Isaiah 44:28 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.”’
Some theologians suspect that the Book of Isaiah had two authors because of the change in tone starting with chapter 40, and also because of others like it in chapter 45. The prophet mentions a person by name, Cyrus who will order the reconstruction of Jerusalem. This was Cyrus the Great, Ruler of Persia who ascended his throne 150 years this prophecy was written. Thus, the Lord reveals the political ruler who will release Israel from captivity over a century before he gains his throne, and He does so by name.
This wasn’t the first time something like this happened. An unknown prophet in 1 Kings spoke of Josiah, a king that would put a stop to idolatry in Israel. He did, three hundred years later. (1 Kings 13:1-2; 2 Kings 23:15-16)
There may be more to this than two rare instances of prophecy using a specific name. Revelation speaks of the Lamb’s Book of Life, in which everyone saved by grace is named. (Revelation 20:12-15). It is a great comfort to know a God who names people years before they are born, and who has a book with the names of everyone who loves Christ, which, I trust, includes ours as well.
No comments:
Post a Comment