Zephaniah 03

 

Zephaniah 03:1 The filthy, stained city is as good as dead; the city filled with oppressors is finished! 

 

This chapter begins with a woe, which is a warning and a regret that judgment is necessary. The filthy and stained city is Jerusalem, which has committed filthy sexual sins of spiritual adultery against Jehovah. Jerusalem has also been oppressing other cities.

 

2 She is disobedient; she refuses correction. She does not trust the Lord; she does not seek the advice of her God. 

 

Jerusalem is disobedient to Jehovah in far different ways. First, she is disobedient to the prophets who Jehovah sends. Second, she refuses to be corrected by the prophets. Third, she does not trust in God. Fourth, she does not seek the advice of God. Israel was guilty of trusting idols, horses, armies, and alliances. 

 

3 Her princes are as fierce as roaring lions; her rulers are as hungry as wolves in the desert, who completely devour their prey by morning. 

 

Jehovah pronounces judgment upon the leadership of Israel. First, instead of shepherding the people, the princes were tearing up the city like a lion tearing up its prey. Second, the rulers were devouring the citizens like wolves.

 

4 Her prophets are proud; they are deceitful men. Her priests defile what is holy; they break God’s laws. 

 

Third, the false prophets were proud of their own prophecies which did not come from Jehovah. Fourth, the priests were breaking God’s laws by profaning the sanctuaries with unclean sacrifices.

 

5 The just Lord resides within her; he commits no unjust acts. Every morning he reveals his justice. At dawn he appears without fail. Yet the unjust know no shame. 

 

Every morning, Jehovah resides in the Holy of Holies. He never commits an unjust act. He always reveals His justice. He appears every morning, yet the unjust citizens of Israel feel no shame in refusing to acknowledge Him. 

 

6 “I destroyed nations; their walled cities are in ruins. I turned their streets into ruins; no one passes through them. Their cities are desolate; no one lives there. 

 

It was not social Darwinism’s survival of the fittest philosophy which destroyed other nations, but was God’s work.

 

 

 

7 I thought, ‘Certainly you will respect me! Now you will accept correction!’ If she had done so, her home would not be destroyed by all the punishments I have threatened. But they eagerly sinned in everything they did. 

 

Jehovah destroyed other Gentile nations as a warning to Israel that they would be next. However, Jerusalem responded by committing more sin. 

 

8 Therefore you must wait patiently for me,” says the Lord, “for the day when I attack and take plunder. I have decided to gather nations together and assemble kingdoms, so I can pour out my fury on them— all my raging anger. For the whole earth will be consumed by my fiery anger. 

 

During the Great Tribulation, God will gather all of the Gentile nations together at one place so that He can destroy them.

 

9 Know for sure that I will then enable the nations to give me acceptable praise. All of them will invoke the Lord’s name when they pray, and will worship him in unison. 

 

The Hebrew word for “acceptable praise” is שָׂפָ֣ה בְרוּרָ֑ה (sapah brucha), meaning a pure and blessed language. At the Tower of Babel, the languages were confused because of divine judgment. During the Millennial Kingdom, there will be no judgment, so all nations will speak one pure and clean language. This pure and clean language will be Hebrew, since Hebrew was the pure language of the people before the Tower of Babel.

 

All of the sheep gentiles will enter into the Millennial Kingdom as believers. They will all speak Hebrew. They will all worship Jehovah in unison with the Messianic Jews.

 

10 From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia, those who pray to me will bring me tribute. 

 

During the Millennial Kingdom, the sheep Gentiles will bring the scattered Jews to God as tribute. They will help the scattered Jews return back into the land of Israel.

 

11 In that day you will not be ashamed of all your rebelliousness against me, for then I will remove from your midst those who proudly boast, and you will never again be arrogant on my holy hill. 

 

During the Millennial Kingdom, Israel will receive national regeneration. They will return to Israel in belief. Jehovah will purge all sin and all sinners out of the world. Israel will no longer be rebellious toward God. She will never live in Jerusalem again with an arrogant attitude.

 

12 I will leave in your midst a humble and meek group of people, and they will find safety in the Lord’s presence. 

 

During the Great Tribulation, the Jewish believing Remnant will find refuge in Jehovah’s presence. She will hide from the Antichrist in Petra.

 

13 The Israelites who remain will not act deceitfully. 

They will not lie, and a deceitful tongue will not be found in their mouth. Indeed, they will graze peacefully like sheep and lie down; no one will terrify them.” 

 

During the Millennial Kingdom, all Jews will be saved. They will all believe in Jesus as their Messiah. They will no longer act deceitfully like the Canaanites or pagan Gentiles. They will rest in their own land with no anti-Semitic lions and wolves attempting to devour them. They will never be threatened by anti-Semitic Gentile nations again.

 

14 Shout for joy, Daughter Zion! Shout out, Israel! Be happy and boast with all your heart, Daughter Jerusalem! 

 

As Israel returns to her land during the Millennial Kingdom, Jehovah will sing a new song of happiness.

 

15 The Lord has removed the judgment against you; he has turned back your enemy. Israel’s king, the Lord, is in your midst! You no longer need to fear disaster. 

 

Jehovah has removed judgment from Israel. All of Israel has been saved. Israel has no more enemies. King Jesus is living among them. Israel no longer needs to fear disaster.

 

16 On that day they will say to Jerusalem, “Don’t be afraid, Zion! Your hands must not be paralyzed from panic! 

 

During the Millennial Kingdom, Israel is no longer to be afraid.

 

17 The Lord your God is in your midst; he is a warrior who can deliver. He takes great delight in you; he renews you by his love; he shouts for joy over you.” 

 

King Jesus is living on the earth from inside Israel. He is the warrior who can deliver them from the Antichrist. Jesus loves the Jewish remnant. He will renew His love to Israel. He shouts for joy over Israel. 

 

18 “As for those who grieve because they cannot attend the festivals— I took them away from you; they became tribute and were a source of shame to you. 

 

During the Millennial Kingdom, some of the festivals of Leviticus 23 will be restored.

 

19 Look, at that time I will deal with those who mistreated you. I will rescue the lame sheep and gather together the scattered sheep. I will take away their humiliation and make the whole earth admire and respect them. 

 

At the end of the Great Tribulation, God will destroy the Antichrist and his Gentile army so that they can never persecute the Jews again. God will rescue the lame sheep of Israel and make them well. He will gather the scattered sheep of Israel, because they will be scattered in all of the nations of the world. He will take away the humiliation of Israel. Israel will become the head of the nations instead of the tail. The Gentiles will admire and respect Israel during the Millennial Kingdom.

 

20 At that time I will lead you— at the time I gather you together. Be sure of this! I will make all the nations of the earth respect and admire you when you see me restore you,” says the Lord. 

 

During the Millennial Kingdom, Jehovah will lead Israel. He will re-gather them in belief from all nations of the world. All Gentiles will respect and admire Israel after God restores them back in their land.