| Zephaniah Removing All Things "I will completely remove all things from the face of the earth, declares the Lord."— Zephaniah 1:2 NAS Leonard Griehs What a powerful statement God makes in this opening scripture! If Zephaniah’s prophecy referred only to his own day—a few years before Israel’s captivity in Babylon—then it was never fulfilled. Perhaps it might have seemed to the two-tribe kingdom of Judah that everything was gone when it went into captivity, but we must conclude that this prophecy goes beyond the days of Zephaniah into a time still in our future and beyond the land of Israel into our own world. The overthrow of Israel which Zephaniah prophesies must refer to the divine overthrow of all evil and evil institutions. This attaches great meaning to the prophecy for our own day. The Prophet "Zephaniah son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah."— Zephaniah 1:1 Zephaniah was probably the first of the true prophets of Jehovah to break silence after the reign of Manasseh. His first chapter, detailing the worship of Baal and the stars, indicates that his initial proclamations were given before Josiah’s reformation in 622 B.C. When King Josiah instituted a sweeping reformation of worship in Judah, which ended with the restoration of Passover (2 Kings 23:3-23), Baal worship was officially abolished. If Josiah’s reforms stirred Jeremiah to prophesy, it may well have been Zephaniah who stirred Josiah to consider reforms. While it cannot be determined where Zephaniah lived precisely, his language suggests a residence in Jerusalem. Here the prophet would have observed very carefully the attitude and degradation of the people, and his words would have come from a base of personal observation. This first verse is all that is known about the prophet and his family. His name means "Yah(weh) protects." Perhaps it was derived from some early form of confession—"Zaphon is Yahweh"—Zaphon being a Canaanite mountain associated with the Lord. With the exception of Zechariah, Zephaniah’s introduction is unlike that of any other prophet. He goes far beyond the usual custom of tracing ancestry only to his father. He goes back to his great-grandfather—a man named Hezekiah. Could this be the Hezekiah who was the great king and deliverer of Judah during the late eighth century when Isaiah was active? (2Kings 18-20). If so, Zephaniah was of royal blood and would have a special place in the heart of Josiah! Hezekiah, however, was a common name and the prophet never identifies his ancestor as a king. Since Zephaniah’s father, Cushi, means "Cushite" or "Ethiopian," it may be that Zephaniah traces his ancestry four generations to prove that he is legitimately an Israelite. Whichever might be true, it is evident that the prophet had a tremendous impact on young king Josiah. Date Of Prophecy According to the first verse, Zephaniah’s ministry took place during the reign of Josiah. In 2 Chronicles 34, we are told that Josiahwas eight years old when he began to reign and that he reigned for 31 years. There is abundant historical evidence, discovered only in recent times, that King Josiah was killed by Pharaoh Necho in 609 B.C. Jehoiakim then took the throne and three years later subjected himself to the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar, thus ending the independent monarchy of Judah. Zephaniah began his preaching sometime after Josiah ascended to the throne but before his reforms began. According to 1 Chronicles 34:3, Josiah sought the Lord in the eighth year of his reign; in the twelfth year he instituted the cleansing of the land from idols. Putting these dates together, we can determine precisely when Zephaniah prophesied: Event Year B.C.Josiah reign begins 640Turns to the Lord— eighth year of his reign 632Reforms begin— twelfth year of his reign 628Year of death 609 Zephaniah’s ministry most likely spanned the four years between 632 and 628 B.C. It is important to know that Zephaniah preached precisely at this time because his prophecy occurs at a time when the king is preparing to make sweeping changes in the land. This time with the prophet would have been used to prepare the king for his work through a careful restoration of the truth of the law and the one true God. During this time Josiah’s high priest Hilkiah discovered the book of the law in the temple. He did not even know what it was! The prophet’s words for those few short years helped to restore the worship of the king’s court and prepare them for the great reformation. Similarly, the end time prophecies of Zephaniah apply when God’s appointed ruler, Jesus, prepares to make sweeping changes throughout the earth. He first restores true worship within his own house, preparing his church for their role in the great restoration of earth. If we consider the prophecy in this light, how much more relevant becomes Zephaniah and the other minor prophets to our own study and consideration! Outline Of The Prophecy Zephaniah’s most striking words appear early and they alert us to the nature and significance of his prophecy. Not only does he predict punishment upon Jerusalem but, as indicated in the theme text, upon the whole world. His prophecy centers around "The day of the Lord." Against the backdrop of Jerusalem, Zephaniah predicts world-wide changes. The overthrow of Israel for its sins is important, but it only serves as an illustration of a far greater reformation—the divine overthrow of evil and evil institutions at the end of this present age and the restoration of true worship in the promised millennium. Note the world-wide context of the prophecy in this outline of the book: I. God’s Warning of Worldwide Judgment (1:2-3:8)
