Zephaniah 1

Study Guide 75: Zephaniah JUDGMENT COMING Overview Zephaniah has been called the “ prophet of universal judgment.” He looked far ahead, and described a day when God will judge, and history will demonstrate His sovereignty.

Outline I. Judgment on Judah1:1-2:3 II. Judgment on the NationsZep_2:4-15 III. Jerusalem’ s FutureZep_3:1-20 A. Near judgmentZep_3:1-7 B. Eternal kingdomZep_3:8-20Zephaniah was a descendant of Judah’ s King Hezekiah. He preached in the time of Josiah, another godly king. Zephaniah’ s portrait of the idolatry in Judah suggests that he spoke in Josiah’ s early years, as that child-king was growing up and before his revival of 621 b.c.Zephaniah’ s structure reflects common elements in the books of all the minor prophets. Thus the book gives us a springboard from which to look at aspects of the future seen by all the Hebrew prophets. JUDGE. The Hebrew words translated “ judge” and “ judgment” are derived from din and sapat. These synonyms imply all functions of government; executive and legislative as well as judicial. Thus the prophets affirmation that “ God is Judge” suggests that He is the ultimate Ruler of the universe as well as its moral arbiter. Because God is in total control of this universe He can and will come to punish sin and, ultimately, to establish righteousness.

Commentary In studying Old Testament prophetic books it is important to pay attention to their structure. It is true that each prophet had a message for his contemporaries. In general when we study the major or minor prophets, it’ s best to explore them from this viewpoint. By looking at the message of a prophet for the people of his own day, we discover what might be called the universal message of that prophet: the message that God has through His Word for believers of all times. Still, as we read the prophets, we cannot help but notice that there is a striking similarity in the way these works are organized. Simply put, they generally (1) start with words of warning to the living generation, (2) move on to announce a coming judgment, (3) add an invitation to the living to repent and be restored, and (4) conclude with a portrait of the distant future. This final section may focus on the tragedies of what is commonly called “ the Day of the Lord” or “ that Day.” Often this time when God intervenes and acts directly to judge sin is spoken of as a day of darkness and terror. Yet there is also glory ahead. And often the prophets move beyond the time of judgment to show a brighter aspect of the Day of the Lord. For all agree that that day will close with the establishment of peace and of righteousness. In almost every case, the last words of a prophet’ s writings are words of hope. The Book of Zephaniah illustrates that structure, and helps us grasp the outline of most of the minor prophets. It reminds us that if we want a picture of the end of time, we can turn to the ending of almost any of the minor prophets (the majors are Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Isaiah, and Daniel) and find there descriptions of what the prophets believed lay ahead.

