It is a mystery to many how God could use a pagan king to accomplish His will and call him, “His Anointed.” When the discussion turns to President Donald Trump as a modern counterpart to the ancient king, Cyrus, the mystery deepens.

The God who created the universe is sovereign over every microsecond of every event that takes place. When we examine the initial moments of the universe, science tells us that extreme control over the expansion of gases that would later become stars and planets, was engineered, not a haphazard event.

In every corner of human history and all across the universe itself, God is in control of every leader, kingdom, galaxy, and spec of dust. The God to whom we must all give an account for our life, is magnificent beyond comprehension in His ability to know all things and make every event turn our as He planned before He made the worlds.

When we examine the background for king Cyrus, we find that God shaped him to become a man with a particular heart that was usable. After Cyrus captured Babylon, Daniel presented the scriptures of Isaiah 45 to the king. Immediately Cyrus knew that these scriptures were true and determined to do precisely what God had predicted. All of his life this great king had felt the power of God moving, guiding, and directing his life. He didn’t understand until that moment that every victory had been orchestrated by the God whom Daniel had revealed to him. When Daniel presented the words of Isaiah to Cyrus, his heart and mind were united in agreement and he recognized that God was the source of all his success in conquering the kingdoms of the world.

God had given Cyrus prosperity, not for himself, but for the glory of the Great God who created all that exists. God was calling Cyrus to free the Jews from their 70 years in captivity at Babylon, to return to their own land once again and rebuild the temple.

History records that these are the very events which transpired and that Cyrus did exactly as is described by the prophecies of Daniel, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, and others.

The following article is from my book: “Prophecies of the Messiah,” which contains over 3,000 pages of similar prophecies to those of this article. These prophecies which surround the Messiah, tell us the precise plan of God for the days in which we live and exactly what will transpire in the coming days, weeks, and months that are before us.

It is my opinion, having studies these prophecies for the last 44 years, that President Donald Trump, has already fulfilled a later fulfillment for the type of shepherd we see in king Cyrus from so long ago. Those of us who study Bible Prophecy, understand that nearly every prophecy that concerns the last days and those of Jesus the Messiah, have an earlier counterpart in ancient history. The actions of king Cyrus to help the Jews and rebuild their Temple, are very close to those that we see today in Donald Trump and his actions towards Israel and the Jews during the last year.

To the Arab nations and many other nations of the world, they have no idea what God is doing. Many oppose Trump and his idea to designate Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Some leaders believe that President Trump’s actions will cause world war, or at the very least, a middle east conflict that will result in millions of deaths. In reality, if Trump is fulfilling a later prophecy for Israel and the Jews by sending them a second Cyrus, then no one will be able to oppose him. All of his efforts will be successful and he will be hailed as a great shepherd for the Jews.

This was the plan of God for the time in which we find ourselves. Very likely, we are living during the days which are immediately before the coming of Jesus for His church as He promised. Immediately after this event, the world will enter a time of Tribulation for three and one half years, followed by a second three and one half  years of “Great Tribulation.”

This article is placed before you for the purpose of bringing you into familiarity with how God used Cyrus in the past to do the very things we are seeing today through President Trump, both for Israel, and to complete His plans and purposes for the world. Every event of the last days, centers on the Jews and the nation of Israel, just as it did in the days of king Cyrus when Israel was just coming out of their time of desolation for 70 years.

On May 14, 2018, Israel will celebrate 70 years back in their land once again in fulfillment of Ezekiel 37. The Jews are ready to rebuild their temple and complete the prophecies of Daniel’s 70th week.

The Desolations Of Israel

Our current Julian calendar date of  December 13th, corresponds to the Jewish calendar date of Tebeth, 10. From history, we known that the 10th of Tebeth in 589 B.C., began the “Desolations of Israel.[1]”

The Desolation’s of Israel ended on December 17, 520 B.C., Seven days later on the 24th day of the 9th month (December), in the 2nd year of Darius reign, he orders the rebuilding of the temple.[2] It is interesting that both secular history and the Bible tell us that this is the true date that the foundation of the second temple was laid. The first month on the Hebrew calendar is April, the ninth month would be December.

