Jeremiah received his call from the Lord around 627 BC and died in exile in Egypt around 570 BC. There are a number of prophecies that Jeremiah made during his lifetime. Ezra 1:1 does not tell us specifically which one of Jeremiah’s prophecies was being fulfilled.

In Jeremiah 25:11–12 and Jeremiah 29:10, Jeremiah tells the people of Judah that they will be in exile in Babylon for a total of seventy years. Ezra 1:1 could be referring to this prophecy. From the time of the first exile of Judeans (605 BC; see Daniel 1:1) until 539 BC is a total of sixty-six years—very close to seventy. Even though the edict of Cyrus was issued in 538 BC, it may have taken a while for all the people to make the necessary preparations so that they only arrived in Jerusalem around 535 BC, which would then make their time in exile seventy years as prophesied.

In Jeremiah 27:22, Jeremiah tells the people of Judah that when God brings them back from exile, he will also restore all the temple vessels. This prophecy came before the events that took place in 587 BC (2 Kings 25:1–26) but after the events of 597 BC (2 Kings 24:11–14. Ezra 1:1 could be referring to this prophecy since in Ezra 1:7–11 we read about all the temple vessels that were taken back to Jerusalem.

Though the events described in Ezra 1 are consistent with the prophecies from Jeremiah 25:1–38, Jeremiah 27:1–22, and Jeremiah 29:1–32, the most likely prophecy that Ezra 1:1 is specifically referring to is a prophecy found in Jeremiah 51:1–64. In Jeremiah 51:11, the Lord promises that he will stir up the kings of the Medes in order for them to destroy Babylon. Cyrus became king of the Medes in 549 BC.

The Lord not only promised in Jeremiah that he would send the king of the Medes (Cyrus) to destroy Babylon. In the prophecies of Isaiah, the Lord also promised to send Cyrus in order to free his people and allow them to rebuild the temple. Isaiah 41:2 talks about someone whom God has stirred up from the east, and Isaiah 41:25 talks about someone being stirred up from the north. Isaiah 44:28 talks about Cyrus being the Lord’s shepherd who will cause Jerusalem and the temple to be rebuilt. Isaiah 45:1 and Isaiah 45:13 also make it clear that Cyrus is God’s servant whom he is sending to free the exiles and ensure that the city of Jerusalem will be rebuilt. It thus seems as if the prophecy of Jeremiah that is being fulfilled is the prophecy of Jeremiah 51:11, and that this prophecy was made even earlier also through Isaiah.¹

A further confirmation that the prophecy from Jeremiah 51:11 (and thus also the prophecies from Isaiah 41:2, Isaiah 41:25; Isaiah 44:28; Isaiah 45:1, Isaiah 45:13) is being referred to is the fact that we find the same Hebrew word in Ezra 1:1 and Jeremiah 51:11. The word translated as stirred/moved is found in both verses, thereby linking them together and confirming to us that this is the prophecy that is primarily being referred to. God’s purpose in raising up Cyrus to destroy Babylon was to make sure that the temple in Jerusalem might be rebuilt and the exiles returned to their homeland.²