For seventy years Judah remained in captivity — one year for each sabbatical year that the land of Israel should have enjoyed, but which evidently had not been observed (2 Chron. 36:21; Lev. 25:17; Jer. 34; Neh. 10:31). The book of Ezra takes up the history of Judah at the close of these seventy years. God’s judgment had fallen upon Judah because of her idolatry, and now Babylon, the rod He had used upon them, was to be judged. Her pride, violence, immorality and idolatry could not be ignored (Isa. 44:6-47:15; Hab. 2). In the book of Daniel we read how Belshazzar drank wine from the vessels taken from Solomon’s temple; with them he praised his gods in celebration of their supremacy over the true God (Dan. 5:4). Such gross profanity did not pass by God unnoticed, and in that very night mighty Babylon fell to Cyrus king of the Persians.
Though Daniel records Darius, the Mede, as taking the kingdom, it should be understood that he was, no doubt, a provincial governor and ruled under the authority of Cyrus (Dan. 6:28; 9:1). Although secular history may have difficulty with this, Biblical accounts have time and again proven correct, just as we should expect.
Cyrus was not only appointed by God to judge the Babylonian, but it was also prophesied that he would permit the Jews to return back to their land to rebuild the house of God. “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, 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” (Ezra 1:12).
It is not unreasonable to suppose that Cyrus was familiar with Daniel (an official in his kingdom) and perhaps even the prophecy of Jeremiah. Nevertheless, we do not find here the mere working of the human will. It was Jehovah who stirred up the spirit of Cyrus the king (Ezra 1:1). “The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: He turneth it whithersoever He will” (Prov. 21:1).
Behind the scenes we see Daniel praying according to the will of God; he takes God at His word and prays accordingly (Dan. 9:13; 1 Kings 8:46-50). God’s faithfulness is unchanged and His promises are just as true in our day. “This is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask any thing according to His will, He heareth us” (1 John 5:14). “The fervent supplication of the righteous man has much power” (James 5:16 JND). The key is our asking according to His will. Daniel was familiar with the prophecies of Jeremiah, but he didn’t just wait for their fulfillment — he prayed!
With Daniel we also see another important characteristic, as we will again with Ezra and Nehemiah — he glorifies God and acknowledges His government upon His people. “O Lord, righteousness belongeth unto Thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, that are near, and that are far off, through all the countries whither Thou hast driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against Thee” (Dan. 9:7). Unless we have the correct attitude of heart, why should we expect God to hear us? Today there is much contrary to the Word of God in Christendom, and even amongst those that purport to walk in separation from that which is dishonoring to God we find many divisions. The present state of Christendom is a direct result of our failure and reflects the government of God upon His people; to simply ignore this corresponds to a Laodecian state of things — “I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing” (Rev. 3:17).