Purim and the rise of Amalek Exodus 17: 8 - 16 Book of Esther

Who is Amalek? • When Israel first comes out of Egypt, they avoid traveling north and confronting the Philistine city states, only to end up fighting the Amalekites in Midian. • So who are the Amalekites, and why is there an eternal hatred that will last until the Second Coming of Yeshua? • In the Book of Numbers, Baalam prophecies concerning both Israrel and Amalek….in his prophecy he alludes to an eternal struggle that would take place between the two nations:

Balaam’s Prophecy • Balaam prophesizes in Numbers concerning Amalek: • Numbers 24: 7 Water will flow from his buckets, his seed by abundant water. His king will be greater than Agag, his kingdom will be exalted…20 Then he saw Amalek, so he uttered his oracle and said: “Amalek was the first of nations, but will come to ruin at last.” • Where many of those nations mentioned in Genesis 10, migrated and established themselves, most were only clans who controlled citystates. • Amalek however, broke away from Esau, and formed it’s own nation – as Israel was standing up as a nation, coming out of Slavery – It was Amalek he tried to destroy them before they ever got started.

Who is Amalek? • So where did Amalek come from? • In the Book of Genesis and 1 Chronicles, Amalek was the son of Eliphaz and the concubine Timna. Timna was a Horite (Hurrians, sons of Arpachshad) and sister of Lotan. Amalek appears in the genealogy of Esau (Gen. 36:12; 1 Chr. 1:36) who was the chief of an Edomite tribe (Gen. 36:16). • Rashi states: He was the first of all of them (the other nations) to war against Israel (when they came out of Egypt). First-century RomanJewish scholar and historian Flavius Josephus refers to Amalek as a 'bastard’ in a derogatory sense.

Amalek Territory • The Amalekites had a nomadic lifestyle, which led to widespread distribution, mostly along the fringe of southern Canaan's agricultural zone (Num. 13:29, Judg. 12:15, 1 Sam. 15:7; 30:1-2). They also made extensive use of camels (Judg.6:5; 7:12). • Glen Miller states, "The Amalekites were not part of Canaan...but were a nomadic tribe of marauding bands, living in the southern Negev (desert region). The archaeological data we have of sites in the Negev around the time of this event indicates a very sporadic population--although mostly in the mid-central Negev-- although widely spread out. We have evidence of about 50 'fortresses' at this time, ranging in diameter from 25-70 meters..

Fight against Amalek

Fight against Amalek • Exodus 17: 8 Then the Amalekites came and fought with Israel at Rephidim. 9 Moses said to Joshua, “Choose men, go out, and fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.” • 10 So Joshua did as Moses said, and fought the Amalekites, while Moses, Aaron and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 When Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed. But when he let down his hand, the Amalekites prevailed. 12 Moses’ hands grew heavy, so they took a stone, put it under him, and he sat down. Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on each side. So his hands were steady until the sun went down. 13 So Joshua overpowered the Amalekites and his army with the edge of the sword.

Fight against Amalek • Exodus 17: 14 Adonai said to Moses, “Write this for a memorial in the book, and rehearse it in the hearing of Joshua, for I will utterly blot out the memory of the Amalekites from under heaven.” • 15 Then Moses built an altar, and called the name of it AdonaiNissi. [a] 16 Then he said, “By the hand upon the throne of Adonai, Adonai will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.” • There is clear evidence that there is a spiritual component to Amalek fight against Israel. The place they choose to fight against the Children of Israel is named Rephidim.

Amalek and the Giants • Joshua 12: 4 Also the territory of King Og of Bashan, one of the remnant of the Rephaim, who lived at Ashtaroth and at Edrei, • Joshua 17: 15 So Joshua said to them, “If you have so many people, go you up to the forest and clear a place for yourself there in the land of the Perizzites and the Rephaim, since the hill country of Ephraim is too narrow for you.” • 1 Chronicles 20: 4 Now it came about after this, that war broke out with the Philistines at Gezer. Then Sibbecai the Hushathite struck down Sippai, one of the descendants of the Rephaim, and they were subdued. 5 Again there was war with the Philistines, and Elhanan the son of Jair killed Lahmi, the brother of Goliath the Gittite, whose spear had a shaft like a weaver’s beam. 6 Once again there was a battle at Gath, where there was a man of great stature who had 24 fingers and toes, six on each hand and six on each foot. He too also descended from the giants.

