Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39 give a prophecy about a war coming, and names the countries which will be coming against Israel to destroy her. These countries named are Gog (Russia), Persia (Iran), Cush (Ethiopia) and Put (Libya), Gomer and Togarmah (Turkey).
God tells us a bit about Himself in Isaiah 46:9-10 which we need to understand as we begin “…I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all My purpose.’”
Most of us want to know what lies ahead of us, what the future will hold, and how we can truly prepare for it. God designed us to want this – the Bible says in Ecclesiastes 3:11 – …He has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.
(Continued)
For three days and nights the Jewish people in the capital city prayed for Queen Esther. None of these prayers are recorded for us, but we can be sure the people were praying for her to know the right thing to do, for her safety as she went before the king, and for their own safety as a people.
A few years ago I became aware of the amazing story of John Smith—a teenager who died as a result of being submerged in the icy water of Lake St. Louis for fifteen minutes
Esther 1 & 2
In the country of Persia, where many of the people of Israel had been taken into captivity many years earlier, a queen decided to disobey her husband, the king. He had demanded she attend a banquet which he was giving for people he was trying to impress. This queen was beautiful, and the king wanted to show her off to his associates. He probably wanted to brag about her, making his associates jealous.
