King James Bible Study – [And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. – Mark 8:34]
Date: Tuesday, August 05, 2025
Chapters: Zephaniah 1-3
Message: Zephaniah: With Judgment Comes Restoration
Hello My Friend,
As we read through the Book of Zephaniah we learn that judgment is coming to all nations that reject, turn away from, and or proclaim God while worshiping other gods. It is also coming to those who despise Israel and attack them without God’s consent. We also learn that God will judge the entire world and gather all His people and hide them from the final judgment, but in order to be one of His people we need to call upon the name of the LORD, [Psalms 110:5-7 The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath. 6 He shall judge among the heathen, he shall fill the places with the dead bodies; he shall wound the heads over many countries. 7 He shall drink of the brook in the way: therefore shall he lift up the head.]
The Book of Zephaniah contains three chapters, the author of the book is Zephaniah and it was written to Israel and all nations. The timeline for these events took place approximately between 639BC and 609BC. The purpose of the book was to warn all nations of Judgment Day. What we are to learn from the book is that God rather save then destroy, and is mighty to save all who come to Him, [Zephaniah 3:17 The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.]
God, spoke to Zephaniah during the time that Josiah was king and had made drastic changes in Judah and all the land of Israel in a plea to stop the judgment God had placed upon them. And while God was pleased with what he was doing, His judgment stood. Through Zephaniah, God point blank gives out the judgment.
[Zephaniah 1:1-4 The word of the LORD which came unto Zephaniah the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hizkiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah. 2 I will utterly consume all things from off the land, saith the LORD. 3 I will consume man and beast; I will consume the fowls of the heaven, and the fishes of the sea, and the stumblingblocks with the wicked; and I will cut off man from off the land, saith the LORD. 4 I will also stretch out mine hand upon Judah, and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, and the name of the Chemarims with the priests;]
Perhaps more furious to God than the heathen who rejects Him is the one who proclaims Him yet worships other gods. God, can accept the one that refuses to humble themselves to Him and receive His Son as their Saviour and He can accept the one who does, but He will not accept the one who wants it both ways, [Revelation 3:15-16 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. 16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.]
Why is God angry at those whom have not sought Him or even thought about knowing the truth about Him? Ignorance saves no one, whether that person is in a religion, an atheist, evolutionist, or just believes that there is no life after death. Every soul created was given the knowledge of God from conception so there is no excuse to not know that God exists, but just like His Word says, their foolish heart was darkened and they forgot Him, [Romans 1:20-21 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: 21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.]
The day of God’s wrath will strip unrepentant sinners of all that they have and will leave them with nothing, but distress and pain, even for those who are saved. We cannot expect God to be okay with everything that is going on, not in this generation or any generation, especially among His very own people. Through Zephaniah, God, has declared His judgment as a day of sacrifice.
[Zephaniah 1:5-8,12 And them that worship the host of heaven upon the housetops; and them that worship and that swear by the LORD, and that swear by Malcham; 6 And them that are turned back from the LORD; and those that have not sought the LORD, nor enquired for him. 7 Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord GOD: for the day of the LORD is at hand: for the LORD hath prepared a sacrifice, he hath bid his guests. 8 And it shall come to pass in the day of the LORD’S sacrifice, that I will punish the princes, and the king’s children, and all such as are clothed with strange apparel. 12 And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are settled on their lees: that say in their heart, The LORD will not do good, neither will he do evil.]
This reminds me of the parable that Jesus spoke, [Matthew 22:11-14 And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: 12 And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. 13 Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 14 For many are called, but few are chosen.]
God, is addressing those who think they are hid from Him and that He does not see what they are doing. All of their efforts to save themselves will be a waste. God may be slow to anger and long suffering in that He gives the lost ample time to come to His Son, but there will come a day when time will be up. God, in all His anger will literally bring fire down from heaven, just like He did when He destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah,
[Zephaniah 1:14-18 The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. 15 That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, 16 A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers. 17 And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the LORD: and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung. 18 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: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.]
