Two Men of Destiny: I am Cyrus

So much of history doesn’t make it into either the history books or the nightly news, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t important or inspiring. The Old Testament often shines a new light on the place of musty, dusty history in relation to the events of our day – if we look closely:

Isaiah 46:8-10: 
8 Remember this, and shew yourselves men: bring it again to mind,
O ye transgressors.
9 Remember the former things of old:
for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like,
10 Declaring the end from the beginning,
and from ancient times the things that are not yet done,
saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: 

Ecclesiastes 1:9:
The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be;
and that which is done is that which shall be done:
and there is no new thing under the sun. 

Restated: The patterns of the past show us the future. So keep studying the past as depicted in scripture, and elsewhere, then it will be easier to recognize the same type of event when it shows up in our day, and the same type of people! I recently came across a stunning example while studying the history of how modern-day Israel came into being, primarily in Messianic Rabbi Jonathan Cahn’s book, The Oracle. Here’s the background:

Israel has a long and checkered past. We can go back to when God rewarded Father Abraham for his righteousness with the gift of a Promised Land:

Genesis 13:12, 14-15:
12 Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan,
and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain,
and pitched his tent toward Sodom.
14 And the Lord said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him,
Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward,
and southward, and eastward, and westward:
15 For all the land which thou seest,
to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.

Where was this land? It was the land of Canaan (later Palestine, now Israel). There’s been centuries of dispute over the rightful owner of this land: Christians, Jews, Muslims? To answer this questions we need to look at the title records, much as we do in real estate when property changes hands:

• From Genesis 13 above, we clearly see that God gave this land to Abraham who lived about 4,000 years ago and “his seed after him.” Political control has not followed God’s estate plan for Abraham but has fallen in order to: the Egyptians, Israelites, Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Turks, Arabs and Jews (source: https://graham.uchicago.edu/events/early-history-holy-land-08-15-22). 
• It’s not news that this is hotly disputed in our day. The big schism emerges between claims from human history versus God’s history.

Let’s look at two examples from human history to see how title was returned to the Israelites. The first occurred after their 70-year captivity in Babylon. The Persian King Cyrus conquered the Babylonians and took control of much of the Middle East in 539 BC (Wikipedia “Fall of Babylon”). In 538 BC, he freed the tribe of Judah to return to the Holy Land with the injunction to build the house of the Lord God of Israel (Wikipedia “Edict of Cyrus”), also described in the Book of Ezra:

Ezra 1:1-3:
1 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,
that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom,
and put it also in writing, saying,
2 Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia,
The Lord God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth;
and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem,
which is in Judah.
3 Who is there among you of all his people?
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 the God,) which is in Jerusalem.
(Also see Isaiah 44:28)

What did Cyrus do? He restored the Tribe of Judah to its original homeland given them by the Lord God of Israel. As you can see in this map, the land of Canaan was clearly under Cyrus’ control:

So what is King Cyrus’ place in history that qualifies him as a “Man of Destiny”?

• He just happened to conquer Babylon as Judah’s 70 years of captivity approached its necessary end or when they were due to be paroled from their enforced observation of 70 Shemitah years (a Sabbath on the Land every 7th year) that they had failed to voluntarily observe for 490 years previously (490 ÷ 7 = 70). So they were put into jail or captivity in Babylon while their homeland lay fallow, before being released by King Cyrus.
• His edict not only releases them but commands them to return to Jerusalem and the land of Judah and build the house of the Lord God of Israel!
• He was both a powerful general and a magnanimous ruler. He maintained respect for the history, culture, and religion of conquered lands, clearly shown by his actions towards the Israelites, and essential to their release from captivity.
• On his tombstone and at the end of many official documents, he stated:
  I AM CYRUS, King of the World.
• He fulfilled both the Shemitah and Jubilee year promise of Restoration and Return of a lost people to their lost homeland, see Leviticus 25 below:

Leviticus 25:4, 8-10:
4 But in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest unto the land,
a sabbath for the Lord:
thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard.
8 And thou shalt number seven sabbaths of years unto thee,
seven times seven years;
and the space of the seven sabbaths of years shall be unto thee
forty and nine years.
9 Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubilee to sound
on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the day of atonement shall ye make
the trumpet sound throughout all your land.
10 And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year,
and proclaim liberty 
throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof:
it shall be a jubilee unto you;
and ye shall return every man unto his possession,
and ye shall return every man unto his family.

Note every 7th year was a Sabbath year (Shemitah in Hebrew), and every 50th year was a Jubilee year, both of which represent a restoration of possessions and blessings as well as a return to one’s possessions and land. So clearly the ancient Cyrus facilitated the tribe of Judah’s return to Canaan to rebuild Jerusalem and their second temple (known as Herod’s Temple).

