Zephaniah 3

Zephaniah Chapter ThreeThe prophet now turns his attention to the north to the great Assyrian Empire whose capital was Nineveh. She would be utterly destroyed and flocks would graze where she once stood. The Babylonians, Medes and Scythians united to defeat and destroy Nineveh in 612 B. C. Its scattered ruins can still be seen in the land of Iraq, across the Tigris from the city of Mosul. The word rendered pelican is obscure in the Hebrew text.

The RSV renders the passage, “the vulture and the hedgehog shall lodge in her capitals; the owl shall hoot in the window, the raven croak on the threshold.” The NIV renders it, “ The desert owl and the screech owl will roost on her columns. Their calls will echo through the windows.” Either of these makes more sense to the reader. Visitors who view the utter desolation of the city which formerly ruled the Middle-East, will sigh and wave their hands in dismay. “ Woe to her that is rebellious and polluted! to the oppressing city! She obeyed not the voice; she received not correction; she trusted not in Jehovah; she drew not near to her God. Her princes in the midst of her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves; they leave nothing till the morrow. Her prophets are light and treacherous persons; her priests have profaned the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law” (Zephaniah 3:1-4). Zephaniah now turns his attention specifically to Jerusalem and her inhabitants. Like a prosecutor in a court, he lists the charges brought against her citizens. They were rebellious which is worse than witchcraft (1 Samuel 15:23). Moses told the Hebrews of his day, “ Ye have been rebellious against Jehovah from the day that I knew you” (Deuteronomy 9:24). They were polluted, defiled by their sins, thus unable to stand before their God (Jeremiah 3:2). They oppressed those who were weak and unable to defend themselves. This their law specifically forbade (Deuteronomy 24:14). They would not hear the voice of God delivered through His Word, his faithful prophets and priests. They would not accept correction. They trusted not Jehovah. They would not draw near to God. (See James 4:8). They were shameless (Zephaniah 3:5). These sins are not just relics of the ancient past. They flourish in our society today. He then turns his attention to the leaders of the nation who had likewise miserably failed in their duties and responsibilities.

1. Her princes (the ruling class) “ are roaring lions.” They were fierce predators who preyed on those they should have protected.
2. Her judges were like evening wolves, who under cover of darkness seek their victims.
3. Her prophets were light and treacherous persons. They were silly and irreverent in handling God’ s Word.
4. Her priests profaned God’ s sanctuary and did violence to the law. They neglected or took liberties in the observance of the rites of worship ordained by Jehovah. They failed to teach all of God’ s will to the people or perhaps they added to it. They might have sought to soften or explain away its intended meaning. “ Jehovah in the midst of her is righteous; he will not do iniquity; every mourning doth he bring his justice to light, he faileth not; but the unjust knoweth no shame” (Zephaniah 3:5). Jehovah was fully aware of their many sins for he was “ in the midst of her.” Unlike her judges, he “ is righteous.” “ He will not do iniquity.” God is as dependable as the sun which never fails to appear. He will make the world to see and understand his righteous judgments. “ 1 have cut off nations; their battlements are desolate; I have made their streets waste, so that none passeth by; their cities are destroyed, so that there is no man, so that there is no inhabitant. I said, Only fear thou me; receive correction; so her dwelling shall not be cut off, according to all that I have appointed concerning her: but they rose early and corrupted all their doings” (Zephaniah 3:6-7). God then reminds the Hebrews what he had done for them. He had broken the power of Egypt to free them from bondage. He gave them victory over the Canaanite tribes and gave them their land. His only stipulation was that they “ fear” Him and “ receive correction.” If that they would do they would never be driven from their land.

He had made it clear that if they took up the wicked practices of the Canaanites, the land would vomit them out as it had done the heathen before them (Leviticus 18:24-30). Rather than show their gratitude for God’ s rich blessings, “ they rose early” to indulge themselves in sin and rebellion.

A Promise of Future Blessings (Zephaniah 3:8-20).Note: Passages such as the following have an immediate fulfillment in the restoration of the Hebrews from their captivity in Babylon. However, we can also see a glimmer of a greater, grander fulfillment that would be realized in the heavenly kingdom of Messiah which was to come hundreds of years later.

“ Therefore wait ye for me, smith Jehovah, until the day that I rise up to the prey; for my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger; for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy” (Zephaniah 3:8). The word “ therefore” connects this section with the foregoing. Having identified the many sins of the Hebrews that were deserving of God’ s punishment, he now turns his attention to the righteous remnant among them. They are urged to “ wait…for me, smith Jehovah.” While they could not escape the turmoil that the day of the Lord would bring, they should not despair, rather, they should trust Him and be patient as He did his work of purifying their nation. This exhortation is yet valid for Christians in our troubled age of degeneracy and violence. Isaiah also knew the value of waiting for the Lord. “ They that wait for (God) shall not be put to shame” (Isaiah 49:23). “ They that wait for Jehovah shall renew their strength” (Isaiah 40:31). “ The prey” which God will take are the wicked nations upon whom he will pour his indignation and fierce anger. “ All the earth” is not to be taken literally.

It is a metonymy, the whole standing for a part. He speaks of all those nations under consideration, those already mentioned in chapter two.

