Cyrus raised up as an instrument in the hand of the Lord to liberate the captive Israelites.

Isaiah 41:25-29

Click for a description of the mark of the beast.
Click for a description of the image of the beast.

Cyrus was a pure-bred Persian Gentile, not related to the Jewish culture in any way shape or form. God raised him up to liberate the Israelites from their earthly captivity to Babylon. God’s power over nations and rulers, to make them an instrument in His hand, is the foremost subject of the prophecy of the coming of Cyrus. The coming of Christ Jesus is prophesied about in the post on Isaiah 42:1-9, “I am the Lord, that is My name; And My glory I will not give to another,” Isaiah 42:8

“He uncovers deep things out of darkness, and brings the shadow of death to light. He makes nations great, and destroys them; He enlarges nations, and guides them.” Job 12:22-25

“I have raised up one from the north, and he will come; From the rising of the sun he will call on My name; And he will come against princes as though mortar, as the potter treads clay.” Isaiah 41:25

The Spirit of the Lord is making it clear that He raises up whom He wants to in order to fulfill His purpose in this world. The most powerful forces in this world are nothing but putty in His hand. That includes powerful leaders of powerful nations. The one He raised up from the north and from the east was Cyrus.

Even though Cyrus did not know Him, God knew him by name before He was even born, ““Thus says the Lord to His anointed, to Cyrus…I have even called you by your name; I have named you, though you have not known Me… I will gird you, though you have not known Me, that they may know from the rising of the sun to its setting that there is none besides Me. I am the Lord, and there is no other; I make peace and create calamity; I, the Lord, do all these things. I form the light and create darkness,’” Isaiah 45:1, 4-7 Click for the post from Isaiah 45:1-7 about Cyrus.

The prophecy of Isaiah, about Cyrus, was fulfilled about 150 years after the prophecy was spoken. For about 150 years, the name of Cyrus remained in the scriptures as the one who would free the Israelites from captivity to Babylon. Envision the astonishment of the Israelites when a ruler named Cyrus conquered Babylon! “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. 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.” Isaiah 45:1-4 By subduing the Babylonian Empire, the “double doors” and “gates” were opened to release the Israelites from their captivity to Babylon.

Cyrus was the one from the north and from the east [from the rising of the sun]. The military campaign of Cyrus raised up in the north as he entered the Babylonian Empire through Mesopotamia. Cyrus was from Persia to the east of the Babylonian Empire. All of that is seen on the map below. Cyrus came against princes as though mortar, as the potter treads clay, referring to his victory over the Babylonian Empire and other nations

Cyrus called on the name of the Lord, referring to how he was receptive to releasing the Israelites from captivity, being supportive in rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem, and in returning everything that belonged in the temple of Jerusalem. “Who says of Cyrus, ‘He is My shepherd, and he will perform all My pleasure, saying to Jerusalem, “You will be built,” and to the temple, “Your foundation will be laid.”’ Isaiah 44:28

“I, even I, have spoken; yes, I have called him. I will bring him, and he will succeed in his mission...From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a distant land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do.” – Isaiah 46:11 – Isaiah 48:15

Released the Israelites from captivity: “I will raise up Cyrus in righteousness, and I will make all his ways straight. He will rebuild My city and set My exiles free, but not for payment or reward, says the LORD of Hosts” Isaiah 45:13 

Supported the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem: “In the first year of King Cyrus, the king issued a decree concerning the temple of God in Jerusalem: ‘Let the temple be rebuilt as a place to offer sacrifices and let its foundations be laid.’” – Ezra 6:3

Returned articles to the temple in Jerusalem: “Also, the gold and silver articles of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple that was in Jerusalem and carried into the temple of Babylon—those King Cyrus took from the temple of Babylon, and they were given to one named Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor. And he said to him, ‘Take these articles; go, carry them to the temple site that is in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be rebuilt on its former site.’ Ezra 5:14-15

From Ezra chapters 1:1 through 10:14 is all about the rebuilding of the temple, including the involvement of Cyrus in helping to make it happen. “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 it in writing, saying…” Ezra 1:1

From Ezra 1:2–4 and also recorded in 2 Chronicles 36:23, “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.

Daniel had been in captivity to Babylon for 70 years, so he was in the age of his 80’s when Cyrus conquered Babylon. In the very first year of the rule of Cyrus, Daniel began to search the scriptures to verify that Cyrus would be the one to release the Israelites from captivity. He found the passage in Jeremiah that the captivity would last for seventy years! “In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the lineage of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans— in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, understood by the books the number of the years specified by the word of the Lord through Jeremiah the prophet, that He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.” Daniel 9:1-2 “This is what the Lord says: ‘When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place.’” – Jeremiah 29:10

Daniel was released from captivity to the Babylonians in the first year of the reign of Cyrus, “Thus Daniel continued until the first year of King Cyrus.” Daniel 1:21 In the third year of the reign of Cyrus, after he had been released from captivity, Daniel had another vision, “In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a message was revealed to Daniel…” Daniel 10:1 Click for a post on Daniel 10.

