Podcasts about in esther

Exploring the Connection Between Matthew 17 and the Book of Esther For BibleInTen.com – By DH – 14th March 2026 Welcome back to Bible in Ten. Today we come to Matthew 17, and in this series that leads us naturally to Book 17 of the Old Testament: Esther. And with an explanation of the overall pictorial contents of Matthew 17 provided in the previous episode, Matthew chapter 17 becomes much clearer and in this supplementary episode, we will see how Esther strengthens it as a supporting witness. Esther is not just a story about Jewish survival in Persia.  Esther is a book about the Lord hidden from open view, but still directing all things toward redemption. The book exists not mainly to magnify the Jews, but to show the unseen faithfulness of God in preserving them for the sake of His promises and ultimately for the sake of the Redeemer, the true subject of Scripture. The Esther Bible Study available on the Superior Word develops the following pictures: Ahasuerus pictures God, the ruler over the world. Vashti pictures disobedience and loss of access to the throne. Esther pictures the Gospel, especially in her mediating role before the king. Haman pictures Law, even law bringing wrath and death. Mordecai pictures Christ: hidden at first, then honored, then exalted, then clothed with authority, then writing with full power, then sending letters of peace and truth, and finally having his greatness recorded through all the realm. That makes Esther a strong support for what Matthew 17 is picturing. 1) “After six days” — the approach to kingdom rest Matthew 17 begins, “after six days.”  As was said this points toward the six-thousand-year course of man's time before the seventh-day rest, the millennial kingdom. Esther supports this by opening in a royal setting already marked by splendor, order, and throne-rule. Shushan is treated almost like a paradise-throne setting, and Ahasuerus is taken as picturing the divine throne-rule itself. So both chapters begin not with chaos, but with the king and the court already in view. 2) Christ revealed in glory before a select company On the mountain, Jesus is transfigured before Peter, James, and John. That is the hidden unveiling of the King before His glory is openly seen by all. Esther supports this pattern through hiddenness before manifestation. The whole book works by concealed identity, concealed movements, and God working in the background long before the reversal appears.  The Lord is not named openly in Esther, yet He is there, hidden, moving everything toward the appointed outcome. So Matthew 17's select-company glory scene sits very comfortably beside Esther's hidden-providence structure. 3) Moses and Elijah testify that all prior revelation converges on Christ Moses and Elijah appear with Jesus, but not as equals. They are witnesses. That fits Esther's Christ structure too. The whole book drives toward one central exalted figure: not Vashti, not Haman, not even Esther by herself, but finally Mordecai in exaltation. And Mordecai is clearly picturing Christ Jesus, the one advanced to authority by the king. So just as Matthew 17 narrows the law and prophets toward Christ, Esther narrows all of its movements toward the greatness of Mordecai, a picture of the greatness of Christ. 4) “Hear Him” and “Jesus only” This is the heart of Matthew 17. The Father says, “Hear Him,” and the disciples then see “Jesus only.” That fits Esther, because Esther repeatedly moves the reader away from outward structures and toward the one through whom life and deliverance actually come. Esther is a picture of the beautiful Gospel message, but Mordecai is the Christ figure who ends up invested with the king's authority and acting with the signet.  The signet granted to Mordecai pictures the authority of Christ. So if Matthew 17 says, in effect, “Hear Him”, Esther says in its own symbolic way: the decisive authority now rests with the Christ-figure who bears the king's signet. 5) Hidden glory must wait for resurrection-grounded disclosure Jesus tells them not to publicise the vision until after resurrection. Again, Esther supports this because Esther is a book of timed disclosure. Esther conceals her identity, Mordecai watches from outside, and the hidden plan only comes into the open at the appointed hour. The Lord is working behind the scenes and the book's whole structure depends on that hiddenness. So Matthew 17 and Esther both teach: that public revelation comes only when the right moment arrives. 6) Elijah / restoration and Israel's future turning Matthew 17 speaks of Elijah in two ways at once: John the Baptist has already fulfilled an Elijah-like role, but Jesus' wording also leaves a still-future restoration role in view. Esther also supports a future restoration by showing that the covenant people are threatened but not discarded. Esther is treated as a book of redemptive history in which the Jews are preserved because God's promises to them stand, and because the Messiah must come and return in connection with them. Esther strengthens the Matthew 17 reading that Israel is not finally cast off. God is not finished with Israel chiefly through Jesus' future-tense words about Elijah restoring all things, and then reinforced through the picture of Israel's healing and restored sonship later in the chapter.” Though threatened and with God's face hidden from open view, they are brought through to preservation, mourning, reversal, and future blessing 7) The afflicted boy and Israel's incurable condition The Matthew 17 explanation treats the afflicted boy as picturing Israel in its historical condition: wounded, unstable, and untreatable by human means. Esther strongly confirms that pattern. The Jews stand under a decree of destruction that has to be properly and purposefully dealt with. Haman, picturing Law, has issued a death-word, and the people are trapped unless royal intervention occurs. In Matthew 17 the boy is incurable by the disciples. IN Esther the Jews are doomed under an irreversible decree. In both: the people cannot heal or save themselves. 8) Christ alone intervenes to heal and deliver In Matthew 17, Jesus heals what the disciples could not. In Esther, the same pattern appears through the Mordecai-Christ picture and the Esther-Gospel mediation. Matthew 17 pictures Israel's future restoration, healing, and restored sonship through Christ. The book of Esther supports that pattern by showing that although the first decree of death cannot be revoked, a new decree can be issued through Mordecai's royal authority that brings life to the threatened people. The old word of death cannot simply be revoked, but another word can be issued which grants life. That second word comes through Esther and Mordecai, and the edict issued by Mordecai is explicitly treated as a picture of the New Covenant. Mordecai, picturing Christ, receives the signet, acts with royal authority, and sends out the saving word. Thus Esther is supportive of Matthew 17's portrayal of Messiah Himself being the one who intervenes. 9) The cross remains central IN Matthew 17 Jesus speaks of betrayal, death, and resurrection. A portion of the notes by CG on this from Esther chapter 10 bear repeating:   Haman pictures Law, but Christ actually died. It was Christ who was nailed to the cross, and so in type and picture, Christ became our Haman, our Man under Law, if you will. It is no different at all than Christ equating Himself with the serpent on the pole in John 3:14, or Paul saying that God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us.    In the death of His body, the law died with Him for all who believe. For all who don't, Law, and thus the enmity, remains. This is where the marvelous symbolism of a very misunderstood passage in the book of John is explained. It says in John 20, “Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there, and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself.” Many fanciful explanations have been made up about this, but the truth is revealed in what happened to Haman, when he was taken to be executed... they covered his face. The Law was to die. Christ died in fulfillment of the law. When He arose, the face covering was removed, and carefully folded. It was an intentional act of the Lord showing that the shame of death through Law had been removed for those who trust in Him. The people of Israel, the Jews, even to this day, celebrate Purim, and yet they are celebrating the exact opposite of what they think they are celebrating. They curse Haman, stamp their feet, and howl wildly as his name is read, and yet, he simply pictures Law that they are still under. Until they come to Christ, Haman will continue to come after them to destroy, to be killed, and to be annihilated because of the ministry of death, meaning Law (2 Corinthians 3:7). Why do the Jews celebrate Purim? It is because of what pur signifies. It is a lot, a broken piece, and thus Purim, the plural of pur, signifies broken pieces. Pur means “to break,” “frustrate,” “make ineffectual,” “annul,” “bring to naught.” This is what Christ has done concerning our covenant with death according to Paul – For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.   19 For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.” 20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 22 For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 The Jews cling to the law, but it is Christ who has defeated that enemy. The law is annulled in Christ. This is the message of Purim.   Life Application  There is also a striking present-day echo. In 2026, Purim began on the evening of March 2nd just 2 days after Israel was again in direct conflict with Iran. Just as Haman was also not himself Persian (he was Amalekite who gained influence at the heart of the palace and used imperial power against God's people).  In a similar way,  The Islamic Republic of Iran's rulers are militant usurpers who seized control of the land of Persia in 1979 and have held the nation in bondage ever since. Even the recent reports and speculation about Israeli intelligence using covert medical cover—dentists, hidden tracking, to coordinate a sudden destruction on the Supreme Leader —carry an Esther-like atmosphere.    Just for fun check out the link to a stop motion lego video about this by “Stop Motion Sam”! The deeper parallel is the same: the enemy appears secure, the plot seems advanced, yet unseen movements are already in motion, and when the appointed moment comes, the reversal is sudden.