Zephaniah The Book of Zephaniah clearly demonstrates the common structure, and picks up most of the prophetic themes. Note the pattern mentioned earlier. Words of warning to the contemporary generation (Zephaniah 1:2-13). Zephaniah launched into a stern and powerful warning: “ I will sweep away everything from the face of the earth,” declares the Lord. “ I will sweep away both men and animals; I will sweep away the birds of the air and the fish of the sea. The wicked will have only heaps of rubble when I cut off man from the face of the earth,” declares the Lord. Zephaniah 1:2-3In the next verse Zephaniah explained the reasons why his generation must be judged. God’ s people were sunk deep in idolatry. And they had filled the temple of their gods “ with violence and deceit” (Zephaniah 1:9). Announcement of coming judgment (Zeph. 1:14-2:15). Zephaniah moved on to portray the “ great Day of the Lord” which is “ near and coming quickly” (Zephaniah 1:14). His initial description is of its bitterness: That day will be a day of wrath, a day of distress and anguish, a day of trouble and ruin, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness, a day of trumpet and battle cry against the fortified cities and against the corner towers. Zephaniah 1:15-16And Zephaniah made it clear that while Judah, a “ shameful nation,” will experience all the distress ordained because “ they have sinned against the Lord,” the day of judgment will also see the punishment of pagan nations. Much of Zephaniah 2:1-15 details God’ s description of the judgment coming on Philistia (Zephaniah 2:4-7), Moab and Ammon (Zephaniah 2:8-11), Cush (Zephaniah 2:12), and Assyria (Zephaniah 2:13-15). An invitation to repent and be restored (Zephaniah 2:2-3). Imbedded in the announcement of judgment is a typical invitation. Before the terrible day came and the wrath of God swept everything away, individuals are told to: Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land, you who do what He commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the Lord’ s anger. Zephaniah 2:3A picture of the far future (Zephaniah 3:1-20). Zephaniah turned now to a picture of the more distant future. He continued describing the Day of the Lord, now as it will affect Jerusalem specifically. He described a great warlike assembly of nations and their destruction under the fierce anger of the Lord. In the process God will “ remove from this city those who rejoice in their pride” (Zephaniah 3:11). But I will leave within you the meek and humble, who trust in the name of the Lord. The remnant of Israel will do no wrong; they will speak no lies, nor will deceit be found in their mouths. They will eat and lie down and no one will make them afraid. Zephaniah 3:12-13With these words Zephaniah moved beyond the dark clouds of divine judgment to portray the bright day judgment will bring. He saw Jerusalem glad and rejoicing, and he said, “ The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you” (Zephaniah 3:15). In that day God will save, and: The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing. Zephaniah 3:17The book concludes with another promise which is repeated again and again in the prophets: “ At that time I will gather you; at that time I will bring you home. I will give you honor and praise among all the peoples of the earth when I restore your fortunes before your very eyes,” says the Lord. Zephaniah 3:20LINK TO LIFE: YOUTH / ADULT List on the chalkboard the four structural elements the author says are characteristic of the books of the minor prophets. Have group members work in pairs to (1) identify the verses in Zephaniah that go with each structural element, and (2) sum up what this prophet says about each. Discuss: “ What are major impressions you have about the future as sketched by Zephaniah?”

