"Thus says the Lord to His anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have held, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two-leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut; I will go before you, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron: And I will give you the treasurers of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that you may know that I, the Lord, which call you by your 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 surnamed you, though you have not known me. I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded you, though you have not known me: That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the Lord, and there is none else. I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things." (Isaiah 45:1-7)
The Foreknowledge of God
When Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, had a dream describing a calamity that was to befall him, he was told that it was to let him "know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomsoever He will." (Daniel 4:25)
In the scripture before us we have a wonderful example of the truth of this, and also an illustration of the fact that nothing happens by chance, and takes God by surprise, but is provided for long beforehand. Isaiah prophesied "in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah." (Isaiah 1:1)
Hezekiah reigned 29 years (2 Chronicles 29:1) and as he lived 15 years after his great illness, (Isaiah 38) we know that he had reigned 14 years at that time. But Isaiah had at that time been prophesying at least 46 years, for Jotham and Ahaz had each reigned 16 years. (2 Chronicles 27:1; 28:1) We know not certainly how long Isaiah prophesied in the reign of Uzziah, but the 6th chapter seems to indicate that he began in the last year of his reign.
The point is that in 714 BC, which was about the date of Isaiah's special message to Hezekiah, Isaiah had been prophesying between 45 and 50 years; and that as he did not prophesy later than Hezekiah's reign, he died before the year 698 BC. We are therefore safe in putting the date of the scripture which we have before us as not later than 712 BC.
Of what importance is this fact? It shows the minuteness of God's foreknowledge, and the perfection of His plans for the salvation of His people. Babylon was captured by Cyrus in the year 538 BC, when he was 61 years old. We find therefore that Cyrus was named, and his work was described in detail, more than 130 years before he was born, and about 184 years before the work was done.
That is to say, more than 100 years before the children of Israel were carried captive to Babylon, the Lord had not only foretold their release from captivity, but had named the man who should be instrumental in setting them free, and had given a minute description of the incidents of the capture of the city. In view of this, how forcible are the words, "I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me." (Isaiah 45:5)
The Siege of Babylon
In order that the exactness of the prophecy may be better appreciated by the reader, we quote the following brief account of the capture of Babylon from Rawlinson's Great Monarchies.
It may be necessary to state, for the aid of some, that Babylon was very large, surrounded by a wall of immense height and thickness, and stored with provisions sufficient to last twenty years. The river Euphrates passed through the city, dividing it into two parts, but there was also a wall on each side of the river, the whole length of its passage through the city, and the twenty-five streets which led across the river were enclosed by huge gates of brass.
Having described the progress of Cyrus to Babylon, against which his army began a seemingly hopeless siege, Rawlinson continues:
Withdrawing the greater part of his army from the vicinity of the city, and leaving behind him only certain corps of observation, Cyrus marched away up the course of the Euphrates for a certain distance, and there proceeded to make a vigorous use of the spade. His soldiers could now appreciate the value of the experience which they had gained by dispersing the Gyndes, and perceived that the summer and autumn of the preceding year had not been wasted. They dug a channel or channels from the Euphrates, by means of which a great portion of its water would be drawn off, and hoped in this way to render the natural course of the river fordable.
When all was prepared, Cyrus determined to wait for the arrival of a certain festival, during which the whole population were wont to engage in drinking and reveling, and then silently in the dead of night to turn the water of the river and make his attack. All fell out as he hoped and wished. The festival was held with even greater pomp and splendor than usual; for Belshazzar, with the natural insolence of youth, to mark his contempt of the besieging army, abandoned himself wholly to the delights of the season, and himself entertained a thousand lords in his palace. Elsewhere the rest of the population was occupied in feasting and dancing. Drunken riot and mad excitement held possession of the town; the siege was forgotten; ordinary precautions were neglected. Following the example of their king, the Babylonians gave themselves up for the night to orgies in which religious frenzy and drunken excess formed a strange and revolting medley.
Meanwhile, outside the city, in silence and darkness, the Persians watched at the two points where the Euphrates entered and left the walls. Anxiously they noted the gradual sinking of the water in the riverbed; still more anxiously they watched to see if those within the walls would observe the suspicious circumstance and sound an alarm through the town. Should such an alarm be given, all their labors would be lost. If, when they entered the riverbed, they found the river walls manned and the river-gates fast-locked, they would be indeed caught in a trap. Enfiladed on both sides by an enemy whom they could neither see nor reach, they would be overwhelmed and destroyed by his missiles before they could succeed in making their escape. But as they watched, no sounds of alarm reached them--only a confused noise of revel and riot, which showed that the unhappy townsmen were quite unconscious of the approach of danger.