When Luke records Jesus commanding the Twelve to take nothing for the journey, neither staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money, he activates a deliberate stripping that recalls the scriptural logic of exile as exposure. The Hebrew root ג-ל-ה (gimel-lamed-heh) can function as “to uncover” or, by extension, “to go into exile,” linking displacement with nakedness in the prophetic texts themselves. There, exile is repeatedly portrayed as being uncovered, stripped naked, and shamed before the nations. Nakedness is not merely physical but signals dispossession and removal from the land. In Luke 8, the Gerasene demoniac embodies this condition, naked, outside the city among the tombs, cut off from communal and tribal life, a living figure of exposure in exile. When Jesus restores him, he is clothed and seated in his right mind, and he is commanded to return home to bear fruit as a witness, with nothing in hand but the knowledge of his sins and the command of God. Immediately afterward, in Luke 9, Jesus sends the Twelve out divested of staff and supplies, stripped of institutional and tribal supports, and of any authority derived from them. Though not naked in body, they are stripped of the signs of power, protection, affiliation, and provision. Both the demoniac and the Twelve thus reflect the same scriptural function: exile as nakedness, and exposure out in the open as the precondition of restoration for mission.ῥάβδος (rhabdos) / מ-ט-ה (mem-ṭet-heh)Staff; tribe, delegated power. From the triliteral root נ-ט-ה (nun-ṭet-heh), to stretch out, to extend, to incline.“And you shall take in your hand this staff [מַטֶּה (maṭṭeh)] with which you shall do the signs.” (Exodus 4:17)The staff represents what is stretched out. In Exodus, it symbolizes the instrument through which delegated authority operates, acting as an extended hand. In Numbers 17, each leader brings his staff, which denotes his tribe. Extension here signifies lineage: what is stretched out becomes a branch, and that branch becomes a tribe. Thus, the rod is not just wood but a visible symbol of authority and continuity, indicating the ordered descent and delegated power.ῥάβδος (rhabdos) / ש-ב-ט (šin-bet-ṭet)Rod, scepter, tribe. From the triliteral root ש-ב-ט (šin-bet-ṭet), associated with striking and ruling.“You shall break them with a rod [בְּשֵׁבֶט (be-šebeṭ)] of iron.” (Psalm 2:9)The rod is the instrument of rule. It disciplines, enforces, and governs. In Proverbs, it corrects; in Isaiah, it becomes the rod of divine anger; in royal psalms, it signifies sovereign authority. The same word names a tribe, linking governance with structure. The rod is therefore not merely a stick but embodied jurisdiction, the visible sign of judicial and royal power.ῥάβδος (rhabdos) / ק-ל-ל (qof-lamed-lamed)Rod; stick; branch, to be light, slight.“And the Philistine said to David, ‘Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks [בַּמַּקְלוֹת (ba-maqqelot)]?'” (1 Samuel 17:43)This rod belongs to the field, not the throne. It is the shepherd's implement, the ordinary support of the traveler. In Genesis 30 Jacob uses rods in the tending of flocks; in Samuel David carries them into battle as a shepherd confronting a warrior. The stick here signifies pastoral presence rather than institutional authority. It is wood in the hand of the lowly, not the emblem of a court.ῥάβδος (rhabdos) / ש-ע-ן (šin-ʿayin-nun)Staff of support. From the verbal root ש-ע-ן (šin-ʿayin-nun), to lean upon, to rely.“Behold, you are trusting in Egypt, that broken staff [מִשְׁעֶנֶת (mišʿenet)] of reed.” (Isaiah 36:6)The staff here is what one leans upon. It represents reliance, alliance, and structural backing. When it breaks, dependence collapses, and the individual who is leaning on it falls. The rod becomes a metaphor for political trust and misplaced confidence. It is not an instrument of striking but of support, the symbol of that upon which stability rests.ῥάβδος (rhabdos) / שַׁרְבִיט (šarbiṭ)Scepter; royal staff. Likely a Persian (modern-day Iran) loanword associated with imperial authority.“If the king holds out the golden scepter [שַׁרְבִיט (šarbiṭ)] that is in his hand, he shall live.” (Esther 4:11)In Esther, the rod is sovereignty compressed into a single gesture. Life and death depend on whether it is extended. It is not the shepherd's staff, not the tribal symbol, not the rod of discipline. It is ceremonial kingship embodied in gold. The scepter draws the line between execution and mercy, exclusion and acceptance. Authority is visible, concentrated in the king's hand.But does the king's own life ultimately matter? A wise leader knows that his life is of little value because it does not belong to him. As Jesus commands, the sign of God is neither the owner, the support, nor the strength of God's many peoples. There is no god but God. Scripture repeatedly shows, through Persian rulers like Cyrus and Xerxes, that real control belongs neither to Israel, nor to the king, nor to the empire. Sovereignty belongs to God alone, who governs history itself, directing kings as easily as he directs the sun and the moon, according to his plan.πήρα (pera)Shepherd's bag.“And he took his staff [τὴν ῥάβδον (ten rabdon)] in his hand and chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook and put them in the shepherd's bag [εἰς τὴν πήραν τὴν ποιμενικήν (eis ten peran ten poimeniken)]…” (1 Samuel 17:40 LXX)David advances toward Goliath carrying two things: the rabdos (ῥάβδος) and the pera (πήρα). The rabdos is the shepherd's staff, the maqel (מַקֵל), a rod in the hand of one who tends flocks. The pera is the shepherd's satchel, the container of stones and the place of stored provision. One extends the arm; the other holds what sustains the strike. This is the only occurrence of pera (πήρα) in the Septuagint.The five stones evoke Torah, the Five Books. Their smoothness carries the root ח-ל-ק (ḥet-lamed-qof) / ح-ل-ق (ḥāʾ-lām-qāf). In Hebrew, ḥalaq is to divide, to apportion, to allot. In Arabic, ḥalaqa is to shave, to make smooth, to strip bare. These are not separate functions. To smooth a stone is to shape it by removal. To allot land is to cut it from the whole. The triliteral holds division and preparation together.The brook itself sharpens the resonance. Naḥal (נַחַל), from the root נ־ח־ל (nun-ḥet-lamed) / ن-ح-ل (nūn-ḥāʾ-lām), in Hebrew is a wadi, a seasonal stream. But the same consonants in both languages yield naḥalah (נַחֲלָה), naḥala (نَحَلَ) / niḥla (نِحْلَة) inheritance, endowment, gift, or allotted possession. Water and land converge in the root. David reaches into the stream and draws out inheritance. Surat al-Naḥl سورة النحل refers to “The Bee,” an animal associated with provision, honey, and divinely guided producti...