So who is the other man of destiny? As World War II was winding down in Europe, President Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected to a 4th term in spite of bad health and took office in January 1945. He died shortly thereafter, on April 12, in Warm Springs, Georgia, of a massive stroke. That same evening, his Vice President, Harry S. Truman, was sworn in as President.

Truman was a nobody in Washington, a “Johnny Come Lately” to the pinnacle of power. Earlier, he had failed in business, then turned to politics in 1923, becoming a district judge in Missouri, then elected to the US Senate in 1934. He supported FDR’s New Deal and was prominent in passing bills and regulations in the burgeoning transportation industry, becoming known for his efficiency and integrity.

From 1941 to 1944, Truman headed the Senate Special Committee to Investigate the National Defense Program, which worked to reduce waste and mismanagement in U.S. military spending. Commonly known as the Truman Committee, it saved American taxpayers millions of dollars and propelled Truman into the national spotlight. (www.history.com)

Subsequently, he completed FDR’s term in office and ran for re-election in November 2, 1948 against Thomas E. Dewey who was heavily favored to win, but which turned out to be one of the greatest upsets in American history. Some newspapers even announced Dewey’s win ahead of the poll results:

Truman came from an obscure background into a glittering world of power and privilege. He only emerged into the spotlight upon the death of FDR and then remained a relatively unheralded participant in postwar events. So what’s his claim to a unique place in history? Is it this:

From www.history.com: In an effort to end the war in the Pacific and prevent the massive U.S. casualties that could result from an invasion of Japan, Truman approved the dropping of atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima (on August 6) and Nagasaki (on August 9). Japan’s surrender was announced on August 14, 1945; however, Truman’s use of the atomic bomb continues to be one of the most controversial decisions of any American president.

As horrific as those events were, they may be eclipsed in the next world by his pivotal role in another historic event not even mentioned in that article or others: The restoration of the Nation of Israel as a Jewish homeland. Here’s a quick summary:

• As WWII was winding down, the US State Department commissioned a study of the condition of Jewish Refugee camps in Europe. Earl Harrison’s report showed they were almost as bad as the Nazi concentration camps had been. Truman, incensed, sent the report to British Prime Minister Attlee asking the British government to renew the vast number of expiring visas for Jewish emigration to Palestine, a British protectorate since 1917. Attlee answered with a letter of resistance and warning.
• Truman then responded by releasing both the report and Attlee’s letter to the press. The resulting public uproar pressured Britain into issuing 100,000 much needed visas to Jews desperate to leave Europe and begin reclaiming their ancestral homeland.
• In late 1947, the newly formed United Nations proposed and passed a partition plan for the area between Jews and Arabs. Six months later, on May 14, 1948, Jewish leaders in the region formed the state of Israel. British troops left, thousands of Palestinian Arabs fled and Arab armies invaded Israel. In the Arab-Israeli War, Israel defeated its enemies.  (New York Times Archive, U.N. Partitions Palestine, Allowing for Creation of Israel).
• Here’s what happened next, according to the account in Rabbi Jonathan Cahn’s book, The Oracle: Truman’s backing of the future Jewish state was fiercely opposed by his own State Department, which appeared resolved to thwart his will on the matter at every turn. Despite this he persevered and would be pivotal in the passage of the UN resolution that would bring Israel back into existence. And then, at the moment of Israel’s resurrection, it was because of Truman that America would become the first nation to grant UN recognition.
• The newly formed country then sent their first official chief rabbi, Isaac Herzog, to America to visit the president. Rabbi Cahn continues:   

The rabbi told the President that when he was still in his mother’s womb, the Lord had called him to be the instrument to bring about the rebirth of Israel after two thousand years. He told him that the Lord had given him the mission of helping the Jewish people at a time of despair and bringing about the fulfillment of the promise and prophecy of their return to the Promised Land. But the rabbi would become even more specific. He told Truman that in ancient times a similar mission had once been given to the leader of another great nation . . . Cyrus. The rabbi told Truman that Cyrus had also been given the mission of helping to redeem the Jewish people from their exile and restore them to their ancestral land. And then he read to the president the words of the ancient Persian king: “The Lord God of heaven hath  . . . charged me to build Him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.” (See Ezra 1:2)

But wait, there’s more! God seems to enjoy embedding little clues or bread crumbs in history to be sure we don’t miss His hand in events important to His work:

• Cyrus was in power for 30 years. Truman was in politics from 1923 to 1953, also 30 years.
• Most scholars place Cyrus’ birth between 600 and 599 BC, so he would be about 60-61 when he conquered Babylon and ascended to the peak of his power, in 539 BC. Harry Truman was born May 8, 1884 and became president and leader of the free world April 12, 1945, just 1 month shy of his 61st birthday! Both were around the age of 60-61 when they ascended to power.
• Cyrus issued the world’s first charter of universal human rights written on a “cylinder” declaring the right of those who had been exiled and displaced from their lands to return home, including the captive Jews. Truman’s working partnership with his UN appointee, Eleanor Roosevelt (the only woman among six) was effective in crafting and promoting the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights,  approved December 10, 1948. It’s interesting reading; see the full article in Providence Magazine.
• King Cyrus freed the Jewish people after 70 years of captivity. President Truman was a singular driving force behind the creation of the modern nation of Israel in 1948, exactly 70 years after the first Israeli settlements in 1878.
• King Cyrus issued his edict freeing the Jews in his first year in power. Truman publicized the Earl Harrison report on Jewish refugees in Europe toward the end of 1945 that successfully allowed many thousand of Jewish refugees to settle in Israel, also in his first year as president.
• In Jonathan Cahn’s book, The Oracle, the Hebrew word Tashuvu means you shall return and included in Leviticus 25 at least twice. Each Hebrew letter also has numbers associated with it, as well as meaning that combines for the meaning of the word they spell. Interpreted in a rather convoluted fashion, the four letters in Tashuvu are: tav = 400, shin = 300, beit = 2, and vav = 6. Added together, they equal 708. Rabbi Cahn reports that the number 660 = the year 1900. So 660 = 1900. 708 – 600 = 48. 1900 + 48 = 1948 in Western years – the year Israel was made a nation! The rest of the explanation is even more convoluted, so if you want the details, read chapter 32 of his book . . . . I’m starting to believe that there’s a reason why the Tribe of Judah were leaders in the Old World and will be one of two in the Millennium – Ephraim being the other. They must have thought up all the crazy symbolism embedded in Hebrew and for proof, just read the Book of Isaiah!
• Finally, President Truman’s letter to Prime Minister Attlee was dated August 31, 1945, a Friday and the start of the Jewish Sabbath day at sundown. It is a long-standing custom for all Jewish congregations worldwide to read the same passage of scripture before their congregations on the Sabbath (called a Parashah). Which particular one was read the next day of the full Sabbath, worldwide? Could any of us have picked one more appropriate?

Deuteronomy 30:3-5:
3 That then the Lord thy God will turn thy captivity,
and have compassion upon thee,
and will return and gather thee from all the nations,
whither the Lord thy God hath scattered thee.
4 If any of thine be driven out unto the outmost parts of heaven,
from thence will the Lord thy God gather thee,
and from thence will he fetch thee:
5 And the Lord thy God will bring thee into the land
which thy fathers possessed, and thou shalt possess it;
and he will do thee good, and multiply thee above thy fathers.

A final word from Rabbi Cahn’s book: The president asked the rabbi if the hand of the Almighty was in his actions toward the Jewish people. The rabbi responded that Truman had been given the task once fulfilled by King Cyrus and that he, like Cyrus, would hold a place of honor in the history of the Jewish people.

And here’s the capstone of this story – note this took place in the research institute of Hebrew University named for President Truman – Rabbi Herzog’s prophecy already fulfilled and reported in Advancing Jewish Thought, an online magazine article: The Story of Cyrus the Great, Invoked by Harry Truman, Is a Cautionary as Well as a Hopeful Tale):

       In 1978, scholars and statesmen from the United States and Israel gathered for a symposium to celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of the founding of Israel at the Harry S. Truman Research Institute at the Hebrew University. Among the presenters was Moshe Davis, a founding scholar in the field of America-Holy Land Studies, who offered his reminiscences of a 1953 meeting with Truman at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York. Truman’s longtime friend Eddie Jacobson had escorted the former president to the meeting and introduced him to the gathered scholars as “the man who helped create the State of Israel.”¹ According to Davis, the remark caused Truman to turn to his friend and say, “What do you mean ‘helped create?’
I am Cyrus. I am Cyrus,” evoking the Persian ruler from the sixth century BCE who was hailed in the Hebrew Bible for allowing the exiled Judeans to return to their homeland.
Note: I’m sure this was not uttered in pride but acknowledging the earlier words of Rabbi Herzog about his foreordained mission fighting for the State of Israel.

To all who also consider themselves humble and obscure servants of truth and righteousness, this story should give us hope of being able to make a real contribution to the growing good of the world, an ending quote describing Dorothea, a humble and forgotten woman in the novel, Middlemarch). And while we may not have academic institutions named for us, nor being able to say, I am Cyrus, with a more obscure president, Harry S. Truman, we can contribute to the growing good of the world, especially in these times fraught with increasing darkness but also exploding with goodness and miracles.

Then we can also say with Elisha to his servant in 2 Kings 6:15-17:

They that be with us are more than they that be with them!