Esther's Preparations to Meet The Mighty - The Place, Means and Purpose of Her (& Our) Preparation

NOTE: Parentheses indicate Strong’s translation for certain key words. What is in PINK italics is the actual KJV scripture, and the parentheses indicate Strong’s translation of the preceding word. ** indicates this is the use of a word that is unique to Esther.

In Chapter 2:3 it is decided “3And let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather together all the fair young virgins unto Shushan (Place in Persia, to be bright, cheerful, be glad, make mirth, rejoice, joy, lily {because of whiteness} straight, trumpet {because of a straight, trumpet shaped flower}) the palace,(castle or palace) to the house of the women, unto the **custody (the open hand – indicating the power of) of Hege (Enuch) the king's chamberlain, (enuch, valet of female apartments) keeper (to hedge about, keep, protect, attend, preserve, to guard, watch, wait for, save) of the women; and let their things for purification be given them: “. This pleased the King & so it was done. In vs 9 we see that Esther pleased Hege and he “speedily” (which means to tremble inwardly, to palpitate, to be suddenly alarmed or agitated, to hasten anxiously, to be amazed, to thrust out) gave her all that she needed for purification plus seven maidens. Hmmm…Following in vs 12, we see:

Esther 2:12 “Now when every maid’s (from child to adolescent) turn (succession, sent to be excellent) was come (to lay hand on, a euphemism for “to lie w/a woman”, to reach, to arrive violently, to defeat, to destroy, to be able, to beat, bring down, cast, draw near, to join, to reach up) to go into King Ahasuerus (The Mighty) after (extremity, finite progress, the end) that she had been 12 months according to the **manner (a royal edict or statute, law or decree, commandment) of the women, [for so were the days of their purifications (rubbed with perfumery, for unction, consecratory gift, to be anointed) accomplished (to be full, satisfy, confirm, consecrate, to be at an end, expire, have wholly, replenish, overflow) to wit, six months with oil (to make shiny with richness, fruitful) of myrrh (distilling, bitter) & six months with sweet (fragrance, spicery, from the balsam plant) odours (same as sweet meaning) and with other things (words, matter, cause) for the **purifying (scouring w/soap or perfume for the for the bath or purification or cleansing, to shine, to sharpen, to polish, to make bright) of the women.

THE GOOD PART: In other words as we try to assimilate the Strong’s translation with the guidance of the Holy Spirit – we could say it this way:

• Queen Vashti was put aside for disobeying the King, (whose name means The Mighty).


• A royal decree went out for all the fair young virgins to be gathered to the Palace Shushan (the palace of lily white brightness, straight, joy, mirth making, cheerfulness)


• under the authority of Hege the King’s chamberlain (who does nothing of himself, but always acts on the King’s behalf),


• for Hege to hedge in, protect, save, attend, preserve, watch, wait for, the women.


• Esther found favor with Hege & he speedily (with a sense of urgency & expectancy you could say)


• gave her what she needed for purifications, along with seven maidens for her.


• She was purified (so as to polish, to shine, to sharpen & cleanse) & anointed (made to shine, consecrated with oil of myrrh {used for embalming [death to the flesh] & used as sweet fragrance preceding intimacy})


• & sweet odors (fragrant perfume of the balsam),


• prior to reaching up, when her turn came to be sent to be excellent was come, to join, to lie with,


• to have intimacy with the Mighty


• & to be able to destroy, to cast, to bring down through this intimacy.


• Meaning her time of purification was accomplished, had been fully satisfied, had reached its full end, had been replenished.


• And the King loved Esther above all others & he set the royal crown on her head, & made her Queen. And the King made a feast in her honor & gave gifts.

More Plain English, Please! I see here a picture:

• Of the Mighty (The Lord Our God) putting away Vashti (Israel) {in no way a picture of Israel being abandoned by God, that will NEVER HAPPEN, Romans shows us there is a season where those outside (Gentiles ) are invited in, 'grafted into the vine', eventually Israel will be reconciled as a whole, in the meantime individual reconciliation occurs}


• & calling the Church (represented by fair young virgins) into the palace Shushan, which is a picture of the Kingdom of God. It is named for its lily white brightness & straightness (representing righteousness) and also, it’s cheerfulness, joy, & mirth making. (Romans 14:17 “For the Kingdom of God is not meat & drink; but righteousness, and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.”).


• The Church is sealed by the Holy Spirit (Eph, 1 & 4), who leads us into all truth and tells us only things pertaining to God, never directing attention to himself (he is a enuch), which is reflected in Hege’s care for the “fair, young virgins”, his authority in the keeping of them, and his call to “keep” them through waiting for them, watching them, saving, hedging in, protecting & preserving them.


• This is all done while they are purified by scouring, cleansing, polishing, shining, to be made bright, by the use & rubbing in of oil of myrrh (to symbolize death to the flesh & preparation for intimacy with the Mighty) & sweet odors, so that we become the fragrance of Christ among the lost and are ready to meet (rapture) the Mighty King & reach up to join with Him, to be able to cast, to destroy, to beat through our intimacy (all the strong holds of the enemy!).


• Once the Church’s time of preparation has been completed, expired, reached its full end. At which time, if we have been obedient to the leading of the Holy Spirit we will find favor with our King & receive our crown of righteousness & have the marriage feast.
• The appointment of the seven maidens by Hege (who is clearly a type of the Holy Spirit) to assist Esther in her preapartions, pointed to the seven-fold wisdom of God, which we have through the Holy Spirit.

We know the Lord is faithful and merciful & I believe He is calling us to help prepare the part of the Body of Christ which we are called to teach & minister to (women). Here is something I wrote several years ago that I think pertains to the call God is sending out:

• We know from God’s Word that Jesus is coming back for a Church “without spot or wrinkle” and that this occurs through “the washing of the water” (The Holy Spirit) “by the Word” (Ephesians 5:26-27).


• God’s Spirit is able to go to work in our lives when His Word is proclaimed. For example John the Baptist was the forerunner for the arrival of The Messiah. His job was to make straight the way and to prepare people to receive Jesus. He prepared people by proclaiming the Word of God through prophesy, reminding people of the need for repentance and reminding people of what the prophets had written in the Old Testament.


• Then came Jesus Christ, The Beloved Messiah, The Word of God (John 1:14). We know from Jesus’ own words that is was necessary for Him to come, obtain our salvation and break the curse; and then leave for us to be able to receive The Holy Spirit, who would
• 1 be the “Comforter”, would
• 2 “reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment”,be
• 3 The “Spirit of Truth”,
• 4 be our “guide into all truth”,
• 5 “show you things to come”,
• 6 He shall “glorify” the Lord by “showing ” of the Lord “unto you”.