God Will Save

ZEPHANIAH PROPHESIED that desolation and ruin would strike Judah and the surrounding nations because of the wrath of God upon their sin. (Zeph. 1:1-18) Repeatedly in this prophecy is the lesson that a judgment time was coming when Israel’s sins would be dealt with. Shortly thereafter, in fulfillment of these prophecies, Judah, the two-tribe kingdom of Israel, was taken captive to Babylon.

Today, as in Zephaniah’s day, there are increasing troubles among the nations. Jesus associated this with the end of the present age. “At that time there will be great suffering, the kind that has not happened from the beginning of the world until now and certainly will never happen again.” (Matt. 24:21, International Standard Version) Great “distress” and “perplexity” will befall all nations as they seek answers to the endless problems of our time, finding them all beyond human solution and with no way out of the impending doom.—Luke 21:25

Zephaniah symbolically described “the day of the Lord” in these words: “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.”—Zeph. 1:7; 3:8

The prophet then describes the time after the day of wrath is over, when God’s designed purpose of humbling his people will have been accomplished. Mankind will call upon the Lord, and upon hearing their cry God’s favor will return to them and evil will no longer be permitted. “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.”—Zeph. 3:12-15

The prophecy reveals one of the very first and most important works of Christ’s newly established kingdom on earth, which will be vital to the promised blessing of Israel and all mankind. God says, “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.” (vs. 9) No longer will God’s Word be heard as a confused message, but the people will hear the pure message of truth, uncontaminated by human error or tradition.

Through God’s Word and the influence of his Holy Spirit which will then be poured out upon all flesh, the Lord will reveal his glorious plan. The outworking of the features of his plan will cause all to see his divine attributes of justice, wisdom, love and power. Thereby they will come to fully know and appreciate the true and loving God.

The Prophet Jeremiah, describing the making of a new covenant with Israel during the earthly phase of the Messianic kingdom, writes that the Lord has promised to “put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and [I] will be their God, and they shall be my people. … for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”—Jer. 31:33,34