ruled over 127 nations
Also called Xerxes
Huge empire from India to Ethiopia
From 486 to 465 BC
After time of Zerubbabel
Before time of Ezra and Nehemia
He was not pro-Jewish (Ezra 4:6)
3 – 7 – 12
3rd year – party with Vashti
7th year – Esther made Queen
12th year – Victory over Haman
180 – 7
180 days first party for just noblemen
7 days second party for all common people
2
2 women's houses (Esther 2:14)
1 for virgins before going in to king
1 for same women as concubines after going in to king
1 – 12
1st month the pur-lot was cast
12th month chosen by the pur-lot
Showing sovereignty of God by giving a whole year's time
14
14th day of Adar is Purim, full moon
14th day of Nissan is Passover, another full moon a month later
50 – 25
Haman wanted to hang Mordecai on a wooden structure
50 cubits high which is about 25 meters (Esther 5:14)
500-10-300-75,000-127 (Esther 9:12-17)
500 people killed first day in Shushan
10 sons of Haman killed
300 people killed second day in Shushan
75,000 people killed in 127 nations
Shabbat Zachor "Remember"
In Jewish tradition, the shabbat before Purim is Zachor
Remember the command to destroy Amalek (Deut. 25:19)
As Haman is a descendant of Agag (Esther 3)
Same name as evil king of Amalek (I Samuel 15)
Mordecai was from Benjamin, descendant of Kish
Like King Saul, who didn't execute Agag the Amalekite
Many
Many people of 127 nations "became Jews" (Esther 8:17)
Which gives background for the New Testament
For Wise Men from the East (Matt. 2)
For those present at Shavuot-Pentecost (Acts 2)
0
0 times God's name mentioned in the whole scroll
Although number of divine interventions is countless