On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month (December), in the second year of Darius…  ~Haggai 2:10

“Consider now from this day forward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, from the day that the foundation of the LORD’S temple was laid—consider it:  Is the seed still in the barn? As yet the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have not yielded fruit. But from this day I will bless you.”  ~Haggai 2:18-19

When a Persian king made a law or decree, that law could not be broken even by the king himself—who made the law. The kings of Persia were considered “living gods,” their words could not be changed once they were spoken.

Despite this fact—when Cyrus King of Persia, made his decree to rebuild the temple in 536 B. at Jerusalem, that order was not carried out for another 17 years, when Darius became king in 520 B.C.

This was due primarily to a number of rules and formalities within the Persian government.

How is it possible that since the word of a living god/king—cannot be changed under any circumstance—his command was delayed by 17 years from the time he uttered the words?[3]

In Jeremiah chapter 25, the Lord speaks to the people of Judah and Jerusalem, pronouncing a judgement of “seventy years”. This judgment is called; “perpetual desolations”.

The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah (which was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon), which Jeremiah the prophet spoke to all the people of Judah and to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem…  ~Jeremiah 25:1

Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts: Because you have not heard My words, behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, says the Lord, and Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, My servant, and will bring them against this land, against its inhabitants, and against these nations all around, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, a hissing, and perpetual desolations.  ~Jeremiah 25:8

This judgement of the “desolations” occurred on August 7, 589 B.C when Nebuchadnezzar; “…burned the house of the LORD and the king’s house; all the houses of Jerusalem”, 2 Kings 25:8-9. He left Jerusalem a “Desolation”, where it remained for 70 years, until December 17, 520 B.C.[4]

Although Cyrus ordered the temple in Jerusalem to be rebuilt, in 536 B.C., this order was not carried out for another 17 years, until the 24th day of December, 520 B.C.[5] The Lord would not allow the foundation of the second temple to be laid until He had completed the 70 years of “The Desolation’s of Israel”, as He had spoken. The Word of God always supersedes the words of all kings and every word of men.

It is interesting that Cyrus order was to rebuild the temple, not the city. The actual order to rebuild the city and the walls would not come until 445 B.C. When Artaxerxes Longimanus gave the command to return and rebuild the city of Jerusalem. This command by Artaxerxes was the trigger for the countdown of Daniel 9:25. After sixty-nine, seven year periods, or 483 years; the Messiah would make His entrance at Jerusalem. This happened exactly as Daniels’ prophecy had predicted, on April 6, 32 A.D., when Jesus rode into Jerusalem and was proclaimed the Messiah.

The seventy weeks of Daniel begin with the decree of Artaxerxes—given to Nehemiah in 445 B.C. to “restore and build Jerusalem.”

Isaiah 44:28 and 45:1 describe Cyrus as the Lord’s shepherd and his anointed.

(Thus says the Lord) Who says of Cyrus, “He is My shepherd, And he shall perform all My pleasure, Saying to Jerusalem, ‘You shall be built,” And to the temple, “Your foundation shall be laid.” ’  ~Isaiah 44:24, 28

“Thus says the LORD to His anointed, To Cyrus…  ~Isaiah 45:1

What is amazing about this prophecy from Isaiah 44, is that the Lord spoke the name “Cyrus” one hundred and fifty years before he was born. This future pagan king would be the instrument that God would use to allow His people, who He had placed in captivity under Nebuchadnezzar for 70 years, to be sent back home to Jerusalem, according to Jeremiah’s prophecy.

And this whole land shall be a desolation and an astonishment, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.  ~Jeremiah 25:11

For thus says the LORD: After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place.  ~Jeremiah 29:10

Even more amazing is the fact that before Cyrus was born, the Greek historian Herodotus records that Cyrus mother, “Mandane,” suffered a sinister plot by her father, King Astyages. According to Herodotus, King Astyages had a dream that deeply troubled him. He saw his daughter Mandane with a river of water flowing from her that filled the kingdom and flooded all of Asia. When King Astyages asked for the interpretation of this dream, he was told that his daughter, the mother of Cyrus, would have a son who would take his kingdom from him.[6]

The King dispatched his servant Harpagus to kill the newborn son of his daughter. The servant could not find it in his heart to kill the child, so he gave the task to a local shepherd, who also could not bring himself to take his life. Cyrus was raised by this shepherd as his own son, and later became the king of Babylon; to whom God calls by name, one hundred and fifty years before he existed. [7]

When the Lord speaks a word of prophecy, He will not allow His word to fail. Not one of the prophecies of the Old Testament have ever failed, including the 365 that are the subject of this book.