Our God is a jealous God (Exodus 34:14). God’ s jealousy is not to be confused with the petty jealousy common to man. We are often jealous when there is no good reason to be so. In our ignorance and vanity we imagine that our loved one or friend is turning away from us, when in reality they are not. God is omniscient. He knows every detail of their hearts and ours.

His jealousy stirred when his people turned to other gods, when their affections turned from Him to other people or things. His jealousy is aroused when human beings, whom he created to honor his name, dishonor it; when they abuse and misuse the things he created. He is jealous when evil people seek to harm his saints. In this passage hostile nations had laid violent hands upon his people and God’ s jealousy is stirred to avenge them.

“ For then will 1 turn to the peoples a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of Jehovah, to serve him with one consent” (Zephaniah 3:9). The prophet does not have in mind a particular language such as Greek or Latin. He means that following the refinement of the coming judgment, their speech will be pure; forgiven and cleansed of all haughtiness (Zephaniah 3:11) lies and deceit (Zephaniah 3:13). “ Then will I purify the lips of the peoples” (NIV). The ultimate goal is that “ they all may call upon the name of Jehovah…with one consent.” “ From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants, even the daughter of my dispersed, shall bring mine offering. In that day shalt thou not be put to shame for all thy doings, wherein thou hast transgressed against me; for then I will take away out of the midst of thee thy proudly exulting ones, and thou shalt no more be haughty in my holy mountain” (Zephaniah 3:10-11). He continues the promise of the good things to come after the day of the Lord, which in this case was the coming Babylonian Captivity (606-536 B. C.). He sees his fellow-Hebrews, who had been scattered far and wide by war or sold as slaves, returning to the holy land as faithful “ suppliants,” worshiping God and bringing their offerings to Him. In Zephaniah’ s day, Ethiopia was the end of the earth as far as human knowledge was concerned.

They knew not what lay beyond its southern border. His point is, no matter how far God’ s people had been scattered, the day would come when they would be free to come home and they would desire to do so. Their sins, such as pride, that had brought God’ s judgment upon them, will have been purged and forgiven. Now with new-found humility they will come and worship him.

“ But I will leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall take refuge in the name of Jehovah. The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth; for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid” (Zephaniah 3:12-13). The haughty ones mentioned in vs. 11, will have been purged out, but left in God’ s kingdom will be those “ afflicted and poor people…(who) take refuge in the name of Jehovah.” Because all deceit and lies have been purged from their hearts, they will be a people of pure speech. They are his righteous remnant. There was never a time when all of Abraham’ s descendants were faithful to God, but there was always a faithful remnant who served Him. This theme is found scattered though the pages of Scripture. “ Many are called, but few are chosen” (Matthew 22:14).

Thus Paul concluded, “ If the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, it is the remnant that shall be saved” (Romans 9:27). (For an extended discussion on God’ s Remnant, see the Appendix at the end of Zephaniah. To understand “ they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid,” think of a flock of sheep who are cared for by a good shepherd. Jehovah was their shepherd, Jesus is ours (John 10:9).

“ Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem. Jehovah hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out thine enemy: the King of Israel, even Jehovah, is in the midst of thee; thou shalt not fear evil any more” (Zephaniah 3:14-15). In view these wonderful promises of a blessed future, the prophet exhorts them to celebrate their deliverance and blessings. In verse 12 we see a good illustration of the parallelism common in Hebrew poetry: “ Sing, O daughter of Zion Shout, O Israel, Be glad and rejoice…O daughter of Jerusalem” This example is called a synonymous parallel. In each line the people are told to rejoice. Zion, Israel and daughter of Jerusalem all refer to the citizens of Jerusalem. Until the student has some knowledge of the use of parallelisms by the Hebrew writers, he will be hard-pressed to fully understand their poetry. (Those wishing to study the subject more will profit from the book Hermeneutics by D. R. Dungan, Gospel Light Pub.

Co.). They were to rejoice because their God had removed their judgment by casting out their enemy. In this case he speaks of the Babylonians who had decimated their land. When they would return after their captivity, God would be “ in the midst” of them as in the days of old. God’ s presence was in their midst, in the holy of holies of their temple (Psalms 46:4-5). Today, our bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit who dwells within us (1 Corinthians 6:18-19).

This should fill us with overflowing joy.

“ In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not; O Zion, let not thy hands be slack. Jehovah thy God is in the midst of thee, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love; he will joy over thee with singing” (Zephaniah 3:16-17). The exhortation to Jerusalem, “ let not thy hands be slack” is meant to encourage those who returned from captivity to devote themselves to rebuilding Jerusalem and the holy temple. The history of that era can be found in Ezra and Nehemiah. Haggai, the prophet, devoted himself to seeing God’ s temple rebuilt. It is remarkable that Zephaniah depicts God as singing over his blessed people with joy and love. This reminds us of a loving parent doting over their child.

