The Proclamation of Cyrus
(2 Chronicles 36:22–23; Isaiah 45:1–25)
In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken through Jeremiah, the LORD stirred the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia to send a proclamation throughout his kingdom and to put it in writing as follows: Jer 29:102Ch 36:22-23Jer 25:12-14Ezr 6:22Ezr 7:27Jer 33:7-13Pro 21:1Ezr 5:13-15
“This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: Isa 45:12-13Isa 44:26Dan 5:19-21Dan 5:231Ki 8:272Ch 2:12Dan 2:21Dan 2:28
‘The LORD, the God of heaven, who has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, has appointed me to build a house for Him at Jerusalem in Judah.
Whoever among you belongs to His people, may his God be with him, and may he go to Jerusalem in Judah and build the house of the LORD, the God of Israel; He is the God who is in Jerusalem. Dan 6:26Jer 10:10Isa 45:5Act 10:36Jos 1:9Mat 28:201Ch 28:20Dan 2:47 And let every survivor, wherever he lives, be assisted by the men of that region with silver, gold, goods, and livestock, along with a freewill offering for the house of God in Jerusalem.’” 1Ch 29:31Ch 29:171Ch 29:93Jn 1:6-8Act 24:17Ecc 4:9-10Ezr 2:68-70Ezr 7:16-18
So the family heads of Judah and Benjamin, along with the priests and Levites—everyone whose spirit God had stirred—prepared to go up and rebuild the house of the LORD in Jerusalem. Ezr 1:12Ch 36:22Php 2:132Co 8:16Jas 1:16-17Neh 2:123Jn 1:11Pro 16:1
And all their neighbors supported them with articles of silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with valuables, in addition to all their freewill offerings. 2Co 9:7Ezr 1:4Ezr 7:15-16Ezr 8:25-28Ezr 8:33Psa 110:3
Cyrus Restores the Holy Vessels
King Cyrus also brought out the articles belonging to the house of the LORD that Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and placed in the temple of his gods. 2Ch 36:72Ki 24:13Ezr 5:14Ezr 6:52Ch 36:102Ch 36:182Ki 25:13-16Dan 1:2 Cyrus king of Persia had them brought out by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, who counted them out to Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah. 1 Ezr 5:14Ezr 1:11Ezr 5:16Hag 1:1Hag 1:14Hag 2:2-4Zec 4:6-10 This was the inventory: 1Ki 7:502Ch 24:142Ch 4:112Ch 4:21-222Ch 4:8Ezr 8:27Mat 10:29-31Mat 14:8
30 gold dishes, 2
1,000 silver dishes,
29 silver utensils,
30 gold bowls,
410 matching silver bowls,
and 1,000 other articles.
In all, there were 5,400 gold and silver articles. Sheshbazzar brought all these along when the exiles went up from Babylon to Jerusalem. 2Ti 2:19-21Mat 1:11-12Rom 9:23