Cyrus was born in Persia in 590 B.C. He conquered three great world-wide empires; the Medes, the Lydian’s, and the Babylonians. Cyrus founded the great Archaemenian dynasty and united all of the middle east into a single empire stretching from the Mediterranean Sea to India. He was the King over the largest empire the world had ever known during his life time. Cyrus died at the age of 60 in 530 B.C.

Perhaps it was due to his upbringing by a gentle shepherd—Cyrus had a heart for people that was far different from most other conquering kings. He allowed the nations that he subdued to continue in worship of their gods and allowed the vanquished to keep their long held customs and traditions.[8] Even the Greeks who later conquered Cyrus, considered him with great respect because of his high character and moral values.

In 1879, the British Museum in London, sponsored an expedition to the ruins of Babylon and discovered an ancient clay cylinder that contained the record of Cyrus conquest of Babylon in 539 B.C.

The “Cyrus Cylinder”, is an important archeological find in recent history that not only confirms and defines Cyrus life and kingdom, it also validates and corroborates one of the most important writers of the Old Testament prophecies—those of the book of Daniel. The Cyrus Cylinder was discovered by Hormonz Rassam in 1879 at an excavation at Babylon. This ancient pagan, extra-biblical record is strong confirmation of the Biblical narrative of Cyrus which describes the same events.[9] The Cyrus Cylinder speaks of the destruction of Babylon, the return of the Jews to Jerusalem, and their captivity at Babylon for the seventy years—the precise events which the Bible describes in great detail.

The date of the Cyrus Cylinder is 536-529 B.C. Today is can be seen at the British Museum in London, England.[1]

^⁠[11]

The following text contains some of the more relevant record from the Cyrus Cylinder that are applicable for the prophecies of Daniel which we are considering in this book.[12]

Cyrus, Self Description

“I am Cyrus, king of the world, great king, mighty king, king of Babylon, king of the land of Sumer and Akkad, king of the four quarters, son of Cambyses, great king, king of Anshan, grandson of Cyrus, great king, king of Anshan, descendant of Teispes, great king, king of Anshan, progeny of an unending royal line, whose rule Bel and Nabu cherish, whose kingship they desire for their hearts’ pleasures.”[13]

Cyrus Gave Kindness And Consideration To Those He Conquered

“I did not allow any to terrorize the land of Sumer and Akkad. I kept in view the needs of Babylon and all its sanctuaries to promote their well-being. The citizens of Babylon. I lifted their unbecoming yoke. Their dilapidated dwellings I restored. I put an end to their misfortunes.”14

The fact that Cyrus was unique among the conquering kings who subdued nations, is important to the prophetic story of the Jews and Israel. When Cyrus captured a city, he would permit the residents to continue in worship of their gods. He allowed the indigenous people to carry on in their traditions and rituals, without interference from Cyrus or the Persian authorities, as long as they did so peacefully. This mindset by Cyrus may have been a contributing factor in him allowing the Jews who had been taken captive to Babylon, to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their temple at Jerusalem.

“All the kings who sat in the throne rooms, throughout the four quarters, from the Upper to the Lower Sea, those who dwelt in all the kings of the West Country who dwelt in tents, brought me their heavy tribute and kissed my feet in Babylon. To the cities of Ashur and Susa, Agade, Eshnuna, the cities of Zamban, Meurnu, Der, as far as the region of the land of Gutium, the holy cities beyond the Tigris whose sanctuaries had been in ruins over a long period, the Gods whose abode is in the midst of them. I returned to the places and housed them in lasting abodes.”[15]

It was a practice of Cyrus to rebuild the temples and restore the articles used for worship by the nations that he conquered. Throughout his conquests, Cyrus allowed the people of many different nations to return to their own land and live in peace.

