2 Chronicles 36:22-23

2 Chronicles 36:22-23

[22] Now in the first  year  of Cyrus  king  of Persia,  that the word  of the LORD  spoken by the mouth  of Jeremiah  might be accomplished,  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,  [23] Thus saith  Cyrus  king  of Persia,  All the kingdoms  of the earth  hath the LORD  God  of heaven  given  me; and he hath charged  me to build  him an house  in Jerusalem,  which is in Judah.  Who is there among you of all his people?  The LORD  his God  be with him, and let him go up. 

What does 2 Chronicles 36:22-23 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

These two verses reflect the whole mood of Chronicles. Rather than ending with the failure of Prayer of Manasseh , the writer concluded by focusing attention on the faithfulness of God (cf. Lamentations 3:22-23). God was in control of the Persian king as He had controlled the kings of Babylon, Egypt, and Israel. God had promised Israel a future as a nation. His people would experience this future under the rule of a perfect Davidic Son. Yahweh was moving now-after70 years of captivity-to bring that future to pass (cf. Isaiah 9:7). Even though the Babylonian army had burned Yahweh"s temple to the ground ( 2 Chronicles 36:19), it would rise again ( 2 Chronicles 36:23).
The message to the returned exiles was clear. God would respond to their repentance ( 2 Chronicles 6:36-39). He would forgive their sin and heal their land ( 2 Chronicles 7:14). Moreover, He would raise up a descendant of David who would rule over not only Israel but all the nations forever ( 1 Chronicles 17:11-14).
"Now that Cyrus had decreed the rebuilding of the temple ( 2 Chronicles 36:22-23), here was prima facie evidence that God had not annulled His covenant with Israel nor the Levitical system revealed at Sinai." [1]
The closing words of Chronicles are identical to the opening ones in Ezra. If the same person wrote both books, he may have duplicated this pivotal information to tie the events of these two books together. If different people wrote them, the writer of Chronicles probably included this material to present a note of hope at the end of his "sermon." [2]
"Unlike the Book of Kings, with its central message of stern moral judgments . . . Chronicles exists essentially as a book of hope, grounded on the grace of our sovereign Lord." [3]
"If Chronicles in its last chapter tells us that God acted in mercy by restoring his people Judah, Ezra -Nehemiah will reveal to us how they fared upon their return, privileged with a new opportunity to be God"s people in their own land." [4]