II. God Promises to form the people into his own special people (3:9-20)
Truly Zephaniah’s prophecy goes beyond the events of his day! The Prophecy Given in Seven Discourses The structure of Zephaniah is unlike any other prophecy. While other prophets speak directly to the people of Israel or Judah, this book is a dialogue between God and the prophet. Six separate speeches occur in whichGod’s statements are answered by the prophet—followed by a seventh, the last one, which contains only God’s statement concerning the salvation and blessing of Israel with no response from the prophet. Zephaniah can be likened to the end-of-the-age true Christians who proclaim God’s coming judgment. This statement about the blessing of Israel coming from God only suggests a fulfillment when the last of these Christians are no longer present and shortly before the overthrow of all evil. In the immediate context, it is Zephaniah the prophet who understands the significance of God’s message and interprets it for the people surrounding him. We can here only briefly examine these six conversations between God and the prophet. 1. God’s speech (1:2-6) announces that his judgment is to be over all creation. Zephaniah calls the world to silence (1:7) to have them note that a change will occur and indicates a frame of reference for the sequence of events that will follow. He puts a name on the judgment: "the day of the Lord." 2. God’s anger increases as he sees the sins of the people, especially those with power over the people (1:8-13), and he condemns those who have used their wealth to cause evil. Zephaniah expands his picture of the day of the Lord (1:14-16). It will be particularly hard on those who have oppressed the people. Revolution and social uprising will be the rule of the day. 3. God insists that sin will cost the people their life (1:17) despite their efforts to bring reform. Zephaniah incorporates many other nations besides Israel in the condemnation. The four cities of the Philistines are mentioned in 2:4 to indicate the world-wide significance of God’s judgment; however, the humble will be at rest and will escape (1:18-2:7). 4. God continues the message (2:8-10) by pronouncing judgment on Ammon and Moab for their pride; their land would be taken away and possessed by their enemy, Israel. Zephaniah notes that the nations will be brought low and expected to worship God (2:11). 5. God includes Ethiopia to the south in the judgment (2:12), indicating the utmost area of the known world. Zephaniah includes Assyria as being totally devastated alongside Israel (2:13-3:5). The ruins of the city will be a spectacle for all to see, reminiscent of the prophecies of Revelation, that the great city of Babylon will be laid waste and open for all to see. 6. God’s discourse shows a resolution to the problem (3:6-13) by the execution of judgment and destruction, followed by mercy; Zephaniah calls Israel to rejoice in God’s presence with them (3:14-17). God’s judgment causes severe strain on the powerful of the world, but his people rejoice to see the final overthrow of sin and the blessing of the people. God’s last discourse (3:18-20) summarizes the salvation he promises Israel, delivering her from oppression and restoring those who had been dispersed. Zephaniah has no response as the judgment is over and he is no longer on the scene. While these discourses contain many specifics worth considering, we have space here to highlight only a select few having a significance in the prophecy and having a special relevance for our day. The Day of the Lord The early introduction of this phrase, the "day of the Lord," indicates its special significance to the prophecy. It occurs in other prophecies as well and is always connected with judgment and justice. The prophet here (1:14,15) presents it as "a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess." This is hardly a day to which anyone would look forward! Joel used very similar language in his prophecy when he called this prophetic time "a day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness" (2:2). There it is associated with a time when great changes occur in the sentiment of the common people of earth. Zephaniah identifies this same day as a