When Cyrus came to Babylon, unknown to him at the time, he already had the promise of the God of Israel that he would subdue and conquer Babylon. This was despite the fact that no other nation in past history, had been able to overcome the incredible fortress of Babylon’s walls and water barrier that surrounded the city. In Isaiah’s prophecy, Cyrus is not only told that he is the Lord’s shepherd (Isaiah 44:24), he is also informed precisely how he will overcome Babylon and enter the city. Cyrus will learn of this prophecy written by Isaiah, from Daniel, who is within the city of Babylon that he is about to capture. It is believed, that as a result of Daniel revealing these prophecies of Isaiah 45 to King Cyrus, that this resulted in the king doing exactly as the prophecy describes—to allow the Jews return to Jerusalem and rebuild their temple.

“Thus says the LORD to His anointed, To Cyrus, whose right hand I have held—To subdue nations before him And loose the armor of kings, To open before him the double doors, So that the gates will not be shut:  ~Isaiah 45:1

The following excerpts from the cylinder of Cyrus describe the ease at which Cyrus’ army entered the city of Babylon. This also substantiates Isaiah’s prophecy and the events in the Book of Daniel:

“His widespread troops-their number, like that of the water of a river, which could not be counted, strolled along, their weapons packed away. Without any battle, he made him enter his city Babylon, sparing Babylon any damage. He delivered into my hands Nabonidus, the king who did not worship him.”[16]

Cyrus was easily able to enter Babylon and overtake the city, without any battle whatsoever. The book of Daniel tells us that on the night that Cyrus made his way into Babylon, Belshazzar, the king of Babylon was having a great feast in the palace.

Belshazzar the king made a great feast for a thousand of his lords, and drank wine in the presence of the thousand.  ~Daniel 5:1

That very night Belshazzar, king of the Chaldeans, was slain.  ~Daniel 5:30

In Volume 1 of the “History of Herodotus”,[17] this Greek historian describes the invasion of Babylon by Cyrus.

“On the top, along the edges of the wall, they constructed buildings of a single chamber facing one to another, leaving between them room for a four-horse chariot to turn. In the circuit of the wall are a hundred gates, all of brass, with bronze lintels and side-posts. …The city is divided into two portions by the river, which runs through the midst of it. This river is the Euphrates, a broad, deep, swift stream, which rises in Armenia, and empties itself into the Erythraean Sea.”[18]

“At the rivers end of these cross streets are low gates in the fence that skirts the stream, which are, like the great gates in the outer wall, all of brass, and open towards the water. . .Cyrus on his way to Babylon came to the banks of the Gyndes, a stream which, rising in the Matienian mountains, runs through the country of the Dardanians, and empties itself into the river Tigris. The Tigris, after receiving the Gyndes, flows on by the city of Opis, and discharges its waters into the Erythraean sea.[18]

Babylon was a city that straddled the mighty Euphrates river. The walls of Babylon were 87 feet thick and 300 feet high. There were 250 guard towers around the perimeter of the city, stationed 24 hours a day with armed guards. The Euphrates river ran under the city and acted as a natural deterrent against attack.

The city of Babylon was considered impossible to defeat because of the awesome structure of the city. At the entrance to the city gate of Babylon, were large double hung iron gates that went down deep into Euphrates river.

Herodotus further describes how the Persians diverted the River Euphrates upstream, into a canal, so that the water level dropped “to the height of the middle of a man’s thigh,” which lowered the water level to the point that the soldiers could go underneath the iron bars by night.]19] Two days later, on October 12, 539 B.C, Cyrus general, Ugbaru’s and his troops were able to enter Babylon without a battle.

The Following Is From The Account Of Cyrus’ Invasion Of Babylon, As Narrated By Herodotus:

“When Cyrus reached this stream, which could only be passed in boats, one of the sacred white horses accompanying his march, full of spirit and high mettle, walked into the water, and tried to cross by himself; but the current seized him, swept him along with it, and drowned him in its depths. Cyrus, became enraged at the river, and threatened to break its strength so that in the future even women should cross it easily without wetting their knees.

Accordingly he put off for a time his attack on Babylon, and, dividing his army into two parts, he marked out by ropes one hundred and eighty trenches on each side of the Gyndes, leading off from it in all directions, and making his army dig, some on one side of the river, some on the other, he accomplished his threat by the aid of a great a number of hands, but not without losing the whole summer season. Having defeated the river Gyndes by dispersing it through three hundred and sixty channels, Cyrus, with Spring approaching, marched forward against Babylon. The Babylonians, encamped without their walls, awaited his coming.