At last shadowy forms began to emerge from the obscurity of the deep river-bed, and on the landing places opposite the river gates scattered clusters of men grew into solid columns--the undefended gateways were seized--a war shout was raised--the alarm was taken and spread--and swift runners started off to show the king of Babylon that his city was taken at one end. (Jeremiah 1:31)
In the darkness and confusion of the night a terrible massacre ensued. The drunken revelers could make no resistance. The king, paralyzed with fear, at the awful handwriting upon the wall, which too late had warned him of his peril, could do nothing even to check the progress of his assailants, who carried all before them everywhere. Bursting into the palace, a band of Persians made their way to the presence of the monarch, and slew him on the scene of his impious revelry. Other bands carried fire and sword through the town. When morning came, Cyrus found himself undisputed master of the city, which, if it had not despised his efforts, might with the greatest ease have baffled him.
Note the statements of the prophecy: "I will loose the loins of kings." (Isaiah 45:1)
At the very hour when Cyrus was making his entrance into the city, while Belshazzar was engaged in a wild, idolatrous feast, God caused a writing to appear on the wall of the banqueting hall.
"Then the king's countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another." (Daniel 5:6) "And the gates shall not be shut." (Isaiah 45:1)
All the skill of Cyrus, and even his stratagem of diverting the course of the river, would have availed nothing, if the gates leading to the river had not been left open. His army might have marched into the city, and out again if it could have got out, but could have inflicted no damage. But in that night of idolatrous revelry, everything was neglected and the way was open. The gods whom the princes praised gave no protection.
God Works All According to His Will
This entire prophecy is devoted to showing that there is none but God. He is the Creator and the Redeemer. He can create, and He can destroy. Nothing takes place without His counsel or consent. Everything works out His will. He makes even the wrath of man to praise Him:
"Surely the wrath of man shall praise You: the remainder of wrath shall You restrain." (Psalm 76:10)
Kings and nations think that they are controlling, and are doing their own will, when they are simply working out God's plan. We must not make the mistake of thinking that God plans all their wicked practices, but however wicked they are, however opposed to His will, they carry out His purpose even by their opposition.
It was God who said to Jerusalem, "You shall be inhabited; and to the cities of Judah, You shall be built, and I will raise up the decayed places thereof." (Isaiah 44:26)
He said it, and Cyrus was His agent in carrying it out. God also "said to the deep, Be dry," (Isaiah 44:27) and it was He who dried up the rivers. So when Cyrus was digging his channels, and turning aside the Euphrates from its bed, he was simply doing God's work. What a marvelous, awe-inspiring thought--that men are factors in the great plan of the Most High God! And how glorious when they yield themselves willingly and understandingly!
All the events of this earth's history, are not for the benefit of those who are enacting them, but for the salvation of God's people. Instead of being afraid when wars and rumours of wars and tumults come, thinking they are about to be overwhelmed, the faithful followers of God may be of good courage, knowing that out of these very alarms, and even by means of them, God is working out their deliverance.
God did his work through Cyrus, "That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me." (Isaiah 45:6)
And how widely was the name of God known in consequence? Over all the world. The kingdom of Babylon was worldwide. "You, O king, are a king of kings: for the God of heaven has given you a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven has He given into your hand, and has made you ruler over them all." (Daniel 2:37-38) "And command them to say unto their masters, Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Thus shall you say unto your masters; I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon theground, by my great power and by my outstretched arm, and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto me. And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant; and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him. And all nations shall serve him, and his son, and his son's son, until the very time of his land come: and then many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of him." (Jeremiah 27:4-7)
Of course this worldwide kingdom came under the dominion of Cyrus, and so the decree for the building of the temple ran thus: "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, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also into writing, saying, Thus says Cyrus, King of Persia, The Lord God of heaven has given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and He has charged me to build Him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all His people? 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 the God) which is in Jerusalem." (Ezra 1:1-3)
So we see that the one true God was proclaimed by Cyrus throughout all the world.
Cyrus the Israelite
"What a wonderful tribute from a heathen king!" some will exclaim.
Why do you say, "a heathen king"? True, Cyrus was a Persian. He was brought up in ignorance of the true God: but so was Abraham. "And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus says the Lord God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor: and they served other gods." (Joshua 24:2)
God revealed himself to Abraham, and he believed, and so became "The friend of God." (James 2:23)
Cyrus was surnamed by God while he was yet ignorant of Him, even long before he was born, yet he came at last to know God, and he acknowledged Him before all the world, declaring Him to be God, and confessing that he held his title from Him. What more could anybody do? If there was ever a Christian king in any land, then certainly it was Cyrus, of Persia, as well as Nebuchadnezzar, of Babylon. This man, direct from heathenism, did what the Israelites, with a long ancestry of believers failed to do.
Cyrus was, therefore, an Israelite, even by his own confession. Read his proclamation over again. He declared his belief in the Lord of heaven, who had brought him to the throne, and said, "He is the God," (Ezra 1:3) and at the same time declared Him to be "the Lord God of Israel." (Ezra 1:3)
God takes from among the Gentiles a people for His name, and Cyrus, the Persian, was one of them. It is not the flesh, but faith, that determines who are Israel. "God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that fears Him, and works righteousness, is accepted with Him." (Acts 10:34-35)--Present Truth, December 28, 1899--Isaiah 45:1-7.