Don't Bow to the Beast (1) (audio) David Eells 3/4/26  I want to talk to you about refusing to bow to the Beast, but we will first go over a little background.  Many Christians are deceived about the Bride and the leadership of the church. We know God is raising up a new leadership, a Man-child ministry in these days that's going to be the first fruits of those to walk in the steps of Jesus Christ. Jesus said in John 16 that He was going to come again as a baby, a Man-child, born to a woman. We read in Revelation 12 that the Man-child is born at the beginning of the Tribulation Period and that the Man-child leads the woman through the wilderness. In studying the Book of Esther, we've learned that “Mordecai” in Hebrew means “little man” and in Persian means “little boy.” Persia was the Beast kingdom that he was under at the time. Both of those mean “Manchild.” In Esther 2:5, it says that Mordecai was in Shushan, the palace. He wasn't just a commoner; he was a ruler, somebody under the king who probably had to do with ruling over God's people. In Esther 2:19-20, it says that he also sat in the “king's gate,” which was the place of government, where the rulers of the conquered nations gathered before the king. Mordecai raised up Esther as the Bride and he “nourished her,” the original word says. He prepared her for this time and he continued to guide her steps all the way through the Book of Esther, all the way through their tribulation. Also, Hegai, the king's chamberlain, was very pleased with Esther, and she required nothing but what Hegai provided. And we need nothing but what the Holy Spirit provides us with. (Rom.8:14) For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. This Bride and Man-child are the “sons of God” for whom the creation has been awaiting, the fullness of the sonship of Jesus Christ manifested in His people. In fact, the Shulamite in the Song of Solomon, the Bride who was chosen from among all the fair virgins of the kingdom, was called his “perfect one” (Song of Solomon 5:2). God is going to perfect, to mature His people. Esther was chosen out of all the fair virgins of the kingdom “because the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained favor and kindness in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her Queen” (Est.2:17). But even then she was under the guidance of Mordecai and in verse (20) … Esther did the commandment of Mordecai, like as when she was brought up with him. So we see that the job of the Man-child is to raise up the Bride and guide her. The Man-child is the head of the Bride, much like the False Prophet is the head of the Harlot. There is a corporate body of apostate people, called the Harlot, and the head of that body is its so-called Christian leadership, which is leading it astray. The Bride is Jerusalem and David was the head of Jerusalem. When Jesus came, He sat upon the throne of David and He was the head of the Bride. John the Baptist said, He that hath the bride is the bridegroom (Joh.3:29), as he saw Jesus leading the disciples. That's a short background, somewhat, and there's much more to the Book of Esther. (Est.3:1) After these things did king Ahasuerus promote Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him, and set his seat above all the princes that were with him. These princes were the people who ruled over the kingdoms over which Ahasuerus ruled, and among those princes was Mordecai, who was over the people of God. Now we see that Mordecai and Esther are two entities whom God uses to save the rest of the people of God from destruction by the Beast. The Beast that was to destroy them is represented here by Haman, who is a corporate body, just as Mordecai represents a corporate body of people. Why would God advance Haman above the other princes? Because throughout history, God has raised up a Beast kingdom over His people in times when His people were in apostasy. Why is God calling His people out of the Harlot? (Rev.18:4) … Come forth, my people, out of her…. It's because there is such an apostasy in the Church, and they've turned away from the Word; they've gone after religions. They are in apostasy and God is calling His people out of that.  This is what the Tribulation is for. Every time God's people have become a harlot, He raised up a Beast to come against them: from Egypt, to Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, and now the end-time Rome. We're seeing a worldwide revived Roman Empire being raised up again for the purpose of sanctifying His people and bringing them to repentance. The raising up of Haman, with his authority to destroy the people of God, is what brings God's people to repentance. (Est.3:2) And all the king's servants, that were in the king's gate (That's the place where government was, where all the representatives of the nations saw the face of the King.), bowed down, and did reverence to Haman (the Beast); for the king had so commanded concerning him. In Rom 13 we are told to submit to the powers that be. He had given Haman authority over God's people. People don't think that the Lord gives authority to evil in the earth, but He does, and it's for the purpose of bringing repentance. (Job2:10) … What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil… God does bring evil against His people as a chastening and a method to bring them to repentance.  So all the King's servants who were in the King's gate bowed down to the Beast, But Mordecai bowed not down, nor did him reverence (Est.3:2). I would say bowing down with reverence should be given nly to God. However, submitting to man's kingdoms is necessary to obey the Lord.  This is something we find all through the Scriptures. Mordecai, as a type of the man-child, refused to bow down to the Beast. We see the example of Joseph, who was sold into bondage by the Harlot, Potiphar's wife, and came to the position of authority like Mordecai. We see the example of Jesus, who didn't bow down to the Beast; and Moses, who didn't bow down; and Daniel – all these are types of the Man-child, who refused to bow down to the Beast.  (3) Then the king's servants, that were in the king's gate, said unto Mordecai, Why transgressest thou the king's commandment? (4) Now it came to pass, when they spake daily unto him, and he hearkened not unto them, that they told Haman, to see whether Mordecai's matters would stand: for he had told them that he was a Jew. Who is this accusing Mordecai to the Beast? You remember throughout history how the apostate brethren of Joseph persecuted and came against him and sold him into the hand of the Beast; and the apostate brethren of Jesus, the leadership of apostate Israel, accused Him to the Beast. We're seeing the same thing here; history keeps on repeating. We're not talking about rebellion against Constitutional, political authority here. We're talking about rebellion in terms of not bowing down religiously, of not worshipping the Beast as God. Today, there is a spirit of worship of the Beast by Christians, and there has been for many centuries. Patriotism, pledging allegiance, all these things that saints in past days would never have thought of doing, God's people today think nothing of. They don't understand that there's only one Kingdom – the Kingdom of God – which we should be representing. (5) And when Haman saw that Mordecai bowed not down, nor did him reverence, then was Haman full of wrath. (6) But he thought scorn to lay hands on Mordecai alone; for they had made known to him the people of Mordecai: wherefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even the people of Mordecai. Notice that the head over all God's true people is represented here by Mordecai.  In the rest of the story, Mordecai and Esther save all of these Jews from the Beast. Does that mean that all of what we loosely call Christians are going to be saved from the Beast? No, but the true Jews, those who are circumcised in heart, not in flesh, are all going to be saved. All Israel (Romans 11:26) is going to be saved – everybody who is grafted into the olive tree called “all Israel.” They'll be saved from the Beast in one form or another. We see here that Mordecai is one of the princes who sat in the king's gate to represent his people. He was among the other princes who were accusing him. In Ezekiel 17, I've shared a revelation the Lord gave me concerning the Beast of D.S. Babylon, who has brought God's people into bondage. We know that when Babylon conquered the nations, it not only brought apostate Israel into bondage, but they brought people like Daniel and the Hebrews, who were appointed people of God in their time, under the thumb of the Beast kingdom. When we talk about Mordecai, we're talking about the good leadership, but what about the bad leadership that accused him? (Eze.17:2) Son of man, put forth a riddle, and speak a parable unto the house of Israel; (3) and say, Thus saith the Lord God: A great eagle with great wings and long pinions, full of feathers, which had divers colors, came unto Lebanon, and took the top of the cedar: (4) he cropped off the topmost of the young twigs thereof, and carried it unto a land of traffic; he set it in a city of merchants. This represents the Great Eagle of America which is the head of D.S. Babylon, bringing the leadership of God's people into bondage. In the natural, it's happening; natural Israel is more and more under Kazarian D.S. dominion. Something else is also happening, and that is, that spiritual new testament Israel said to be circumcised in heart is being brought more and more under the dominion of the latest Beast government. Media-Persia of Cyrus/Trump is conquering Babylon, thank God. In fact, as we keep reading, it says (11) Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, (12) Say now to the rebellious house…. Why is it that God is permitting  Beast governments to bring under their authority the spiritual people of God and the “letter” people of God, the natural Jews? It is because they are rebellious houses. The letter Israel is a type and shadow for spiritual Israel. They've rebelled against the covenant that God has given. (12) Say now to the rebellious house, Know ye not what these things mean? tell them, Behold, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, and took the king thereof, and the princes thereof, and brought them to him to Babylon. So the king and the princes of both spiritual and natural Israel have been under the dominion of Babylon. What makes a beast a beast? The flesh is in control over the spiritual. The Alliance of nations under Cyrus/Trump is about to be a GESARA covenant. Although we will benefit from this covenant to rebuild the Kingdom of God, it will not last. The next seven verses go on to talk about a covenant that was broken in the middle, exactly as we would expect if it were Daniel's 70th-week covenant of the end-time broken in the middle. God also rebukes them for breaking His covenant and then He talks about another leadership that He's raising up. We just saw the apostate leadership, the king and the princes, brought under the dominion of Babylon, but He talks about a new leadership here. (22) Thus saith the Lord God: I will also take of the l7ofty top of the cedar (An evergreen type of eternal life), and will set it; I will crop off from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one, and I will plant it upon a high and lofty mountain. That's referring to the mountain representing the Kingdom of God, spiritual Mount Zion. This was the same description (cropping off the topmost twigs) that God gave in verse four here, referring to the apostate leadership of Israel/Church, but now the Lord speaks of a type of the Israel/Church's new leadership. So, once again, He is talking about a new leadership, “the topmost twig.” (23) In the mountain of the height of Israel will I plant it; and it shall bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, and be a goodly cedar: and under it shall dwell all birds of every wing; in the shade of the branches thereof shall they dwell. (24) And all the trees of the field shall know that I, the Lord, have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree to flourish: I, the Lord, have spoken and have done it. God is bringing down a false leadership over the true people of God, and He's raising up a new leadership. This is just as it was in the days of Jesus and Moses, when the apostate leadership persecuted the Man-child Jesus and then His disciples. In the same way, in the end-time, God is going to bring down the high and the lofty and raise up the lowly to take that position who will walk in the steps of the Lord Jesus, the Man-child of Revelation 12. He came as a Lamb but now as a Lion. We just had a prophecy of the coming Lion, who come manifested in His Man-child body.  So we see here two groups in captivity. In the time of Esther, there were two groups in captivity, and the one persecuted the other, just as the False Prophet in Israel, the Sanhedrin, persecuted the Man-child ministry of Jesus. We see the same thing with Mordecai and these servants of the king who accused him to the Beast. Jesus was accused to the Beast by the corporate False Prophet of Israel. Also, we can go to Daniel and see that when Babylon took God's people into captivity, there was the good thrown in with the bad. (Dan.1:1) In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon (the “Great Eagle” in Eze 17.) unto Jerusalem, and besieged it. (2) And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God; and he carried them into the land of Shinar to the house of his god: and he brought the vessels into the treasure-house of his god. (3) And the king spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring in [certain] of the children of Israel, even of the seed royal and of the nobles; (4) youths in whom was no blemish, but well-favored, and skilful in all wisdom, and endued with knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability to stand in the king's palace…. There it is! These are people whom God is raising up who are spotless and blemishless, and they're not equated with the Jewish king and his princes, who were also taken captive. That's the way it was with Daniel. (6) Now among these were, of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. (7) And the prince of the eunuchs gave names unto them: unto Daniel he gave [the name of] Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, [of] Shadrach; and to Mishael, [of] Meshach; and to Azariah, [of] Abednego. Next, these four had to be proven because they wouldn't be defiled by eating the king's food. They wouldn't partake of the Babylonish king's dainties and, since they wouldn't be defiled, they also didn't bow down to the image of the Beast. It's important to know that what we eat is what we are, and if we partake of a beastly doctrine that enables our flesh to rule, we will become a member of the Beast. Our flesh is a member of the Beast kingdom – it is an enemy of God; it's at enmity with your spirit. Partaking of fleshly doctrines is partaking of the Beast's dainties. Anyway, there was nothing but good said about these four Hebrews. (17) Now as for these four youths, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. … (20) And in every matter of wisdom and understanding, concerning which the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters that were in all his realm. (21) And Daniel continued even unto the first year of king Cyrus. What we see in the Book of Daniel – twice, in chapters 3 and 6 – is exactly what we see concerning the accusations against Mordecai, the Man-child, by the other leaders. What happened in Jesus' day, when He was accused by the other rabbis, the apostates (and accused to the Roman Beast, too, by the way), we see also in Daniel. The three Hebrews represented the people who would not bow down. Daniel was obviously in leadership, but the three Hebrews refused to bow down to the image of the Beast in Daniel chapter three. It was the image of the Beast because it had the number of the Beast. (Dan.3:1) Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was threescore (60 - there's “6”) cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits (there's “6-6”): he set it up in the plain of Dura…. “Dura” means “a circle,” which reminds us of the earth, and the Gematria for “the earth” or “the world” is 600. So there you have a representation of the world adding up to 666. We're talking about the image of the Beast, and it's made up of, if we look carefully in chapter two, all the peoples and all the kingdoms, one right after another.  Now notice who was commanding the people to bow down to this image: (4) Then the herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages…. The word “herald” is the only Greek word in this text, and it's the New Testament word for “preacher.” So we have apostate preachers over the people of God, commanding them to bow down to the image of the Beast. This is like pledging allegiance. Not everybody bowed down, just as we saw with Mordecai. The other servants of the king who stood in the king's gate bowed down. This was the leadership of the apostate people of God, or the False Prophet. They bowed down to Haman, but Mordecai, the Man-child, refused. We see that they commanded them to bow down, and the people all bowed down, except for the three Hebrews. (8) Wherefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near, and brought accusation against the Jews. They were accused because they refused to bow down to the image of the Beast. Now, God saved them and brought a witness through them of His power to save, even in the fiery furnace that was heated seven times hotter, as in the seven years of the Tribulation Period. “Times” is used in Revelation 12:14, for instance, as in “a time, times, and half a time,” speaking of years. So “seven times” in this text speaks of the Tribulation Period. The three Hebrews refused to bow down. They served the king, obeyed and submitted to the government of the king, but when it came to bowing down, they refused. The world is going to demand this; they're going to make their generic god, and everyone is going to have to serve it and be at peace with others and not witness to others and so on. We have another witness of Daniel himself, who was a type of the Man-child. Daniel refused to bow down, and the same situation happened. There were others with him, who were leaders, who accused him before the Beast: (Dan.6:1) It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom a hundred and twenty satraps, who should be throughout the whole kingdom; (2) and over them three presidents, of whom Daniel was one (“Throughout the whole kingdom” could be an application of what we loosely call “the Kingdom of God.”); that these satraps might give account unto them, and that the king should have no damage. (3) Then this Daniel was distinguished above the presidents and the satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm. (4) Then the presidents and the satraps sought to find occasion against Daniel as touching the kingdom; but they could find no occasion nor fault, forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him. Praise God! Those were the false prophets who corresponded to the false prophets in Jesus' day, who sought occasion for false witness against Jesus, and since He had committed no sin, they had to falsely accuse Him. It was the same with Daniel here. The head of the Harlot was the false prophets and false leaders who were accusing Jesus, How is the faithful city become a harlot! … (Isa.1:21). God's people had become a harlot because they had apostatized and were committing fornication with the world. They were receiving the seed of the world, the seed of the Beast kingdom. (Dan.6:5) Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God. (6) Then these presidents and satraps assembled together to the king, and said thus unto him, King Darius, live for ever. (7) All the presidents of the kingdom, the deputies and the satraps, the counsellors and the governors, have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a strong interdict, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any god or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions. Daniel only bowed down to his God; he only asked of his God; he wasn't going to treat the king or the Beast as a god. (8) Now, O king, establish the interdict, and sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not. (9) Wherefore king Darius signed the writing and the interdict. (10) And when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house (now his windows were open in his chamber toward Jerusalem;) and he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime. So he only knelt down to the God of Israel. He refused to bow down to the image of the Beast.  (11) Then these men assembled together, and found Daniel making petition and supplication before his God. (12) Then they came near, and spake before the king concerning the king's interdict: Hast thou not signed an interdict, that every man that shall make petition unto any god or man within thirty days, save unto thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered and said, The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not. (13) Then answered they and said before the king, That Daniel, who is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the interdict that thou hast signed, but maketh his petition three times a day. (14) Then the king, when he heard these words, was sore displeased, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him; and he labored till the going down of the sun to rescue him. Notice that it wasn't the Beast that wanted to destroy the Man-child; it was his own brothers. Joseph's brothers were the ones who sold him into bondage to the Gentiles. And, accordingly, Pilate wanted nothing to do with crucifying what he called Jesus, this righteous man (Mat.27:24).  The apostates twisted his arm, exactly as they are doing here. We are headed to the exact same time, when the false leadership over God's people is going to be used to persecute the true leadership. Although all of them are going to be under the same Beast government rule, the leadership of the apostate people of God, just as we saw with Mordecai, is going to bow down to the Beast. Amazingly, people whom you and I have called Christians and thought were Christians will be part of a great falling away. The 10 northern tribes worshipped the image of the beast and were part of a great falling away. They bowed down to the golden calf, or the image of a beast. Now the same thing is happening to what we loosely call Christianity; they have built and bowed down to their golden calf. It's a work of man's hands. It has nothing to do with God or His Word that He created in the very beginning, as far as Christianity is concerned. It's something that they have made themselves, and because it's their own, they're going to want to protect it and defend it and their livelihood along with it. The Man-child ministry is going to be a threat to that because of the truths that will come forth, just as they came out of Jesus. The Bible spoke about Jesus, how He opened His mouth, and things that were hidden from the foundation of the world were revealed. Things that have been hidden are going to be revealed, but also, things that have been hidden in God's people are going to be revealed by this great falling away and by the apostates' siding with the Beast against their brethren. They are Judases, sons of perdition, false prophets. The point here in Daniel is that he still refused to do anything but bow down only to the real, true God, not to just any ruler or generic god, not even to any god that they might call “Jesus.” Many religious images of Jesus are not Him at all. When we read the Bible, we see the true Jesus and His crucified life. That contrasts with what we see now in Christianity. Will the current leadership continue to bring a reproach on Christianity by living so lavishly and fleecing so many people? That's not walking in the steps of Jesus; that's not the crucified life. These people defend that lifestyle as spiritual, and it's a shame. How many airplanes can a person use? God is sending the Beast not only because of the leadership, but also because of the people who don't understand that they should not support people who do such things. The crucified life that Jesus and His disciples walked was a simple life without all the accoutrements of Babylon. They didn't have the fancy temple and the big synagogues, but they had the truth. That was part of the trial. There is a great apostasy, a rebellion, in the church. They're in love with the world, and the things of the world, and the Bible says, If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him (1Jn.2:15). God is proving just who it is who loves Him. The Bride, in the Song of Solomon, ran fanatically after the Bridegroom, so much so that she surprised the other queens, virgins, and concubines. They thought that one Jesus was just as good as another. But the other Jesus' are made by man. They give Jesus a character that's contrary to Scripture, a contrary doctrine, and so on.  Well, Daniel wouldn't bow down, so he had to be thrown into the lion's den and, as you know, God preserved him. God sent His angel. (Dan.6:18) Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting; neither were instruments of music brought before him: and his sleep fled from him. (19) Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of lions. (20) And when he came near unto the den to Daniel, he cried with a lamentable voice; the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions? (21) Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever. (22) My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, and they have not hurt me; forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt. (23) Then was the king exceeding glad, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he had trusted in his God. (24) And the king commanded, and they brought those men that had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions, them, their children, and their wives; and the lions had the mastery of them, and brake all their bones in pieces, before they came to the bottom of the den. That's very similar to Revelation 17:16, where the Beast devours the Harlot.  The apostate leaders who accused Jesus were then destroyed, and as we know, there's a great and terrible Day of the Lord coming, when that's exactly what's going to happen. The Beast is going to devour and destroy the Harlot and burn her flesh with fire. So the Beast was basically made a believer in the God of Daniel, just as in the time of Nebuchadnezzar; and, by the way, Daniel chapter seven speaks of the end-time. We know the timing of Daniel's Tribulation because he gets a revelation of the four Beasts, and from his time, which was the time of Babylon onward, is when his revelation started. His vision didn't start with the Egyptian and Assyrian Beasts, which were two that came before Babylon. The Beasts of Revelation, however, start with those two that came before Babylon. Daniel mentions the four Beasts that lead up to the end-time Beast. There was the lion with eagle's wings (Babylon) that was conquered by the Media-Persian bear, then by Greece, then Rome. He was prophesying again of the image of the Beast.  In today's end-times, these entities are still with us. The Lion with Eagle's wings is the British Empire, and the Eagle's wings are the present head of the British Empire and America. This is the Great Eagle, which was then and will be today conquered by the Medo-Persian Bear. So not only were these historic, from Daniel's day on, but they're also an end-time revelation of what's going to happen. We find that this last Beast that he talks about, which was Rome, devours the whole earth. The last Beast, he tells us, was headed up by 10 horns, exactly like Revelation 17. The 10 horns are the ten kings that rule over the Beast kingdom. Among those 10 horns comes up a little horn (Daniel 7:8) that's different, it says, from the rest of the horns. That little horn is a ruler among rulers that will be diverse from all of the 10, and it is the corporate False Prophet. (Dan.7:21) … The same horn made war with the saints…. There it is again! They'll make war on the Man-child and the saints, which is exactly what we see in the rest of the Book of Esther. (Dan.7:23) Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be a fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all the kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth…. We have had the United Nations, whose place is being taken by the Alliance of nations. The whole earth is inside the body of the last Beast. GESARA Law was signed unanimously by all 209 countries in 2015. Remember that in Daniel's vision of the legs of the image of the beast, Rome lasted from the thighs all the way down to the toes – the iron that was mixed with the clay. It is different in these days because now it has covered; it has devoured, the whole earth. And among those 10 kings is the little horn that comes up to make war on the saints. (Dan.7:20) ... Before which three fell, even that [horn] that had eyes, and a mouth that spake great things, whose look was more stout than its fellows. (21) I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; (22) until the ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the Most High, and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.  So we see the Beast has been given authority to crucify Christ once more. It says that he “prevailed against them.” This False Prophet and the Harlot beneath the False Prophet have been given authority to crucify the flesh of the saints. It doesn't necessarily mean that all will die; that's not the point here. The point is the crucifixion of the flesh of the saints. The Church is in rebellion because the flesh rules. The Beast, in a spiritual way, is ruling over them already because their flesh rules over them already. There has to be a crucifixion for us to bear fruit and come into the Kingdom; therefore, God is raising up this whole worldwide kingdom to come against His people. The little horn represents a religious entity because it's different from the other horns. They are corporate bodies of secular rulers, but the little horn is a corporate body of religious rulers who will bring God's people to their cross, much like they did to Jesus in His day. This is the seed of that same Sanhedrin that's being raised up in our day, no different from the earlier one. The Sanhedrin in natural Israel has been raised up again, and the Sanhedrin in spiritual Israel has been raised up again, too, to crucify the body of Christ again. God just repeats history in larger and larger ways. The spiritual man is not going to be conquered, and the quicker we learn to submit, the more we will be like Daniel, in that the lions' mouths will be closed. The Beast will not be able to devour Daniel. The fire of the fiery furnace, heated seven times hotter, will not be able to devour the three Hebrews because they have refused to eat the king's dainties and they refused to bow down to the image of the Beast, just like Daniel. What we see in Esther is clearly a prophecy of the end-time. The persecution that was raised up against Mordecai, who was over all God's people of the kingdom, will be repeated in our day. Remember, the Beast decided to kill the people of Mordecai. The people of Mordecai, of whom we are speaking, include the Bride, but just as Jerusalem is only part of the Kingdom, the Bride is only part of the people of Mordecai. Not everybody in the Church is going to follow the Man-child. All the righteous Jews in the rest of the kingdom will be delivered from the Beast through the righteous leadership of Mordecai, the Man-child, and Esther, the Bride – a leadership that refused to bow down and a people that refused to bow down, respectively. The true people of God will not bow down. The rest will worship the image of the Beast; they will bow down. God is sending a separation in the form of this image of the Beast. The people who have no faith in their God, no commitment to their God, will find it easier to justify themselves and bow down to the image of the Beast, even change their doctrines, if necessary, and submit to the Beast kingdom. The true people of God are represented by the people of Mordecai, who discover that this leadership is truly the right leadership, like the people who followed Jesus in His day. This represented a people from among natural Israel who were a first fruits to follow Jesus diligently, just as it will be in our day. (Joh.3:29) He that hath the bride is the bridegroom…. Even if a person didn't come up to the standard of the Bride which Jesus raised up, He sent them forth unto every place He was about to go to fulfill the Great Commission. The apostles raised up the five-fold ministry as the leadership for the rest of spiritual Israel, just as the latter-day apostles will for the Church. We have some great days coming, some wondrous days. In Esther 3:7-8, it is also revealed that God's people had been rebellious, and that's the reason this is coming today. The best thing we can do is learn to serve the true and living God. Don't bow down to the Beast.

