07/14/08: Isaiah 44-45
God said of Cyrus, "He is my shepherd and will accomplish all that I please; he will say of Jerusalem, 'Let it be rebuilt,' and of the temple, 'Let its foundations be laid.' This is what the LORD says to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of to subdue nations before him and to strip kings of their armor, to open doors before him so that gates will not be shut" (Isaiah 44:28, 45:1). This is a prophecy about someone, Cyrus, who had not yet even been born. Now I need to give a complicated and convoluted explanation.
It was in 605 B.C. that the first Israelis were taken captive and exiled to Babylon (although the general captivity and exile of most of Israel did not take place until 586 B.C.). The Babylonians took into captivity not only Israel but the nations around it. Babylon was the greatest empire in the world at that time.
The prophet Jeremiah prophesied that these nations (including Israel) would serve the king of Babylon seventy years (Jeremiah 25:11). In the seventieth year, the prophet Daniel (who had been taken captive to Babylon as a youth) understood from Jeremiah's writings that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years (Daniel 9:2). The previous verse reads, "In the first year of Darius son of Xerxes (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonian kingdom..." (9:1). However, it is known that "Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian" (6:28). According the footnote of that verse states, "Darius, that is, the reign of Cyrus." Thus, evidently, another name for Darius was Cyrus.
At the beginning of the book of Ezra, we read, "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 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. Anyone of his people among you—may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the LORD, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem" (Ezra 1:1-3). This occurred in 535 B.C., which was seventy years following the beginning of the captivity and exile of nations to Babylon. So Isaiah first wrote of Cyrus many years before he even existed (Isaiah 44:28, 45:1,13); and Jeremiah specified that the captivity would be exactly seventy years, without actually mentioning Cyrus by name (Jeremiah 25:11).
Messianic prophecy: "Before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear" (Isaiah 45:23). This was prophetic of Jesus: "Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Phillippians 2:9-11). One day everyone, whether or not he/she embraces the Lordship of Jesus, nevertheless will be forced to confess that He is Lord.
It was in 605 B.C. that the first Israelis were taken captive and exiled to Babylon (although the general captivity and exile of most of Israel did not take place until 586 B.C.). The Babylonians took into captivity not only Israel but the nations around it. Babylon was the greatest empire in the world at that time.
The prophet Jeremiah prophesied that these nations (including Israel) would serve the king of Babylon seventy years (Jeremiah 25:11). In the seventieth year, the prophet Daniel (who had been taken captive to Babylon as a youth) understood from Jeremiah's writings that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years (Daniel 9:2). The previous verse reads, "In the first year of Darius son of Xerxes (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonian kingdom..." (9:1). However, it is known that "Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian" (6:28). According the footnote of that verse states, "Darius, that is, the reign of Cyrus." Thus, evidently, another name for Darius was Cyrus.
At the beginning of the book of Ezra, we read, "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 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. Anyone of his people among you—may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the LORD, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem" (Ezra 1:1-3). This occurred in 535 B.C., which was seventy years following the beginning of the captivity and exile of nations to Babylon. So Isaiah first wrote of Cyrus many years before he even existed (Isaiah 44:28, 45:1,13); and Jeremiah specified that the captivity would be exactly seventy years, without actually mentioning Cyrus by name (Jeremiah 25:11).
Messianic prophecy: "Before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear" (Isaiah 45:23). This was prophetic of Jesus: "Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Phillippians 2:9-11). One day everyone, whether or not he/she embraces the Lordship of Jesus, nevertheless will be forced to confess that He is Lord.