All these people buying gold, silver, and bitcoin in an attempt to protect themselves from the day money will collapse will have a rude awakening when they discover that it it is worthless. The day of the trumpet sound, which by the way only saved, born again believers will hear is fast approaching, [Matthew 24:30-31 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.]
God, does not have to use man made weapons to rid the earth of all that is evil, He is very patient and long suffering in that He will give everyone an opportunity to find His Son before the final judgment comes. Through Zephaniah, God sends the warning that judgment is not just for Israel, it is for all nations.
[Zephaniah 2:1-5 Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired; 2 Before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the LORD come upon you, before the day of the LORD’S anger come upon you. 3 Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD’S anger. 4 For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation: they shall drive out Ashdod at the noon day, and Ekron shall be rooted up. 5 Woe unto the inhabitants of the sea coast, the nation of the Cherethites! the word of the LORD is against you; O Canaan, the land of the Philistines, I will even destroy thee, that there shall be no inhabitant.]
Wow! There are some familiar nations written here that are still facing trouble today. Gaza, has been a thorn in God’s side for centuries, and it is really heartbreaking to see its ruin with the war that is going on right now, but goes all the way back to this. As much as the world and sadly even America has joined in with them try to stop God’s judgments they will always come to pass. God, will always give ample warnings before He sends the judgment in an attempt to get them to repent. While not everyone will repent a remnant will.
[Zephaniah 2:7-9 And the coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah; they shall feed thereupon: in the houses of Ashkelon shall they lie down in the evening: for the LORD their God shall visit them, and turn away their captivity. 8 I have heard the reproach of Moab, and the revilings of the children of Ammon, whereby they have reproached my people, and magnified themselves against their border. 9 Therefore as I live, saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Surely Moab shall be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, even the breeding of nettles, and saltpits, and a perpetual desolation: the residue of my people shall spoil them, and the remnant of my people shall possess them.]
This is in reference to when the Jews, who were predominately from Judah, would be released from captivity to Babylon after seventy years. While they were all free to go the majority of them stayed in Babylon, and only a remnant returned to Jerusalem, [Nehemiah 7:66-67 The whole congregation together was forty and two thousand three hundred and threescore, 67 Beside their manservants and their maidservants, of whom there were seven thousand three hundred thirty and seven: and they had two hundred forty and five singing men and singing women.]
This was actually fulfilled when the cities of Palestine while being rebuilt were overthrown by the Jews, and this is why Israel is still at war with Gaza today. As long as God lives He will forever defend and protect the remnant of His people, and since He is eternal He will forever defend and protect them. And if there is one thing that God despises more it is pride, and He addresses this as we continue reading through Zephaniah.
[Zephaniah 2:10-13,15 This shall they have for their pride, because they have reproached and magnified themselves against the people of the LORD of hosts. 11 The LORD will be terrible unto them: for he will famish all the gods of the earth; and men shall worship him, every one from his place, even all the isles of the heathen. 12 Ye Ethiopians also, ye shall be slain by my sword. 13 And he will stretch out his hand against the north, and destroy Assyria; and will make Nineveh a desolation, and dry like a wilderness. 15 This is the rejoicing city that dwelt carelessly, that said in her heart, I am, and there is none beside me: how is she become a desolation, a place for beasts to lie down in! every one that passeth by her shall hiss, and wag his hand.]
This is in reference to Moab and Ammon who are the incestuous children of Lot, who was also Abraham’s nephew. Lot, lived in Sodom before God sent fire down from heaven and destroyed it. The only reason that God had spared him in the first place was because of the promise He gave to Abraham, [Genesis 18:32 And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten’s sake.] Lot, may have been saved that day from judgment, but his daughters clearly were not as they did the unthinkable in deceiving their father and having children by him, [Genesis 19:37-38 And the firstborn bare a son, and called his name Moab: the same is the father of the Moabites unto this day. 38 And the younger, she also bare a son, and called his name Ben-ammi: the same is the father of the children of Ammon unto this day.]
