October 539 B.C. Cyrus conquered
Babylon. He reigned over Persia from 550-530. The same words of Ezra 1 parallel
the closing words of 2 Chronicles. In
Ezra, the history of redemption continues. Jeremiah had prophesied 70 years of
captivity in Babylon (Jer. 25.11-12; 29.10).
From 605 B.C. when the captives were first deported to 538 when Cyrus
issued his decree to return is 67 years. There may have been preliminary
deportations before 605 three to four years earlier. The phrase below shows the main theme of the
book of Ezra: God sovereignly works through responsible, believing and
committed covenant peoples to accomplish His redemptive plan (6.22; 7.27). In the words of Proverbs 21.1, in application
to the King of Persia and Babylon, “The king’s hear it is the hands of the
LORD; He turns it wherever He wishes.”
Ezra
1.1-4: “1 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,
2 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. 3 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. 4 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.”
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