“ I will gather them that sorrow for the solemn assembly, who were of thee; to whom the burden upon her was a reproach. Behold, at that time I will deal with all them that afflict thee; and I will save that which is lame, and gather that which was driven away; and I will make them a praise and a name, whose shame hath been in all the earth” (Zephaniah 3:18-19). With the decree of king Cyrus that the captives could return to their homeland (Ezra 1:1-2), a steady stream of those Jews who had been scattered to the four winds began making their way back to their homeland. As in our day, some no doubt went home from reasons of love and loyalty to God and the land of their fathers. Others fled there for sanctuary because of their enemies. God again is pictured as the good shepherd calling them, guiding them, protecting them from their oppressors.

We see him gently caring for the lame. That they were people who “ sorrow for the solemn assembly,” tells us they longed to be able to go to Jerusalem to celebration the solemn assembly of Atonement and those joyful days of Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles. That such was in their hearts demonstrates that they were of God’ s righteous remnant. God promises to take care of their enemies who might try to hinder or harm them. As a defeated and enslaved people, they had been subjected to shame and ridicule. Restored to their homeland, people would be forced to see them as a people blessed by their God.

“ At that time will I bring you in, and at that time will I gather you; for I will make you a name and a praise among all the peoples of the earth, when I bring back your captivity before your eyes, saith Jehovah” (Zephaniah 3:20). In this closing verse, the prophet makes it crystal clear that God was promising the righteous within the Hebrew nation, that after the captivity which he had promised, He would bring them back safely to their homeland. This provided consolation for those who would live to experience the awful judgments of the coming day of the Lord.

LESSONS TO There are two sides to the personality of God: mercy and goodness for those who submit to him and strict justice and terrible judgment against those who rebel against him (Romans 11:22). A man’ s belief about God will greatly influence his conduct (Proverbs 23:7). It is universally true that one tends to become like the God he worships. The wrath of God is a terrible thing when it is unleashed against a sinful people. Earnest, daily warning is sorely needed to draw us back to the paths of God (Amos 4:12). The day of Jehovah is inevitable for all men of every race, nation and station of life. God s eternal plan was that salvation be offered to every person in every nation of the earth. Those who malign and fight against God’s people shall suffer the wrath of God. The great causes of God and humanity are not defeated by frontal attacks by Satan, but by the crushing indifference of the masses of people. God’s ministers should put strong emphasis upon the spiritual nature of God’s kingdom. God gives assurance that the humble ones who seek him will be safe in his presence in the day of judgment (Zephaniah 2:3). The promise that joy will displace mourning and that tranquility will follow the storm, should bring encouragement to the righteous. The wicked cannot hope to hide or escape the day of Jehovah (Psalms 139:7­12). Neither riches, wealth nor honor will save one in the day of judgment. God’ s purpose is not to wreak vengeance and destroy, but to cleanse and refine and saved those who will allow him to save them (2 Peter 3:9).You should not procrastinate, but flee now to the place of refuge, before the great and terrible day of Jehovah comes. Zephaniah Chapter ThreeVerse 1 This chapter contains the glorious climax of Zephaniah’s great prophecy in the last paragraph (Zephaniah 3:9-20). The first paragraph details the reason for the judgment of Jerusalem (Zephaniah 3:1-7), with Zephaniah 3:8 forming a bridge between two sections and relating both to the eternal judgment at the last day, the judgment of Jerusalem being a token of it, and the Messianic Age (Zephaniah 3:9-20) being climaxed by it. No serious commentator on the Bible can ignore the arrogant denials of critical scholars who bluntly declare that, “Only the first few verses of the chapter are a genuine work of Zephaniah."[1] One has a right to expect that such assertions should be supported by some hard evidence; but this is never the case, simply because no evidence of any kind has ever been available. We are thankful for the forthright honesty of Graham who gave the reason allegedly supporting such radical conclusions. “The clearest indication that Zephaniah did not write the passage (Zephaniah 3:14-20) lies in the contrast (with this) and the rest of the book."[2] Thus, the only objection that scholars have to the passage is that it does not fit (in their view) the fierce denunciations found in the rest of Zephaniah. Why doesn’t it fit? Answer: the old critical bias invented in the nineteenth century to the effect that the same prophet could not prophecy both doom and salvation! Such a falsehood was never true, either in the eighteenth century or now. The greatest prophet of all, Jesus Christ, prophesied both doom and salvation, sometimes in the same breath.

