December 15
Esther 6-7 & Revelation 11
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Esther 6-7

Chapter 6

6:1That night sleep escaped the king, so he ordered the book recording daily events to be brought and read to the king. 2They found the written report of how Mordecai had informed on Bigthana and Teresh, two eunuchs who guarded the king's entrance, when they planned to assassinate King Ahasuerus. 3The king inquired, "What honor and special recognition have been given to Mordecai for this act?"
The king's personal attendants replied, "Nothing has been done for him."
4The king asked, "Who is in the court?" Now Haman was just entering the outer court of the palace to ask the king to hang Mordecai on the gallows he had prepared for him.
5The king's attendants answered him, "Haman is there, standing in the court."
"Have him enter," the king ordered.
6Haman entered, and the king asked him, "What should be done for the man the king wants to honor?"
Haman thought to himself, "Who is it the king would want to honor more than me?" 7Haman told the king, "For the man the king wants to honor: 8Have them bring a royal garment that the king himself has worn and a horse the king himself has ridden, which has a royal diadem on its head. 9Put the garment and the horse under the charge of one of the king's most noble officials. Have them clothe the man the king wants to honor, parade him on the horse through the city square, and proclaim before him, 'This is what is done for the man the king wants to honor.'"
10The king told Haman, "Hurry, and do just as you proposed. Take a garment and a horse for Mordecai the Jew, who is sitting at the King's Gate. Do not leave out anything you have suggested." 11So Haman took the garment and the horse. He clothed Mordecai and paraded him through the city square, crying out before him, "This is what is done for the man the king wants to honor."
12Then Mordecai returned to the King's Gate, but Haman, overwhelmed, hurried off for home with his head covered. 13Haman told his wife Zeresh and all his friends everything that had happened. His advisers and his wife Zeresh said to him, "Since Mordecai is Jewish, and you have begun to fall before him, you won't overcome him, because your downfall is certain." 14While they were still speaking with him, the eunuchs of the king arrived and rushed Haman to the banquet Esther had prepared.

Chapter 7

7:1The king and Haman came to feast with Esther the queen. 2Once again, on the second day while drinking wine, the king asked Esther, "Queen Esther, whatever you ask will be given to you. Whatever you seek, even to half the kingdom, will be done."
3Queen Esther answered, "If I have obtained your approval, my king, and if the king is pleased, spare my life-this is my request; and spare my people-this is my desire. 4For my people and I have been sold out to destruction, death, and extermination. If we had merely been sold as male and female slaves, I would have kept silent. Indeed, the trouble wouldn't be worth burdening the king."
5King Ahasuerus spoke up and asked Queen Esther, "Who is this, and where is the one who would devise such a scheme?"
6Esther answered, "The adversary and enemy is this evil Haman."
Haman stood terrified before the king and queen. 7Angered by this, the king arose from where they were drinking wine and went to the palace garden. Haman remained to beg Queen Esther for his life because he realized the king was planning something terrible for him. 8Just as the king returned from the palace garden to the house of wine drinking, Haman was falling on the couch where Esther was reclining. The king exclaimed, "Would he actually violate the queen while I am in the palace?" As soon as the statement left the king's mouth, Haman's face was covered.
9Harbona, one of the royal eunuchs, said: "There is a gallows 75 feet tall at Haman's house that he made for Mordecai, who gave the report that saved the king."
The king commanded, "Hang him on it."
10They hanged Haman on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the king's anger subsided.

Revelation 11

Chapter 11

11:1Then I was given a measuring reed like a rod, with these words: "Go and measure God's sanctuary and the altar, and count those who worship there. 2But exclude the courtyard outside the sanctuary. Don't measure it, because it is given to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for 42 months. 3I will empower my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, dressed in sackcloth." 4These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. 5If anyone wants to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and consumes their enemies; if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this way. 6These men have the power to close up the sky so that it does not rain during the days of their prophecy. They also have power over the waters to turn them into blood and to strike the earth with every plague whenever they want.
7When they finish their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, conquer them, and kill them. 8Their dead bodies will lie in the public square of the great city, which prophetically is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. 9And representatives from the peoples, tribes, languages, and nations will view their bodies for three and a half days and not permit their bodies to be put into a tomb. 10Those who live on the earth will gloat over them and celebrate and send gifts to one another because these two prophets brought judgment to those who live on the earth.
11But after 3⁄2 days, the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet. So great fear fell on those who saw them. 12Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, "Come up here." They went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies watched them. 13At that moment a violent earthquake took place, a tenth of the city fell, and 7,000 people were killed in the earthquake. The survivors were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. 14The second woe has passed. Take note: The third woe is coming quickly!
15The seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven saying:
The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom
of our Lord and of His Messiah,
and He will reign forever and ever!
16The 24 elders, who were seated before God on their thrones, fell facedown and worshiped God, 17saying:
We thank You, Lord God, the Almighty,
who is and who was,
because You have taken Your great power
and have begun to reign.
18The nations were angry,
but Your wrath has come.
The time has come
for the dead to be judged
and to give the reward
to Your servants the prophets,
to the saints, and to those who fear Your name,
both small and great,
and the time has come to destroy
those who destroy the earth.
19God's sanctuary in heaven was opened, and the ark of His covenant appeared in His sanctuary. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings of thunder, an earthquake, and severe hail.

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