Is God Performing Isaiah 45’s Promise in Order to Protect Israel?

Against all odds, Donald Trump became president. He won big in the electoral college. Which caused me to wonder, Does God have a plan here? I certainly hoped so and do pray for him regularly. Many people have said that he is a Cyrus. What does that mean? I am not opposed to saying, “God has called him/her to be a Ruth” or “The Lord has put a Cyrus anointing him,” or “He has a heart like David.” For instance, regarding my good friend, Don Finto, I would have no trouble calling him a modern-day Ruth, for the way he has connected himself to the Jewish people.

So, Is Trump a Cyrus?

First, who was Cyrus? He was the king of Persia who allowed Nehemiah to come back to Israel and rebuild Jerusalem and her wall. Isaiah amazingly prophesied about this long before he was alive. His prophesy came 150 years before Cyrus was king!

“who says of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd, and shall perform all My desire”; and he declares to Jerusalem, “You shall be built,” and to the temple, “Your foundation shall be laid” (Isa. 44:28).

It’s About Israel

While Cyrus was a powerful leader of an empire, God raised him up to stand with Israel—to help restore the Jewish nation: “for Jacob My servant’s sake and Israel My chosen one, I have even called you by your name; I hae named you, though you have not know Me” (Isa. 45:4).

Furthermore, Cyrus was not a believer. And yet God chose him to, “[re[build my city, and … let My captives go” (Isa. 45:13).

One well-known prophetic speaker says that Trump’s action against Syria shows that he is a Cyrus—that he was moved by compassion. But there is nothing in the Cyrus prophecy about Syria or his compassion. Others think the idea of Trump being a Cyrus has to do with delivering America from liberal/progressive policies. But in context, a Cyrus is a political ruler who protects Israel against her enemies.

Cyrus, the king of the Persian Empire, attacked Babylon. Babylon was God’s instrument of judgement against sinful Israel. But it was time for the Jews to return to Israel. Cyrus liberated the Jews and allowed them to return and rebuild their country and of course the temple.

3 Reasons Trump Might Be a Cyrus

1. He has the authority to recognize Jerusalem (rebuild the city) and move the embassy (rebuild the temple). The second one is a stretch, but taking that action could be seen as foundational. At the very least, a Cyrus would be extremely favorable towards Israel.
2. He may come to know the Lord. Cyrus doesn’t initially “acknowledge” the Lord. We see that twice (Isa. 45), but we also see that God does all these things through him, partly “so that you may know that I am the Lord.” (Isa. 45:3) Of all of the prophecies that I heard before President Trump won, there was one that seemed to really touch my heart, going all the way back to 2007.

Listen to the word of the Lord. God says, “I will put at your helm for two terms a president who will pray, but he will not be a praying president when he starts. I will put him in office and then I will baptize him with the Holy Spirit and my power, says the Lord of Hosts. There will be a praying president, not a religious one. For I will fool the people, says the Lord. I will fool the people, yes I will.” — Kim Clement

Well, based on President Trump’s behavior, it is safe to say that the first part is true. Some people have said, “Hey, he is a baby believer.” When I was a baby believer, I could not shut up about Yeshua, and the same can be said about many new believers. I was so excited about my new faith. Donald Trump has never confessed his need for forgiveness and, in fact, stated that he has never asked God for forgiveness. I don’t say this to condemn him, but show we need to pray for his salvation. We need to pray that he has a mighty experience with God!

3. He is an unlikely choice for president. Nobody gave Trump a chance. Cyrus’ grandfather tried to kill him twice because he was afraid he would replace him. The Lord foresees confusion amongst those who serve him regarding His choice: “Woe to him who strives with his Maker, the potshered with the potsherds of the earth! Shall the clay say to the potter, ‘What are you making?’ Or the thing you are making say, ‘He has no hands’? Woe to him who says to his father, ‘What are you begetting?’ Or to the woman ‘To what are you giving birth?” (Isa. 45:9-10).

Surely the Israelites desired a Jewish Savior—maybe someone from the line of David? God anticipated the reaction and basically said that He is God and will do His will as He pleases. And likewise, Trump—not a lifelong conservative, with a checkered past—seemed an unlikely choice.

Is It Conditional?

Not all prophecies or promises are unconditional. It may be that the Trump/Cyrus connection will depend on both his actions and our prayers. I know that are many believers praying for him. But, while God may have called him to be a Cyrus, he is not off to a good start.

The stage was set for him to favor Jerusalem. He was in Israel in the hours leading up to her 50-year anniversary of reunification. It seemed like a no-brainer that a Cyrus, raised up to favor and restore Israel, would recognize Jerusalem. But instead of recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and moving the U.S. Embassy, he focused on the decades-old, failed peace process between Israelis and Palestinians and struck a $350 billion deal with the radical Islamist Saudis. His son-in-law—a man with zero experience in such matters—was put in charge of the peace process and quickly realized that there is most likely no solution. There is no doubt that President Trump had planned to recognize Jerusalem and move the embassy, as the recently ousted, Steve Bannon, just confirmed that he was urging the president to do is, but people, such as Kushner, got in his head and convinced him not to.

And let’s be clear—there is nothing in the Cyrus prophecy about him brokering peace between the Israelites and her enemies—just about Cyrus favoring Israel. So while many have blindly said, “he knows what he is doing,” or “he will fulfill his promise to move the embassy in the future,” you cannot call him a Cyrus while he pressures Israel to give up land. Joel speaks judgement over such leaders who divide up Israel’s land (Joel 3:2).

Cyrus was raised up for one reason—for the restoration of Israel. Please read for yourself in Isaiah 44:28 and 45:1-13.

And then we must ask, what will happen to the man who was called by God to bless Israel? Since his late May Israel trip the Trump administration has been in constant turmoil: resignations, firings, Scaramucci, Charlottesville comments, Donald Trump Jr. Russia meeting, Bannon and so on. Some blame the media and others the newly dubbed alt-left, but I have to wonder how God would have blessed him had he fulfilled the Cyrus role in May. There is still time to pray for him to fulfill this calling. {eoa}

Ron Cantor is the director of Messiah’s Mandate International in Israel, a Messianic ministry dedicated to taking the message of Jesus from Israel to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). Cantor also travels internationally, teaching on the Jewish roots of the New Testament. He serves on the pastoral team of Tiferet Yeshua, a Hebrew-speaking congregation in Tel Aviv. Follow him at @RonSCantor on Twitter.

This article originally appeared at messiahsmandate.org.