Purim Types and Shadows of Justice and Mercy

The Jewish holiday of Purim, which is from the book of Esther in the Bible, is a time of concealment.
Those celebrating the holiday masquerade as the Bible characters of Purim - Queen Esther, Haman, Mordecai, and King Achashverosh – concealing their faces with masks. In fact, within the book of Esther, God is concealed, for God is not mentioned once throughout the entire book. Yet, the Jewish people recognize that it was God that orchestrated all the amazing things that is contained in the book of Esther. All these events brought about the miraculous salvation of the Jewish people.

Interestingly, the Jews say that a characteristic of Messiah is that He is concealed. It appears that Purim represents Messiah and the New Covenant.

When Esther found out Haman’s plot that was to destroy her people, she and her people fasted for three days. When Esther went into the king’s inner court without being summoned, instead of receiving the death sentence according to the law, she received mercy. The king extended a scepter of love and mercy, and she found favor in the eyes of the king.

It appears that the book of Esther is a shadow of God’s New Covenant of Mercy, replacing the Old Covenant of the Law. In the book of Esther, God displays His love for His bride.

Types and shadows: Esther represents God's bride; the king represents God; their three days of fasting (death to flesh) with life given on the third day represents Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. Haman seems to be a type of satan/serpent - the Prosecutor; Mordecai seems to be a type of Christ. Though death was intended for Mordecai, in a figure he was resurrected, for he lived (Heb. 11:17-19, Gen. 22:8,13), while Haman was hung (Numbers 21:9), and Mordechai took his vacated position (John 3:14-15, Colossians 2:12-15).

Mordecai wrote of Purim “as the days wherein the Jews rested from their enemies, and the month which was turned unto them from sorrow to joy, and from mourning into a good day…”

When Jesus spoke of His death and resurrection to His disciples, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, that ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy." - John 16:20 KJV "Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you." - Luke 10:19 KJV

Even though Esther transgressed the king’s commandment, the king superseded it because of his love for his wife, extending his mercy to her.

Because of God’s love for His Bride (Ephesians 5:25), God’s mercy has replaced His justice for our transgressions (sins).

By repentance, water baptism in Jesus name, and the infilling of the Holy Ghost (Acts 2:38), though we by God’s Law deserved justice and judgment, we have entered into God’s mercy and favor.