Amalek and the Giants • In the Arabic sources, the Biblical Amalek changed to AlʹAmālīq (‫ ) اﻟﻌﻣﺎﻟﯾق‬which means the Giants, the Arab genealogies consider the Canaanites, Assyrians, Egypt's Pharaohs descended from Amalek.[38] according to Ali ibn al-Athir the Amalekites king Jalloot was killed by the Israelite prophet Dawood and the Bani Israel tribe took over the Holy Land .[39] • "Amalek is the father of Al-ʹAmālīq those are Al-Jabaabrah (most powerful) in the Levant who called the Canaanites and the Pharaohs in Egypt"

Fight against Amalek • Joshua 15: 13 Now to Caleb son of Jephunneh he gave a portion among the children of Judah, at the command of Adonai to Joshua—Kiriath-arba, which is Hebron (Arba was the father of Anak). 14 So Caleb drove out from there the three sons of Anak—Sheshai, Ahiman and Talmai, children of Anak. • David Rohl in his book “A Test of Time” connects these three kings to Amalek. From Hebron, the Anakim ruled over the southern portion of Canaan, the Negev, and west toward the border of Egypt. • He writes that it was these giant kings, who ruled over tribes such as Amalek and were suzerain to many of these tribes. • Is the seed of Amalek influenced by the Nephilim? • Is this why our Elohim commanded Amalek to be blotted out?

King Saul and David against Amalek

Saul ordered to destroy Amalek • During the reign of King Saul, David fought a guerrilla war against the sons of Amalek • 1 Samuel 30: 1 Now it came to pass, when David and his men returned to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had made a raid on the Negev and on Ziklag, and had attacked Ziklag and burned it with fire; 2 taking the women in it captive, young and old, without killing anyone, but carried them off as they went their way……. • 17 David attacked them from the twilight until the evening of the next day. None of them escaped, except 400 young men who rode on camels and fled.18 So David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken, and rescued his two wives. • - These constant back in forth raids continued all through the reign of King Saul. “These raiding bands, or what we would call terrorist today – were constantly attacking the weak, the defenseless in these constant raids…

Saul ordered to destroy Amalek • 1 Samuel 15: 1 Then Samuel said to Saul, “Adonai sent me to anoint you as king over His people, over Israel. Now therefore, listen to the voice of the words of Adonai! 2 Thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot: ‘I remember what Amalek did to Israel, how he set himself against him on the way while he was coming up from Egypt. 3 Now go and strike down Amalek and put all he has under the ban of destruction—so have no pity on him; but kill both men and women, children and nursing infants, oxen and sheep, camels and donkeys.’”…. • 4 So Saul summoned the troops and numbered them in Telaim: 200,000 foot soldiers and 10,000 men of Judah. 5 Saul advanced to the city of Amalek and lay in wait in the valley.

Saul ordered to destroy Amalek • 7 Then Saul struck down the Amalekites from Havilah until you come to Shur, which is close to Egypt. 8 He captured King Agag of Amalek alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. 9 But Saul and the people spared Agag as well as the best of the sheep, the cattle, even the fatlings and the lambs, and all that was good, since they were not willing to utterly destroy them; everything that was worthless and feeble, they destroyed completely. • - The ruling house of Amalek was kept alive, which would eventually cost King Saul and Benjamin the Kingship over Israel…. • Amalek was never completely driven out of Israel until Ephraim, Simeon and Manasseh finally drove them east forever.

