The Anointed One
“Thus says the Lord to His anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have grasped, to subdue nations before him and to loose the belts of kings, to open doors before him that gates may not be closed” (Isaiah 45:1). May grace and peace be yours from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! Cyrus , king of Persia, conquered the mighty Babylonian Empire in 539 BC. The victory was unexpectedly easy given Babylon’s reputation for brutality. As his army surrounded the city, the priests of Marduk surrendered, proclaimed Cyrus Marduk’s chosen ruler , and opened the gates for his peaceful entry . The Babylonians had destroyed Jerusalem and its temple and deported the Jews from Judah and Jerusalem. The prophets explained that this devastation was God’s judgment on His people for disobeying His Word and failing to worship Him faithfully. Scripture does not tell us exactly what happened, but imagine the scene : Cyrus, dressed in royal spl...