A battle was fought at a short distance from the city, in which the Babylonians were defeated by the Persian king, whereupon they withdrew within their defenses. Here they shut themselves and made fun of his siege, having laid in a store of provisions for many years in preparation against this attack; for when they saw Cyrus conquering nation after nation, they were convinced that he would never stop, and that their turn would come at last. Now Cyrus did not know how to proceed, for as time went on he made no progress in conquering the city.

In his distress either someone made a suggestion to him, or he himself came up with a plan, which he proceeded to follow. He placed a portion of his army at the point where the river enters the city, and another body at the back of the place where it comes out, with orders to march into the town by the bed of the stream, as soon as the water became shallow enough: he and his army then withdrew, and went to the place where Nitocris dug the basin for the river, where he did exactly what he had done in the past: he turned the Euphrates by a canal into the basin, which was then a marsh, on which the river sank to such a low level that the natural bed of the stream became crossable.

Hereupon the Persians who had been left at Babylon by the riverside, entered the stream, which had now sunk so as to reach about midway up to a man’s thigh, and entered into the city.

Had the Babylonians been aware of what Cyrus was up to, or had they noticed their danger, they would have never allowed the Persians to enter the city, but would have destroyed them; for they would have closed all the street-gates which opened to the river, and mounting upon the walls along both sides of the stream, would have caught the enemy, as it were, in a trap. But, as it was, the Persians came upon them by surprise and took the city.

Owing to the great size of the place, the inhabitants of the central part of Babylon, long after the outer portions of the town were taken, knew nothing of what had taken place, for they were engaged in a festival of dancing and reveling. Such, then, were the circumstances of the first taking of Babylon.”[20]

(The end of Herodotus description)

Upon diverting the Euphrates river from going through Babylon, Cyrus was able to place soldiers under the entrance—into Babylon. The soldiers went in and opened the gates, bringing Cyrus and His invasion force into Babylon It was nearly three days before the people of Babylon even realized that their city had been taken. Cyrus took Babylon, considered impossible to defeat, without a fight.

Imagine Cyrus’ amazement and sober contemplation as he enters Babylon and meets Daniel, now an old man. Daniel opens the Hebrew scriptures and shows Cyrus the prophecy of Isaiah 45. This great king realized that almost 150 years before his birth he had been named and ordained by the God of the Israelites to become a mighty conquering king and perform a task for the one true God, whom he neither knew nor worshiped.

“Thus says the LORD to His anointed, To Cyrus, whose right hand I have held—To subdue nations before him And loose the armor of kings, To open before him the double doors, So that the gates will not be shut: 2 “I will go before you And make the crooked places straight; I will break in pieces the gates of bronze And cut the bars of iron. 3 I will give you the treasures of darkness And hidden riches of secret places, That you may know that I, the LORD, Who call you by your name, Am the God of Israel. 4 For Jacob My servant’s sake, And Israel My elect, I have even called you by your name; I have named you, though you have not known Me. 5 I am the LORD, and there is no other; There is no God besides Me. I will gird you, though you have not known Me, 6 That they may know from the rising of the sun to its setting That there is none besides Me. I am the LORD, and there is no other…  ~Isaiah 45:1

Cyrus Words Are Confirmed By Ezra In 2 Chronicles:

October 12, 539 B.C., Babylon fell to King Cyrus of the Persians. He defeated Nabonidus and his son Belshazzar, who were the last rulers of Babylon. The book of 2 Chronicles, recorded by Ezra, contains the declaration of this great Persian king in his own words. This is corroborated in the “Cyrus Cylinder” housed in the British Museum, London England.[21]

Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying, 23 Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the LORD God of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah. Who is among you of all His people? May the LORD his God be with him, and let him go up!  ~2 Chronicles 36:22-23

God had created Cyrus with such a heart that he had great respect and compassion for the people that he conquered. Growing up in very humble beginnings, raised by a poor shepherd, the Lord no doubt formed the heart of Cyrus as a young boy. He prepared Cyrus to be His servant, so that in later years when he read the prophecies written by Isaiah, the heart of Cyrus would be moved to respond in doing precisely what the Lord had predicted. Cyrus words and actions are confirmed twice here in the writings of Ezra; 2 Chronicles 36 and the book of Ezra that bears his name.