End Time Themes The structure of this book, like those of the other minor prophets, ends with a vision of the distant future. And strikingly each of the prophets, major and minor, repeats again and again the same themes. The prophets all speak of a regathering of Israel: with Zephaniah they promise that God will “ gather those who have been scattered” to “ bring you home” (Zephaniah 3:19, Zephaniah 3:20). The prophets all describe a time of terrible distress and tribulation: with Zephaniah they describe a time when “ the whole world will be consumed by the fire of My jealous anger” (Zephaniah 3:8). The prophets all describe a glorious kingdom to be established after the judgment: with Zephaniah they see a time when “ the Lord, the King of Israel, is with you” and Israel will be exalted, for God “ will give you honor and praise among all the people of the earth” (Zephaniah 3:15, Zephaniah 3:20). These elements are repeated so often that, while details of time and sequence are undefined, a clear portrait of the time of the end as seen by the prophets can be drawn. Thus it’ s helpful, not just for an understanding of Zephaniah but to sensitize Christians to the message of the prophets, to look at each of these themes separately. A final regathering. While hardly a popular view in modern Arab countries, it is the conviction of the prophets that history’ s end will find the Jews in possession of the Promised Land. This conviction is rooted first of all in the ancient Abrahamic Covenant, under which God guaranteed Abraham’ s descendants possession of Palestine “ from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates” (Genesis 15:18). In historic times this territory has been partially occupied by the Hebrews. But even under Kings David and Solomon Israel has never possessed the full extent of the Promised Land. Yet this promise is repeated in the Old Testament, at various periods of history. One of the most significant repetitions is in Jeremiah 31:1-40. In that prophet’ s time the people of Judah were all torn from their land, and taken away captive to Babylon. Yet Jeremiah conveyed this message from God: “ Restrain your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears, for your work will be rewarded,” declares the Lord. “ They will return from the land of the enemy. So there is hope for your future,” declares the Lord. “ Your children will return to their own land.” Jeremiah 31:16-17The Book of Deuteronomy explains that when God’ s people turn from Him to idols and immorality they will be expelled from their land (Deuteronomy 28:36-37, Deuteronomy 28:64-68). Yet that same powerful passage contains the promise of regathering, which is echoed by all the prophets (Deuteronomy 30:1-10). The fact that the theme of regathering is found in prophets before and after the Babylonian Exile, along with the fact that for nearly 2,000 years the Jewish people have been scattered among the nations, indicates that the Day of the Lord with which the regathering is associated still lies ahead. Isaiah looked beyond the Babylonian Captivity and the return of the Jews in the fifth century b.c. to say: In that day the Lord will reach out His hand a second time to reclaim the remnant that is left of His people from Assyria, from Lower Egypt, from Upper Egypt, from Cush, from Elam, from Babylonia, from Hamath and from the islands of the sea. He will raise a banner for the nations and gather the exiles of Israel; He will assemble the scattered people of Judah from the four quarters of the earth. Isaiah 11:11-12 (italics mine) What do the other prophets say about the regathering which they see associated with history’ s end? Here are passages in which this theme is found: Deuteronomy 28-30; Isaiah 14:1-3; Isaiah 27:12-13; Isaiah 43:1-8; Isaiah 49:16; Isaiah 66:20-22; Jeremiah 16:14-16; Jeremiah 23:3-8; Jeremiah 30:10-11; Jeremiah 31:8, 31-37; Ezekiel 11:17-21; Ezekiel 20:33-38; Ezekiel 34:11-16; Ezekiel 39:25-29; Hosea 1:10-11; Joe 3:17-21; Amos 9:11-15; Micah 4:4-7; Zephaniah 3:14-20; Zechariah 8:4-8. A Great Tribulation. Of all the themes associated with the prophetic view of destiny, that of a final Tribulation is given the most attention. As Amos warned those who speak lightly of the Lord’ s coming, Woe to you who long for the Day of the Lord! Why do you long for the Day of the Lord? That day will be darkness, not light. It will be as though a man fled from a lion only to meet a bear, as though he entered his house and rested his hand on the wall only to have a snake bite him. Will not the Day of the Lord be darkness, not light — pitch-dark, without a ray of brightness? Amos 5:18-20The terrors of this time are graphically described by some of the prophets. For instance: A Day of the Lord is coming when your plunder will be divided among you. I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it; the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped. Half of the city will go into Exile but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city. Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle. On that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley. . . . You will flee by my mountain valley. . . . Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with Him. Zechariah 14:1-5Yet despite the terror of that day it is clear that the prophets see it as a time of purification. It is a day of wrath and judgment, but it will lead to deliverance. Here are sample descriptions from some of the prophets. Behold, evil is going forth from nation to nation, and a great storm is being stirred up from the remotest parts of the earth. And those slain by the Lord on that day shall be from one end of the earth to the other. They shall not be lamented, gathered, or buried. Jeremiah 25:32-33, NASBAlas! for that day is great, there is none like it; and it is the time of Jacob’ s distress, but he will be saved from it. Jeremiah 30:7, NASBAnd I shall make you pass under the rod, and I shall bring you into the bond of the covenant; and I shall purge from you the rebels. Ezekiel 20:37-38, NASB“ In the whole land,” declares the Lord, “ two thirds will be struck down and perish; yet one third will be left in it. This third I will bring into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on My name and I will answer them; I will say, ‘ They are My people,’ and they will say, ‘ The Lord is our God.’” Zechariah 13:8-9What else do the prophets say about the time of distress, and the faithful remnant who will be purified and preserved through it? For images of the Great Tribulation, see Deuteronomy 4:30-31; Isaiah 2:19; Isaiah 24:1, Isaiah 24:3, Isaiah 24:6, Isaiah 24:19-21; Isaiah 26:20-21; Jeremiah 30:7; Daniel 9:27; Daniel 12:1; Joe 1:15; Joe 2:1-2; Amos 5:18-20; Zephaniah 1:14-15, Zephaniah 1:18. For the promise of a remnant to be preserved see Isaiah 1:9; Isaiah 4:3-4; Isaiah 6:12-13; Isaiah 10:21; Isaiah 26:20; Isaiah 51:1-11; Jeremiah 15:11; Jeremiah 33:25-26; Jeremiah 44:28; Ezekiel 14:22; Ezekiel 20:34-38; Ezekiel 37:21-22; Hosea 3:5; Amos 9:11-15; Zechariah 13:8-9; Malachi 3:16-17. A king and kingdom. The prophets do not end history on a dark note. Instead they are caught up with visions of glory. Each sees a Ruler, whose titles reflect His divine nature, who will bring blessings to the people of the earth. Typical of these prophecies is this powerful vision of Isaiah of the characteristics of Messiah. For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’ s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this. Isaiah 9:6-7Some of the most beautiful pictures of that time, a coming Messianic Age, are found in Isaiah. Here, from Isaiah 11:1-16, is one of the best known. A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him — the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. . . . He will not judge by what He sees with His eyes, or decide by what He hears with His ears; but with righteousness He will judge the needy, with justice He will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth; with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked. Righteousness will be His belt and faithfulness the sash around His waist. The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play near the hole of the cobra, and the young child put his hand into the viper’ s nest. They will neither harm nor destroy on all My holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. Isaiah 11:1-9What do the prophets say about this time of a glorious kingdom established on earth by God Himself? Vivid images of that time are found in Isaiah 2:1-4; Isaiah 4:2-6; Isaiah 9:6-7; Isaiah 11:1-13; Isaiah 24:1-23; Isaiah 32:1-5, Isaiah 32:14-20; Isaiah 33:17-24; Isaiah 35:1-10; Isaiah 52:7-10; 60:1-61:6; Isaiah 66:15-23; Jeremiah 31:1-27; Jeremiah 33:14-26; Daniel 2:31-45; Daniel 7:1-28; Daniel 9:1-3, Daniel 9:20-27; Daniel 12:1-4; Malachi 3:1-5; Malachi 4:1-6; Ezekiel 20:33-42; Ezekiel 34:20-31; Ezekiel 36:22-36; Ezekiel 37:1-28; Ezekiel 39:21-29; Hosea 3:4-5; Joel 2:28-3:2, Joe 3:9-21; Amos 9:9-15; Obadiah 1:15-21; Micah 4:1-5; Zephaniah 3:8-20; Haggai 2:1-9; Zechariah 2:1-13; Zechariah 6:11-13; Zechariah 8:1-8, Zechariah 8:20-23; Zechariah 9:9-10; Zechariah 12:1-10; Zechariah 14:1-21.

