"Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, 'The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and He has appointed me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah.Cyrus, the new ruler of (effectively) the world, has suddenly acknowledged God. We don't know why he did this, or what happened to cause him to even know God exists. He had conquered the previous nation shortly before, and we know that God has sent a sign which Daniel interpreted to be the prophecy of that nation's downfall. Perhaps learning this is what made Cyrus aware of God.
Still, why did he suddenly decide that he should rebuild the Temple? And why in Jerusalem? He could have made any kind of honoring site to God, like an Asherah pole. And he could have done it anywhere; his capitol would certainly have been more convenient. So why put this new temple in Jerusalem? Was he advised to do so by someone like Daniel? Or did his other advisers suggest this, since that was where the old Temple had been? Whichever it was, it's clear God paved the way for His people to return, by using a foreign king as His instrument.
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