Thursday: Cyrus, the Anointed
Daily Lesson for Thursday 26th of June 2025
When Cyrus sacked the city of Babylon, the years of captivity for God’s people were over, and the Persians permitted the Jews to return to the Promised Land and rebuild the temple. Under Cyrus, the Persian Empire became the largest in history, with what historian Tom Holland calls “the largest agglomeration of territories that the world had ever seen.”—Dominion (New York: Basic Books, 2019), p. 25.
As was the custom among the Persians, Cyrus was even called “the Great King” or “King of kings.”
Image © The Classic Bible Art Collection – Formerly Standard Publishing at Goodsalt.com
Cyrus foreshadows what will happen when Christ returns for His church: He is the King who comes from the east (compare with Matthew 24:27), waging war against Babylon, and liberating His people finally to escape from Babylon and return to the Land of Promise. (See Revelation 19:11-16.) This is why God refers to Cyrus as “His anointed” (Isaiah 45:1, NKJV); not only did this famous Persian liberate God’s people, but his campaign against Babylon is also a type of Christ’s second coming.
Read 2 Chronicles 36:22-23. In what ways does the story of Cyrus parallel that of Nebuchadnezzar? In what ways does it differ? What is the significance of the decree? After all, how did it impact the whole first coming of Jesus centuries later?
The original order of Old Testament books has been changed in our day to end with Malachi, but originally, this is where the Old Testament ended—with this declaration from Cyrus. The next episode in the canon of Scripture would be Matthew, which begins with the birth of Christ, the antitypical Cyrus. Cyrus would orchestrate the rebuilding of the earthly temple; Jesus would inaugurate His ministry in the heavenly sanctuary, leading up to His return and our liberation.
Cyrus, of course, was not a perfect representation of Christ; no type lines up perfectly with antitype, and we must be careful not to read too much into every tiny detail. Nevertheless, he broadly functions as a type of “Savior.”
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How fascinating that God would use a pagan king in such a marked manner to do His will. Despite how things appear to us on the outside, how can we learn the truth that, long term, the Lord is going to bring about end-time events as prophesied? |
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It is profoundly amazing to see how God displays His sovereign power. He controls time, history and all human events. How God can anoint a pagan king to accomplish His divine purpose is something to behold. “This is what the Lord says to Cyrus, his anointed one, whose right hand he will empower. Before him, mighty kings will be paralyzed with fear. Their fortress gates will be opened, never to shut again” (Isaiah 45:1, NLT). The Prophet Isaiah, named Cyrus by name many years before he was born and clearly highlighting his divine mission. God continued to display His supreme power by declaring the following:
“I will raise up Cyrus to fulfil my righteous purpose, and I will guide his actions. He will restore my city and free my captive people without seeking a reward! I, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, have spoken!” (Isaiah 45:13, NLT).
There are great spiritual lessons to learn from this episode. However, I would like to highlight just one; God cares about worship and restoration. King Cyrus’s decree to free the Children of Israel was not about political freedom, but it was more to do with the rebuilding of the temple, restoring worship and rekindling covenant relationship. God cares whom we worship and wants to establish a covenantal relationship with us. Worship is an expression of a relationship with God that demonstrates loyalty, reverence, love, and trust. By rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem, God was yearning to have a meaningful and loving relationship with the Children of Israel. Worship brings us closer to God. God wanted to restore the community of Israel again because He is a redemptive God. He wanted a spiritual renewal with this His people.
“Long ago the Lord said to Israel: “I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself. I will rebuild you, my virgin Israel. You will again be happy and dance merrily with your tambourines” (Jeremiah 31:3-4,NLT).
Stories captivate us because of their powerful contrasts and ultimate triumphs with light overcoming darkness, good defeating evil, and beauty redeeming the profane. These dramatic contrasts stir something deep within us, offering hope and a sense of justice fulfilled. This is why we admire narratives like Romeo & Juliet, Twilight, or even Angry Birds because the greater the adversity, the sweeter the victory. The gospel story, too, follows this familiar dramatic plot and has even deeper contrasts and more sense of success.