Who has never heard of heaven and hell? Furthermore, no less an authority than the apostles found Christ in all the prophets. Twice in three verses, the apostle Peter declared that “all of the prophets” spoke of Jesus Christ and of his glorious kingdom (Acts 3:18 Acts 3:20). The inspired apostles, schooled in the wisdom of Christ himself, therefore found Messianic import in Zephaniah, as in all the others; and it could be only the arrogance and conceit of evil men that would dare to oppose their subjective imaginations against that which is flatly declared to be a fact in the word of God. As a matter of truth, if men allowed the opponents of Holy Scripture to remove the Messianic portion of Zephaniah from his prophecy, it would vitiate and contradict the very purpose of those prophecies. It should be noted that the two scholars just quoted are before the first third of this century (Smith, 1896, and Graham, 1929). Most of the current generation of scholars have rejected such radical views; and those still parroting them may be considered as uninformed. Every believer in the Word of God should resist with all of his strength the efforts of Satan (through his spokesman) to eliminate all references to the Messianic kingdom of Jesus Christ from Zephaniah and other prophets of God. We are happy indeed that many of the present generation of scholars are flatly rejecting the radical criticisms of the first half of this century. Therefore, we receive this chapter of Zephaniah, along with the totality of it, as the true and inspired Word of God. Zephaniah 3:1-3“Woe to her that is rebellious and polluted! to the oppressing city! She obeyed not the voice; she received not correction; she trusted not in Jehovah; she drew not near to God. Her princes in the midst of her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves; they leave nothing till the morrow.““No city is mentioned by name, but it is quite clear that Jerusalem is intended."[3]The fashionable attitude today has led some to criticize Zephaniah because he did not denounce such sins as oppression and exploitation of the poor with the same emphasis as that found in Amos; but Zephaniah dealt more with the “cause” of such sins than with the particular excesses themselves. “The supreme sin of man’s inhumanity to man is the inevitable consequence of false religion dealt with in Zephaniah’s first two chapters."[4] In this light, perhaps the supreme sin should be understood as “false religion ? In any case, Zephaniah certainly dealt with the evils of injustice and exploitation in these very verses. “Polluted …” “This word is a term usually connected with blood (Isaiah 59:3; Lamentations 4:14)."[5]Zephaniah 3:2 carries a four-fold indictment of the proud and wicked Jerusalem: She obeyed not the voice (of God). She received not correction (by the true prophets). She trusted not in Jehovah (but in the false gods). She drew not near to God (but went farther and farther from him). Zephaniah 3:3 begins the detail of wickedness on the part of the princes, judges, prophets, and priests who led the city in its corruption. The princes and judges “practiced the violence and predatory oppression of wild beasts."[6] The princes were compared to lions and the judges to “evening wolves,” a comparison that has lived throughout history. “That leave nothing till the morrow” is added for the purpose of indicating that the false judges were even worse than wolves. The wolf, after killing the prey, will retain enough of it for him to gnaw on the remains during the next day until nightfall, the time for another kill. The false judges, however, made a clean end of their victims as soon as possible, leaving nothing “till the morrow.” Verse 4 “Her prophets are light and treacherous persons; her priests have profaned the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law.““Her prophets …” The New English Bible renders this concerning the prophets of Jerusalem as, “Her prophets were reckless, no true prophets."[7] Carson said of the priests and prophets: “The prophets trimmed their message to court popularity; and the priests profaned their sacred task of teaching the law, violently altering its precepts … They were extravagant and arrogant in their own conceits."[8]This word from Carson is especially appropriate today, when God’s people must again struggle with the arrogant and conceited imagination of God’s enemies. “They have done violence to the law …” Thus, in Zephaniah, as in all the prophets, there is the most emphatic evidence of the prior existence of the Pentateuch, the Torah, as being not merely in existence, but generally known by all the Hebrews. In fact, as repeatedly stated in this series, none of the prophets makes any sense at all apart from the certainty that all of them presuppose the existence of a covenant relationship between God and Israel, a relationship that had long existed, and which through centuries of neglect and abuse, Israel was in the process of rejecting. Verse 5 “Jehovah in the midst of her is righteous, he will not do iniquity; every morning doth he bring his justice to light, he faileth not; but the unjust knoweth no shame.“Jehovah had not hidden his word from the people. It was known to all, from the least to the greatest of them. The very existence of false priests and prophets was predicated upon the certainty of there having been at one time true priests and prophets. The alteration of God’s law by the false priests could not have been successful without the concurrence of popular support. The people simply did not wish to retain the knowledge of God and his word in their lives. “It was visible to all except those determined not to see … God’s standards of righteousness are as constant and visible as the natural law that ushers in the dawn every morning."[9]“Jehovah … is righteous …” One purpose of introducing this thought is to warn Israel, that even if they do change, God is righteous still; he will punish evil. Verse 6 “I have cut off nations; their battlements are desolate; I have made their streets waste, so that none passeth by; their cities are destroyed, so that there is no man, so that there is no inhabitant.““I have cut off nations …” It had been only a hundred years since God had cut off the northern kingdom, an event still fresh in the memory of Judah. Furthermore, throughout history, there had been many other examples of God’s displeasure with great and wicked civilizations, cut off forever by the divine displeasure due to their sins. This was introduced as a warning to Judah. As Hailey said: “When God gave them the land of Canaan, he had told the people that it was not because of their righteousness but because of the wickedness of the inhabitants whom he was casting out (Deuteronomy 9:4-5), and that if they would forget him, he would likewise cast them out (Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 28)."