GOD NAMED A KING 150 YEARS BEFORE HE WAS BORN

GOD NAMED A KING 150 YEARS BEFORE HE WAS BORN: Around 700 BC, the prophet Isaiah recorded God speaking about a future ruler of the Persian Empire. God didn’t merely describe what this man would do. He called him by name. “Thus says the LORD to His anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have held…” (Isaiah 45:1) At the time Isaiah wrote this, Cyrus did not yet exist. He would not be born for another century and a half. Yet God said this future pagan king would conquer nations, break down bronze gates, defeat Babylon, release the Jewish captives, rebuild Jerusalem, and fund the rebuilding of the Temple. “He shall build My city and let My captives go…” (Isaiah 45:13) History later caught up to prophecy. Cyrus the Great was born around 600 BC. In 539 BC he conquered Babylon. In 538 BC he issued a decree that freed the Jewish exiles and ordered the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the Temple. “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: The LORD God of heaven has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem…” (Ezra 1:2) Exactly as Isaiah foretold. Then comes the line that should stop every skeptic cold. “I call you by your name, I have named you, though you have not known Me.” (Isaiah 45:4) Cyrus did not worship the God of Israel. He was a pagan king. Yet God called him “My anointed” and used him as His chosen instrument to restore Israel. This is not vague prophecy. This is not symbolic poetry. This is not lucky guessing. This is God naming a man before he was born, assigning his mission, controlling empires, and moving kings like pieces on a chessboard to fulfill His promises. “I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning…” (Isaiah 46:9–10) The same God who named Cyrus also named the Messiah. The same God who raised Cyrus also raised Jesus. And the same God who controlled history then is still in control today. - More Joy Ministries #MoreJoyMinistries