"Thus saith the LORD to His anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him..." Isaiah 45:1.

This word was not given to one of the prophets or any of the kings of Israel; but to Cyrus, the king of Persia. Although an idol worshiping heathen, he was an instrument chosen by God to overthrow the Chaldean empire and free Israel from years of Babylonian bondage.

It was almost three thousand years ago that Isaiah gave that message. The prophecy came two centuries before Cyrus, and he was called by name. History shows that this unfolded as Isaiah had prophesied.

Jewish tradition says the Daniel studied the scroll of Jeremiah and realized that Israel’s 70 years of Babylonian Captivity were completed. During his study, Daniel also discovered that Isaiah had predicted the name of the King that would deliver Israel from Babylon. Therewith, Daniel took the scroll of Isaiah to Cyrus and showed him that God had recorded his name in Scripture two hundred years earlier. It shocked Cyrus to the core, and gave him the confidence to attack Babylon and in turn, free Israel from their captivity.

The prophet also spoke this concerning the king:

Once the Jews were freed, Cyrus issued an edict for them to rebuild their Temple in Jerusalem. And, as history has it, on the exact day he issued the decree, his soldiers unearthed vast amounts of silver and gold that the king of Babylon had hidden under the Euphrates River. God’s Word was fulfilled to the letter.

The treasures of Babylon were like treasures in a bank vault. They were locked in the darkness of that kingdom until broken into and taken by Cyrus. Some of those treasures taken from the depository and returned to Jerusalem were five thousand four hundred gold and silver vessels of the house of the LORD, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought forth out of Jerusalem, and had put them in the house of his gods. Ezra 1:7.

It is the same in the spirit. There are treasures of the LORD that are hidden away in dark places that are to be brought back to their rightful place in the Kingdom of God. These obscure places can be deep within individuals, hidden in the darkness of religious organizations, as well as in the world. Unless it is by the Spirit, nobody will peer into those dark places. If He does not open their eyes, it will be impossible for anyone to see God's treasures that lay in reserve.

One might not suspect that the two Babylons, one of religion and the other of the world, would be holding many treasures of God’s riches, but they do, and these treasures are not only spiritual things, but they are people as well. Paul called them a peculiar treasure. For the most part, neither do they know it nor do they know God; but He knows them and the time will come when they will know Him. He will call them by name, and it is then that they will know Him and also know who they are. Whether these treasures are individuals in the darkness of Babylon, the treasures of His life that are hidden within the depths of their own souls, or the treasures hidden in the darkness of the world, when the anointed ones of the Lord invade man's kingdom, the treasures will be found and possessed. "Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine." Isaiah 43:1

At the predestined time, these treasures of darkness are to be brought into the light, no longer hidden from us or the world. These treasures are not only brought into the light, unveiled, and made known; but as the hour of the unveiling comes, without delay each of us will possess and present them to those in dire need of a long-awaited, refreshing rain. Until that time it can be said, "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them that love him." 1 Corinthians 2:9. Ah! The manifestation of the Sons of God! Who could remotely imagine the glory of it?

A number of individuals have promoted themselves as having the keys to the treasures of darkness, claiming they hold the rich mysteries of God’s Kingdom; but not one person whose eyes have not been opened by hearing the voice of the Son of God can lay claim to knowing anything about these treasures. Each of them must first be brought into view of the divine revelation before this is possible, and when this comes, the flood-tide and flow of heaven’s riches will never cease.

You see, the plural word, treasures, signifies not only something laid up and hidden from common view and possession, but suggests an infinite, incalculable supply. It is an amount which cannot be exhausted. It suffices the soul and all spiritual needs and pleasures. It suffices and continually suffices, again and again, over and over, all needs and joys of His wonderful life.

As truth dawns in the person, the work of our Lord Jesus begins to be a reality. It is then that the ever-flowing fullness of His grace in, through, and out of us can be known and seen. It super-abounds over sin and fills our souls with holy awe while being as natural as breathing air. When we truly see the virtue and power that we have, it will produce the desired effect of manifesting those inconceivable treasures of darkness. The end purpose of the cross will be experientially known, while carnal man’s appetites are forever consumed by the glory of God’s majesty. The blood of our Lord that judiciously cleanses all from all sin will be a manifested reality. His resurrection that we already know in part will rise in us. His purity, His holiness, His righteousness which is unto all will be joyfully embraced into the age of the ages.

Praise God! The treasures of mercy, grace, and redemption will be living realities for all those who came out of Him, which is — ALL! He so loves ALL of His creation that He will not rest or relent until ALL know Him as they once did, yet in a new and living way! If it were any other way, He would not be the Savior the Scriptures so clearly describes and we have come to know.