Titles of the Coming King Lord of hostsIsa_24:23, NASB The LordMic_4:7 Your GodIsa_52:7 The Most HighDan_7:22-24 The Lord Our RighteousnessJer_23:6 Mighty GodIsa_9:6 Ancient of DaysDan_7:13 The KingIsa_33:17 Messiah the PrinceDan_9:25-26, KJV The JudgeIsa_11:3-4 The RedeemerIsa_59:20 The LawgiverIsa_33:22 The Prince of PrincesDan_8:25 When Will These Things Be? Christians are divided on their interpretation of the visions of the prophets. Some Bible students are convinced that the promises are true, but are to be understood as a symbolic expression of the work of Christ in the hearts of the believers of this age. Others take the words of the prophets at face value, and look for a literal fulfillment in history. There is no doubt that the prophets thought in literal terms, and did not foresee the Christian era. So, when studying the Old Testament, if we want to look through the prophets’ eyes we need to take their words in their plain and literal sense. If we do this, we can construct a picture of what they foresaw for the future. We cannot tell just when the things they spoke of will take place. But we can see what they foresaw, and be assured that the future rests firmly in the hands of our great God.

Teaching Guide Prepare Read through Zephaniah, to underline phrases that reflect the themes noted in this unit.

Explore and Expand At times a Bible book is more important for understanding basic biblical teaching than for direct application to believers’ lives. Zephaniah, while relevant as a reminder that God is Judge and will punish sin, is a book that helps us grasp both the structure of Old Testament prophetic books, and themes that we meet again and again in the prophets. To guide your group to understand both structure and themes, lead an unusual “ self-study” group this week.

1. Give an overview of the structure of Old Testament prophets and have group members find this structure in Zephaniah (see “ link-to-life” above).
2. Have duplicated the verses the author gives on each of the three major Old Testament prophetic themes. Briefly explain each theme, and let your group members select one theme to explore with others. Form teams to examine each theme by looking up the verses.

Apply Use the last 10 or 15 minutes for groups to report on what they have learned, and to share dominant impressions.