JEHOVAH'S HAND
Probably Haman slept lightly that night, because he would visualize that gallows with Mordecai hanging high upon it. First, however, he must obtain the approval by the king, and, being a diplomatic tool of Satan, he would that night formulate his speech that he intended to make before the king to secure the approval for the shedding of Mordecai's blood. Ahasuerus the king was troubled and did not sleep that night. Undoubtedly Jehovah sent to him an angel to keep sleep from the king and thus to give warning. A similar instance occurred at the time when Jesus was before Pilate and that mighty ruler received a warning by his wife's having a dream and relating it to him. (Matt. 27:19) The Scriptures show that God remembers his faithful servants for good deeds that
have been previously done, and rewards them in his own due time. — Acts 10:4; Neh. 5:19.
"On that night could not the king sleep, and he commanded to bring the book of records of the chronicles; and they were read before the king. And it was found written, that Mordecai had told of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king's chamberlains, the keepers of the door, who sought to lay hand on the king Ahasuerus. And the king said, What honour and dignity hath been done to Mordecai for this? Then said the king's servants that ministered unto him, There is nothing done for him." — 6:1-3.
Mordecai had rendered good and faithful service to the king, and this the record brought to the king's mind, and also reminded him that Mordecai had received no recognition therefor. (2:21-23) Jehovah caused this matter to be brought to the attention of the king at this very urgent time, and doubtless had his angel on the spot for that very purpose. King Ahasuerus was informed that nothing had been done in recognition of Mordecai's faithful service. A recognition of this faithful service God had kept in reserve for the opportune time, and then put it into the mind of the king to act accordingly.
The next morning the boastful and austere Haman appeared at the palace for the purpose of obtaining the final approval for the hanging of Mordecai. Being a great man and austere, doubtless some fuss was made over him in the court, and this attracted the king's attention. "And the king said, Who is in the court? Now Haman was come into the outward court of the
king's house, to speak unto the king to hang Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him." — 6:4.
Today it is well known that the clergy of "organized Christianity" exercise all the influence possible with the governments, and move with diplomacy to secure the sanction, or some lawful excuse, to get rid of Jehovah's witnesses who persist in going from door to door with the message of the kingdom. They deport themselves as exceedingly important, haughty and austere; they go about their work and make it appear that all who criticize them are against the laws of the land. At the same time these hypocritical clergy pray amongst themselves that Jehovah's witnesses might be destroyed, and they justify themselves in their own minds and before one another on the ground that Jehovah's witnesses are "worse than Bolshevism". To be sure, their prayers never reach Jehovah's ears, because "the face of the Lord is against them that do evil". (1 Pet. 3:12) Nor will they succeed with the earthly rulers in exterminating Jehovah's witnesses. The time will come when the worldly rulers will turn against the hypocritical clergy and the religion practiced by these so-called "Christians" and will destroy them. (Rev. 17: 16-18) These Scriptural pictures were recorded in the Word of God manifestly for the purpose of disclosing to the remnant at the proper time the murderous spirit of the hypocritical clergy and "that man of sin", "the son of perdition."
The king was informed that Haman was in the court of the palace, and he commanded that
Haman should approach. "So Haman came in. And the king said unto him, "What shall be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour? Now Haman thought in his heart, To whom would the king delight to do honour more than to myself?" — 6:6.
Earthly kings do not desire to honor such as Mordecai, and this shows that the king Ahasuerus at this point pictured the Lord, the King of glory, because he expressed his delight to do honor to one that had rendered faithful service. Of course, Haman thought the king referred to him as the one whom he would delight to honor. Haman pictured a class of the present day who say: 'Whom would the rulers delight to honor more than us?' The Haman class conspire to destroy the Lord's "servant" class, pictured by Mordecai, and in so doing expect to receive honor from earthly rulers and also from the Lord of heaven.
The present-day Haman class think that they are heaven's favorites. Claiming to be the anointed representatives of God and Christ, they also claim to be God's channel ordained to do all the preaching that is permissible in the world. Boastingly they claim to speak with divine authority and to be the only ones who can thus speak. They are, therefore, presumptuous before the heavenly King, and count too much on their influence with earthly rulers. Haman exhibited to Ahasuerus the king his covetous desire to be honored equally with the king himself, and this foreshadows that the Haman class of the present day seek earthly and political honors
and glory that they might receive the plaudits of men.
Instantly Haman had a vision of himself garbed in the royal robes, seated upon the king's fine charger, led by a servant of the king's household through the streets of the capital city, and a crier proclaiming before him and to the people this mighty and honored one. He would thus appear to have the supreme favor of his royal highness, and this honor, in his mind, would make him doubly sure of obtaining the royal approval for hanging Mordecai. Likewise the Haman class of the present day greatly desire the honor of the earthly rulers that they may further impress the people with their own greatness and goodness, and they do receive such as a token that they are not only the favorites of the rulers of this world but the favorites of God, and that with impunity they could ask for the destruction of that "pestiferous class" on earth who go about giving testimony to the name of God and his kingdom.
