The decree of King Cyrus

The word apologetics means “to speak in defense of” and is found in the New Testament eight times. The word omnipresence means “all that is before one” and, when applied to God, is the idea that He is wholly present in all places at any given time. So, it follows that if God was going to speak in defense of His existence, He would tell us detailed descriptions of events before they happen. The word prophet is used to describe someone who speaks for God. The prophet had several roles; he could be sent to teach God’s message concerning a certain situation, he could be sent to warn the people to change direction or he could be sent to describe a future event, often calamity, before it happens.

One of the greatest apologetics that affirms the Bible is where God spoke through His prophets about future events with interesting details. As we begin the book of Ezra, we are treated to a decree made by Cyrus, king of Persia which ends up being one of those. 

 “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 at Jerusalem which is in Judah. Who is among you of all His people? May his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah, and build the house of the Lord God of Israel (He is God), which is in Jerusalem. And whoever is left in any place where he dwells, let the men of his place help him with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, besides the freewill offerings for the house of God which is in Jerusalem.” Ezra 1:2-4.

The date of this decree is given in Ezra 1:1 “Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put in writing,”. We know as a matter of historical record from the discovery of the cylinder of Cyrus that the year was around 538 BC.

Seventy years before, the prophet Jeremiah warned Israel of their impending doom and in Jeremiah 25:11-14 he predicts that the nation will go into captivity, serving the king of Babylon for 70 years. The nation of Israel had been warned by the prophets that they needed to follow God’s instructions. They had been instructed in the books of Moses (Lev 25:1-7) that every seventh year they were to let the land lay fallow-rest and not cultivate it.

For 490 years Israel neglected that law forcing God to hold them captive in Babylon for 70 years thus giving the land her Sabbaths. The prophet Jeremiah was an eye witness to the destruction of Jerusalem beginning around 598 BC. As the prophet Daniel is taken away to Babylon, with him go the scrolls of Jeremiah, the scroll of Isaiah and the books of Moses.  (Daniel 9:2).

Go back to the beginning of this article and read the decree of King Cyrus. According to Josephus, the Jewish historian, when Cyrus conquered Babylon the Jews presented him with the scroll of Isaiah where he was astounded  to read “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.”’ Isaiah 44:28.

Now keep in mind that the prophet Isaiah wrote these words 180-200 years before Cyrus entered Babylon and wrote his decree. Can you imagine how Cyrus must have felt as he continues reading the scroll of Isaiah “Thus says the Lord to His anointed, To Cyrus, whose right hand I have held- To subdue nations before him And loose the armor of kings, To open before him the double doors, So that the gates will not be shut: “Isaiah 45:1.

 Cyrus’ spirit must have been stirred up as he reads the 200 year old text naming him by name! “That you may know that I, the Lord, who called you by name, Am the God of Israel. For Jacob My servant’s sake, And Israel My elect, I have even called you by your name; I have named you, though you have not known Me. I am the Lord, and there is no other; There is no God besides Me,” Isaiah 45:3-5

So my prayer is that there will be someone reading this who will believe for the first time that there is a God in heaven who loves them and will ask to receive His salvation putting their trust in Jesus Christ for the very first time.