[10]Israel was called “Canaan” twice in this prophecy, meaning that they had become one in vile character with the pagans whom they had displaced, carrying the stern implication that what God had already done once to the old Canaan, he would do again to Israel (Zephaniah 1:11 Zephaniah 3:5). Verse 7 “I said; Only fear thou me; and receive correction; so her dwelling shall not be cut off, according to .all that I have appointed concerning her: but they rose early and corrupted all their doings.““Only fear thou me …” These are the words of God. His desire is that all men should fear and obey him. “Only the fear of God will bring about the correction of the evil against which judgment must otherwise come."[11]“One can only shudder today at the church member whose twisted misinformation about the love of God has led him to a contemptuous familiarity which does not believe that one should or must fear Jehovah."[12]As Deane said, “The fear of God is the one condition of salvation."[13] This should be interpreted as meaning that with the proper fear of God one will not hesitate to obey the commandments which are antecedent to the forgiveness of sins and to maintain such obedience to the best of one’s ability all the days of life. Anything else, is eternal death. Verse 8 “Therefore wait ye for me, saith Jehovah, until the day that I rise up to the ,prey; for my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them my indignation, even all my fierce anger; for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy.“Despite the fact of Deane and other respected commentators understanding this verse as a prophecy of the nations “being converted”[14] unto God, it appears to us that the verse must refer to the eternal judgment. “All the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy” could hardly apply to anything else. See chapter introduction for the manner in which this verse actually ties the preceding and succeeding paragraphs together. The great theme of Zephaniah is the judgment; and the doom of Jerusalem for their sins soon to executed upon them by the power of Assyria prompted this reference to the final judgment, of which Jerusalem’s judgment, like all similar judgments, was a pledge and token. “Gather the nations …” We agree with Bennett that this “does not mean that Jerusalem shall be the gathering place."[15] The “gathering” of this passage is a “harvesting” of the earth, the execution of the final judgment upon all men. This gathering of the nations is that of Rev 16:14; and it is “to gather them together unto the war of the great day of God, the Almighty.” “Therefore, wait ye for me …” Such an exhortation is directed to the righteous remnant in all ages, who oppressed by the general wickedness of mankind and tending ever to discouragement are admonished to wait patiently for the fulfillment of God’s purpose upon the earth. Hailey’s comment on this clause is helpful: “The exhortation wait for Jehovah' is a favorite with Isaiah, who uses it over and over. They that wait for Jehovah shall renew their strength’ (Isaiah 40:31); the isles shall wait for his law' (<a href="/bible/parallel/ISA/42/4" class="green-link">Isaiah 42:4</a>); they that wait for me shall not be put to shame’ (Isaiah 49:23); `neither hath eye seen a God besides thee, who worketh for him that waiteth for him’” (Isaiah 64:4).[16]“That I may assemble the kingdoms …” This is parallel with the gathering of the nations, the purpose for which is stated in the next clause, “that I may pour upon them my indignation.” This assembling of the kingdoms of the earth will be orchestrated and controlled by Satan himself (the beast), as in this reference to it: “I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat upon the horse (the KING OF KINGS; AND LORD OF LORDS), and his army” (Revelation 19:19). The imagery of a battle so strongly suggested here is, however, misleading. The so-called battle of Armageddon was prophetically revealed as not a traditional struggle at all, but a summary triumph of God. The beast and the false prophet, along with all the kings and their armies “were cast alive into the lake of fire that burneth with brimstone” (Revelation 19:20). That will be the day when God shall indeed “rise up to the prey!” It is noteworthy that John D. W. Watts unequivocally assigned this verse eight to the final judgment. “The scene returns to the universal judgment with which the book began."[17]Verse 9 “For then will I turn to the peoples a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of Jehovah, to serve him with one consent.““For then …” is somewhat similar to “at that time,” or “in the day,” or “in the last days,” all of which are frequently used as references to the times of the Messiah. From here to the end of the chapter lies one of the most extensive and revealing Messianic passages in the whole Bible. “From this point forward, there is a new note of victory in Zephaniah."[18] Like all the true prophets of God, Zephaniah bore his witness to the coming Christ and his blessed kingdom (Acts 3:18 Acts 3:20). Carson went on to characterize this dramatic change in the tone of the prophecy as “so marked that some commentators insist that this section must belong to a much later period”;[19] but all such reasonings appear to be grounded in a phenomenal unawareness of both Testaments. If any prophet should have omitted such encouragements as are in this chapter, he could not have fitted either the established pattern in the Old Testament, nor the affirmations of the New Testament. “I will turn to the peoples a pure language …” The essential thought behind this is unity of purpose and holiness of life. It is not that men may use better Hebrew, but that their hearts and lives should conform to the will of God, a characteristic distinctive of the redeemed “in Christ” who are “a new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17). “The essential thought finds utterance in plain prose in Jeremiah 32:39 and in Ezekiel 11:19-20,” where they are “predicated of Israel in the Messianic age,"[20] as indeed they are here also. It should also not be overlooked that the focus is not here upon secular Israel at all. It is not merely Israel that shall turn to God with a “pure language,” but all men. “This section is reminiscent of the tower of Babel (Genesis 11)."[21] “It means the confusion of Babel shall be done away, and all shall speak the language of faith in one God."[22] Deane also added that, “This, of course, points to Messianic times."[23] In fact, the miracle of tongues on the Day of Pentecost was a token fulfillment of this promise. Verse 10 “From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants, even the daughter of my dispersed, shall bring mine offering.