Like the story of King Cyrus, the gospel unfolds in unexpected ways. Cyrus' rise to power required the fall of Belshazzar (Daniel 5), just as Christ’s path to victory came through a shameful cross. Jesus, the King of Israel, was born not in a palace but in a manger (Luke 2:7), greeted not by nobles but by shepherds and foreigners (Luke 2:15–16, Matthew 2:1–2), while Israel was under the rule of a pagan king (Matthew 2:1). These sharp contrasts highlight a divine pattern: salvation often emerges from situations that appear hopeless. Just as Cyrus was a deliverer for Israel despite being a Gentile king, so too does Jesus enter broken situations to bring deliverance, even when the setting was entirely unsuitable for a king.
The gospel drama is not just a good story it is the story of life, hope, and redemption. Jesus enters human suffering not as an observer but as a main actor. Isaiah 61:1 proclaims his mission: “to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives.” Where we see darkness, he brings light; where we see defeat, he brings victory. In the same way Cyrus’ rise brought freedom to the Jews (Ezra 1:1–4), Christ’s entry into the world brings eternal salvation to all who believe. These parallels are stark contrasts—where the unexpected becomes the foundation for a lasting and glorious triumph.
Cyrus is one of the more interesting characters in history. While he was a kingdom builder, he also supported the idea of localised autonomy. His role in re-establishing the Jewish nation and building the Second Temple is an example of this approach to politics. The Jews, of course, see him as messianic in some respects.
I thought that this idea was a little aside, but it has turned out to be more like the main theme. The name we use, Cyrus, is the Latinised form. Cyrus is believed by some scholars to have been an Elamite in origin and his name would have been Kurus, which means "he who bestows care".
I rather like that little piece of etymology because it fits the role he played in Jewish history and also in our application, a type of the Messiah.
And, if we need to spell out the takeaway lesson for us; the role of Christians today should be, "those who bestow care". That is sometimes forgotten in our push to become "Gospel Influencers" and Christian politicians. What manner of people ought we to be?
Today, many Christians are mistakenly comparing deeply flawed political leaders they believe are carrying out God’s will to Cyrus, the Persian king. The argument goes: If God could use a pagan king like Cyrus to fulfill His divine purposes, then He can also use a morally compromised leader today to accomplish His will.
However, this reasoning poses serious biblical and theological flaws:
1. Overlooking Moral Accountability: While God may indeed use imperfect people, Scripture never excuses immoral behavior. Throughout the Bible, prophets consistently rebuked kings—even those appointed or favored by God—when they sinned (e.g., Nathan confronting David in 2 Samuel 12). The Bible does not teach that the ends justify the means.
2. Undermining Public Witness and Integrity: When Christians overlook or excuse immoral conduct for the sake of political advantage, they compromise the credibility of the gospel. It communicates that power and influence are more important than character and holiness. Our testimony loses its power when it is entangled with the defense of unrighteousness.
3. Confusing God’s Sovereignty with Human Endorsement: Yes, God can sovereignly use anyone—even those who do not honor Him—to fulfill His purposes (Proverbs 21:1). However, recognizing God's ability to work through flawed individuals is not the same as endorsing or defending their behavior. There is a critical distinction between acknowledging God's providence and actively supporting or justifying un-Christlike actions.
In Conclusion: Christians are called to be people of truth, integrity, and righteousness—not just in private but in public life as well.
So amazing how God works o accomplish His will. When His people turn against Him, He uses a pagan as His instrument of punishment. When the punishment is done, He still uses a pagan to restore us.
As Romans 13:1 reveals and I explain. If you have an oppressive ruler in your country, your relationship with God might be wanting.
The Scriptures declare, with an accuracy of four hundred years before, that Cyrus was to come. Which means God is in control of everything, including the political scene. God's plans are always carried out and will be fulfilled forever.