Month: February 2026

Esther, Purim, and Persia in 2026

On By TimIn Esther 3, The Bible1 Comment

The letters were sent by mounted couriers into all the king’s provinces to cause the destruction, slaughter, and annihilation of all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and even to plunder their possessions.

Esther 3:13

We occupy interesting times indeed. Something crossed my timeline mentioning the blood moon and the scuttlebutt with Iran.

If one is keen to these things… Blood moons (really lunar eclipses) tend to be taken as ominous portents. That is something to consider. As i write this, the next lunar eclipse occurs March 2-3 2026.

Now, the relatively common Jewish calendar shows that the thirteenth day of the twelfth month comes on March 2, 2026.

Is that significant?

Given Haman’s plot to annihilate Jewish folk in Persia, and that Persia is considered modern Iran… Maybe. It might be something to watch.

The entire account of Hadassah, most likely more familiar to all as Esther, is how she was at the right place for such a time as this. That is, to save God’s people from slaughter. When we read the Bible, pattern becomes apparent. And how I understand, pattern is often prophetic.

Could this be one?

Haman plotted, Mordecai (Esther’s uncle) discovered the plot. The king learned of Haman’s plot Providence led Haman to be executed, but the plot Haman set forth was still a lawful edict that could not be undone by law.

This lends itself to a macro-level view of the problem of sin, and how Jesus needed to die, but I leave that for another time. There are other things I have covered from Esther that may help the reader understand the types and shadows.

Nevertheless, Esther is the hero by sacrificing herself to enter the king’s presence without invitation. To do so could mean death. As queen, she put herself at the mercy of the king. The king accepted her bold move by extending his golden scepter. (Another type and shadow of Jesus.) He asks why she needed his attention, and she revealed her Israeli ethnicity and the plot against her people.

I cut short on the intrigue. The king issued a new edict…

What the king granted to the Jews in each and every city was the right to assemble and to defend their lives by annihilating, slaying, and destroying any army of any people or any province that would assault them, the little children and women included, and to plunder their possessions. This would happen on one day in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, namely, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month (which is the month Adar).

Esther 8:11–12

The same scheduled day of their annihilation became their day of forestalling that genocidal atrocity. It is celebrated at this time every year as Purim.

But back to our modern reality. I am writing this on the last day of February 2026. We woke up to news of Israel and the United States going to war with Iran. A blood moon comes on the same day thirteenth day of the twelfth month.

My question is, was that first Purim a pattern that would be repeated?

Let’s see how it plays out.

Wash in the Pool of Siloam

On By TimIn Jesus, John 09, SinLeave a comment

As Jesus passed by, He saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned. But it happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. I must do the works of Him who sent Me while it is day. Night is coming when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”  (John 9:1–5, MEV)

Our small group is working through the Gospel of John. As I have stated of late, massive dividends abound in John if one knows a bit of the Tanakh.

That said, I am certain most have read this account. So, let’s go!

The disciples set up the scene as a blind man walks past, they ask Jesus if his blindness stems from someone’s sin. The idea comes from the Jewish belief sickness that things like this came as a curse from sin. The proverbs say a curse is not without cause, and the Israelis considered sin a curse.

Of course, we know that all of creation suffers under the bondage of corruption that came from Adam’s sin. He introduced sin into his dominion. This is why the man is blind.

Suffering is not purposeless, though. Jesus gives a hint into something deeper, saying that the works of God would be displayed in the blind man. Already, it is easy to discern some word play afoot. One needs sight to see what is displayed.

The next point comes as an aside. Jesus says He must do the works, the translation literally means “us, it behooves” to do the works. There is a synergy present there. Yet I draw attention to phrase “of Him Who sent me.” Jesus is the Sent One, speaking of Himself that way many times already as John records. That is significant. Remember that.

The final thought reinforces the necessity of light needed to see and do work. Finally, Jesus declares He is the Light of the world.

When He had said this, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva. He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means “Sent”). So he went away and washed, and returned seeing.  John 9:6–7

In a simple gesture, which for some may be unsettling, Jesus spits on the ground. He makes clay and anoints the blind man’s eyes. He then instructs him to go wash in the Pool of Siloam.

Here… There is a translation crutch given, which hints at something that needs attention. The word Siloam is the Greek transliteration of the Hebrew word Shiloah. Shiloah means sent. Think sent waters. The Pool or Siloam was fed from the Gihon Spring by an aqueduct installed by King Hezekiah.

An important point that may be overlooked is that the naturally flowing waters from the spring to the pool would qualify it to be used as a mikveh. That is, a place for ritual bathing. A mikveh was used to make one ritually clean.

Shiloah may bring to mind another idea.

The scepter shall not depart from Judah,
nor a lawgiver from between his feet,
until Shiloh comes;
and to him will be the obedience of the people.  Genesis 49:10

The Hebrew word Shiloah is similar to Shiloh. Yet they do not share the same root word, at least not directly. Shiloh brings the idea of peace. The words do not share the same etymology, though some seem to think they do. It would be difficult to connect the Pool of Siloam as a type and shadow of Jesus that way.

However, there is a clear connection with the idea of mikveh and Jesus. There is also the clear witness of Jesus as the One sent. Siloam means sent. The living water from the spring is sent to the pool.

What am I getting at?

