“Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10
Throughout the entirety of Biblical history from the writings of Moses and the prophets to those of the Apostles, there is a resounding purpose. It is that men might know that “…the Lord He is God,” and there is no other. One of the clearest examples of this is Cyrus, King of Persia, who reigned during the times of Daniel, the minor prophets Haggai and Zechariah, and beyond. The announcement of Cyrus’ appearance upon the pages of history is of monumental importance for any seeker of God, for by the announcement of his name in the book of Isaiah, to his actual reign as a Persian king, the record is true that God had let mankind know at least one hundred and fifty years before his coming, that Cyrus would come, and that in essence, his coming would change the world. It must be noted that Cyrus was not a Hebrew, but Persian. Daniel the prophet, an exile in Persia, most certainly spoke to Cyrus of the prophecy of Isaiah. That which made this prophecy so poignant, and gripping to this Persian king was the fact that Isaiah wrote the following words of God: “…I the Lord, who call you by your name, am the God of Israel.” (Is. 45:3) In chapter 44 of Isaiah’s writings, God said, “Who says of Cyrus, He is My shepherd, and he shall perform all My pleasure, saying to Jerusalem, ‘You shall be built,’ and to the temple, ‘Your foundation shall be laid.'” (v.28) Over one hundred and fifty years after Isaiah wrote these words, even before the city of Jerusalem had been conquered, and the temple destroyed, God foretold what He would do by raising up this man Cyrus, specifically accomplishing through him the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the laying of the foundation of the second temple. The decree which Cyrus gave to accomplish the rebuilding of Jerusalem was during his first year as King of Persia: “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: ‘All the kingdoms of the earth the Lord God of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a house in Jerusalem which is in Judah. Who among you of all His people? May the Lord God be with him and let him go up.” (2 Chronicles 36:23) Jeremiah prophesied that this would occur seventy years before Cyrus’ decree. If this is not enough for the seeking soul to see the hand of God in the calling, equipping, and confirmation of Cyrus, to be the Lord’s shepherd and instrument by which there would be the fulfillment of Jeremiah’s prophecy, then we must go further in our pursuit.
As has been pointed out, Daniel was an exiled prophet residing in the Persian capital at the time when Cyrus took power as King. Daniel had been an exile during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar the Babylonian king, and that of his son, Belshazzar. Darius the Mede would follow the death of Belshazzar, followed by Cyrus. Before Israel had been taken away into the Babylonian captivity, Jeremiah had prophesied concerning the return of the people, by the intervention of God, to the land, seventy years later. In the book of Daniel, there is an account of Daniel reading Jeremiah’s words, and consequently seeking God for their fulfilment. The importance of Cyrus’ reign, and his decree cannot be overstated, for in Daniel’s account of the matter, Daniel writes the following: “Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the command to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince, there shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks.” (Daniel 9:25) Daniel even adds that during this period of reconstruction, “The street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublesome times.” Not only, in speaking of these time periods will Daniel speak of the coming of the Messiah, but also, of the Messiah’s death: “Messiah shall be cut off…” (v. 26) The prophetical coming of Cyrus announced the coming of the Messiah.
Dear Father, Fill us with faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen.