The Significance of Cyrus

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The significance of Cyrus being mentioned in Isaiah. Isaiah 44:24-45:25:
The mentioning of Cyrus the Great in the book of Isaiah makes chapters 44 and 45 of the books of Isaiah fantastic prophetic writing. It was a prophetic message given by the prophet Isaiah o how God will deliver His people from captivity in the land of Babylon. Cyrus, the king of Persia, the son of Cambyses, became the king of Persia in 559 B.C. He became a powerful and mighty king appointed by the Lord to fulfill His purpose.

Isaiah 44:24, “Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, who formed you from the womb: I am the Lord, who made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself,” God wanted the people of Israel to know that He still cares for them and He alone remains their redeemer. It is incredible how God demonstrated His sovereignty in verses 24 by using the word “By myself,”which means it is only God who appoints and only Him who can save the situation. God portrayed caring to the people that I am the one who formed you in the womb, and I will take care of you irrespective of the situation you are going through. God made His word alive and kept His promise to the children of Israel. 

The prophet Isaiah prophesied concerning how God will use Cyrus the Great as an instrument to deliver the offspring of Israel and to justify them. The word to justify means to be declared or proven righteous. God has promised the offspring of Israel deliverance and justification through His instrument, the king of Persia. Cyrus was a gentile king, but he was declared as the anointed one of the Lord to bring liberation to the people of God.

God in His wisdom to use Cyrus to perform a significant task, not only to set the children of Israel free but also to set the other gentiles free. When Cyrus became the King of Persia, he conquered Babylon and freed all the slaved and gave the people the right to worship. Not only that but he also said that the Lord had instructed him to build Him a house in Jerusalem, Ezra 1:1-4 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing: “This is what Cyrus king of Persia says:” ‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Any of his people among you may go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the Lord, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem, and may their God be with them. And in any locality where survivors may now be living, the people are to provide them with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with freewill offerings for the temple of God in Jerusalem.’ ” 

An amazing prophetic word spoken by the prophet of God for many years finally came to pass, and the king obeyed as the Lord has chosen him to set His people free. As Josephus said, He got motivated when the Jews showed him the prophecy that his name was mentioned for such a course.


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