{"id":14123,"date":"2019-10-25T15:31:35","date_gmt":"2019-10-25T20:31:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/?p=14123"},"modified":"2019-11-01T14:06:16","modified_gmt":"2019-11-01T19:06:16","slug":"who-is-the-bird-of-prey-in-isaiah-4611","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/who-is-the-bird-of-prey-in-isaiah-4611\/","title":{"rendered":"Who is the bird of prey in Isaiah 46:11?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\t

Question:<\/h2>\n
Calling a bird of prey\u00a0from the east,
\nThe man\u00a0who executes My counsel, from a far country.
\nIndeed\u00a0I have spoken\u00a0it;<\/i>
\nI will also bring it to pass.
\nI have purposed\u00a0it;<\/i>
\nI will also do it. (Isaiah 46:11)<\/blockquote>\nCan you tell me who the “bird of prey” and “the man who executes My counsel” here is?\n\t

Answer:<\/h2>\n

“The man of My purpose” from a far country is “the bird of prey from the east” whom God calls up to execute His plans.<\/p>\n

He is also mentioned in “Who has aroused one from the east whom He calls in righteousness to His feet? He delivers up nations before him and subdues kings. He makes them like dust with his sword, as the wind-driven chaff with his bow<\/em>” (Isaiah 41:2). This person is a future ruler of the Medo-Persian Empire. “Behold, I am going to stir up the Medes against them, who will not value silver or take pleasure in gold<\/em>” (Isaiah 13:17).<\/p>\n

Specifically, God names him. “It is I who says of Cyrus, ‘He is My shepherd! And he will perform all My desire.’ And he declares of Jerusalem, ‘She will be built,’ and of the temple, ‘Your foundation will be laid’<\/em>” (Isaiah 44:28). “‘I have aroused him in righteousness and I will make all his ways smooth; he will build My city and will let My exiles go free, without any payment or reward,’ says the LORD of hosts<\/em>” (Isaiah 45:13).<\/p>\n

\"\"

Cyrus the Great<\/p><\/div>\n

At the time Isaiah wrote this, the Assyrian Empire was on the rise. Isaiah spoke of the Babylonians rising to take over and expand the Assyrian Empire. The Babylonians would then be conquered by the Medes who will allow the Israelites to return from captivity and who would finance the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the Temple. Isaiah was written roughly between 742 BC and 701 BC. Cyrus lived from 576 \u2013 530 BC. The edict to allow the Jews to return to Jerusalem was issued in 539 BC.\u00a0 Thus, Isaiah recorded 250 years in advance the name of the future ruler in an empire that would succeed the next empire that would conquer the current empire.<\/p>\n

To give some perspective, imagine naming the country that conquers the country that conquers the United States and then name the leader who does it. God does this to prove that He alone is God and rules the universe.<\/p>\n\t

Response:<\/h2>\n

Thanks for the answer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Question: Calling a bird of prey\u00a0from the east, The man\u00a0who executes My counsel, from a far country. Indeed\u00a0I have spoken\u00a0it; I will also bring it to pass. I have purposed\u00a0it; I will also do it. (Isaiah 46:11) Can you tell me who the “bird of prey” and “the man who executes My counsel” here is?…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[20],"tags":[279,795,210],"class_list":["post-14123","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-answer","tag-history","tag-isaiah","tag-symbolism"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":41975,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-gods-will-for-me-limited-to-specific-things-or-all-my-life\/","url_meta":{"origin":14123,"position":0},"title":"Is God’s will for me limited to specific things or all my life?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 26, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Is God's will for me limited on specific things (with examples)\u00a0or on all my life? Can I change God's will by my actions? Answer: \"He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":9635,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/does-everything-happen-as-god-designed-it-or-is-it-all-by-coincidence\/","url_meta":{"origin":14123,"position":1},"title":"Does everything happen as God designed it or is it all by coincidence?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 1, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Do you think everything in life happens for a reason and is the way God designed things to happen? Or is it all by coincidence? Answer: Neither. God has a design and purpose which He carries out in the world. \"In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":13534,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/if-jesus-knew-judas-would-betray-him-why-did-jesus-have-him-around\/","url_meta":{"origin":14123,"position":2},"title":"If Jesus knew Judas would betray him, why did Jesus have him around?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 1, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: If Jesus knew Judas would betray him, why did Jesus entertain Judas until that time? Answer: Paul addressed a similar question, though he looked back at a far older event. When it was time for the Israelites to be freed from bondage, people wondered why did God put such\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":22194,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-felix-manalo-the-last-messenger-of-god\/","url_meta":{"origin":14123,"position":3},"title":"Is Felix Manalo the last messenger of God?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 5, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Good day, I am a member of the Lord's church here in the Philippines, I have a question regarding Isaiah 46:11 and Isaiah 43:5-7. A religious group called Iglesia ni Cristo claims that their \"Sugo\" or messenger, Felix Manalo, from the islands mentioned in Isaiah 24:15; 59:19 and Psalms\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":34079,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/does-the-fact-that-gods-will-is-not-being-done-on-earth-mean-the-kingdom-isnt-here\/","url_meta":{"origin":14123,"position":4},"title":"Does the fact that God’s will is not being done on earth mean the kingdom isn’t here?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"July 18, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I was stopped by two Jehovah's Witnesses and was very thankful that I had the scriptural knowledge and the courage to dispute some of the things they said.\u00a0 As a member of the church, I fully understand the nature of Christ's kingdom and provided scriptural evidence for its current\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":42583,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/why-do-you-say-the-blood-moon-prophecies-are-false-when-they-are-coming-true\/","url_meta":{"origin":14123,"position":5},"title":"Why do you say the blood moon prophecies are false when they are coming true?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 17, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I've just read a column on your website about the four blood moon\u00a0and I was confused. How can it be a\u00a0false prophecy when it had occurred on the exact date that pastor John Hagee had prophesied years ago? I am a member of a church of Christ and in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14123","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14123"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14123\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14123"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14123"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14123"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}