1/ So, let's talk Isaiah 45:7, which at various times I've seen antitheists use as a Gotcha verse to claim that God is calling himself the author of evil. Ofc it does not & cannot do this, but it is making *a* point very strongly, as strongly as it's ever made in scripture: why?

2/ He's addressing Cyrus. Cyrus the Persian. Who was a devout Zoroastrian. Which means that at the ground level of his theology was the idea that there's only one God, who is good, but at the same time, there are two equal and opposing principles in the world,

3/ Asha & Druj-- Order/Truth as against Falsehood/Deceit. Zoroastrianism was on a trajectory to, later, positing that Ahura Mazda, the Wise God, whose principle was Asha, actually had a rival: Ahriman.

4/ As though Satan were as people imagine him, a parallel/rival to God, as opposed to simply a parallel to Michael.

So, right as this theology is developing, the actual Wise God, the Holy One of Israel, is nipping it right in the bud.

5/ There are no rival equal forces in the world doing battle for control, he says. Listen up, Cyrus:

6/ "I am the LORD, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me, so that from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting men may know there is none besides me. I am the LORD, and there is no other.

7/ "I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the LORD, do all these things."

Context matters and is super interesting!