time when the wealthy suddenly find themselves unable to use their means to cure the problems and relieve their fear—money cannot buy deliverance from sin! "Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the Lord’s wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy" (1:18). Our day has witnessed much progress in fulfilling this prophecy. Two great world wars erased class distinctions in the Western world. Today wars throughout the "third world" countries promise to do the same there. The masses of people that have been delivered from the restraint of oppression have demandedequal rights, equal treatment under the law, and equal access to the resources of the country. The increase of knowledge, especially in the way of mass communication, has created intolerance with oppression and class distinction. In country after country during the past 50 years, revolution has sparked democracy. Who would ever have thought Nelson Mandela would become the president of South Africa! The frantic efforts by despotic governments to shore up their hold over the people through limited reforms have only been met with added discontent and the people have finally revolted to seek complete removal of oppression and social injustice. The prophetic statement, "neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them," could be written from current newspapers. The world is fast becoming one dominated by money. Never before have countries depended so much on the influx of investment from one area of the globe to another. The expansion of trade and telecommunications has resulted in growing economic output all over the world. Leaders are selected based on their ability to secure economic gain. New democracies from the Baltic to South Africa are emerging along with once backward countries such as Brazil and China. When the U.S.S.R. collapsed several years ago, the traditional balance of power ended that had been prevalent since World War II. Today, increasing numbers of mankind are living with the prospect of political and economic freedom. A dramatic shift has occurred from political rule to economic rule. Money flows all over the world in instant communications, enticing people to seek a better life in economic gain—a faith built on "silver and gold." Gathering of Nations In God’s discourse of chapter 3, verse 8, he utters a profound statement relating to this day of the Lord. "Therefore wait for me, declares the Lord, for the day I will stand up to testify. I have decided to assemble the nations, to gather the kingdoms and to pour out my wrath on them—all my fierce anger." If we consider that Zephaniah’s prophecy focuses on the world’s remedy for deliverance being wealth, then this part of the prophecy comes to life in our own day. Access to world capital through strong competitive positions far outweigh the ideals that were once important enough to justify slaughter of innocents and the death of men in war. Today, people want leaders who will provide a means of personal prosperity. The interdependency of one nation with another to sustain its wealth by trading, makes it possible for a disaster in one nation to cause major disruption to all. In our modern world, we have seen substantial "gathering" of nations through the desire for open trade and world-wide economic prosperity. The value of goods traded now totals close to $5 trillion dollars annually. There are over 100 arrangements for nations to exchange goods. New nations have emerged as insatiable borrowers on the world’s capital markets. In the most recent year reported, China alone imported over $25 billion in capital. What does this common goal of economic gain mean relative to the prophecy? Bankruptcy of one country no longer impacts just that country. With investment coming from all over the world, substantial failure impacts all countries. The pressure is growing upon fellow nations to follow the rules of a "one-world" economy. The link between nations of common wealth and world-wide prosperity is gathering these nations for a common cause as identified so vividly in Zephaniah, and which will culminate in the prophecies of other books—a backlash and fight against God’s people in Israel. A Pure Language "For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve him with one consent" (3:9). Like other minor prophets, Zephaniah ends with encouragement and promised blessing. God’s purpose is not to judge and destroy the human race but to purify it through that judgment. When the effects of Satan’s influence on the present world are taken away, Christ’s kingdom of righteousness will take over and the nations will operate under the influence of justice, tempered with love. The people will learn about God and approach him in truth. Uncontaminated by human conditions and greed, they will learn that God not only cares for them but that he provides far more than their gold and silver ever gave them—everlasting life in a society unmarred by sin. |