Haman, with boastful confidence, made his speech before the king, pointing out to the king what should be done for the man whom the king would delight to honor; and immediately Ahasuerus the king adopted the suggestion of Haman and directed him, Haman, to confer this honor upon Mordecai, the one whom he hated the most. "Then the king said to Haman, Make haste, and take the apparel and the horse, as thou hast said, and do even so to Mordecai the Jew, that sitteth at the king's gate; let nothing fail of all that thou hast spoken." — 6:10.
What a disappointment those words of the king must have brought to Haman! Though stunned and chagrined, he dared not to refuse to obey the order of the king, because to do so would mean his instant death. Had he known what would shortly follow, he might have refused to obey the king and saved himself further humiliation. This further supports what other scriptures teach, that the clergy and their close allies will be humiliated by the Lord before they are destroyed.
He arrayed Mordecai in the royal apparel and brought him through the streets of the capital city on horseback, proclaiming before him and to the people: "Thus shall it be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour." — 6:11.
Will the Lord God make known to the common peoples that the Mordecai class now on earth is in the divine favor, and is the representative of God and his kingdom in this world, and therefore has the approval of the Lord? Concerning the "faithful and wise servant", which must include Christ's body members now on earth, and who are faithful and true, it is written: "Behold my servant, whom I uphold, mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him; he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles." (Isa. 42:1) "Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people." (Isa. 55:4) Such facts made known to the people would be greatly to the humiliation and chagrin of the organized, hypocritical clergy and their
close allies, who are in the conspiracy against the remnant of God. "Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie: behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee." — Rev. 3: 9.
Mordecai was returned in triumph to the palace gate; and Haman hastened, with covered head and in great distress, to his home to seek some consolation from his wife and his other advisers. (6:12) "Then said his wise men and Zeresh his wife unto him, If Mordecai be of the seed of the Jews, before whom thou hast begun to fall, thou shalt not prevail against him, but shalt surely fall before him." — 6:13.
Again the hand of Jehovah is seen in this matter. The words uttered by Haman's wife and his wise men were prophetic words, which without doubt were inspired by the angel of the Lord. Of course, they had heard prior to that time that God had pronounced the judgment against the Amalekites, the forefathers of Haman, which included Haman. This fact would be known by the advisers of Haman, and they would call it to mind at this time. (Ex. 17:16) Jehovah takes no positive action against his enemies by secret or in a corner. He affords them full opportunity to know what is coming. An instance is that of the prophecy of one of the Midianites who was a private soldier in the army, and had a dream, and told the coming destruction of the Midianite army. (Judg. 7:13, 14) The dream was no doubt inspired by the angel of the Lord and caused to be uttered.
Even so today, that class foreshadowed by Haman, to wit, the ecclesiastics, and including the "man of sin", have no excuse to be ignorant of what is coming. They have the prophecies, which they claim to read. By radio and by printed message that is widely distributed they are informed of God's judgment against them. Haman's advisers doubtless were directed by the angel of the Lord to advise Haman what he might expect shortly to come to pass: "And while they were yet talking with him, came the king's chamberlains, and hasted to bring Haman unto the banquet that Esther had prepared." — 6:14.
For Haman the drama was drawing to a climax, and to a close, marking his speedy and complete downfall. Since he ordered the building of the gallows on which to hang Mordecai, matters had speeded up, and Haman saw that now the opportunity to hang Mordecai thereon was gone. He would console himself, however, by the fact that the great slaughter of the Jews, definitely fixed for the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, could not be changed and that he would "get" Mordecai anyhow. His disappointment would greatly confuse his thoughts; and while he was in this condition of flurry the king sent for him to hasten to the banquet. This would also be arranged by the angel of the Lord, because the opportune hour for Esther had arrived. The confused and now deluded Haman would probably take some consolation from the fact that he was the only honored guest invited to the banquet of the king and his queen; and
although he had conspired to shed the blood of one whom the king had honored, still he would go bravely to the banquet with the full purpose and intention of having some further part in the killing of the Jews on the day of slaughter.
This would indicate that when God humiliates the clergy and their allies, and openly shows his favor to the remnant, the clergy class and their allies in wrongdoing will not relent nor change their course of action but will still thirst for the blood of God's true witnesses. Haman did not see his desire accomplished in the shedding of the blood of the Jews; neither will the clergy and their allies be gratified by seeing their desire for the destruction of the remnant class accomplished. Haman was destroyed before the big fight on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month came to pass, seeming to indicate that the Haman class go down before the time of the battle of Armageddon.
