Dreams that Change the Courses of the Nations
It is important to recap, to draw a few threads together that will set us on course to understand God's intervention through Persian empire and how to interpret the visionary Book of Daniel.
Dreams from God are extremely powerful; powerful to change the course of nations, The recipient realises the profundity the dream and calls for a wise interpreter.
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Pharoah was fortunate to have Joseph understand a dream with God's help so that famine may be prepared for, but it was also so that Israel would emerge as a nation out Egypt.
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Daniel's insight into Nebuchadnezzar's dreams, both satisfied the king and let the king know that there was a God high above all kings. Daniel's reputations grew far and wide; the king of Tyre knew of him (Ezekiel 28:3).
In Daniel 2 is Nebuchadnezzar dream of a giant statue representing the kingdoms to come, before the everlasting kingdom of God fill the earth. May be Nebuchadnezzar was at first proud to see his kingdom as the golden head, but even that would come crashing down. His kingdom was followed by one represented by the silver chest and arms. This would be the Persian and Median kingdom lead by Cyrus the Great.
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Isaiah spoke of a person called Cyrus
who says of Cyrus, '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
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“This is what the Lord says to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of to subdue nations before him and to strip kings of their armour, to open doors before him so that gates will not be shut:
I will go before you and will level the mountains;
I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron.
I will give you hidden treasures, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name.
For the sake of Jacob my servant, of Israel my chosen, I summon you by name and bestow on you a title of honour, though you do not acknowledge me.
I am the Lord, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God.
I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me, so that from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting people may know there is none besides me.
I am the Lord, and there is no other. I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the Lord, do all these things…Isaiah 45:1-7
He is referred to in the section of Isaiah that begins in chapter 40 with phrases like "prepare the way for the LORD" and "they will soar on wings like eagles" - see:
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Isaiah 41:2-4
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Isaiah 41:25
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Even Isaiah 42:1 as a precursor to Jesus
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Isaiah 43:3
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Isaiah 44:27,28
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Isaiah 45:1-8,13-14
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Isaiah 46:11
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Cyrus is named by Isaiah (a name meaind "far sighted" or "young") over 100 years before he came on the scene. The name is sometimes associated with Greek κυριος (kyrios) "lord". But Cyrus, and later his empire, was the guiding force (or 'shepherd') behind the restoration and building of Jerusalem, which would attract all the nations. There is an overwhelming scriptural emphasis pointing to this glorious nature of Zion.
However, the traditionally teaching that Ezra lived in the 5th Century BC detracts from the magnificence of God's salvation.
Listen now to what God say in Isaiah 45, a chapter that starts with Cyrus, the anointed one, who was used by God to bring an end to the Babylonian empire and is seen as the word bringing righteous and justice.
You heavens above, rain down my righteousness; let the clouds shower it down. Let the earth open wide, let salvation spring up, let righteousness flourish with it; I, the Lord, have created it. Isaiah 45:8
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Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other. By myself I have sworn, my mouth has uttered in all integrity a word that will not be revoked: Before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear. Isaiah 45:22-23
In this sense, it is understood that the purpose of the word, was to bring in the kingdom of God. It is not only to foretelling of what was to come, it also carries the power to establish what has been spoken. By engaging in the authority of scripture we start to tap into a force that brings about God’s purposes. The word began before Daniel was ever born, was purposed right from the beginning, in the mind of God and has slowly been revealed to mortal man. And it is the revelation of Jesus. He is the one who would bring righteousness for our sake. Daniel was there at the right time and place to see the tide turn with the entrance of Cyrus. Listen to these words recorded on the Cyrus Cylinder, a copy of which resides at the UN headquarters in New York.
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“…I announce that I will respect the traditions, customs and religions of the nations of my empire and never let any of my governors and subordinates look down on or insult them while I am alive. From now on…, I never let anyone oppress any others, and if it occurs, I will take his or her right back and penalize the oppressor.”
“I will never let anyone take possession of movable and landed properties of the others by force or without compensation. While I am alive, I prevent unpaid, forced labour. Today, I announce that everyone is free to choose a religion. People are free to live in all regions and take up a job provided that they never violate other’s rights.”
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In 539 BC [1], the writing was literally on the wall for the Babylonians, Babylon fell to the Persian and Median armies and Cyrus put Darius the Mede in charge of the kingdom of Babylon.
That very night Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians, was slain, and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom, at the age of sixty-two. Daniel 5:30-31
This point in time stands out in the repeated verses at the transition from 2 Chronicles to the beginning of the book of Ezra. Here we shouldn't miss God's intervention.
In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfil the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing:
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This is what Cyrus king of Persia says:
“‘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 36:22-23 = Ezra 1:1-3
Who was Darius the Mede?
In the first year of Darius son of Xerxes (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonian kingdom. Daniel 9:1 NIV
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In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, by descent a Mede, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldean. Daniel 9:1 ESV
As noted before Xerxes (Greek) or Ahasuerus (Hebrew) was a title meaning 'king of kings' or 'lord of lords'. Wikipedia provides reference suggesting that Darius the Mede is Cyaxares II, the son of Astyages, the last king of the Medes. [2]
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"Josephus names Astyages as the father of Darius the Mede, and the description of the latter as uncle and father-in-law of Cyrus by mediaeval Jewish commentators matches that of Cyaxares II, who is said to be the son of Astyages by Xenophon. Thus this Ahasuerus is commonly identified with Astyages."
Astyages the last king of the Medes defeated by Cyrus, 550 BC
Astyages was the ‘last’ king of Median Empire. Astyages because of a dream that his daughter’s son (Cyrus) would be dangerous to him, married off Mandane, a Mede, to the Persian Cambyses I whom he thought of lower social rank.
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Herodotus seems to fabricate a story around Cyrus to then explain the later fact that when Astyages troops went to march against the army of Cyrus they revolted and Astyages was taken prisoner (550BC). As Cyrus swept west to put down the Lydians in 547 BC, he came across the son of Astyages, Cyaxares II. It is noted by Xenophon that Cyaxares II gave he is daughter, with Media as dowry, and in return Cyrus promised to Cyaxares II (Darius the Mede) a palace in Babylon by which to rule [3]. Finally, it would be the marriage between Cyrus' daughter, Atossa, and Darius I that would unify 3 ancient lines (Medes considered themselves to be Aryan). [4]
Footnotes:
[1] Fall of Babylon
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fall_of_Babylon
[2] Ahasuerus
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahasuerus
[3] Cyaxares II
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyaxares_II
[4] Iranian History/The Medes and the Early Achaemenids
https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Iranian_History/The_Medes_and_the_Early_Achaemenids
[5] Cyrus the Great