What do you do when the villain is gone, but his evil plan is still in motion?In Esther chapter 8 Haman is dead, but his genocidal edict is sealed by Persian law and cannot be changed. Esther, Mordecai, and every Jew across 127 provinces are marked for death.In this episode, we uncover the "great reversal" as Mordecai moves from sackcloth to the King's signet ring. Then Esther, the master of diplomacy, approaches King Xerxes a second time to plead for the lives of her people. Through divine providence, a new decree transforms the Jews' death sentence into a declaration of defense.Episode Highlights:From condemned to crowned: How Mordecai received Haman's estate, authority, and the King's signet ring.The legal loophole: Why the King couldn't "cancel" the law and how Mordecai's counter-decree legalized a war for survival.A pattern of intercession emerges: Moses, David, and Esther each risked their lives pleading for God's people, pointing us toward Jesus Christ, whose death and resurrection offer eternal intercession for each of us todayApplicable themes:This episode reveals powerful truths about God's power and our response to His calling. Consider how these themes apply to your life today.Positioned for purpose: Like Esther, you may be placed 'for such a time as this" in circumstances that seem impossible but serve God's greater purposes.We're called to intercede: Where might God be calling you to stand in the gap and intercede for others as Esther did, even when the outcome is uncertain?Trusting God's reversals: God specializes in reversals. What impossible situation in your life might God be preparing to reverse?We love feedback, but can't reply without your email address. Message us your thoughts and contact info!Contact Bible Book ClubDONATE Buy merch Like, comment, or message us through Bible Book Club's InstagramLike or comment on Susan's Facebook or InstagramLeave us an Apple reviewContact us through our website formThanks for listening and happy podcasting!

What can you do when obedience to God feels like a death sentence? In Esther 4, fear, faith, and divine providence collide and silence is no longer an option.In this episode we'll walk through Esther chapter 4 uncovering how God's unseen hand positions His people long before the crisis arrives. We'll see the tension between God's call and our willingness to answer, the power of fasting and prayer, and the famous turning point: “for such a time as this.”Inside this episode of our Esther Bible Study:Mordecai's public mourning becomes a courageous act of faith and leadership.Esther's fear is real, but faithful action doesn't require the absence of fear.An eye-opening biblical link between Proverbs, Esther, Joel, Matthew, and God's eternal pattern of deliverance.Esther 4 invites us to see our lives through the lens of divine providence, courage, and calling. These themes aren't ancient. They speak directly to moments we're all facing right now.Positioned on purpose. Your circumstances may feel accidental or even the result of your own effort, but Scripture reminds us that God places His people strategically. Like Esther, your influence exists for more than comfort. It exists for obedience.Faith that acts despite fear. Biblical faith doesn't deny risk. It moves forward anyway. Esther shows us that trusting God often means stepping into uncertainty with courage.When God calls, silence isn't neutral. Mordecai's challenge to Esther reveals that silence can cost more than obedience. God's purposes will stand, but how we respond shapes our story.This episode highlights God's providence and reminds us that the same God is still at work today.We love feedback, but can't reply without your email address. Message us your thoughts and contact info! Contact Bible Book ClubDONATE Buy merch Like, comment, or message us through Bible Book Club's InstagramLike or comment on Susan's Facebook or InstagramLeave us an Apple reviewContact us through our website formThanks for listening and happy podcasting!

