OUR LORD WHOSE SCRIPTURE IS ALWAYS FULFILLED

The city of Jerusalem was surrounded by Nebuchadnezzar's army. The prophet Jeremiah warned the king of Judah to surrender to the invading forces or else their city would be destroyed, many people would be killed and the rest would be taken as captives back to Babylon.

The king of Judah refused to surrender and the city was overrun. Nebuchadnezzar had the city destroyed and took many captives back to Babylon.

Jeremiah's prophetic writings also foretold, in Jeremiah chapter 25 verse 12,  that the bondage to Babylon would last 70 years.

When 70 years had passed, the prophet Daniel, who was among those held in bondage in Babylon, asked the Lord to remember His people when he realised that their time in bondage was completed.

It turns out that the Lord already had a plan in place to redeem His people and it is found in Isaiah chapter 45 verses 12 - 13 which says this;

It is I who made the earth and created mankind on it. My own hands stretched out the heavens;

I marshaled their starry hosts. I will raise up Cyrus in my righteousness: I will make all his ways straight.

He will rebuild my city and set my exiles free, but not for a price or reward, says the Lord Almighty.”

Chapter 45 of the book of Isaiah is a prophetic announcement of the coming of a man named Cyrus who would be guided by the Lord in paths of righteousness.

Even though this man Cyrus would not know God, he would do the will of God and free God's people from bondage in Babylon and rebuild the city of Jerusalem.

In 2 Chronicles chapter 36 verses 22 - 23, this prophecy was fulfilled where Cyrus, as conquerer of Babylon, gave the order to rebuild the city Jerusalem and he also released God's people to return home. The passage reads as follows;

In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill 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: 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.’”

This astonishing prophecy where Cyrus was called out by name many years before he was even born, was likely shown to Cyrus by the prophet Daniel when Cyrus conquered Babylon.

The Lord had prepared a man of great military power to rise and to charge into Babylon where God's people were being held captive.

Cyrus, who himself was a fulfillment of scripture, freed the children of Israel in Babylon to return home which was a fulfillment of the scriptures written by the prophet Jeremiah.

Amen.

References; www.Gotquestions.org