EXILED PEOPLE FREED BY A KINGDOM

Medo-Persia replaced the Babylonian Empire as dominant world power in 539 B.C.E.   At 62 years of age, Darius the Mede became the first ruler of the conquered city of Babylon. (Daniel 5:30, 31)  For a short time, he and Cyrus the Persian reigned jointly over the Medo-Persian Empire.  When Darius died, Cyrus became the sole head of the Persian Empire.  For the Jews in Babylon, the reign of Cyrus meant release from captivity.  In 537 B.C.E., Cyrus issued a decree that allowed Jewish exiles in Babylon to return to their homeland and rebuild Jerusalem and Jehovah's temple. The typical kingdom if God, however, was not reestablished in Judah and Jerusalem. -2 Chronicles 36:22, 23; Ezra 1:1-2:2a. 

The silver breasts and arms of the dream image pictured the line of Persian kings beginning with Cyrus the Great.  That dynasty lasted for over 200 years. Cyrus is thought to have died while on a military campaign in 530 B.C.E.  Of some 12 kings that succeeded him to the throne of the Persian Empire, at least 2 dealt favorably  with Jehovah's chosen people.  One was Darius I (Persian) and the other was Artaxerxes I. 

Darius I was third in the line of Persian Kings after Cyrus the Great.  the preceding  two were  Cambyses II and his brother Bardiya (or perhaps a Magian pretender name Guamata.) By the time Darius I, also known as Darius the Great, ascended the throne in 521 B.C.E, the work of rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem  was under ban. Upon uncovering the document containing Cyrus' decree in the archives at Ecbatana, Darius did more than remove the ban in 520 B.C.E. He also provided funds from the royal treasury for rebuilding the temple. -Ezra  6:1-12.

The next Persian ruler to assist in Jewish restoration efforts was Artaxerxes I, who succeeded his father Ahasuerus (Xerxes I)  in 475 B.C.E. Artaxerxes was surnamed Longimanus because his right hand was longer than the left. During the 20th year of his reign, in 455 B.C.E., he commissioned his Jewish cupbearer Nehemiah to be governor of Judah and to rebuild Jerusalem's walls. This action marked  the start of the 'seventy weeks of years' outlined in the 9th chapter of Daniel and set the dates for the appearance and the death of the Messiah, or Christ Jesus of Nazareth. -Daniel 9:24-27; Nehemiah 1:1; 2:1-18.

The last of the six kings to follow Artaxerxes I on the throne of the Persian Empire was Darius III.  His reign ended abruptly in 331 B.C.E. when he suffered a terrible defeat by Alexander the Great at Guagamela, near ancient  Nineveh.  This defeat ended the Medo-Persian World Power as symbolized by the silver p art of the image of Nebuchadnezzar's dream.  The power to come was superior in some ways, yet inferior in others.  This becomes clear as we listen to Daniel's further interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar's dream.  (Note; Jehovah does not allow interpretations of dreams  anymore by anyone) 

Next time: A KINGDOM-VAST BUT INFERIOR

From the book: PAY ATTENTION TO DANIEL'S PROPHECY! 1999