What if God is working powerfully in your life, even when your circumstances feel wrong, unfair, or out of your control? In Esther 2, we see how God can still work all things for good even when obedience, safety, and faith feel compromised.In this episode of our Esther Bible Study, we walk through the historical reality of King Xerxes and the forced gathering of young women into the Persian harem. Moving beyond the "romance" myths, we uncover the dark and uncomfortable reality of Hadassah's transformation into Queen Esther. We'll explore:The Intriguing Power of Two Names: Why the author introduces her as both Hadassah and Esther and what it means for her hidden identity.The Saul-Mordecai Connection: Uncovering the "Bible Bender" linking Esther's uncle Mordecai (son of Kish) to King Saul's ancient conflict with the Amalekites.Finding Favor: How God used Hegai (the king's eunuch) and divine providence to position a Jewish orphan for a royal crown.The Book of Esther holds powerful wisdom we can apply to our lives today and we'll dive deeper into these three themes from Esther 2:God is the Master Strategist: Even when you feel like a pawn, God is moving the board to position you for a purpose you can't see yet.You don't have to be perfect for God to use you: Esther's story proves that God works through "imperfect faith" and complicated situations to bring about good.Favor is a Gift, Not a Hustle: We explore how Esther "won favor" not through manipulation, but through a divinely-guided character that stood out in a crowded room.This episode invites you to stop judging appearances and start trusting God's unseen work in your own life, even when your story doesn't look the way you expected.We love feedback, but can't reply without your email address. Message us your thoughts and contact info! Contact Bible Book ClubDONATE Buy merch Like, comment, or message us through Bible Book Club's InstagramLike or comment on Susan's Facebook or InstagramLeave us an Apple reviewContact us through our website formThanks for listening and happy podcasting!

In Esther 9:11-19, Queen Esther asks King Ahasuerus for one more day to defeat the remaining enemies in Shushan—and there's a powerful lesson here for every Christian who's tired of fighting but hasn't finished their course. Sometimes when you think the battle's over, God whispers: "We're not quite done yet." Pastor Fortunato delivers a compelling exposition showing why God sometimes asks us to go one more round, how to know when the fight is truly finished, and what it means to stand up and fight before you can sit down and rest. This isn't about fighting forever—it's about finishing what God started.

Florian and Esther discuss the language industry news of the past few weeks, reflecting on SlatorCon Remote and announcing that SlatorCon London 2026 is open for registration.The duo touch on IMDb's decision to recognize dubbing artists as part of new professional credit categories, explaining how this expands visibility for multilingual voice talent. They then move on to Coursera's strategy shift and outline how its new CEO is betting on AI translation and AI dubbing to revive slowing growth. Florian and Esther talk about Amazon's rollout of AI-translated Kindle eBooks, and question authors' willingness to rely on automated translation despite Amazon's promise of fast turnarounds, in as little as 72 hours.Florian highlights research on spatial audio improving AI live speech translation, and reflects on how clearer speaker differentiation could enhance comprehension. Although he stresses ongoing challenges in live settings, like latency and overlapping speech.In Esther's M&A and funding corner, healthcare AI technology startup No Barrier raises USD 2.7m, Cisco acquires EZ Dubs to enhance WebEx's real-time speech translation capabilities, and audio AI startup AudioShake raises USD 14m. Florian analyzes OneMeta's financials and notes its rapid revenue growth despite significant ongoing and limited marketing presence. Esther details the landmark UK NHS framework agreement for language services, including scope and the number of awarded vendors.Florian concludes with updates on interpreting performances at Teleperformance and AMN Healthcare, noting mixed results.

Ever felt like you've done everything you can and still nothing changes?

Florian and Esther discuss the language industry news of the week, with breaking news that DeepL is reportedly exploring an initial public offering (IPO) in the US at a potential USD 5bn valuation. This comes as DeepL now positions itself as a “global AI product and research company”. Florian also notes the launch of DeepL Marketplace and the appointment of Gonçalo Gaiolas as Chief Product Officer.Florian opens with the first-ever Slator Award at ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences, where Guy Ratnitsky won for his thesis on data security and confidentiality in AI. The program will soon be renamed MA in Multilingual Communication Management to reflect market realities.The duo turns to Anthropic's new Economic Index, which shows translators and interpreters make up 0.63% of Claude AI usage, while OpenAI data previously showed translation-related conversations at 4.5%. Florian unpacks comments from German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who, during a visit to Spain, suggested AI could replace EU interpreters in the medium term. He explains that Spain is pushing for Catalan, Basque, and Galician to become official EU languages, but Merz cited translation workload and complexity.Florian and Esther then run through live AI speech translation updates: Zoom's in-house rollout, Apple's AirPods, Google's translation features, Microsoft's API, and Meta's Ray-Bans.In Esther's M&A corner, she reports on Bering Lab's acquisition of Intersphere in Korea and Iyuno's partnership with Motion Picture Solutions in the UK for a film localization pipeline. Meanwhile, Testronic secured funding to scale down in some locations while expanding in Manila as a hub for QA testing and localization.

Feeling like life is just happening to you?

In Esther 9, the story seems to resolve with God's people victorious over their enemies—but it also raises new questions. What do we do with a salvation that comes through violence? Why does the Old Testament contain so much of it? And how should we understand all of this in light of Jesus' teaching, and even more, his death and resurrection? As we walk through Esther 9, we'll also wrestle with these questions and consider what they mean for following Jesus today.

In Esther 7, the story reaches its climax: Esther speaks, Haman panics, and their fates are reversed. But behind the narrative lies a deeper question—who truly decides who lives and who dies? To answer this, we must consider the hidden ways of God's kingdom and the unexpected power of the cross.

In this sermon from the book of Esther, we looked at how God’s redemptive plan cannot be stopped. In Esther 4, we see that God’s people were facing imminent destruction from the Persian King. Sovereignly placed as the queen of Persia, Esther courageously risked her life to advocate for her people and rescue them from death. This is a foreshadowing of the sacrifice of Jesus, the greater Advocate who gave His life to secure our eternal salvation. Esther’s story reminds us of God’s unstoppable story of redemption and calls us to live courageously, advocating for others wherever He has placed us.

Wednesday, 27 August 2025   For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Matthew 12:40   “For just as Jonah, he was in the lunker's belly three days and three nights, thus He will be, the Son of Man, in the earth's heart three days and three nights” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus told the scribes and Pharisees that a “Generation – evil and adulteress – it seeks a sign, and not it will be given it, if not the sign of Jonah the prophet.” He continues with that now, saying, “For just as Jonah, he was in the lunker's belly.”   Two new words are seen. The first is found only here in Scripture, kétos, a huge fish. It is believed to possibly be from chasma, a chasm. That comes from an obsolete word, chao, to gape or yawn. Thus, the idea is that of the gaping mouth of such a fish. The type of fish is not stated here. Some translations say “whale.” That could be correct, even though whales aren't fish.   Some say sea monster, great fish, huge fish, etc. As it is unknown whether it is a fish, whale, or other sea monster, a single word that gets the idea across is lunker, which signifies “an exceptionally large specimen of something, in particular (among anglers) a fish” (Online Dictionary).   The next new word is koilia, the belly or womb. It is derived from koilos, hollow. Thus, it signifies a cavity. The context of the sentence will then provide the appropriate sense of what is being referred to. Jesus next says that Jonah was in this lunker's belly “three days and three nights.”   The duration is specific, but its meaning, like many such things in Scripture, must be derived from the surrounding context. That will be considered momentarily. For now, Jesus says, “thus He will be, the Son of Man, in the earth's heart.”   It is a term not found in exactly this manner elsewhere, and so the meaning must be derived from the story of Jonah in relation to the events coming upon Jesus. Any other view will force something not intended into the narrative.   Special note: To understand the amazing details of Jonah's life, it would be unconscionable not to read or watch the Jonah sermons from the Superior Word library. There, the incredible story is opened up and explained in a manner not found anywhere else.   Having said that, when Jonah was cast into the sea, a picture of Christ's death. He was swallowed by the dagah, fish, in Hebrew, or the kétos, fish, in the Greek Septuagint. From there, it says in Jonah 2:3 –   “From womb Sheol, I cried, You heard my voice, And you caused to cast me – depth, In heart seas.” Jonah 2:3 (CG)   In Greek, the word translated as heart is kardias, the same as that used by Jesus here in Matthew. Likewise, the word translated as womb in the Hebrew text is the same as what Jesus uses here, koilia.   In other words, Jonah is speaking in parallelism, a literary device found elsewhere in the book and throughout the Bible. He is equating Sheol (Greek: Hades) and equating it directly to the belly of the fish. That is then set in parallelism to the heart. This is done while citing the essential contents of Jonah 2:3.   Jesus is taking the story of Jonah and equating the heart of the seas to His own coming death. As such, He has replaced “heart of the seas,” something the Jews were perfectly familiar with from the story, and equates His coming descent into Hades as the “heart of the earth.” This is the parallelism (Sheol = heart seas/heart earth) from which the intent must be derived. Understanding this, He next says this will be for “three days and three nights.”   This is a phrase that, unfortunately, leads to all kinds of misinterpretations and misanalyses of what Jesus went through. The timeline of Jesus' passion, crucifixion, and resurrection is painfully clear when properly laid out. Jesus was crucified on a Friday, He was in the tomb throughout Saturday, and He arose on Sunday.   To confirm this timeline, a complete analysis of it will be attached at the end of the verses referring to Jesus' words in this account, meaning after Matthew 12:42. Because of Jesus' words here, however, some dogmatically claim that Jesus had to be in the grave a full three days and three nights. Some go so far as to demand a literal 72 hours.   This then leads to unscripturally backing up the crucifixion to Thursday or even Wednesday. But this then leads to many other unjustifiable claims, such as a “second Passover meal,” etc. These things are unscriptural, but must be made up to justify the unjustifiable.   The term “three days and three nights” simply speaks of any part of a day and a night. This is seen, for example, in 1 Samuel 30:12. However, it is explicitly noted with the same terminology as Jesus in Esther 4:16, where it says, “neither eat nor drink for three days, night and day.” In Esther 5:1, it reads, “Now it happened on the third day...” Thus, the time frame in Esther, which Jesus uses in Matthew, means three days, up to the third day.   Life application: Care needs to be taken to ensure that what is said in one place aligns with what is said in another place. The only source of understanding Jesus' words in Matthew 12:40 is to be found in the reference that Jesus is using. In the case of the heart of the earth, the reference is explicitly stated in Jonah, where Sheol (Hades) is set in parallel to the heart of the seas. This is an explanation of the belly of the great sea creature.   The “three days and three nights” of Jonah 1:17, which Jesus also cites, is to be interpreted from other Old Testament passages, if available. As it is, explicitly so in Esther 4:16 and then interpreted in Esther 5:1, there is a full and justifiable explanation for the meaning of Jesus' words in Matthew, without fudging or making anything up.   Think about our own use of such terminology. If someone leaves late Monday afternoon and comes back early Wednesday morning, he may comfort his wife by saying, “Don't worry, I'll be back in three days.” This is a true statement, even from a biblical sense (as seen in Esther), and yet, he will only be gone for as little as maybe 48 hours, or less.   Jesus died at approximately 3 pm (Luke 23:44) on Friday afternoon. This would be about three or four hours before the beginning of the Sabbath. That would last until the next evening. From there, it says He rose “very early in the morning” (Luke 24:1), it may have been at 5 am or earlier. This could be a time in the heart of the earth as little as 45 hours. And yet, He is said (again and again in Scripture) to have risen “on the third day.”   Be ready to challenge what you believe. Accept what Scripture says regardless of biases or presuppositions. In the end, you will find an answer to every seeming contradiction that you have been taught exists. None do, because this is the word of God!   Lord God, thank You for the surety and reliability of Your wonderful word. It is a precious treasure and a delight to consider. Amen.  