““From the rivers of Ethiopia …” “The use of Ethiopia here is to include the most distant nations of all, Ethiopia being considered as far away as they could imagine."[24] The dominion of Messiah is universal, with no racial or national distinctions whatever. “Even the daughter of my dispersed …” “This expression often means the scattered people of Israel; but the parallels to Genesis 11 suggest that the scattered and confused peoples of the world are intended here."[25] Here again, light from the New Testament clarifies the passage. James addressed the whole New Testament Church as “The Twelve Tribes in the Dispersion” (James 1:1, RSV). Verse 11 “In that day shalt thou not be put to shame for all thy doings, wherein thou hast transgressed against me; for then I will take away out of the midst of thee thy proudly exulting ones, and thou shalt no more be haughty in my holy mountain.““In that day …” is another reference to Messianic times. It refers to the time “when the Gentiles shall be converted."[26]“Thou shalt not be put to shame … for transgressions …” The only way that the shame from transgressions can be removed is through the forgiveness of sins, to which there is undoubtedly a reference in these words, the same being another characteristic of Messianic times, as indicated in Jeremiah 31:31-35. “No one has any reason to be ashamed of the sin from which he was redeemed."[27]The placement of these verses (Zephaniah 3:9-20) seems to place their fulfillment after the eternal judgment prophesied in Zephaniah 3:8; but as Keil noted, “All of this commenced to be fulfilled with the coming of Christ, and will be completely realized at his return to judgment."[28] The Old Testament prophets apparently did not distinguish between the First Advent and the Second Advent, consequently events connected with those occasions seem to be blended. It is only in the fuller light of the New Testament that their differentiation is made plain. “Zephaniah sees beyond the events that are near, beyond the inequities of Judah and her neighbors, even beyond the events of the impending future to the time and the judgment of the end."[29]Verse 12 “But I will leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall take refuge in the name of Jehovah.“The great thrust of the gospel is to “the poor” and the “poor in spirit”; and the savage persecutions of the early ages of the church were plainly foretold in this prophetic description of the worldly status of God’s true followers in the present age. Paul also testified that, “not many mighty … not many noble were called” (1 Corinthians 1:26). In this is another great hallmark of Christianity and the entire Messianic age. The humble character of Christians is contrasted with the general attitude of unregenerated men. “In contrast to the proud and haughty revelers, these will be the afflicted who have committed themselves to the Lord and are dependent upon his mercy."[30]Verse 13 “The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth; for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid.““The remnant of Israel …” It is only the “remnant” of Israel that is to have any portion in the kingdom of Messiah; yet, strangely enough, none of the old secular Israel is excluded. There was never any prohibition against all of secular Israel accepting their Messiah; but it is revealed in all the prophets that only “the remnant” would choose to participate. “Lies … deceitful tongue …” God’s once chosen people had developed the art of falsehood and deceit into a science in which they were skilled indeed. In utter amazement, Jesus Christ denominated Nathaniel as “an Israelite in whom there is no guile” (John 1:47), which, in context, appears to be an indictment of the whole nation charging them with the very sins mentioned here. Honesty, straightforwardness, truth-speaking, and lack of deceit are further hallmarks of Christianity. Verse 14 “Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem. Jehovah hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out thine enemy: the King of Israel, even Jehovah, is in the midst of thee: thou shalt not fear evil any more.“This remarkable passage is one of the most amazing in the Old Testament. As for who “the King of Israel” is, who was prophesied to dwell in the midst of the redeemed people, Nathaniel identified him absolutely, “Rabbi (addressed to Jesus), Thou are the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel” (John 1:48). Dummelow and others missed the significance here in their complaint that, “Not the Messiah, but Jehovah himself is the promised King and Deliverer."[31] But why should this be hailed as something different? Is not Jesus Christ himself God come in the flesh? Of course, he is; and John’s gospel is totally dedicated to proving that very point; and Nathaniel’s great confession hailing Christ as “King of Israel” and “Son of God” has the status of a topic sentence for John’s entire gospel. Thus, Zephaniah must be hailed as the Old Testament prophet who made it clear that the Prophet who would dwell among the people of his kingdom would actually be God Himself. The Greek New Testament declares no less than ten times that Jesus of Nazareth is that divine Person, the Dayspring from on High who has visited us, and who promised his church, “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world.” Deane, therefore, properly understood this passage as a reference “to the perpetual presence of Christ in the Church."[32]“Daughter of Zion … daughter of Jerusalem …” These are both synonyms for Israel”;[33] but, of course, not the old Israel, but the New Israel of God (Galatians 3:29; Romans 9:6, etc.) is the Israel which is meant here. If there had been any doubt of the Messianic thrust of this whole section, Zephaniah 3:14-15 are sufficient to have removed it. As Hanke confidently wrote: “This is a prophetic anticipation of the day when the King Messiah shall reign."[34]Verse 16 “In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not; O Zion let not thy hands be slack.“According to Ironside, these words, “will be their joy and blessing throughout the Millennium."