Zephaniah 02
Zephaniah 02:1 Bunch yourselves together like straw, you undesirable nation,
Israel will be regathered twice in the last days. They will be regathered in unbelief before the Great Tribulation. They will be regathered in belief at the end of the Great Tribulation. This prophecy deals with their first regathering, which was fulfilled in 1948. According to Zechariah, two thirds of these regathered Jews will be killed by the Antichrist. They will be gathered like a bunch of stubble which will be burned.
In this verse, Zephaniah calls this future nation of Jewish unbelievers as הַגּ֖וֹי (ha-goi), meaning “the Gentiles” with a definite article. The Jews who reject Jesus at the end of the Great Tribulation will be regarded as pagan Gentiles who are fit to be burned as stubble in the Lake of Fire.
2 before God’s decree becomes reality and the day of opportunity disappears like windblown chaff, before the Lord’s raging anger overtakes you— before the day of the Lord’s angry judgment overtakes you!
Notice that "before" is used three times. "Before" what? The answer is "before" the Day of Jehovah (the Great Tribulation) which was mentioned in chapter one several times. God’s decree is the Great Tribulation. This Jewish nation will be regathered in unbelief sometime "before" the Great Tribulation in order for judgment. This prophecy was fulfilled in 1948.
3 Seek the Lord’s favor, all you humble people of the land who have obeyed his commands! Strive to do what is right! Strive to be humble! Maybe you will be protected on the day of the Lord’s angry judgment.
The humble people of the land are the one third of the Messianic believers who will believe in Jesus as the Messiah during the Great Tribulation. They will seek the Lord’s favor by seeking Jehovah and seeking Jesus as their Messiah. They will strive to do what is right. Jehovah will protect them during the Great Tribulation by hiding them in Petra.
4 Indeed, Gaza will be deserted and Ashkelon will become a heap of ruins. Invaders will drive away the people of Ashdod by noon, and Ekron will be overthrown.
During the Great Tribulation, many of Israel’s past enemies will be judged. Gaza, Askelon, Ashdod, and Ekron were four Philistine cities to the west of Judah. They will all be destroyed.
5 Those who live by the sea, the people who came from Crete, are as good as dead. The Lord has decreed your downfall, Canaan, land of the Philistines: “I will destroy everyone who lives there!”
This people who came from Crete and lived by the sea were the Philistines. Zephaniah predicted that they would no longer exist. This prophecy has been fulfilled. There are no more Philistines in the world today.
6 The seacoast will be used as pasture lands by the shepherds and as pens for their flocks.
During the Millennial Kingdom, the land of the Philistines will be inhabited by the believing Remnant of Israel.
7 Those who are left from the kingdom of Judah will take possession of it. By the sea they will graze, in the houses of Ashkelon they will lie down in the evening, for the Lord their God will intervene for them and restore their prosperity.
By 1948, these Philistine cities became Jewish cities.
8 “I have heard Moab’s taunts and the Ammonites’ insults. They taunted my people and verbally harassed those living in Judah.
Moab and Ammon were two cities which were east of Judah. Both of these cities came out of the incestuous relationship of Lot and his two daughters. These two nations violated the Abrahamic Covenant by taunting and insulting Israel.
9 Therefore, as surely as I live,” says the Lord who commands armies, the God of Israel, “be certain that Moab will become like Sodom and the Ammonites like Gomorrah. They will be overrun by weeds, filled with salt pits, and permanently desolate. Those of my people who are left will plunder their belongings; those who are left in Judah will take possession of their land.”
Since Moab and Ammon violated the Abrahamic Covenant by mocking and insulting Israel, they will no longer exist as cities during the Millennial Kingdom. Israel will possess the land of the Moabites and Ammonites.
10 This is how they will be repaid for their arrogance, for they taunted and verbally harassed the people of the Lord who commands armies.
The sin of Moab and Ammon was anti-Semitism, so God will punish them.
11 The Lord will terrify them, for he will weaken all the gods of the earth. All the distant nations will worship the Lord in their own lands.
During the Millennial Kingdom, the Gentiles will no longer worship false demonic gods. Instead, all Jews and Gentiles will worship Jehovah.
12 “You Ethiopians will also die by my sword!”
Ethiopia is south of Israel. The Ethiopians will not be present in the Millennial Kingdom, because they will be slain by the sword.
13 The Lord will attack the north and destroy Assyria. He will make Nineveh a heap of ruins; it will be as barren as the desert.
Assyria was to the north of Judah. Ninevah will be destroyed. She will become barren like a desert. Alexander the Great once encamped on the ruins of Assyria, yet he did not even know it. The city was not even discovered until 1845. This city today is as barren as a desert.
14 Flocks and herds will lie down in the middle of it, as well as every kind of wild animal. Owls will sleep in the tops of its support pillars; they will hoot through the windows. Rubble will cover the thresholds; even the cedar work will be exposed to the elements.
Today, Assyria is a deserted wilderness which consists only of some wild animals.
15 This is how the once-proud city will end up— the city that was so secure. She thought to herself, “I am unique! No one can compare to me!” What a heap of ruins she has become, a place where wild animals live! Everyone who passes by her taunts her and shakes his fist.
Assyria violated the Abrahamic Covenant by destroying Israel and mocking God. She received the kind-for-kind judgment for her sin. She wanted to exterminate Israel, so she was exterminated. There are no Assyrians living today.