Queen Esther displayed great wisdom and courage in facing King Xerxes to intercede on behalf of the Jewish people. And in a dramatic reversal, her plan works! Haman falls into his own trap prepared for Mordecai and gets the justice he deserved. In Esther's story, and elsewhere in the Bible, God uses faithful people to accomplish his justice and rescue his people. Read more...

Welcome to Liberty Baptist Church's Sunday Evening service and online broadcast! We're so glad you've joined us. We pray you are encouraged by the message. Even in the darkest moments, God is at work behind the scenes. In Esther 7–8, we see how He redeems a royal mess—exposing evil, honoring the faithful, and delivering His people. What begins with danger and despair ends with deliverance and multiplied joy. This is the hidden hand of God at work… and He's still working today. Upcoming Events: • Friday/Saturday - Young Adult Summit at Gospel Light Baptist Church in Malvern. This free conference is for ages 18-35. We'll take the church van down on Friday night and Saturday morning. Ed Loney and Noel Cwenar will be speaking. Register on their website: https://www.glbcmalvern.com/yasregistration • Sunday, August 17 - Observing communion during the evening service. • Friday, August 22 - Arkansas Travs baseball game. We've got a special group price for tickets - $13. All ages are invited and encouraged to attend for a fun evening! First pitch is at 7:05pm. Let Aaron Brooks know ASAP so he can turn in our ticket count. • Saturday, August 23 - Luau fellowship for the ladies from 12-2pm. Sarah Mederios, missionary wife in Hawaii, will join you to bring a special devotional. • Friday, August 29 - Men's fellowship at 6:30pm. We'll have a meal and guest speaker, Pastor Randy Dignan will be our guest. • Sunday, August 31 - Fellowship meal following the morning service with a special music service to follow the meal. No evening service. Give online: lbcsearcy.com/give Prayer request: lbcsearcy.com/pray Begin a relationship with Christ: lbcsearcy.com/heaven

Bad leaders corrupt organizations. How? One way is by promoting all the wrong people. In Esther, this is when the plot thickens. When King Xerxes made Haman his second in command, Mordecai refused to bow to him. Haman's wounded pride led to a plot to kill and plunder all the Jewish people of Persia. Would they survive this existential threat? Read more...

Do you ever feel like things are spiraling out of control? It sure seemed that way for Esther and her people… until God showed up and turned everything around. In Esther 6, we have a powerful reminder that God has the power to turn our stories around, too.

Florian and Esther catch up on a few weeks' worth of language industry news with a surge of developments in speech translation. Apple's on-device translation debuts in apps like iMessage and FaceTime, and OpenAI enhances ChatGPT‘s Advanced Voice Mode with more human-like interactions and real-time translation.Florian unpacks YouTube's broad rollout of AI dubbing for 80 million creators in 20 languages, where he trials German and finds robotic voices, bad translations, and no editing options, leaving much to be desired.Esther talks about RWS acquiring Papercup's IP, aiming to embed AI dubbing into Trados and significantly boost RWS's capabilities and market reach. RWS's half-year financials also show slight revenue drops but rising AI-driven revenue, alongside a reorganization into three divisions: Generate, Transform, and ProtectThe duo analyzes Meta's USD 14bn investment for a 49% stake in Scale AI, which raises concerns from other tech giants uncomfortable with a major competitor owning a key data-labeling supplier. They note opportunities arising for competitors like Labelbox, RWS's TrainAI, Welo Data, and many other LSIs as clients reconsider vendor relationships in light of Meta's involvement.In Esther's M&A corner, Propio acquires CyraCom to become a half-billion-dollar language solutions integrator, DigitalTolk buys 24translate to expand into the DACH region, and Powerling boosts its life sciences footprint with the acquisition of Idem.Rounding out the episode are leadership changes, with XTM appointing Rob Finney as CMO and CQ Fluency naming Tameeka Smith as CEO following the long tenure of Elisabete Miranda.

In Esther 5, we see a contrast between Esther and Haman—and where each of them found their identity. Esther lived out her identity in God; Haman lived for his identity in himself. It's a challenging passage for all of us, because where we find our identity matters.

In Esther 5, we see a contrast between Esther and Haman—and where each of them found their identity. Esther lived out her identity in God; Haman lived for his identity in himself. It's a challenging passage for all of us, because where we find our identity matters.

In Esther chapter 1, King Ahasuerus hosts a lavish banquet, leading to Queen Vashti's refusal to display herself before drunken guests, highlighting her modesty. This refusal results in her being set aside, contrasting with Salome's eager dance display at Herod's feast. The narratives emphasize the consequences of alcohol and the importance of modesty.Link mentioned:Little Known Bible Characters: Salome

In Esther 3, we see the rise of Haman and the unfolding of a deadly plot fueled by pride and hatred. When Mordecai refuses to bow to him, Haman's wounded ego drives him to seek the extermination of all the Jews in the Persian Empire.This chapter exposes the dangers of unchecked pride and highlights how evil can gain momentum through positions of power. Yet, even in the face of looming genocide, we begin to see the hidden hand of God setting the stage for deliverance.Esther 3 reminds us that when darkness seems to prevail, God is neither absent nor inactive—He is quietly preparing His people for such a time as this.

In Esther 3, we see the rise of Haman and the unfolding of a deadly plot fueled by pride and hatred. When Mordecai refuses to bow to him, Haman's wounded ego drives him to seek the extermination of all the Jews in the Persian Empire.This chapter exposes the dangers of unchecked pride and highlights how evil can gain momentum through positions of power. Yet, even in the face of looming genocide, we begin to see the hidden hand of God setting the stage for deliverance.Esther 3 reminds us that when darkness seems to prevail, God is neither absent nor inactive—He is quietly preparing His people for such a time as this.

In Esther 8, we see God's providential deliverance unfold through the faithful intercession of Esther and Mordecai, pointing us to the greater intercessor, Jesus Christ, whose perfect work secures salvation for His people and calls us to join Him in that mission.

When evil is happening in the world around us, what do we do? In Esther's story, when Queen Vashti is mistreated, the king's advisors remain silent. But later, when Mordecai discovers a plot against the king, he speaks up. The book of Esther challenges us with this vital truth: when evil happens around us, we can't sit silently - we must speak out.

Florian and Esther discuss the language industry news of the week, with DeepL becoming the first third-party translation app users can set as default on the iPhone, a position gained by navigating Apple's developer requirements that others like Google Translate have yet to meet.Florian and Esther examine RWS's mid-year trading update, which triggered a steep 40% share price drop despite stable revenue, healthy profits, and manageable debt.On the partnerships front, the duo covers multiple collaborations: Acclaro and Phrase co-funded a new Solutions Architect role, Unbabel entered a strategic partnership with Acclaro, and Phrase partnered with Clearly Local in Shanghai. Also, KUDO expanded its network with new partners, while Deepdub was featured in an AWS case study for its work with Paramount. Wistia partnered with HeyGen to launch translation and AI-dubbing features and Synthesia joined forces with DeepL, further cementing the trend of avatar-based multilingual video content.In Esther's M&A corner, MotionPoint acquired GetGloby to enhance multilingual marketing capabilities, while OXO and Powerling merged to form a transatlantic LSP leader. TransPerfect deepened its media footprint with two studio acquisitions from Technicolor, and Magna Legal Services continued its acquisition spree with Basye Santiago Reporting.Meanwhile, in funding, Linguana, an AI dubbing startup targeted at YouTube creators, raised USD 8.5m, and pyannoteAI secured EUR 8m to enhance multilingual voice tech using speaker diarization. The episode concluded with speculation about DeepL's rumored IPO, which could have broader implications for capital markets.