It boggles my mind just how far into sin the world will go and how corrupt it gets by the day. I will say this, being a Christian may be scary sometimes because we are the minority and facing persecution like you would not believe, but I rather suffer as a Christian any day than face God for trying to change my gender or killing someone. And we as Christians need to concerned about this because in reality they are lost and need Jesus too. The way things are going Jesus could return any minute to take His people out of here before things get unbearable. Well, at this point Zephaniah is beside himself on how much Jerusalem has been destroyed because they turned on God.
[Zephaniah 3:1-5 Woe to her that is filthy and polluted, to the oppressing city! 2 She obeyed not the voice; she received not correction; she trusted not in the LORD; she drew not near to her God. 3 Her princes within her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves; they gnaw not the bones till the morrow. 4 Her prophets are light and treacherous persons: her priests have polluted the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law. 5 The just LORD is in the midst thereof; he will not do iniquity: every morning doth he bring his judgment to light, he faileth not; but the unjust knoweth no shame.]
God, does not want His own to be in the midst of all this, and those who are saved will be hid from all this. In that moment God’s anger will be poured out over the entire world. Through Zephaniah, God, warns of the day that all the earth is destroyed by the fire, but also gives hope to those who call upon Him to save them.
[Zephaniah 3:6-8 I have cut off the nations: their towers are desolate; I made their streets waste, that none passeth by: their cities are destroyed, so that there is no man, that there is none inhabitant. 7 I said, Surely thou wilt fear me, thou wilt receive instruction; so their dwelling should not be cut off, howsoever I punished them: but they rose early, and corrupted all their doings. 8 Therefore wait ye upon me, saith the LORD, 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.]
Sometimes God’s greatest efforts to win someone to Christ is through fear. It is often the fear of death or even someone’s death that leads someone to look for Christ in the first place. Regardless of how we are led to Christ, the most important thing to do is to accept Him before we die or He returns, [Romans 6:22-23 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. 23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.]
God, willingly saves and rejoices over anyone who comes to Him through His Son, He promises that while we may be afflicted from time to time, we will be saved from the worse that is yet to come, and not only that, join Him in Zion.
[Zephaniah 3:9,12-15 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. 12 I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall trust in the name of the LORD. 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. 14 Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem. 15 The LORD hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out thine enemy: the king of Israel, even the LORD, is in the midst of thee: thou shalt not see evil any more.]
What a day it will be when God’s wrath is halted, and there will be an end to all evil as we know it, no more sin, sickness, sadness, pain, suffering or even death. Salvation does not lie on a particular group, sect, race, or religion, it lies on One Person, the LORD, Jesus Christ, who is also our King, and will be in the midst of us throughout eternity.
[Zephaniah 3:17-20 The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing. 18 I will gather them that are sorrowful for the solemn assembly, who are of thee, to whom the reproach of it was a burden. 19 Behold, at that time I will undo all that afflict thee: and I will save her that halteth, and gather her that was driven out; and I will get them praise and fame in every land where they have been put to shame. 20 At that time will I bring you again, even in the time that I gather you: for I will make you a name and a praise among all people of the earth, when I turn back your captivity before your eyes, saith the LORD.]
The fulfillment of this prophecy is clearly found in the gathering of the Christian Church, its members being called from the various nations of the earth. The glory and happiness of ones who endure this life will be perfect, unchangeable, and eternal, when we are freed from earthly sorrows, and every tear removed, [Revelation 21:3-4 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. 4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.]
Today’s Prayer: God, Thank You for giving us hope and assurance of the glorious day in which all nations will come together as one, speak one language, and worship only You in the kingdom that You are preparing for Your believers. You desire our fellowship, our devotion, and our reliance on You for all our needs as You delight in providing everything we have need of. Thank You for all that You do and allow in my life and in everything that You do. Lead me and guide me in Your will and ways, help me to labor only for the things that give You glory, for I know that as long as I am in You I will be taken care of and even receive much more than I imagine. I love You Lord, and pray this in Your name, Jesus, Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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