[35] This is profoundly true, of course, provided that the Millennium is understood to be the present period of the Church’s sojourn in the wilderness of her probation. The current theories of some kind of a Golden Age called the Millennium to take place after the Second Advent of Christ have no support in the Bible. The expression “a thousand years” is applied in the Book of Revelation to the entire current dispensation of God’s love; and the same period is also called “a little time,” and “a thousand, two hundred and three score days,” and “forty two months,” and “time and times and half a time”; and a careful study of Revelation requires all of them to be understood as a reference to the current age of the Church on earth. (See a full discussion in this in my commentary on Revelation, pp. 459-464.) Both these verses (Zephaniah 3:16-17) are encouragement to the Church. They include admonition against fear, exhortation to diligence in the work of the Lord, and stimulate confidence and a feeling of security in the knowledge of the love and blessing of the Father. Verse 17 “Jehovah thy God is in the midst of thee, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love; he will joy over thee with singing."(See the comment under Zephaniah 3:16, which is also applicable here.) All of these verses are part of the Messianic prophecy which concludes Zephaniah, and all of them deal with the felicity, confidence, security, and joy of Christ’s kingdom. “Singing …” is especially noticeable. The savage beats his tom tom; the Muslim shouts, “To prayer, to prayer!” from his minaret; the Jew intones the words of the Torah; but the Christian SINGS! In Christ has come to pass the marvelous prophecy of those “with songs of everlasting joy upon their heads!” Verse 18 “I will gather them that sorrow for the solemn assembly, who were of thee, to whom the burden upon her was a reproach.““I will gather them that sorrow …” Christ seems to have been very familiar with this passage, for, in the Sermon on the Mount, he said, “Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.” The great concern of Christianity has always been for the meek, the poor, the lowly, the sorrowful. Thus, Zephaniah is still speaking of conditions within the kingdom of Christ. As Keil said: “The fulfillment of all this commenced with the founding of the Christian church by the apostles for Judah and for the whole world, and has been gradually unfolded more and more through the spread of the name of the Lord and his worship among all nations."[36]In Micah 4:6-7, a similar promise brings into the solemn assembly the lame, that which has been driven away, and the afflicted. No other system ever known to mankind has ever concerned itself with the downtrodden and dispossessed in the same degree as that which marks the onward sweep of the Christian religion. We do not wish to leave this passage without pointing out that such scholars as Eaton and Carson believe there is a reference in these verses, by implication, to the Bridegroom, Christ, and to his holy Bride, the Church. Whether or not this is so may be questioned, but the intimacy of the terminology surely seems to suggest it. “He is further represented as the Bridegroom, who in his love for his Bride, now proclaims his joy, now falls into rapt silence."[37]Verse 19 “Behold, at that time I will deal with all them that afflict thee; and I will save that which is lame, and gather that which was driven away; and I will make them a praise and a name, whose shame hath been in all the earth.“This verse is addressed to the suffering saints of the new dispensation who continually suffer shame and contumely all over the earth; and if so, “at that time” would refer to the period of the final judgment upon the earth. It is most natural that the persecuted and oppressed should wonder, “O Master, the holy and true, How long I dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth” (Revelation 6:9). This verse is a promise that God will do it “at that time.” In the meanwhile, there is a lot of suffering in store for the redeemed still upon earth. The answer here corresponds to that which came from the throne of God, “That they should rest yet for a little while till their fellow servants … and brethren … shall have fulfilled their course” (Revelation 6:11). The glorious reward shall yet come in due season. “In these closing verses of Zephaniah, the Messianic light burns brightest. In some verses, it is difficult to know; but here there is no doubt. The enemies of the people have been destroyed; the gathering of the faithful has been accomplished; Jehovah is in their midst; a praise and a name are theirs among all the people of the earth."[38]Verse 20 “At that time will I bring you in, and at that time will I gather you; for I will make you a name and a praise among all the peoples of the earth, when I bring back your captivity before your eyes, saith Jehovah.“Such a marvelous promise as that of Zep 3:19 required the repetition of it, which is featured in the greater part of this verse; but perhaps it was for the sake of emphasizing “at that time,” as the moment of fulfillment, which from all indications points far away to the times of the end. “When I bring back your captivity …” This is sometimes applied to the return of the Babylonian exiles, and in which there doubtless was a partial and token fulfillment of this promise. However, we believe that something far more than that is intended here. “The expression is often (and possibly here) used metaphorically for the abolition of misery and the restoration to a happy condition (Deuteronomy 30:3; Job 42:10 Job 42:15; and Jeremiah 29:14)."[39] Jesus referred to conversion from sin as “the release of the captives” (Luke 4:18). “Before your eyes …““So that we shall see what we now believe and hope for, the end of all our sufferings and chastisements, and losses, even the fullness of our Redemption. That which our eyes have looked for, our eyes shall behold and not another, the everlasting God as HE IS, face to face, saith the Lord![40]Carson’s concluding comment was: “Finally the Bridegroom brings home his Bride, and she sees at last with her own eyes all that her Lover and Lord has done for her … Zephaniah ends his prophecy with a shout of triumphant assurance echoing out of his heart and into ours, “The Lord hath said it![41]That God Himself is the speaker in this prophecy is dramatically emphasized in these closing verses. As Hailey pointed out: Note the use of the personal pronouns: I will gather… I will deal… I will save… I will make… I will bring you in… I will gather you… I will make… When I bring back your captivity before your eyes.[42]Note also that the word “gather” occurs no less than three times in Zephaniah 3:18-20, a term suggestive of the harvest at the end of the world, indicating that it is the final judgment of the Great Day that dominates the prophecy throughout, although there also appear many promises and blessings characteristic of the age of the church itself. We praise the Lord for this inspired and inspiring prophecy of the ultimate triumph of righteousness over evil, which also provides the utmost confidence and assurance of the blessings of the Lord upon them who love his Name forever and ever. Blessed be the name of the Lord. Amen.