To see this by the Spirit is to enter into His beauty of holiness. It is to comprehend the length, and breadth, and depth, and height of the love of Christ, this love that passes human knowledge and understanding. In the unfathomable ages to come, even if the sun ever wanes to a dying ember, and if the earth should fail to yield her precious increase — these treasures will ever remain; for they are in themselves infinite, inexhaustible, eternal!

The LORD said that He would give His anointed Cyrus the hidden riches of secret places. Those natural riches of gold, silver, and precious gems symbolized greater riches that have been hidden away and awaiting discovery by today’s anointed. They are spiritual in nature and each is worth more than a thousand worlds filled with treasures of gold, rare gems, or inexhaustible fields of grain! We yearn to see them, to know with clarity the richest discoveries of the wisdom and goodness of God. Although some have been revealed to us, many more are still a mystery. If they were not, there would be nothing lacking, and His Kingdom would be fully manifested. So, they remain concealed even from the keen eye of those who soar like the eagles.

The secret places are just that — SECRET! But when it is the Lord’s pleasure to bring them forth to those whose eyes He has opened, each will know that it had truly never entered their hearts, nor crossed the horizons of their minds the treasures hidden in darkness that He had laid up in their secret places.

The anointed word of truth surpasses every conceivable thought and every expectation of the heart. These riches of secret places transcend the wealth of the entire earth combined with everything in man’s world of religion, economics, and government.

But it is only as these riches of secret places are opened to us that we see, feel, and know what the Lord Jesus Christ is to those who believe in and love His holy name. Joseph Philpot (1802-1869), who resisted the Church of England and was known as "The Seceder," said this in one of his sermons:

In all this, we learn that the Lord has truly called us by our name which is a genuine work of grace upon our souls. We did not just happen by accident nor decided on our own to follow after the good life of Jesus Christ. We may have thought so at times, or had our doubts and fears about it, but this did not stop us from being thoroughly tried through the years, and a few may have wavered with unbelief at times, and/or had many anxious misgivings; even so, the unseen work of God placed His treasures in our hearts for safe keeping, even when we felt that there may have been nothing but darkness therein.

There was a day that dawned on us that our hardened hearts had somehow softened, our unbelief was lifted, and some of those treasures of darkness were brought to light and began to bring us spiritual blessings beyond measure. We then came to know beyond a doubt that God really did call us by our name, that all His works were real, and looking back upon all the ways in which we had been led, sometimes driven, we know that the Lord had gone before us in everything and made our crooked paths straight.

We can now declare with boldness that it was He who called us by our name and out of darkness, and this was because He had already written our name in His book of life. This is the King’s seal upon our hearts like living dew from heaven, even during the dark nights that were upon us at sundry times and seasons.

What a great light that shines upon God's own and reveals them for what and who they are! Here we have true religion before us, not man’s that is inspired by the split tongue of the serpent, but one that is inspired by Him alone. In this religion there is heaven’s substance, His divine reality, Jesus personified. It is that which comes down from the throne into the soul of every son and daughter of God as they are awakened to this reality.

It is not just changing the views of our doctrines or an alteration in life styles, nor is it adopting a certain set of tenets of faith, or embracing special ministers as the only ones from which to learn. Neither is it by being a member of a particular religious denomination regardless how long it has existed. It is not by attending a certain deep-teaching Bible study group, and it is certainly not to go back to the Old Testament Law and live our lives in a legalistic, religious manner. This is altogether something entirely different! It supersedes man’s ways as much as light supercedes darkness, joy surpasses sorrow, or the mount of transfiguration transcends the hell in the belly of the great fish that held Jonah. There is that much difference between the reality of true religion, the treasures of darkness, and that of man’s religion which IS DARKNESS.

Some will surely ask, "Must all who are awakened to salvation go through such trying times?" At one time or another, it will be a must. However, I believe at the present, it depends on whether or not they are the anointed of the Lord, the firstfruits of the high calling. If, however, they are held captive behind the walls of religious Babylon, the answer is no, they will not go through it, at least not in the day of those who are the anointed firstfruits of the Lord.

The ones who are called to free the treasured captives will certainly go through seemingly impossible odds. They will find that they can neither scale the walls of religious Babylon, their own inner religious borders, nor go through or under them, and likewise with the leaved gates of brass and bars of iron that went from underneath the city walls to the bottom of the river. All that Cyrus faced was humanly impossible, and so it is with the anointed at this present time.

Some feel that our siting president is another Cyrus, God's anointed who will do all these things, and has given him the wherewithal to divert the deep river of socialism. If this is so, no one can prevent it; for that which the Lord opens no man can close, and that which He closes, no man can open.

