Why did Queen Esther decide to host Haman at two banquets?

In the Scroll of Esther, we note that Queen Esther holds two banquets for King Ahasuerus and the Evil Haman. They are held one day after the other and became the turning point of the whole story of Purim. In the first banquet, Haman comes out as a hero, praised by the king, hosted by the Queen and everything is in his favor. Yet in the second banquet, Queen Esther reveals her Jewish identity and that Haman’s plan to slaughter all the Jews would mean that she herself would die.

Between these two banquets, it is midnight, and the King is unable to sleep and reads the annals of the kingdom and discovers that Mordechai, Esther’s uncle had saved his life from an assassination attempt, yet no honor was given to him. Meanwhile, the Evil Haman is preparing a gallows for Mordechai to hang him because he is a Jew. When King Ahasuerus is determined to give Mordechai honor, whilst Haman is plotting his death, Haman realizes all is lost. Indeed, he is hanged on the gallows he had built for Mordechai. The swift change in fate plays out like Shakespearian theatre.

If we examine the biblical text, it suggests that this sudden change of fate is related to the moon. Moreover, it has similarities to the 10^th Plague of Egypt and the downfall of the Pharoah.

From the text, we see Mordechai and Esther’s intervention in annulling Haman’s edict to annihilate the Jews must have taken place in the 13^th year of the reign of king Ahasuerus between 13^th of the 1^st month when the edict was issued and 23^rd Sivan (3^rd month) when Mordechai is given the signet ring of King Ahasuerus which he uses to counter the edict.

Then were the king's scribes called at that time in the third month, that is, the month Sivan, on its twenty-third day; And it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded to the Jews, and to the satraps, and the governors and the princes of the provinces which are from Hodu to Kush, one hundred twenty and seven provinces, to every province according to its writing, and to every people in their own language, and to the Jews according to their writing, and according to their language (Esther 8:9).

Let's use gematrical analysis to examine the sequence of events leading up to the 23rd of Sivan and the dates that they probably took place. The redemption of the Jews in the story of Purim event has some similarities with the story of Hanukah. Therefore the 8th day of Hanukah would correspond to the 23rd of Sivan. If that is the case, then the two banquets would have taken place 8 days before that, i.e. 14th and 15th Sivan. The fast of Esther would therefore have begun on the 10th Sivan until 14th Sivan. Moreover, the critical event when King Ahasuerus, upon reading the chronicles, realizes that Mordechai, whom Haman was about to hang at the gallows, had saved his life, would have taken place at midnight of the 14th Sivan. This would be at the time of the full moon when the moon was shifting from the waxing to the waning phase.

The sequence is very reminiscent of Passover (see Chapter 16). In the preparation of the pascal lamb, it is separated from the flock on the 10^th day of Nissan and then it is consumed during the Passover at midnight on the 14^th of Nissan when the Angel of Death is passing over Egypt.

In both events, the three days between the 10^th and the 14^th of the month is the period of contemplation before the offering. It is the period during which Esther (and the Children of Israel) underwent deep contemplation and repentance in order to re-find the God who had been hidden so many years. At the same time, as in the case of Passover, it is when God prepares to reveal His greatness to the people.

Then Esther bade them return Mordecai this answer: Go, gather together all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day; I also and my girls will fast likewise; and so will I go to the king, though it is against the law; and if I perish, I perish (Esther 4:15-16).

On the 14^th of Sivan, the eve of Esther’s first banquet to ‘honor’ Haman, and when Haman is plotting to hang Mordechai at the gallows, the moon is still reaching its zenith and the yin force is on its ascent. So, just as in Egypt, just before the 10^th plague, the power of Pharaoh was still dominant, in Shushan the power of Haman reigns. At midnight on the 14^th of Sivan the moon begins to wane, the yin force declines, the Angel of Death passes over Egypt, Ahasuerus rediscovers Mordechai’s good deeds in the Annals of the kingdom and the fate of Haman is sealed, and subsequently signed at the second banquet.

There is then a period of 8-days rebirth, renewal, and redemption, during which Mordechai prepares to change from a man condemned to death to a Minister of the realm of Ahasuerus. On the eighth day, he takes up the signet ring of King Ahasuerus. He reverses the edict of Haman and the entire Jewish nation in Babylon is saved from annihilation.