“Who has declared from the beginning, that we may know? And former times, that we may say, ‘He is righteous’? Surely there is no one who shows, surely there is no one who declares, surely there is no one who hears your words.” Isaiah 41:26

Our Lord God has declared from the beginning, before it comes to pass, that we may know. Envision how the Israelites felt when a ruler named Cyrus did conquer Babylon! They certainly would have been excited in their expectation about the prophecy of their release from captivity to Babylon. Even Daniel, when Cyrus came to power, immediately began to search scriptures to verify the number of years before the release of the Israelites. It was 70 years, exactly the amount of time when Cyrus came to power!

Today, as followers of Jesus Christ, we know the scriptures, and we are astonished to see the fulfillment of scriptures happening in front of our eyes. The beast described in Revelations 13 is in the world today and gives breath/life to the image of the beast to speak by speaking and living through people. The beast does that by the power over physiology to give people what to say, do, think, and feel. Global warming is even in the world, which is the Fourth Plague of Revelations 16:8-9. Our Lord Jesus will be returning to release us from captivity to this world and to the grave and bring us home with Him into the eternal New Jerusalem. Those who are still alive when He returns will meet with Him in the sky, along with all the resurrected Believers.

The Spirit of the Lord has declared from a long time ago, from the beginning of His written word, what would happen in the days we are living in. The Lord reveals those prophecies to us so that we can declare, “He is righteous”. We live in a world today where “All who dwell on the earth will worship [the beast], whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” Revelations 13:8 Except we who live for the testimony of Jesus…there is no one who shows, surely there is no one who declares, surely there is no one who hears the word of the Lord.

“These words are faithful and true.” And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show His servants the things which must shortly take place.” Revelations 22:6

“The first time I said to Zion, ‘Look, there they are!’ And I will give to Jerusalem one who brings good tidings. For I looked, and there was no man; I looked among them, but there was no counselor, who, when I asked of them, could answer a word. Indeed they are all worthless; Their works are nothing; Their molded images are wind and confusion.” Isaiah 41:25-29

Our Lord Jesus, through His word and in the presence of the Holy Spirit, shows us plainly the appearing of the government of the beast and those of its global culture, as He says, “Look, there they are!” They are those who live by the beast that gives them what to say, do, think, and feel. The beast gives breath/life to the image of the image of the beast to speak by speaking and living through people. By what they are given to say and do they are conformed to the mark, name, number of the beast. They are egocentric in the way they exalt themselves above belief in God. They feel no remorse and no need for the remission of sin through Jesus Christ. They oppose, ridicule, and manipulate the presence of the Holy Spirit as they detest the life of Holiness. The world fills with anti-social activity, with no empathy for others within their superficial charm.

Those who turn away from the word of the Lord are worthless to Him. That is exactly what our Lord Jesus Christ was saying to the Pharisees and the scribes in Matthew 23, that they were worthless. Jesus said this to them, “…woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in… you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.” Matthew 23:13, 15

There was no man worthy on this earth to bring the Good News from the Kingdom of God. Not a man on this earth could give an answer to reveal the prophecies of the Bible. Their works are nothing. Then, God sent His Son, Jesus, the Christ, to bring the Good News, and He is the word of God made flesh, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14

Our Lord Jesus is the fulfillment of prophecy, and He is the one who is able to open the seals of all prophecy, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals…in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain…then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne, “You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; For You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us kings and priests to our God…” Revelations 5:5-7, 9-10

“…the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” Revelations 19:10 If we want to know where the world is within prophecy we only have to see where Jesus is within the world.

Those of today’s culture live in darkness as they choose to live by the beast that gives them what to say, do, think, and feel. That beast will never share the Light of the word of God through them. Instead, they oppose belief in God, reject Christ Jesus, and do not want the presence of the Holy Spirit to be part of who they are. “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.” John 1:19

The beast they serve is their molded image of wind and confusion. Satan masquerades as an angel of light to instill confusion, strife, and conflict, “And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.” 2 Corinthians 11:14-15 “These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots; raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.” Jude 1:12-13

“For God is not the author of confusion but of peace…”1 Corinthians 14:13

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“….to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets,
‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.
I am coming soon. 
Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.’”
Revelation 2:24-25, 3:1