Page 160 - The Prophet-statesman a Drama of Daniel

me all of my life. In fact, though I did not know Him. I have always had a strong sense
of being a man of destiny and that the way was being paved before me by some
mighty unseen Hand. I have never taken any stock in the worship of images, and have

never had any faith in the invocation of the many gods of my people, and have always
reasoned that since there can be only one king in a nation and empire, there can be
only one Lord, King or God of the universe.”
“But tell me again, O prophet,” continued Cyrus, “(for I know that thou thyself art

a prophet as well as the great Esaias) just what Jehovah wants me to do with respect to
‘Jacob His servant, and Israel His elect,’ and I will carry it out to the limit of my
powers.”
“The purpose of Jehovah through you is plain, noble king. He says you are His

shepherd and will perform all His pleasure, and that you will ‘say to Jerusalem, thou
shalt be built and to the temple, thy foundation shall be laid.’ Jerusalem and the
temple are the places where He has been pleased to place His Name, that they may be
a lighthouse to all the nations. He intended that true believers from every nation

should come thither freely to meet and worship the One Living and True God. From
the days of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, He has decreed that our people should be the
custodians of His truth and a witness for Him to all the world. But our people forgot
their calling and sinned miserably, and instead of making Jerusalem and the temple a

place of witness to God, they turned aside to the worship of the gods of the nation, and
the kings of Judah— Ahaz, Manasseh and Amon— made the city and temple a
headquarters of idolatry. When Jehovah could endure this apostasy and betrayal no
longer he decreed that Nebuchadnezzar should capture and later destroy both the city

and the temple. After nearly three-quarters of a century of punishment upon His
people and after the temple has been a ruin for a half-century, He has clearly indicated
that you are His shepherd to decree a return of His people and a restoration of the city
and a rebuilding of the Holy Temple. During this interim He has permitted some of us

to witness to Him in this land where we are aliens and He has given us the ear of
Gentile kings.”

Cyrus listened with great intentness, and at the conclusion of Daniel’s explanation,

he rose to his feet and with much more emphasis and in a louder voice than he usually
spoke he said: “IT SHALL BE DONE! I AM Jehovah’s shepherd and I WILL perform
all His pleasure. I shall immediately decree the restoration of the city of Jerusalem and

the laying of the foundation of the temple looking to its complete reconstruction! I
shall emancipate all true Israelites, who worship this One True God, to return to their
homeland.”
“Blessed be God, O King Cyrus,” Daniel rejoined, “that you are thus minded to
obey Him and lend yourself to His will. This will result in what the prophecy of

Esaias goes on to predict.”
“By your decree of restoration of the places of His witness, and by the affirmation