Zephaniah 3:1

Zephaniah 3:1. The prophet now resumes his accusations against Jerusalem. The filth and pollution refers chiefly to her conduct towards false gods and· her unjust treatment of her unfortunate citizens in private stations of life.

Zephaniah 3:2

Zephaniah 3:2. There were four things that Jerusalem should have done that she did not do, namely, obeyed, received, trusted and drew not near to her God. This combination of failures resulted in the anger of the Lord till he determined to bring swift judgment upon the city and its surrounding territory.

Zephaniah 3:3

Zephaniah 3:3. The leading men in Jerusalem were so cruel toward their brethren that they were compared to roaring lions. Evening wolves. A beast that had been without food all day would be especially ravenous. Moffatt renders the last clause, “leave not a bone till the morning,” which agrees with the context that describes a greedy beast.

Zephaniah 3:4

Zephaniah 3:4. Light and treacherous means they are frivolous and unreliable. Such a prophet would refuse to be serious concerning the danger overhanging the nation. Tbe priests made a mere formality of the services and violated the law whenever it would interfere with their plots against the common people.

Zephaniah 3:5

Zephaniah 3:5. The Just Lord is a significant term in view of the conditions. It denotes that a severe chastisement is to be meted out against these wicked princes. God’s disapproval of the corruptions is made known every day, yet the unjust leaders are not impressed thereby but continue in their wickedness.

Zephaniah 3:6

Zephaniah 3:6. Have cut off is past tense in form but is a prediction of the doom about to come trom the Lord. The watchtowers at the cities were destined to be thrown down and the streets exposed to the passing enemy.

Zephaniah 3:7

Zephaniah 3:7. I said, etc., denotes that God expected the people to be impressed with the· importance of His judgments, yet they continued on in their evil Course. Their keenness to do evil is indicated by the words they rose early and corrupted all their doings.

Zephaniah 3:8

Zephaniah 3:8. This long verse is only a prediction of the captivity of the nation that was just due. God had warned and exhorted his people by the faithful prophets, but they would not give heed thereto and hence He was determined to bring complete and prompt judgment upon tbe nation. All the earth is a figure of speech and denotes that the whole territory of Judah was to be devastated by the invading forces.

Zephaniah 3:9

Zephaniah 3:9. From this verse through the rest of the chapter the prophet deals with the effects the captivity was to have on the people and then of their return from the exile. A pure language means the people will speak in proper words concerning the true God of their nation and ot the world. They will praise Him as being the just and holy One instead of the idols they had served in their home land before the captivlty.

Zephaniah 3:10

Zephaniah 3:10. The main captivity was In the land of Babylon, but God had some people scattered in various other parts ot the world, even in Ethiopia beyond Egypt. These dispersed people were to learn of the restoration of the service In Jerusalem and come forth to that place with their offerings for the divine service.

Zephaniah 3:11

Zephaniah 3:11. In that day not be ashamed might seem to disagree with other statements upon that subject, but the explanation is in the words later in the verse. The proud leaders wlll have been taken away and the ones remaining will have a feeling of satisfaction toward God because of their renewal of freedom in their own country.

Zephaniah 3:12

Zephaniah 3:12. The afflicted and poor people were the ones who had been mistreated by the princes and false prophets. Tbese were to be restored to their native land so that they could resume the holy service.

Zephaniah 3:13

Zephaniah 3:13. The remnant are the ones designated tn Ezra 2:64. Shall not do iniquity is the prediction that idolatry will have been eradicated from the practices of the people by the effects of the captivIty. The other good things mentioned in the verse were to result also trom the purifying effects ot the captivity.

Zephaniah 3:14

Zephaniah 3:14. Daughter of Zion is an endearing term tor Jerusalem and her people. She is bidden to sing and reo joice and that is because her people were to be released trom the Babylonian captivity.

Zephaniah 3:15

Zephaniah 3:15. Taken away thy judgments refers to the reversal or the state of servitude that had been imposed upon the nation for its sins. The enemy (Babylon) was overthrown and God’s people were relieved from the oppression.

Zephaniah 3:16

Zephaniah 3:16. Zion was a special spot in Jerusalem that was used as the headquarters for the kings. The return from captivity was to bring JOY again to the place.

Zephaniah 3:17

Zephaniah 3:17. The success of Zion was to be assured by the presence of the Lord who had never ceased to love His people. He is mighty and will enable the natton to express its joy by singing the Lord’s praises.

Zephaniah 3:18

Zephaniah 3:18. Solemn assembly pertaIns to the national gathering in the name of the Lord. And such meetings had heen discontinued during the captivity.

Zephaniah 3:19

Zephaniah 3:19. Undo all that afflict thee denotes the overthrow of the heathen who had oppressed Israel. Her that halteth refers to the nation of God that had been held back by the chastisement from proceeding in the regular services of Jerusalem.

Zephaniah 3:20

Zephaniah 3:20. The gist of this verse is in the words when I turn back your captivily. The exile in Babylon was decreed by the Lord as a punishment upon his people for their sin of idolatry. When that event had accomplished the Lord’s purpose it was decreed and predicted that the nation would return home.