Tribe of Simeon finishes the Job • 1 Chronicles 4: 41 Now those whose names are recorded came during the days of King Hezekiah of Judah. They attacked the encampments of the Hamites, as well as the Meunim who were found there, and utterly wiped them out to this very day. They settled in their place because there was pasture there for their flocks. 42 About 500 of them from the descendants of Simeon, led by Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi, went to Mount Seir 43 where they struck down the remaining Amalekites who had escaped, and they live there to this day. • The Remnant of Amalek settled in the land of Edom near Mt. Seir. Before Simeon was taken into captivity by Assyria, they managed to drive what was left of Amalek east across the Euphrates River until the rise of Queen Esther.

Summary of Amalek • Before we look at Queen Esther and her fight against Amalek, let’s see what we know of Amalek: ØThe were a son of Esau through a Concubine Timna. ØThey were the first nation to wage war against the start up nation of Israel after crossing the Red Sea. ØThey organized into nomadic marauding bands preying on defenseless people in tribes out of their bases in the Negev. ØKnown for attacking the weak and defenseless. ØInfluenced or allied under the giants in Canaan – Anakim, Rephaim and others. ØBalaam prophesied their eventual destruction by Israel and our Messiah. ØYHVH marked Amalek for destruction (Cherem) because of the danger they posed Israel, and the nations.

Rise of Queen Esther • The Book of Esther is a story how YHVH raised a woman to a great position in the Persian Empire, to stop a diabolical plot by an Amalekite, which sought to destroy all the Jews in the 127 provinces of Persia. • Haman, a descendent of Amalek rose to second in command, and convinced the King to pass a law, that would wipe out any Jews, simply because he despised them more than any other people in the world. • In the province of Susa, a Benjamite named Mordecai, raised his orphaned cousin Hadassah, until an opportunity came where she would eventually rise to be the Queen of Persia, married to Ahasuerus or also known as Artaxerxes through the Greek historians.

Haman’s Rise to Power • Esther 3: 1 Some time later King Ahasuerus promoted Haman, son of Hammedatha the Agagite, elevating him and setting his chair above all the officials who were with him. • When we look at Haman, remember what Saul was commanded to do: • 1 Samuel 15: 2 Thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot: ‘I remember what Amalek did to Israel, how he set himself against him on the way while he was coming up from Egypt. 3 Now go and strike down Amalek and put all he has under the ban of destruction—so have no pity on him; but kill both men and women, children and nursing infants, oxen and sheep, camels and donkeys.’”

Cherem • Leviticus 27:28 “‘Surely anything which a man permanently dedicates to the Lord from all that belongs to him, whether from people, animals, or his landed property, must be neither sold nor redeemed; anything permanently dedicated is most holy to the Lord. 29 Any human being who is permanently dedicated must not be ransomed; such a person must be put to death • In every generation, the seed of Amalek will seek to destroy anything that has to do with the Kingdom of YHVH, including His Torah, His Messiah, His people…Amalek was marked for destruction, because if not eliminated a man like Haman would rise up into power and seek the destruction of Israel.

Haman’s Scheme • Esther 3: 5 When Haman saw that Mordecai was not bowing down or paying him honor, Haman was filled with rage. 6 But it was repugnant in his eyes to lay hands on Mordecai alone, for they had told him the identity of Mordecai’s people. So Haman sought to destroy all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus……. • 8 Haman then said to King Ahasuerus: “There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom whose laws differ from those of every other people and who do not obey the king’s laws. It is not in the king’s interest to tolerate them. 9 If it pleases the king, let an edict be written to destroy them. I will pay 10,000 talents of silver into the hands of those who carry out this business, to put it into the king’s treasuries.”

Haman’s Scheme • 10 The king took his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman— son of Hammedatha the Agagite—enemy of the Jews. 11 The king said to Haman, “The silver and the people are yours—do with them as you please.” • This plot to destroy the Jews, began at Mt. Sinai by an Amalekite Army. Now in exile, thousands of Jews would be marked for death, by the scheming of an Amalekite. • Now to us this seems so far away, and it’s hard to imagine such hate that would use the laws of the land, to try to exterminate a people. Let’s see if the rise of the Nationalist Socialist of Germany, 2300 years later, has any resemblance to the actions of Haman.