Cyrus Words Confirmed By Ezra:

Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying, 2 Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the LORD God of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah. 3 Who is among you of all His people? May his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel (He is God), which is in Jerusalem. :4 And whoever is left in any place where he dwells, let the men of his place help him with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, besides the freewill offerings for the house of God which is in Jerusalem.  ~Ezra 1:1-4

Cyrus Issues The Command

Daniel chapter 9, verse 25 speaks of a “command” being given to “restore and rebuild Jerusalem”. This decrees by Cyrus in 2 Chronicles 36:22-23, and Ezra 1:1-4, both speak of Cyrus instructions in building “a house for God”, the temple at Jerusalem. Cyrus does not speak of “restoring or rebuilding Jerusalem”. This prophecy comes from the mouth of Daniel, and is directed at a future king, Artaxerxes, who will make this very command in 445 B.C.

Know therefore and understand, That from the going forth of the command To restore and build Jerusalem Until Messiah the Prince, There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; The street shall be built again, and the wall, Even in troublesome times.  ~Daniel 9:25

For this reason, both commands of Cyrus seem to apply to the first “seven weeks”, or 49 years, which we know from history, is the specific amount of time that it actually took to return and rebuild the temple at Jerusalem. The second period—sixty-two weeks of years, or 434 years, plus the 49 years to rebuild the temple, a total of 483 years—is the object of Daniels complete meaning and fulfillment for his prophecy in chapter 9:25; sixty-nine weeks of years.

According to Haggai 2:18-19, on December 17, 520 B.C., the foundation to the temple was laid. The original command came by Cyrus 17 years before in 536 B.C. Although the words of a Persian king were considered the words of a living god and could not be ignored or changed once he spoke them, it took 17 years before the foundation of the temple was actually laid in Jerusalem. This is because God had determined that the Temple could not begin until the 70 years of the “Desolations of Israel” were concluded (see the chart above). The “Desolations” began in 589 B.C, and 70 years later, ended on December 17, 520 B.C. (See the charts below for a graphic illustration of this point)

“Consider now from this day forward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month (December*), from the day that the foundation of the LORD’S temple was laid—consider it: 19 Is the seed still in the barn? As yet the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have not yielded fruit. But from this day I will bless you.’ ”  ~Haggai 2:18

*April is the first month in the Hebrew calendar, the ninth month is December.

• The “Servitude” began in 605 B.C., and ended in 536 B.C., after 70 years. This was the date that Cyrus gave the command to rebuild the temple at Jerusalem.
• The “Captivity” began in 598 B.C., and ended in 536 B.C., after 70 years, seven years after the Servitude began.
• The “Desolations” began in 589 B.C., and ended in 520 B.C. According to the word of the Lord, seventy years were determined for Israel. Therefore, when Cyrus made his command to rebuild the temple in 536 B.C, there were still 17 more years remaining to complete the 70 years God required. The word of God is more powerful than the words of even the greatest king of the world…

The Prophecy Of 360 Years

In the Book of Ezekiel, the Lord tells the Jews that because they have continually disobeyed Him, He is going to judge Israel 390 days, and Judah, 40 days.

“Lie also on your left side, and lay the iniquity of the house of Israel upon it. According to the number of the days that you lie on it, you shall bear their iniquity. For I have laid on you the years of their iniquity, according to the number of the days, three hundred and ninety days; so you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Israel. And when you have completed them, lie again on your right side; then you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days. I have laid on you a day for each year.  ~Ezekiel 4:5-6

In the last line of the above verses from Ezekiel, the prophet defines how long each day will last: one year.

• 390 Days for Israel.
• 40 Days for Judah.
• A total Judgment of 430 years

If we take these 430 years in which the Lord says He will judge Israel and Judah, and subtract the 70 years that He has already placed them into captivity at Babylon, we are left with 360 years.

This number 360 years, has puzzled Bible scholars for years because it doesn’t fit with any other numbers in the prophecies of the Bible. What is interesting about 360 is that all Bible prophecy is always centered around 360 days, making one year, the number of years that Babylon used in their calendars.

