By Christine Darg

Jerusalem Channel

Who was the biblical King Cyrus that President Trump keeps being compared to by Israelis and prophecy buffs?

And why?

Commonly known as Cyrus the Great, and also “King of the Four Corners of the World,” Cyrus was the founder of the first Persian Empire. Under his rule, his empire embraced all the previous civilized states of the ancient Near East, expanded vastly and eventually conquered most of Western Asia and much of Central Asia. 

Cyrus the Great respected the customs and religions of the lands he conquered.

His Edict of Restoration described in the Bible left a lasting legacy on Judaism. According to the Isaiah 45:1, God anointed Cyrus for the task of rebuilding the temple, even referring to him as messiah (lit. “His anointed one”). He is the only non-Jewish figure in the Bible to be called a messianic figure.

Thanks to King Cyrus, tens of thousands of Jews returned to the Land of Israel, officially ending the Babylonian captivity, exactly as promised 70 years earlier by the prophet Jeremiah. The biblical account specifies the Edict of Cyrus calling explicitly for the building of “the house of God” in Jerusalem.

Public Domain image of King Cyrus the Great

President Trump has been compared by many Israelis to Cyrus of Persia because of his bold moves in relocating the US Embassy to Jerusalem, Israel’s capital, and for recognizing Israel’s sovereignty over the militarily strategic Golan Heights. 

Following Trump’s proclamation on the Golan Heights, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu compared the American president to Cyrus the Great.  However, “While Trump’s words and actions deserve our appreciation,” wrote the Jerusalem Post, “comparisons to Cyrus are premature.”

But Not Cyrus Yet….

The recent Jerusalem Post headline said that Trump is “not Cyrus yet.”

https://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Unto-the-Nations-Trump-isnt-Cyrus-yet-584939

During the signing ceremony at the White House, Netanyahu said that “in the long sweep of Jewish history, there have been a handful of proclamations by non-Jewish leaders on behalf of our people and our land: Cyrus the Great, the great Persian king; Lord Balfour; president Harry S. Truman; and President Donald J. Trump.”

A Temple Coin has been issued with the images of Cyrus and Trump together. 

Tomorrow’s elections in Israel are riveting for any number of reasons. Reportedly only after this April 9 election will Present Trump’s peace plan be unveiled.

One of the “kingmaker” politicians in the race, Moshe Feiglin, is calling for the immediate building of the Third Temple.