WANNSEE CONFERENCE AND THE "FINAL SOLUTION" • JANUARY 20, 1942: • The Wannsee Conference, a meeting between the SS (the elite guard of the Nazi state) and German government agencies, opens in Berlin. They discuss and coordinate the implementation of the "Final Solution," which is already under way. • At Wannsee, the SS estimates that the "Final Solution" will involve 11 million European Jews, including those from non-occupied countries such as Ireland, Sweden, Turkey, and Great Britain. Between the fall of 1941 and the fall of 1944, the German railways transport millions of people to their deaths in killing centers in occupied Poland.

Hitler and Amalek? • There are many theories on what caused Hitler’s hatred of the Jews. From his biological father who abandoned him, to the Jewish doctor that treated his mother, to blaming the Jews for their demise in WW1. • The truth is much more vague. Unless Haman tells his wife about Mordecai not bowing down to him, and showing him honor, maybe we never know what caused Haman’s hatred toward the thousands of Jews in the Persian Empire. • The fact of the matter, is deeply imbedded in the descendants of Agag, is a demonic prompting that looks for the smallest reason, to begin schemes that could kill thousands, perhaps millions. • Don’t forget the relationship between the giants in the land, and Amalek – could this be the seed that never lets it end?

Hitler and Amalek? • “The struggle for world domination will be fought entirely between us, between Germans and Jews. All else is facade and illusion. Behind England stands Israel, and behind France, and behind the United States. Even when we have driven the Jew out of Germany, he remains our world enemy. Rauschning, Hitler Speaks, p. 234 • “...the personification of the devil as the symbol of all evil assumes the living shape of the Jew.” - Adolf Hitler, Mein Kampf • We are the joyous Hitler youth, We do not need any Christian virtue Our leader is our savior The Pope and Rabbi shall be gone We want to be pagans once again.” - Song sung by Hitler youth •

Hitler and Amalek? • “Providence has ordained that I should be the greatest liberator of humanity. I am freeing man from the restraints of an intelligence that has taken charge, from the dirty and degrading self-mortification of a false vision called conscience and morality, and from the demands of a freedom and independence which only a very few can bear.”- Rauschning, Hitler Speaks, p. 222 • “The Ten Commandments have lost their validity. Conscience is a Jewish invention, it is a blemish like circumcision.”- Rauschning, Hitler Speaks, p. 220 • We see a very similar mindset between Hitler and Haman. Both had an irrational view of the Jews. Both sought to exterminate this “hated ethnic group”. • Now let’s take a look at something that really shows the similarities between the two:

10 Sons of Haman were Hung • Esther 9: 5 The Jews struck down all their enemies with the sword, killing and destroying, and they did whatever they wished to those who hated them. 6 In the citadel at Shushan the Jews killed and destroyed 500 people, 7 including Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha, 8 Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha, 9 Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai and Vaizatha, 10 the 10 sons of Haman, the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews. They slew them but did not lay their hands on the plunder. • As you can see that here, the order of King Ahasuerus wasn’t reversed, but a new decree was put in place for the Jews to defend themselves. • The End result was Haman, and his 10 sons were hung on the gallows. • Interestingly enough, shortly after this uprising Queen Esther appears again before King Ahasuerus, and petitions one last time:

Queen Esther’s Final Request • Esther 9: 11 On that day the number of those that were killed in the citadel at Shushan was brought to the king’s attention. 12 Then the king said to Queen Esther, “The Jews have killed and destroyed 500 men in the citadel of Shushan, including Haman’s ten sons. • What have they done, in the rest of the king’s provinces? Now what is your request? It shall be granted to you. What other petition do you have? It shall be done.” ØMany times, we see a King allowing a one time petition be granted in his courts….keep in mind the uprising is over, and the foes of Israel have been vanquished. Notice this very unusual request Esther makes:

Queen Esther’s Final Request • Esther 9: 13 “If it please the king,” Esther said, “let the Jews in Shushan be allowed to carry out today’s edict tomorrow also, and let Haman’s ten sons be hanged on the gallows.” • 14 The king commanded that this be done. A decree was issued in Shushan and they hanged Haman’s 10 sons. • Now some just interpret this as a literary technique, and the writer of this book is giving the interworking's of the King’s court. • I believe this was prophetic in nature. The events in the court may have transpired in a linear way, but keep in mind this book is inspired by the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit), and Queen Esther was speaking of a future event – possibly thousands of years later:

Queen Esther’s Final Request

Queen Esther’s Final Request • The use of hanging as a capital punishment, was quite unusual, even during the 20th century wartime. • On October 1st of that year, there were 11 who were going to be hung, and mysteriously Goring managed to acquire some cyanide and poisoned himself in his cell, leaving 10 to be hung on the 16th of October. • Now, we know that Haman had 10 sons that were hung, but did you know he also had a daughter as well? • A parallel was found to Goring’s suicide, since in the Talmud it recards that Haman’s daughter committed suicide, and was recorded in the Talmud (Megillah 16a).

Strange Parallels • Now something very interesting happened, that almost confirms the prophetic aspect of the Book of Esther. • The 11 Nazis that were to be hung, had their date delayed from what should have been in June of 1946 to October 16th 1946. Now on the Hebrew Calendar, that date was 5707. • Numerically that is represented by the Tav – Shin – Zayin • Now when the 10 sons names are written in the Hebrew in: • Ester 9: 7 including Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha, 8 Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha, 9 Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai and Vaizatha, • - Notice something very unusual in the Hebrew script:

10 Sons of Hamman

Strange Parallels • Nachmanides (1194- 1270) asserted (700 years prior) that any change, from the normal, in a word or letter of the Tanakh, indicates some hidden meaning. If you examine the list of Haman’s ten sons in the Megillat Esther, you will notice that three letters are written smaller: • 1. the letter ‫“ת‬Tav” in Parshanda”t”ah (is small), • 2. the letter ‫“ש‬Shin” in Parma”sh”tah (is small), 3. the letter ‫“ז‬Zayin” in Vay”z”tah (is small), and 4. the letter ‫“ו‬Vav” in “V”ayzatah (is large).

Strange Parallels • The Tav ‫ת‬, the shin ‫ש‬, and the zayin ‫ז‬are written smaller. The vav is larger than the others. The three letters together form ‫שת ”ז‬, the number 707. The vav ‫ו‬is a 6, as in the sixth century or 5707, which is 1946 CE. • The three letters together form taf-shin-zayin, the Jewish year 5707 (1946 C.E.), • So taking the letters and their numeric dates – you come up with 5707 on Hebrew calendar which is which is 1946 – after World War 2.

Strange Parallels • On January 30, 1944, Hitler addressed the German people on the occasion of the 11th anniversary of the Nazi party coming to power. In this antiSemitic diatribe, he blamed all the ills of Europe and Germany on “international Jewry” (his words). He went on to predict that if the Russians defeated Germany then “Jewry could then celebrate the destruction of Europe by a second triumphant Purim festival.” (New York Times, Jan. 31, 1944,) • Two and half years later: • Newsweek magazine (October 28, 1946, Foreign Affairs Section, page 46), ran a story on the hanging. The last paragraph describes the death of Julius Streicher: “Only Julius Streicher went without dignity. He had to be pushed across the floor, wild-eyed and screaming: ‘Heil Hitler!’ Mounting the steps he cried out: ‘And now I go to god.’ He stared at the witnesses facing the gallows and shouted: ‘Purim Fest 1946’.” Streicher obviously grasped some of the significance of this event as the triumph of Purim.

The Destruction of Amalek • Satan always knew who his enemy was. Amalek is the tool that he has used for nearly 3500 years against YHVH’s plan. • 1 John 4: 1 Loved ones, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see if they are from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world. [a] 2 You know the Ruach Elohim by this—every spirit that acknowledges that Messiah Yeshua has come in human flesh is from God, 3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Yeshua is not from God. This is the spirit of the anti-messiah, which you have heard is coming and now is already in the world…. • Amalek has the “spirit of the anti-messiah” – and some day soon will be destroyed