Today, on Karl and Crew, we began our weekly focus on the Book of Esther by discussing the importance of trusting the Lord over worldly securities and comforts. You may rely on specific daily amenities for stability or routine, such as cars, investments, insurance, etc, and you can quickly become dependent. We turned to Psalm 20:7, where we are encouraged to remember the name of the Lord our God over the chariots that may help alleviate daily needs or tasks. We can’t become dependent on the chariots that comfort us because sometimes we are called to disrupt that comfort for the good of others. In Esther 4:14, Esther was asked to risk her comfort in the palace to save her people from persecution, and she did. She jeopardized her chariot for the sake of her people. Are you willing to risk your chariot? Our special guest, Rob West, also joined us to discuss placing our trust in God instead of financial securities. Rob hosts the nationally syndicated radio program "Faith and Finance LIVE," which explores how faith and finance intersect. He also hosts the Faith and Finance podcast, which is connected to the app FaithFi. Rob also authored a 21-day devotional, "Look at the Sparrows.” You can hear the highlights of today’s program on Karl and Crew Showcast.Donate to Moody Radio: http://moodyradio.org/donateto/morningshowSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, on Karl and Crew, we began our weekly focus on the Book of Esther by discussing the importance of trusting the Lord over worldly securities and comforts. You may rely on specific daily amenities for stability or routine, such as cars, investments, insurance, etc, and you can quickly become dependent. We turned to Psalm 20:7, where we are encouraged to remember the name of the Lord our God over the chariots that may help alleviate daily needs or tasks. We can’t become dependent on the chariots that comfort us because sometimes we are called to disrupt that comfort for the good of others. In Esther 4:14, Esther was asked to risk her comfort in the palace to save her people from persecution, and she did. She jeopardized her chariot for the sake of her people. Are you willing to risk your chariot? Our special guest, Rob West, also joined us to discuss placing our trust in God instead of financial securities. Rob hosts the nationally syndicated radio program "Faith and Finance LIVE," which explores how faith and finance intersect. He also hosts the Faith and Finance podcast, which is connected to the app FaithFi. Rob also authored a 21-day devotional, "Look at the Sparrows.” You can hear the highlights of today’s program on Karl and Crew Showcast.Donate to Moody Radio: http://moodyradio.org/donateto/morningshowSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, on Karl and Crew, we began our weekly focus on the Book of Esther by discussing the importance of trusting the Lord over worldly securities and comforts. You may rely on specific daily amenities for stability or routine, such as cars, investments, insurance, etc, and you can quickly become dependent. We turned to Psalm 20:7, where we are encouraged to remember the name of the Lord our God over the chariots that may help alleviate daily needs or tasks. We can’t become dependent on the chariots that comfort us because sometimes we are called to disrupt that comfort for the good of others. In Esther 4:14, Esther was asked to risk her comfort in the palace to save her people from persecution, and she did. She jeopardized her chariot for the sake of her people. Are you willing to risk your chariot? Our special guest, Rob West, also joined us to discuss placing our trust in God instead of financial securities. Rob hosts the nationally syndicated radio program "Faith and Finance LIVE," which explores how faith and finance intersect. He also hosts the Faith and Finance podcast, which is connected to the app FaithFi. Rob also authored a 21-day devotional, "Look at the Sparrows.” You can hear the highlights of today’s program on Karl and Crew Showcast.Donate to Moody Radio: http://moodyradio.org/donateto/morningshowSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, on Karl and Crew, we began our weekly focus on the Book of Esther by discussing the importance of trusting the Lord over worldly securities and comforts. You may rely on specific daily amenities for stability or routine, such as cars, investments, insurance, etc, and you can quickly become dependent. We turned to Psalm 20:7, where we are encouraged to remember the name of the Lord our God over the chariots that may help alleviate daily needs or tasks. We can’t become dependent on the chariots that comfort us because sometimes we are called to disrupt that comfort for the good of others. In Esther 4:14, Esther was asked to risk her comfort in the palace to save her people from persecution, and she did. She jeopardized her chariot for the sake of her people. Are you willing to risk your chariot? Our special guest, Rob West, also joined us to discuss placing our trust in God instead of financial securities. Rob hosts the nationally syndicated radio program "Faith and Finance LIVE," which explores how faith and finance intersect. He also hosts the Faith and Finance podcast, which is connected to the app FaithFi. Rob also authored a 21-day devotional, "Look at the Sparrows.” You can hear the highlights of today’s program on Karl and Crew Showcast.Donate to Moody Radio: http://moodyradio.org/donateto/morningshowSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, on Karl and Crew, we began our weekly focus on the Book of Esther by discussing the importance of trusting the Lord over worldly securities and comforts. You may rely on specific daily amenities for stability or routine, such as cars, investments, insurance, etc, and you can quickly become dependent. We turned to Psalm 20:7, where we are encouraged to remember the name of the Lord our God over the chariots that may help alleviate daily needs or tasks. We can’t become dependent on the chariots that comfort us because sometimes we are called to disrupt that comfort for the good of others. In Esther 4:14, Esther was asked to risk her comfort in the palace to save her people from persecution, and she did. She jeopardized her chariot for the sake of her people. Are you willing to risk your chariot? Our special guest, Rob West, also joined us to discuss placing our trust in God instead of financial securities. Rob hosts the nationally syndicated radio program "Faith and Finance LIVE," which explores how faith and finance intersect. He also hosts the Faith and Finance podcast, which is connected to the app FaithFi. Rob also authored a 21-day devotional, "Look at the Sparrows.” You can hear the highlights of today’s program on Karl and Crew Showcast.Donate to Moody Radio: http://moodyradio.org/donateto/morningshowSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, on Karl and Crew, we began our weekly focus on the Book of Esther by discussing the importance of trusting the Lord over worldly securities and comforts. You may rely on specific daily amenities for stability or routine, such as cars, investments, insurance, etc, and you can quickly become dependent. We turned to Psalm 20:7, where we are encouraged to remember the name of the Lord our God over the chariots that may help alleviate daily needs or tasks. We can’t become dependent on the chariots that comfort us because sometimes we are called to disrupt that comfort for the good of others. In Esther 4:14, Esther was asked to risk her comfort in the palace to save her people from persecution, and she did. She jeopardized her chariot for the sake of her people. Are you willing to risk your chariot? Our special guest, Rob West, also joined us to discuss placing our trust in God instead of financial securities. Rob hosts the nationally syndicated radio program "Faith and Finance LIVE," which explores how faith and finance intersect. He also hosts the Faith and Finance podcast, which is connected to the app FaithFi. Rob also authored a 21-day devotional, "Look at the Sparrows.” You can hear the highlights of today’s program on Karl and Crew Showcast.Donate to Moody Radio: http://moodyradio.org/donateto/morningshowSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, on Karl and Crew, we began our weekly focus on the Book of Esther by discussing the importance of trusting the Lord over worldly securities and comforts. You may rely on specific daily amenities for stability or routine, such as cars, investments, insurance, etc, and you can quickly become dependent. We turned to Psalm 20:7, where we are encouraged to remember the name of the Lord our God over the chariots that may help alleviate daily needs or tasks. We can’t become dependent on the chariots that comfort us because sometimes we are called to disrupt that comfort for the good of others. In Esther 4:14, Esther was asked to risk her comfort in the palace to save her people from persecution, and she did. She jeopardized her chariot for the sake of her people. Are you willing to risk your chariot? Our special guest, Rob West, also joined us to discuss placing our trust in God instead of financial securities. Rob hosts the nationally syndicated radio program "Faith and Finance LIVE," which explores how faith and finance intersect. He also hosts the Faith and Finance podcast, which is connected to the app FaithFi. Rob also authored a 21-day devotional, "Look at the Sparrows.” You can hear the highlights of today’s program on Karl and Crew Showcast.Donate to Moody Radio: http://moodyradio.org/donateto/morningshowSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Florian and Esther discuss the language industry news of the week, breaking down Slator's 2025 Language Service Provider Index (LSPI), which features nearly 300 LSPs and reports 6.6% combined growth in 2024 revenues, totaling USD 8.4bn.Florian touches on a surprise USD 10m donation from private equity executive Mario Giannini to launch a new MA translation and interpreting program at California State University, Long Beach. The duo talks about McKinsey's State of AI report, which continues to classify translators as AI-related roles and shows that hiring them has become slightly easier.In Esther's M&A corner, TransPerfect announced two acquisitions, Technicolor Games and Blue Digital Group, further expanding its presence in gaming and media localization. In Israel, BlueLion and GATS merged to form TransNarrative, and Brazilian providers Korn Translations and Zaum Langs joined forces under the Idlewild Burg group.Meanwhile, in funding, Teleperformance invested USD 13m in Sanas, a startup offering real-time accent translation for call centers to improve global communication. Lingo.dev raised USD 4.2m, while Dubformer secured USD 3.6m to develop the ‘Photoshop of AI dubbing'.Florian shares insights from Slator's 2025 Localization Buyer Survey, which found that over half of buyers want strategic AI support from vendors and many cite inefficient automation as a key challenge.

Gambling on A Day Like Purim THE GAMBLER The threat of adultery appears repeatedly in the story of redemption. Sarah and Rivkah were put at risk with Pharaoh and Avimelech. By legal custom, Tamar was to have married Judah's youngest son, but Judah had delayed the marriage, so it was thought that Tamar had committed adultery when she began to show her pregnancy. Rahab was thought to be a harlot. However, each of these women proved themselves righteous, courageous, and faithful in affirming the promise of a Land, a Covenant, and a People in Israel. Although subtler, the question of fidelity is also present in the Scroll of Esther. Esther has requested that the Jews fast and pray for three days. On the third day, associated with resurrection, she approaches the King. Perhaps she knew when she resigned herself, "If I perish, I perish," that although the risk required her voluntary surrender to that possible death, it could also become a resurrection day in a number of ways. On this third day, Queen Esther requests that the King and Haman attend a wine banquet. The wine banquets hold two mysteries. First, wine is associated with the Feast of Sukkot, which is a time to bring the first fruits from the wine vat. Esther is positioning herself to negotiate salvation not simply for the Jews, but prophetically for the first fruits from among the nations where the Jews have been scattered. In the winepress of the King's wrath, Esther becomes a waving lulav of hadassah branches at Sukkot, waving for the four corners of the Earth where Israel is scattered. The second mystery is found in the Hebrew grammar of Esther's invitation. In Esther 5:4, she requests, "If it please the King, let the King and Haman come today to the banquet that I have prepared for him." There is the problem. The subject is plural, "the King and Haman," yet the pronoun is singular, "him." She should have said, "a banquet I have prepared for them."  This plants a seed of doubt in the King's mind. Is she preparing the banquet for him or Haman?[1] The King and Haman attend the third-day wine banquet, but Esther still conceals her motive for inviting them...or is it him? Instead of giving a direct answer, Esther requests that they attend another wine banquet the following day, the fourth day. In Revelation, the message to the fourth assembly, Thyatira, marks the transition with the fourth day from "tribulation" to "great tribulation." The King knows Esther is troubled, nevertheless he is even more troubled by nightfall. He can't sleep! What is he thinking about? Perhaps the relationship between his Queen and his second-in-command, Haman. Why would a woman kept in seclusion with her maids and eunuchs request only Haman's presence along with the King's? How did she know Haman? The King had been the subject of assassination plots before, so what was Haman up to? Not coincidentally, this tribulation of mind keeps the King awake that fourth night, which had already begun at sundown that evening.[2] The text reads more literally than usually is translated in English. It would be better translated as, "The sleep of the King was shaken." He calls for the record books to be read. At this point, the King hears about Mordechai's intervention on his behalf when two of his high officers plotted to kill him. At last, a loyal subject, this Jew Mordechai. And wasn't Esther his Queen the one who'd actually informed him of the plot? No wonder the King was troubled. At this opportune moment, Haman enters to request permission to hang Mordechai in advance of the decreed destruction upon the Jews. Speak of the devil! The King tests Haman with a question, but Haman's pride prevents him from grasping the questions hidden within the question, which might be, "Haman, what are you up to? Are you trying to steal my kingdom and my queen? Second-in-command and my ring aren't enough for you?

Florian and Esther, along with Slator Head of Research, Anna Wyndham, discuss the language industry and AI news of the week, with findings from Anthropic's recent research on Claude's usage. The analysis of over 4 million conversations revealed a surprising fact about how people use AI for translation.Turning to YouTube, Florian discussed CEO Neal Mohan's statement that AI dubbing is among the platform's "big bets" for 2025.In a spree of AI announcements, Deepgram unveiled its Nova-3 speech-to-text model for enterprise use and Panjaya launched Pod Pro, an AI-powered multilingual sync tool. Meanwhile, Adobe expanded Firefly to include language capabilities, and Centific launched FLOW, an enterprise-grade AI solution.In Esther's M&A and funding corner, Lingopal secured USD 14m in funding to enhance real-time multilingual broadcasting, focusing on sports and live events, and TransPerfect acquired Apostroph Group to solidify its position in the DACH region.Anna discussed Meta's Language Technology Partner Program, which aims to improve AI for low-resource languages and preserve linguistic diversity. The episode wrapped with Florian noting Supertext's rebranding and comparison with DeepL, where it claimed superior results in document-level translation quality.

