His name (Zephaniah) actually means hidden or God has hidden. Hebrew word צֹפְנֶיהָ [zafan/sapan/ṣōpǝnêhā]. And in his prophecy, which you’re going to read, it says,
It may be that you will be hidden In the day of the Lord’s anger.
This speaks about a place of protection in the time of judgment. It speaks a lot about the day of the Lord which we’re going to look at tonight. The concept of the day of the Lord can mean the end of days, particularly, the last days before -in our view- the return of the Messiah. But it also has the implication of the day when God acts, when God does moves into historical events.
Behold, the day of the Lord is coming,
And your spoil will be divided in your midst.
2 For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem;
The city shall be taken,
The houses rifled,
And the women ravished.
Half of the city shall go into captivity,
But the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city.3 Then the Lord will go forth
And fight against those nations,
As He fights in the day of battle. Zechariah 14:1-3
So God is moving and showing His power through things which are happening in the world, particularly in the land of Israel. And part of Zephaniah’s prophecy can be seen seen as a prophecy of the coming invasion by the Babylonians which took place in the under the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar.
And when Babylon invaded, it invaded not only Israel but affected the surrounding nations including Moab and Ammon and Assyria, all of whom were devastated by the coming time of trouble.
Now it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army came against Jerusalem and encamped against it; and they built a siege wall against it all around. 2 So the city was besieged until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah. 3 By the ninth day of the fourth month the famine had become so severe in the city that there was no food for the people of the land.
4 Then the city wall was broken through, and all the men of war fled at night by way of the gate between two walls, which was by the king’s garden, even though the Chaldeans were still encamped all around against the city. And the king went by way of the plain. 5 But the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king, and they overtook him in the plains of Jericho. All his army was scattered from him. 6 So they took the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah, and they pronounced judgment on him. 7 Then they killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, put out the eyes of Zedekiah, bound him with bronze fetters, and took him to Babylon.
8 And in the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month (which was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon), Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. 9 He burned the house of the Lord and the king’s house; all the houses of Jerusalem, that is, all the houses of the great, he burned with fire. 10 And all the army of the Chaldeans who were with the captain of the guard broke down the walls of Jerusalem all around. 2 Kings 25:1-8
But the prophecy is also looking beyond this time. And we’re going to look at it mainly in terms of the end of days, the Day of the Lord, the Day when God’s wrath comes on a sinful world, but also promises a place of deliverance for the believers who’ll be hidden in the Day of the Lord’s anger.
That’s one of the big themes which we’re going to look at tonight. And the final verses of Zephaniah very much speak of the blessings of the coming Millennial Kingdom when the Messiah is going to reign and the King will be in the midst of us, Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah.
And so Zephaniah is warning us both of a coming time of trouble but also of the need to be in the Lord; to be ready for His coming, to be hidden from his wrath.
Let’s read some verses from Zephaniah. We’re going to read first of all from chapter 1 and verse 14.
It says,
14 The great day of the Lord is near;
It is near and hastens quickly.
The noise of the day of the Lord is bitter;
There the mighty men shall cry out.
15 That day is a day of wrath,
A day of trouble and distress,
A day of devastation and desolation,
A day of darkness and gloominess,
A day of clouds and thick darkness,
16 A day of trumpet and alarm
Against the fortified cities
And against the high towers.17 “I will bring distress upon men,
And they shall walk like blind men,
Because they have sinned against the Lord;
Their blood shall be poured out like dust,
And their flesh like refuse.” Zephaniah 1:14-17
And, in chapter 2, he says:
Gather yourselves together, yes, gather together,
O undesirable nation,
2 Before the decree is issued,
Or the day passes like chaff,
Before the Lord’s fierce anger comes upon you,
Before the day of the Lord’s anger comes upon you!
3 Seek the Lord, all you meek of the earth,
Who have upheld His justice.
Seek righteousness, seek humility.
It may be that you will be hidden
In the day of the Lord’s anger. Zephaniah 2:1-3
And then, some verses from chapter 3:9, speaking of the restoration.
9 “For then I will restore to the peoples a pure language,
That they all may call on the name of the Lord,
To serve Him with one accord.
10 From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia
My worshipers,
The daughter of My dispersed ones,
Shall bring My offering.
11 In that day you shall not be shamed for any of your deeds
In which you transgress against Me;
For then I will take away from your midst
Those who rejoice in your pride,
And you shall no longer be haughty
In My holy mountain.
12 I will leave in your midst
A meek and humble people,
And they shall trust in the name of the Lord.
13 The remnant of Israel shall do no unrighteousness
And speak no lies,
Nor shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth;
For they shall feed their flocks and lie down,
And no one shall make them afraid.”14 Sing, O daughter of Zion!
Shout, O Israel!
Be glad and rejoice with all your heart,
O daughter of Jerusalem!
15 The Lord has taken away your judgments,
He has cast out your enemy.
The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst;
You shall see disaster no more.16 In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:
“Do not fear;
Zion, let not your hands be weak.
17 The Lord your God in your midst,
The Mighty One, will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.”18 “I will gather those who sorrow over the appointed assembly,
Who are among you,
To whom its reproach is a burden.
19 Behold, at that time
I will deal with all who afflict you;
I will save the lame,
And gather those who were driven out;
I will appoint them for praise and fame
In every land where they were put to shame.
20 At that time I will bring you back,
Even at the time I gather you;
For I will give you fame and praise
Among all the peoples of the earth,
When I return your captives before your eyes,”
Says the Lord. Zephaniah 3:9-20
Therefore, Zephaniah has a gloomy message. He speaks about the day of the wrath coming, the Day of God’s wrath, the day of God’s judgment. He also speaks about the need for the believer to be in the Lord, to be in a place of safety. And he promises us that if we are in a good relationship with Him, in a right relationship with Him then, no matter what troubles and judgments will be coming, there’s a place where you can be safe in the presence of the Lord.
I think that’s a very relevant message to people today because we see a time of trouble coming. We see all kinds of distressing situations upon the earth. And, if you read the Bible, you read the prophecies of the end times, you read the prophecies of Jesus in Matthew 24 the Olivet discourse about His Second Coming, and you read through the Book of Revelation from chapter 6 through to chapter 19.
You have passages which are indeed very gloomy. They speak about a time of intense trouble, a time of trouble unlike any that has been before or ever shall be. They speaking about a Day of wrath and again judgment against the peoples of the earth. And, if that is coming upon the earth then, we need to know how we can be in a place of safety, a place of relationship with God so that we are in the right place with Him.