The Question Is: Where Do The 360 Years Fit Into The Entire Plan Of Bible Prophecy?

There is an interesting statement that the Lord makes in Leviticus chapter 26, where He warns Israel that if they continually disobey Him, he will “Punish them seven times more for their sins…”

…and if you despise My statutes, or if your soul abhors My judgments, so that you do not perform all My commandments, but break My covenant, 16 I also will do this to you: I will even appoint terror over you, wasting disease and fever which shall consume the eyes and cause sorrow of heart. And you shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it. I will set My face against you, and you shall be defeated by your enemies.Those who hate you shall reign over you, and you shall flee when no one pursues you. “And after all this, if you do not obey Me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins.  ~Leviticus 26:15-18

We know from history that after the 70 years of captivity in Babylon, the Jews did not obey the Lord. The entire nation did not continue to walk with the Lord in obedience and sincere worship. Therefore, the Lord fulfilled his promise to add “seven times” more judgement to their former judgment.

After the 70 years of captivity that the Lord declared for Israel—this leaves 360 years remaining for their total judgment to be complete.

• 390 years Israel.
• 40 years for Judah.
• A total Judgment of 430 years
• Minus the 70 years for time already served in Babylon.
• Leaves 360 years.

If we take the remaining 360 years of Judgement declared by God in Ezekiel 4:5-6 and multiply this number by the “seven times” the Lord stated in Leviticus 26:15-18, we get:

360 years X 7 = 2,520 years.

2,520 years till Israel’s punishment ends and they are restored to the land, times: 360 days per year by the Babylonian calendar, equals 907,200 days.

(2,520 days X 360 day year = 907,200 days)

At the time these prophecies were written, a 360 day per year calendar was being used all over the world. This is often the case in computing prophetic events in the Bible. The prophecy of Daniel uses a 360 day year calendar.

To convert 2,520 days to our current 365.25 year calendar, we simply take 907,200 days and divide this number by 365.25, which gives us 2,483.8 years.

According to history, the “captivity” and the “servitude’ of Israel both ended in the spring of 536 B.C. (2,483 years and 4 months)

Calculating from 536.4 B.C., we can discover the exact day that Israel’s punishment from God will end and the date He will allow Israel to become a nation again.

• -536.4 B.C.
• +2,483.8 years by our 365.25 day calendar
• +1 year added because there is no “0” from −1 B.C to +1 A.D., we come to the date:
• 1948.4

According to the prophecy of Ezekiel, Israel should be restored to their land about the first quarter of the year 1948.

We know from history that Israel became a nation once again on May 14, 1948. Prophecy fulfilled!

If we use 517 B.C, for the date when the temple was completed, then add 2,520 years* (2,483.8 years at 365.25 days per year), the time period required from Ezekiel 4 and Leviticus 26, we come to June 7, 1967, the day Jerusalem became the capital of Israel again for the first time in 2,000 years.

• *2,520 years are based on 360 days per year.
• -517.2 B.C. The the temple in Jerusalem was complete.
• +2,483.8 years by a 365.25 day per year calendar.
• +1 year added because there is no “0” from −1 B.C to +1 A.D.
• We come to the date; June 7, 1967.

1967.6 The day Jerusalem became the capital of Israel.

The Lord allowed Jerusalem to become the capital of Israel once again, 2,520 years after the second Temple was rebuilt in Jerusalem. The Lord allowed Cyrus to make the command to rebuild the temple in 536 B.C., to fulfill the prophecy of Jeremiah of 70 years for Israel’s “Desolation”. It was not for 17 more years that the foundation of the Temple was laid in 520 B.C., and the Temple completed 3 years later, in 517 B.C.

The Specific Details For The Reconstruction Of The Temple, Completed In Just Three Years:

After the return of the Jews to Israel from Babylonian captivity, preparations were immediately made to rebuild the desolated Temple. According to Ezra 2:64, there were 42,360 men ready to complete the construction, after their four month long journey from the Euphrates river, back to Jerusalem.

The whole assembly together was forty-two thousand three hundred and sixty…  ~Ezra 2:64

The first item on the agenda for this enthusiastic returning mass, was to rebuild their place of worship for the God of Israel.

