My Name Is Cyrus...

Called by some Cyrus the Great

To all those who serve the God of Israel,

I am Cyrus, called by some Cyrus the Great, the ruler of the vast Persian Empire from 550 BC to my passing in 530 BC. Though I was not born under the covenant of Abraham, nor did I partake in the traditions of Moses, my reign became inexplicably intertwined with the fate of the Jewish people and the fulfillment of prophecies from their sacred scriptures.

It was by my hand that the formidable Babylonian Empire fell, and with it, the chains of the Jewish captivity were broken. “I am the Lord, the God of heaven, who gave them to me; and I have commanded you to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.” (Ezra 1:2, KJV)

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I, a king raised in the Zoroastrian faith, found myself compelled by a power greater than the gods I knew, to decree the return of the Jewish people to their homeland and to rebuild the temple destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar. This edict was not born merely of political strategy or benevolence but of a divine stirring within my spirit, a recognition of a Sovereign greater than any earthly ruler.

“The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Any of his people among you may go up, and may the Lord their God be with them.” (2 Chronicles 36:23, NIV)

In my years of rule, I have conquered nations and subdued kings, but the God of Israel, invisible and omnipotent, has conquered my intentions and steered them towards His divine purpose. “He is my shepherd and will accomplish all that I please; he will say of Jerusalem, ‘Let it be rebuilt,’ and of the temple, ‘Let its foundations be laid.’” (Isaiah 44:28, NIV)

To you, believers in this God, I offer my story as a testament to His sovereignty over kings and kingdoms. As ruler of the Persian Empire, my heart could have been hardened like Pharaoh’s in Egypt, yet it was moved to show mercy and to fulfill a role in a story much larger than my own.

Do not underestimate the ways of your God, for He can use even those outside your faith to bring about His will. My legacy, though marked by military conquests and political achievements, is forever etched in the history of your people as a vessel through which your God brought restoration and hope.

Reflect upon this: "The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will." (Proverbs 21:1, ESV) My reign is evidence that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men and gives it to whomever He wills. (Daniel 4:32)

As I near the end of my earthly journey, I see now more clearly that power, wealth, and dominion are transient. What endures is the decree of the Almighty, His plans for His people, and His unending faithfulness.

May you find encouragement in my story, a narrative of a pagan king who was used as an instrument in the hands of a powerful and mysterious God. Let it be a reminder that no earthly power, no matter how grand, stands outside the dominion of the Lord of hosts.

In the twilight of my reign, contemplating the divine,

Cyrus, King of Persia.

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