Zephaniah 1: I Will Utterly Consume All Things

2020-02-29

Zephaniah 1 describes the Day of the LORD in much detail. There are a few fulfillments of the events described here, which include the destruction of Jerusalem over 2,600 years ago. However, the ultimate Day of the LORD is yet to come, and a second fulfillment can be seen in this chapter.

This is the “word of the LORD” (Zephaniah 1:1), and not the opinion of the prophet. The word came to Zephaniah during the reign of Josiah king of Judah. His was a reign of revival between his fathers, Manasseh and Amon, and his descendants, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah, all of which were evil kings. When Josiah heard the words of the law, he immediately sought a prophetess to see what he should do (2 Kings 22:13-14). Destruction was coming, but because of Josiah’s tender heart toward the Lord, it would not happen in his lifetime. Maybe Josiah and his men did not know Zephaniah in those days, or perhaps the prophet had not started his ministry yet. Nonetheless, this prophet tells of this destruction and of the distant future, but also of the hope that there is for those who know the LORD.

The Scope of Destruction

  1. Everything was to be destroyed. This is yet to be filled in a final sense. Everything that we know will be gone one day. This verse tells us how comprehensive this destruction; it encompasses everything. Zephaniah 1:2
  2. All living things, man or beast, will be gone. Talking about animals of the air or sea, and the people of the nations, all life will be gone. There does not seem to be any mention of any discrimination; all have the same fate Zephaniah 1:3
  3. Judah and Jerusalem will be destroyed. Even what was thought to be God’s people, the people of Judah, would be destroyed. At the time of this writing, the northern kingdom, Israel, was already carried off into captivity. The southern kingdom, Judah, was to be gone within a generation. The temple, what was considered the sacred holy place where God met with His people, was there in Jerusalem, and it was going to be razed. Zephaniah 1:4

Types of Religious People in Judah

However, there was a lot of wicked paganism in Judah. They were the ones who were supposed to have the covenant with God, and the knowledge of the Most High. However, here is what the people were doing:

  1. Baal worship. The priests of the LORD worshipped this false god that was prevalent for centuries in the land of Canaan. Zephaniah 1:4
  2. Star worship. According to Deuteronomy 4:19, the “host of heaven” are stars, and they were commanded not to worship them. People do this today with horoscopes, zodiac signs and other new age mysticism, and it is wicked. Zephaniah 1:5
  3. Worship of the LORD with false gods. Malcham is a false god, which is probably the same as Milcom or Molech. This god was associated with child sacrifice (Leviticus 18:21). Today, we call this practice abortion.

    It was common to mix worship of the true God with graven images (2 Kings 17:41). This was a wicked practice. Religions do this today by combining Jesus with superstitions and false religion. Zephaniah 1:5
  4. The “backslidden.” These were people that used to follow the LORD, but now did not anymore for whatever reason. Tons of people claim that they are Christians today, but are engrossed in sin, worldliness, or do not seem to have any desire to know Him at all. While I do believe this can happen, it is very suspect that there are multitudes of people that can be described this way. This was Judah in seventh and early sixth century B.C. Zephaniah 1:6
  5. The non-religious. These people never sought the LORD for anything. There are plenty of these around today. We will see more about these later. Zephaniah 1:6

It did not matter who they were; all the people were to be cut off from the land.

Specifics of the Day of the LORD

The Day of the LORD is discussed in the Bible across many books. This “Day” of wrath is not a one-day thing; it is a period of time. Here are some details that the prophet Zephaniah has for us. Again, we see some historical detail of initial destruction of Jerusalem, but we also know that there is a future fulfillment also.

  1. All are condemned, and nobody can save themselves from the Day of the LORD. Before the LORD, the world should become silent. There is nothing they can do or say to save themselves from the coming destruction. The LORD is the all-powerful Creator. Mortal man cannot change what is coming to them. An all-consuming fire and slaughter are coming (Revelation 19:11-21). It is unclear who the guests are. Zephaniah 1:7
  2. Master and servant are consumed. Princes and the king’s children are not spared. Historically, Zedekiah’s sins were killed while he watched, the last things he saw before his eyes were gouged out. Any ruler today would not be exempt. The “strange apparel” is unclear; however, it would make sense rulers wear special robes to distinguish them. Likewise, servants who took advantage of their masters or subvert them are included. Zephaniah 1:8-9
  3. Jerusalem will be surrounded by enemies. Historically, this is fulfilled in Jeremiah 52:1-7 (and elsewhere). We see it again in Daniel 9:26 that is fulfilled in A.D. 70, after Christ had returned to heaven and Jewish rejection of Him. It is fulfilled in the end times in Revelation 11:1-2. There is mention of a specific gate called the fish gate, which is mentioned elsewhere (2 Chronicles 33:14; Nehemiah 3:3; 12:39). It was a part of Jerusalem before its demise by the Babylonians, and in the post-exilic rebuild. This surrounding is accompanied with the horrifying sounds of the enemy. The people will be extremely fearful. Zephaniah 1:10-11
  4. Wealthy businessmen will perish. Wealth will cease from the city. Maktesh is presumably an area in Jerusalem. Zephaniah 1:11
  5. The LORD will search every corner of the city. Surely this is an anthropomorphism to show God’s thoroughness in seeking out every inhabitant of the city, for God is omniscient. Every person who is “settled on their lees” will be sought out. These were people who grew up in ease (see Jeremiah 48:11 and Isaiah 25:6) and perhaps believed that God was a nice thought, but He never cared what happened in the world He created. The Deists would be like this. These will not escape the judgment, whether they believe in it or not.

    These people are so preoccupied with their wealth and property that they never stop to think that one day it all will be gone. James 4:13-17 talks about people who have all these great plans, not thinking that the LORD can come and interrupt it all. Ecclesiastes 5:13-20; 6:1-2 talks about people who have wealth, but never have a chance to enjoy it. There is a horror coming that most people do not even expect coming. Zephaniah 1:12-13
  6. The Day of the LORD is coming soon. For the people who heard Zephaniah preach, it was coming within a generation. For us, we do not know when the Lord will return, but we know things can change in a moment of time. It will come suddenly, and it will come with cries of horror. Zephaniah 1:14
  7. The Day of the LORD is accompanied with fear. A common theme of the coming Day is fear, as we have already seen. Many terms are used here that symbolize the presence of God (see also, for example, Deuteronomy 4:11; 2 Samuel 22:12; 1 Kings 8:12; 2 Chronicles 6:1; Psalm 18:11; 97:2; Joel 2:2). Joel 2:1 tells of the sound of an alarming trumpet that accompanies the Day of the LORD, as it does here. The “fenced cities” and “high towers” are no suitable defense against the LORD. Luke 21:25-28 talks about people’s hearts failing them because of the fearful things coming upon the earth. There is no haven from the LORD. Zephaniah 1:15-17
  8. People blinded in their own sin. These would be considered reprobates, unable to turn to the LORD (Jeremiah 6:30). They were considered blind, but they were spiritually blind. They will be destroyed in a gruesome way. Zephaniah 1:17
  9. Riches cannot save. The rich cannot negotiate with God. No person on earth has anything that can appease God’s wrath. His wrath is coming in great fire (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9; Hebrews 12:24-29; 2 Peter 3:7) and it is certain. Zephaniah 1:18

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