Zerubbabel, the newly appointed Governor contributed 1,000 golden Darics and other gifts. Many others followed Zerubbabel’s example and gave generously to the temple treasury. The second temple was rebuilt on the exact location of the former temple, in just three years.

Sidebar:

It is interesting that when the seven year peace plan is signed by Israel and the surrounding Arab nations at the beginning of the seven year Tribulation, the antichrist will allow Israel to rebuild their temple in Jerusalem on the original site. This entire construction project will take just 3 years. We know this because at 3 1/2 years, the antichrist will go into the newly built temple and command the world that they should worship him as their God. This will begin the 21 judgements that are described in the Book of Revelation, chapters 6-18.

By carefully studying this prophecy of the Messiah, found in Daniel chapter 9, verse 25, we gain tremendous knowledge and insight into all of the other important prophecies of the Bible.

¹ The Desolations Begin: Frank E. Gaebelein, Expositor’s Bible Commentary on the Book of 2 Kings 25,  The end of Zedkiah’s reign, killed by Nebuchadnezzar, Jerusalem destroyed on the 9th of Av: J.P. Hyatt, in: JBL, 75 (1956), 277–82

² The Desolations End: George Pytlik, Author of Daniel, God’s Messenger to our times. http://www.pytlik.com/observe/daniel/timeline.html

³ Chuck Missler, Ezekiel’s 430 Days, http://www.khouse.org/articles/2000/276/

⁴ The Desolations Begin: Frank E. Gaebelein, Expositor’s Bible Commentary on the Book of 2 Kings 25,  The end of Zedkiah’s reign, killed by Nebuchadnezzar, Jerusalem destroyed on the 9th of Av: J.P. Hyatt, in: JBL, 75 (1956), 277–82

⁵ The Desolations End: George Pytlik, Author of Daniel, God’s Messenger to our times. http://www.pytlik.com/observe/daniel/timeline.html

⁶ How, W. W., & Wells, J. (1991)

⁷ How, W. W., & Wells, J. (1991)

⁸ See the quotation from Cyrus that was inscribed on the Cyrus Cylinder.

⁹ Kuhrt, Amélie (1983). “The Cyrus Cylinder and Achaemenid imperial policy”. Journal for the Study of the Old Testament (Sheffield: University of Sheffield. Dept. of Biblical Studies) 25. ISSN 1476-6728

¹⁰ British Museum, London, http://www.iranchamber.com/history/cyrus/cyrus_charter.php

¹¹ Used by Permission from the Wikimedia Commons, Front of the Cyrus Cylinder Date: 26 May 2012 Author:  Prioryman  Lice info: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:GNU_Free_Documentation_License_1.2

¹² http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/search_the_collection_database/search_object_details.aspx?objectid=327188&partid=1

¹³ Cyrus Cylinder: http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/search_the_collection_database/search_object_details.aspx?objectid=327188&partid=1

¹⁴ Ibid.

¹⁵ Ibid.

¹⁶ Ibid.

¹⁷ The History of Herodotus, a Gutenberg Project ebook, Translated into English by G. C. Macaulay, Volume 1, Translated into English by G. C. Macaulay. text was prepared from an edition dated 1890, published by   MacMillan and Co., London and New York.

¹⁸ Ibid.

¹⁹ The History of Herodotus, a Gutenberg Project ebook, Translated into English by G. C. Macaulay, Volume 1, Translated into English by G. C. Macaulay. text was prepared from an edition dated 1890, published by   MacMillan and Co., London and New York. Herodotus 1.191

²⁰ Ibid, Herodotus

²¹ “Cyrus Cylinder,” ANET, p. 315).

Categories: All Israel will be saved, Building the Third Temple, Israel and Iran, Israel in the Last Days, Jesus is God, Jesus is the Messiah, Origin of the Universe, Prophecies Fulfilled by Jesus, Prophecy, Prophecy proven by History, Rapture during Rosh Hashanah, Robert Clifton Robinson, The Battle of Armageddon, The beginning of judgement, The Last Days, The Prophecy of Daniel 9, The Rapture of the Church, The Seven Year Tribulation

Tags: Cyrus orders the temple rebuilt, Daniel's 70th Week, Israel's 70th Anniversary, King Cyrus and Donald Trump, May 14 1948, May 14 2018