THE DECREE. Ezra 1:2 Twenty-two times in the Old Testament, the phrase, “The Lord God of heaven,” is used. Seventeen of those instances appear in Ezra, Nehemiah, and Daniel, highlighting the importance of these final accounts of Israel’s history before the Jews entered a long dark period. Prophecy given more than a century earlier by Isaiah had been fulfilled. The seventy years of captivity had been completed, and the time of restoration had arrived. As Isaiah had prophesied, Cyrus issued the decree given to him by the Lord God of heaven, allowing the Jews to return to their ancestral land.
This decree reminds us that God always keeps His promises, and He can use whoever He wants to fulfill His word and prophecy to accomplish His own purposes. Recovery, revival, and restoration begin with God working in the hearts of people. It is a fact that Cyrus wanted this restoration to happen, but likely for political reasons and for the safety of his kingdom. It would be advantageous to him, but there was also a respectful fear of the Lord regarding the man.
His description of God as the Lord is important. He acknowledged an authority greater than himself. He knew he had been given “all the kingdoms of the earth” by the Lord God of heaven. He understood that, even though he was a powerful leader among the nations, he was still under the authority of the Lord God of heaven. God is not identified with the temple because the glory had long since departed.
Ezekiel saw the glory of God lift from the temple, where it briefly paused to see if the Israelites would turn away from idolatry. The same thing happened when God’s glory paused at the city wall and again at the Mount of Olives. But the people of God didn’t repent and turn to Him, so His glory went up to heaven and was not seen again until the Lord Jesus Christ came to earth “found in fashion as a man.”
When He was on earth, the glory of God was here but veiled. Jesus was the true God, but He also came as a man among men. He was a king when He was despised and rejected by men. He was a king when He was crucified with His title over Him, “Jesus of Nazareth, the king of the Jews.” He was born a king, was a king while He lived among men, performed miracles, taught divine truth, was arrested, condemned, crucified, and He was a king when He was buried. He arose from the dead as the king and ascended into heaven as the glorified king. He will return as the king and then He will be recognized as “The King of kings, and Lord of lords.”
The same One who is seated at God’s right hand, a Prince and a Savior, a Great High Priest, Mediator, and Intercessor, is the Lord God of heaven who “charged” Cyrus to build Him a “house” at Jerusalem. The Gentile king acted on that command; perhaps he may have even come to know and believe in Him through the ministry of Daniel. He was the one who gave the Jews, who had seventy years in captivity, permission to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. Jesus is truly the King of kings.
Additionally, Cyrus readily obeyed the word of the Lord. Some compare this to scenes related to the millennium and the restoration of the kingdom of Israel at the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. Cyrus was moved by the Lord to rebuild the temple and took action to make this happen.