Het out the Torah. Go back to the beginning… Well, shortly thereafter…

And to Adam He said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it,’
Cursed is the ground on account of you;
in hard labor you will eat of it
all the days of your life.
Thorns and thistles it will bring forth for you,
and you will eat the plants of the field.
By the sweat of your face
you will eat bread
until you return to the ground,
because out of it you were taken;
for you are dust,
and to dust you will return.”  Genesis 3:17–19

The consequences of Adam’s sin resulted in the ground being cursed. It is the very dirt that Adam is made from that is cursed.

To put all of this together… Jesus spat on the cursed ground and used the clay He made to remove the curse of the man after instructing him to bathe in the sent water…the Living Water.

The former is what happened at the cross. Jesus demolished the curse of sin… Death. The latter cleanliness comes by His resurrection.

Are You Counted Worthy to Escape?

On By TimIn Rapture, Revelation 03Leave a comment

Because you have kept My word of patience, I also will keep you from the hour of temptation which shall come upon the entire world, to test those who dwell on the earth.

Revelation 3:10

This is the promise Jesus makes to the church at Philadelphia. He says He will keep these faithful from a time when all the Earth will be tested. What could that ever be?

Well, there are many today who try to deny reality. They say that there is no rapture, just the return of Jesus. Others mock it by calling it a secret thing. There are those that say it is a recent invention, and that our Hope is just escapism generated by Tim LaHaye’s “Left Behind.” What they all have in common is starting with the necessary startling reality of the rapture. Then they attempt to debunk it.

To them I ask, “What did Jesus mean when He said He would keep the Philadelphians from the hour of temptation that is going to come to the entire world?

I say the escape is real! Jesus taught it, if you know how and where to look, it is plain. He told the Philadelphians they would be kept from it. So what is it?

“Take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts become burdened by excessiveness and drunkenness and anxieties of life, and that Day comes on you unexpectedly. For as a snare it will come on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth.

Luke 21:34–35

What day comes as a snare unexpectedly?

And the day comes to all those on the face of the whole Earth. Reading for context in Luke 21, clearly Jesus is speaking of the events of the end of the age. Specifically to Jewish people who asked about their end and when Jesus would return. That conversation began with a simple observation.

As some spoke of how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts, He said, “As for these things which you see, the days will come when not one stone shall be left on another that will not be thrown down.”
They asked Him, “Teacher, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when this is about to happen?”

Luke 21:5–7

What follows as Jesus begins to answer, is clearly a time of testing before the end. One that is very Jewish in nature. False Messiahs come, wars, rumors of wars, famine, and pestilence. And those are just the start. The words of Jesus in Luke 21:8–11 clearly track with the very things John describes in Revelation 6:1–8.

Jesus then goes on to warn of coming persecution to the Jewish people in Luke 21:12–19. This tracks with later parts of the book of Revelation when the whoke world assails Israel.

Where in Revelation chapter 6, John provides a macro-level outline of events if that Day. Jesus also warns of the trampling of Jerusalem by Gentiles. While the latter may seem to have happened in AD 70, I consider that just the beginning of the time of Gentiles.

When considering the times we live in, Jerusalem is not a wholly Israeli city. It is still a contested with a significant Gentile population vying for rule. The nation of Israel controls east Jerusalem. That marks a significant shift from complete Gentile rule. The trend shows a waning Gentile control, and the foreshadows of that Day of complete Israeli control are perceived today.

Likewise, the recent rise of antisemitism becomes more pressing seemingly daily. People do not even understand their own participation in it. If Jewish folk are going to experience unprecedented persecution in that Day, it follows, that like waning Gentile control of Jerusalem, it would ramp up.

These are the precursors of what is going to happen in that Day that cast shadows on us today.

As the high-level view continues in John 6:9–16, events unfold to a seminal event. That climax is the return of Jesus Christ to Earth to rescue Israel. The fear leading up to that moment is palpable, as men hide themselves knowing the wrath of God is at hand.

“There will be signs in the sun and the moon and the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men fainting from fear and expectation of what is coming on the inhabited earth. For the powers of heaven will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

Luke 21:25–27

Remember the question the disciples poaed to Jesus, “(W)hat will be the sign when this is about to happen?”

The precision is important to note, it is not when this would happen, but about to happen. His answer follows all of the really testing things He described.

When these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, for your redemption is drawing near.”

Luke 21:28

The sign is when these things begin to happen. I contend that we are clearly experiencing the beginning of those things. As such, our first expectation should be directed up, toward Jesus, and not forward to what is happening on Earth.

So when Jesus says to Philadelphia, they will be kept from the hour of temptation, it is clear what that hour is. Jesus also said that time comes as a surprise to all on Earth. Doesn’t it follow that those who expect these signs would not be surprised?

Which means, by Jesus’ words, they are not on the Earth… Right?

I am one that knows Paul had the privilege of revealing the mystery of the Rapture. He did not invent it. Neither did Darby. It was always in parts of the Tanakh, and even present in the things Jesus spoke and taught.

This time of testing is NOT for believers… It is for unbelievers. Some of those unbelievers clearly begin to believe during it. But as is shown, today’s believers expect the unprecedented time. It won’t be a surprise at all. Because they have heard the promises of Jesus and are already not present.

Therefore watch always and pray that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will happen and to stand before the Son of Man.”

Luke 21:36

The question that should press on your conscience… Are you counted worthy to escape?