Many are praying for the complete vindication of Trump so he can be free to rule as the duly elected president, while others are praying that he will be impeached and shamefully disposed of. But, please, saints of the everlasting Kingdom, let us not be praying, as it were, for our "football team" to win. But rather, let us pray for the mind of our Father, and when we see and know the inworking of all things that will fulfill His purpose. We can then decree His divine will, and it will be done. Do we pray for mercy and blessings, or judgment and sorrows? Without his mind in the matter, we have no way of knowing.

At this moment, I do not know whether this man is or is not another Cyrus; it is looking as if he could be. Whether he is or not, according to what the apostle Paul wrote, one thing we do know. He was ordained and set in office by the hand of God. If a reminder is necessary:

"Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance (Grk. diatag, arrangement, institution) of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation (Grk. krima, a decision for or against a crime). For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? Do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake." Romans 13:1-5.

Some might have a hard time with this, especially those of no spiritual understanding or religious persuasion. But let it be understood, Donald J. Trump was set in place by divine appointment. So hypothetically, who are we to say nay to His choice? Do we see the end from the beginning? Do we grasp all the interwoven workings of good and evil in God's plan for the end of the age? I thought not, so let us rest assured that all is going very well and as planned.

Frankly, it is the same with us as individuals; that is, the Spirit also works as effectually for us and in us as it does with the president, and also as it was with king Cyrus and his driving force. He sees us through all of our difficulties, especially as we grasp the absolute need for Him. It is then that we can hold dear to our hearts His grace and omniscient power that enables us to conquer the former which was unconquerable.

Can we see why it is necessary for God's people to have so many gates of brass and bars of iron; that is, obstacles, trials, and tribulations? I am persuaded that religion void of the trials of hardships is but a spoof, a sham, a mockery, a put-on charade at best. It is fruitless, therefore, worthless! Although dressed up as righteous ones of the Lord, they are generally empty shells acting a theatrical part, living a lie.

I believe it was Ann Landers who said that "The naked truth is better than well-dressed lies," and regardless of how well-dressed the act might be, untried religion can never give people the wherewithal to overcome sin. It never has and never will. It has nothing to equip anyone with what it takes to overcome. Religion without life cannot bring heaven’s bliss into a man’s soul; for one, he is very well satisfied with the world and all that it has to offer. Anything that pertains to the Spirit will have no appeal. Remove the tribulations which true religion knows so well, and you take away the effectual working of the Spirit in people’s lives, leaving them with a hull, an appearance, a façade of the treasures of darkness but no substance.

Let us by all means, then, praise God for all our trials in life. James said, "Count it all joy when you fall into diverse trials." James 1:2. And count it a blessing that we were chosen of the Lord to be numbered among those who are burdened and exercised in hardships and tribulations and terrible tempests. For by God's grace our souls will be supported, comforted, and eventually delivered from it all.

As the hidden treasures of darkness become a living reality, we will beach upon the blissful shores of our Lord’s peace where all sorrow and tears are wiped away. We may read these encouraging words and rejoice, that is, until we find ourselves in the prisons of darkness where there are no comforts to the soul. We may plead for mercy and for God’s vengeance to be poured out to those who have persecuted us or were responsible for our unbearable adversities that are shaking apart every sound thing in our lives. But let us not be of such demeanor; for remember, Paul and Silas were not in despair while in prison but were praying and singing hymns as the other prisoners listened. But to make matters supposedly worse, a great earthquake hit while in that foreboding place.

That, however, is what it took to open the prison doors and break the bonds of not only Paul and Silas, but all the prisoners. Due to this tragedy, the jailer, along with his household, were saved. You see, there were treasures of darkness in that prison. Paul, Silas, the jailer, and his family were brought forth for all to see. So, stand fast, brethren, and see your treasures brought forth that will pass in review before all men everywhere.

This is not understood by the majority, not only those of the world but not many in the church either. Until natural minds are renewed, some of our Father’s doings will not be what many would choose or even think could be something He would be a part of. For instance, if the current president happens to be another Cyrus who discovers the treasures of darkness and sets the captives free, some will surely disagree with the choice of God's anointed shepherd.

Such, of course, is not uncommon; but we might ought to get used to these High Court orders; for when they are given to the Watchers, they will demand that they are fulfilled whether politically minded carnal people like it or not.

It is still hard for some to accept the fact that many matters are by the decree of the Watchers, and those decrees are demands by God's holy ones. This is so the world may eventually know that the most High rules in the kingdom of man. And also that God gives it to whomsoever He will and He sets the basest of men over nations. Daniel 4:17.

"And at the end of the time I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me; and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever: For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, And His kingdom is from generation to generation." Daniel 4:34.