10. In what way was Cyrus “anointed,” and how could Jehovah speak to him more than a hundred years before his birth?

¹⁰ Notice that Jehovah speaks to Cyrus as if he is already alive. This harmonizes with Paul’s statement that Jehovah “calls the things that are not as though they were.” (Romans 4:17) Also, God identifies Cyrus as “his anointed one.” Why did he do that? After all, Jehovah’s high priest never poured holy anointing oil on Cyrus’ head. True, but this is a prophetic anointing. It indicates an induction into a special office. So God could speak of his advance appointment of Cyrus as an anointing.—Compare 1 Kings 19:15-17; 2 Kings 8:13.

On the crucial night, carousing revelers in Babylon carelessly left open the two-leaved doors along the Euphrates waterfront.