Florian and Esther discuss the language industry news of the week, focusing on Slator's latest M&A and Funding Report, which highlights over 50 mergers, acquisitions, and financial investments, and nearly 20 funding rounds in 2024.Florian discusses OpenAI's ChatGPT o1 model, praising its translation accuracy for complex texts like German legal documents, though he notes slower processing speeds and challenges with low-resource languages.In Esther's first M&A and funding corner for 2025, MotionPoint has acquired KeyContent, Synthesia has raised a USD 180m Series D, bringing its valuation to over USD 2bn, and Pocketalk raised USD 15.8m in funding, despite talks of a potential IPO last year.Florian talks about Acrolinx's leadership change, with Matt Blumberg becoming CEO and aiming to expand the AI-powered content governance platform's presence in the US market. DeepL launched its AI-powered speech-to-speech translation product, DeepL Voice, with NEC as its first enterprise client.Esther notes LinkedIn's ranking of “Interpreter” as the 22nd fastest-growing job in the UK, driven by demand across industries like localization, museums, and even zoos. Florian wraps up with AWS's latest guide on integrating translation memories with large language models to improve AI-driven translation workflows.

Divine Reversal Ester 8 #RTTBROS #Nightlight Have you ever watched a home renovation show where a dilapidated house is transformed into something beautiful? While the "before" pictures show chaos and destruction, the "after" reveals stunning transformation. This is exactly how God works in our lives - He's the master of divine reversals, turning our moments of despair into testimonies of His glory. In Esther 8, we witness one of Scripture's most dramatic reversals. Haman's gallows, built for Mordecai's destruction, became the instrument of his own demise. The ring of authority, once used to seal the Jews' death warrant, became the symbol of their deliverance. What was meant for evil, God transformed for good. But why does God often wait until the eleventh hour to bring about these reversals? Like a master weightlifter's trainer, He's building our spiritual muscles through resistance. When we think we can't hold on another moment, when we're about to close our eyes and brace for impact - that's often when God shows up most powerfully. He waits until our strength is depleted so that His power can be perfectly displayed. Consider how God builds our faith through these moments. Just as a remodeling project looks most chaotic right before completion, our situations often appear darkest before God's light breaks through. He's teaching us to trust not in our ability to solve problems, but in His power to transform them. The story of Esther teaches us about persistent prayer in these moments. She didn't just pray once and hope for the best - she fell at the king's feet with tears. How many of us approach God with such raw honesty and desperate passion? We've become so sophisticated in our prayers that we've lost the art of wrestling with God like Jacob, of weeping before Him like Hannah. The beautiful irony in this story is that God didn't simply cancel the evil decree - He created a new solution that turned the weapon of the enemy into an instrument of victory. Sometimes God doesn't remove our problems; He transforms them into platforms for His glory. The very thing meant to destroy us becomes the stage for our greatest testimony. In our current cultural moment, we face our own battles requiring divine reversals. Whether it's praying for unsaved loved ones, standing against injustice, or facing personal trials, God still specializes in last-minute rescues and unexpected solutions. He's inviting us to persist in prayer, to think outside our human limitations, and to trust His perfect timing. Remember - God doesn't need our strength; He needs our availability. Within your sphere of influence - your "oikos" - you have the opportunity to be part of someone else's divine reversal. You may not change the entire world, but you can change someone's world. Like the little girl throwing starfish back into the ocean, we can make a difference one life at a time. God is still in the business of reversals. That marriage that seems beyond repair, that prodigal child, that impossible situation at work - none of these are beyond His transforming power. He delights in writing "rest of the story" endings that no one sees coming. Prayer: Lord, help us trust Your timing even when everything seems to be falling apart. Give us the courage to persist in prayer, the wisdom to recognize Your solutions, and the faith to believe that You can transform our greatest challenges into our greatest testimonies. May we never become too sophisticated to weep before You or too cynical to believe in Your power to reverse any situation. In Jesus' name, Amen. #DivineReversals #GodsPerfectTiming #PowerOfPersistence Be sure to Like, Share, Follow and subscribe it helps get the word out. https://linktr.ee/rttbros

Welcome to Connections Church Online! Pastor John Gorter joins us with a message from Esther 2:19 – 3:15, titled “Two World Views”. What is a worldview? How we look at reality and live it out affects the way we respond to God and how we treat others. In Esther 2:19 – 3:15 we will see very different worldviews and how they clash. Visit our website: https://myconnections.church/

In Esther 3, Haman gets the power to kill all the Jews. He sends out an edict to proclaim that every Jewish man, woman, and child, is to be killed, and everything they own is theirs for the taking. The Serpent is still at work trying to stomp out the seed of the woman before the one who will come and crush the serpents head can be born. But the Lord is at work too. And in the face of total annihilation, He is miraculously preserving them through this woman.

The story of Esther reveals with vivid detail the reality that we live in a fallen world. How should God's people respond when faced with such brokenness, sin, and destruction? In Esther chapter 4, Mordecai responds to the declaration that Hamen will destroy all the Jewish people by tearing his clothes, putting on sackcloth and ashes, and crying out with a loud and bitter cry. This is the art of Lament.

In Esther 9, the Jews exercise their right to fight for survival. And they win. There are times when one must fight for survival. Are you willing?

In Esther 8, the Jews are given a chance to defend themselves. The victory is not won, but they can now fight for survival. Do you need a new plan, another chance? Are you ready to fight for your survival?

In Esther 7, Esther has her second feast and finally lays her petitions before the king. She exposes Haman and his despicable plan. Have you, or are you, trying to hide something from God or man? When it gets exposed, will it be positive or negative for you?

In Esther 2, Esther is stuck in a very awkward situation. Her God-given gifts got her there. But, what to do, what to do? Are you stuck in an awkward situation? What will you do?

Esther is one of only two books in the Bible titled by the female main character.  (Ruth is the other one.)  It also does not really reference God. So why do I think it is important?  First of all, a verse that you have probably heard before is in it.  “Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this.” 4:14  I have referenced it many times in my life.  It means that maybe God put you wherever you are for a very specific reason.  In Esther's case, to save the Jewish people in the Persian kingdom from execution.  Continue reading the rest of this shows notes on our website Nothin' But Fine.---Check out the Nothin' But Fine blog and website.Follow us on social media: Instagram Facebook Twitter YouTube Want everything in your inbox? Subscribe to the Nothin' But Fine newsletter!

Contact us at: thewavecolumbus@gmail.com, or www.thewavecolumbus.comredeeming time and making the most of every opportunity is our focus 1. Redeemed Time – JesusJesus is the ultimate example of redeeming time. Throughout His ministry, He stayed laser-focused on His mission. In John 9:4, He said, "As long as it is day, we must do the works of Him who sent me." Even though He had just three years of ministry, He used every moment to fulfill His Father's will. Jesus prioritized time in prayer, time with people, and time for rest, showing us how to live fully in the moment while staying focused on our purpose.2. Redeemed Time – Esther Esther was placed in a royal position for a specific time and purpose. She could have chosen to remain silent when her people were threatened, but instead, she acted. In Esther 4:14, Mordecai reminds her, "And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" Esther seized the moment, recognizing that her time had a divine purpose.3. Lost Time – SamsonSamson, however, lost his focus. God gave him great strength, but he wasted his time pursuing personal desires rather than God's call. In Judges 16, we see Samson got distracted from his mission. Samson failed to redeem the time, and it cost him his strength, his freedom, and ultimately, his life. Though he repented at the end, much time was lost due to his distractions.Contact us at: thewavecolumbus@gmail.com, or www.thewavecolumbus.com

When that terrorist bomb ripped apart the Federal Office Building in Oklahoma City on that infamous April 19th years ago, Mark was on the scene within ten minutes. Today that scene of horrendous carnage and violence is a tranquil Memorial Site in downtown Oklahoma City. One night when I was speaking in that city, Mark (who was a police officer) took me there for a personal tour that was pretty moving. Gesturing toward that quiet memorial area that stands where the building once stood, he showed me where the nursery had been, from which he had carried the youngest victims of the bombing. And he pointed to the area where he had assisted in the dramatic rescue of a woman who thought she was going to die but was brought out alive by some valiant rescuers. Mark remembers making a quick call to his wife that day, telling her and his daughters, "I love you. I'll see you later" not knowing how much later that would be. As he and the men around him looked at the sagging wreckage over their heads, Mark just said to his supervisor, "I think we're going to die here." They must have all thought that. But they refused to leave because lives were at stake. I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "To Rescue a Soul." Standing next to a man who had risked his life on this very ground to save other lives, it hit me full force: a rescuer forgets about himself or he'll never take the risks to go in to save a life; someone who will die if he doesn't. And I thought about what it is that keeps most people who have been rescued by Jesus from trying to rescue other spiritually dying people. We're so focused on ourselves that either we don't care about those lives at stake or more likely we're paralyzed by our fears of how they might react if we told them about our Jesus, who is heaven's Rescuer. In either case, we do nothing because we're all wrapped up in ourselves; the exact opposite of a rescuer, who abandons all his self-interest because someone's going to die if he doesn't go in. In a sense, all of us who know Christ are actually "Esthers." She's the Jewish girl who became the queen of Persia without anyone ever discovering her real roots. Then came the day when a shrewd conspiracy caused the king to approve a decree for the slaughter of all Jews. Mordecai, the man who had raised Esther, sent her a message, urging her to go to the king and plead for the life of her people. She was afraid because the law of the land dictated that anyone who entered the king's presence unbidden would be executed unless he extended his gold scepter to them. In Esther 4:14-16 our word for today from the Word of God, Mordecai appeals to her with this plea: "Who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" Esther does go to the king, uttering this courageous declaration: "If I perish, I perish." That's the heart of a rescuer. It doesn't matter what happens to me. It matters what happens to the people who will die if I don't do something. And her people were saved. Like Esther, you have been assigned where you are - where you work, where you live, or where you go to school. Why? To help save the lives of the people there; people who, without a relationship with the Man who died for their sins, face an eternity in hell and no hope of heaven. And you have the life-saving information about Jesus that can rescue them. It's not about changing their religion. It's not about you winning an argument or getting them to come to your church or your religion. It's about whether they have a chance to know the only Person who can save them - Jesus. You're afraid of what might happen if you went in for the rescue. I know that feeling. It might damage your relationship, and you might mess it up. Would you think like a rescuer - fearing more what will happen if you don't attempt the rescue than what will happen if you do? You've been brought into their lives for such a time as this. Jesus abandoned Himself completely to rescue you. There is no rescue unless the rescuer forgets about himself or herself. Someone's eternity may depend on you doing just that. God put you where you are so they could have a chance at heaven. Don't fail them. Don't fail the Rescuer who died so they and so you could live.