Zephaniah, God's secret treasure.

Zephaniah, the hidden Prophet.

For many years the Prophet Zephaniah has been kept hidden, concealed, treasured like something to take out only in very special occasions; for this reason the time of revealing the Prophet Zephaniah message cannot come out in a special times, like such the ones we are living in right now. This is the time of Zephaniah.

The Holy Book of the Prophet Zephaniah, it's a treasure for the special occasions, and not better time is this one; in his Book the Prophet tells us of what God is about to do in Israel and in the world. Something that might sound incredible for some, but that nevertheless is about to happend.

God wants Israel and the world to know His special plan, contrary to the plan of man, made with injustice and contrary to God's way: God wants mankind to know what it's going to happen and where, and this always involves Israel, and the enemies of Israel; after all they are always the same, the muslim Nations.

Israel is surrounded by more than 20 muslim Nations in our time, and they have always been enemies, ready to take this tiny nation from God's hand to divide it between them, in the greed of humanity. Because of his geographical location, like a "corridor" for many muslim Islamic Nations, Israel is often know as the "loot of the Nations", a tiny land for spoils, something to take by force from the hands of powers and powerful nations. But in fact Israel is a Holy Nation and a chosen people, and since many times has fallen into the hands of the powerful of the world, these doesn't mean that, its going to be the same old story forever.

The Prophet Zephaniah is telling us exactly that; there is a time when God has permitted some things to take place in the world, but time has come to put an end to man powers and world-domination. Now it's God's time to speak up and act, and act speedily.

The Prophet Zephaniah received a messege by God that would be fulfilled in the "End Times" and the Lord Almighty has decided to make it known to Israel and the all world; becouse it involves not only Israel, but the world powers that in many generations, have done always the same mistake: attack his Holy Nation and His Holy people to divide the spoils between the Nations. God's silence in fact have mislead the people and deceived the world powers, in believing that they could somehow rule the world forever.

For this reason the Prophet Zephaniah message is coming out in a perfect time for the world; there could not be better times than the "end times", the times when the world greed would make people believe that they own the world and they can do with it, whatever they want. When the rage of the Nations would rise and come to it's fullness, and God will have no other choice, than "come out" of the chaos and put in place the perfect order; God's order.

For this reason we must listen to God's plan for the Middle East, Israel and the all world, for those are the people involved in the plan to destroy and recapture God's Land for the Last Time. The prophet Zephaniah takes the treasure of God's project, and make it know to the people involved; the good ones and the bad ones. They all must know what is going to happen in a time not too far, from our present day.

Knowing this plan of God gives the victim the hope of Salvation, the reassurance of God's Justice, and the security of something to come, that will annihilate all present sorrows and fears. And the Book of Zephaniah is perfect for this special occasion; when all seems lost for peace and happiness, Zephaniah is coming out to tell us that, whoever things to get away with Israel destruction, might have to think again.

The Book of prophet Zephaniah starts with a clear message: "The Day of the Lord" is coming and guess what, these are the Nations involved in the "Day of the wrath of God". The message start with the people of the world, that are guilty of the scandals and the wickedness of man, so a "general and worldwide" judgment, than after, Israel is mentioned and just after the judgment and the destiny of the Nations around, Israel is listed.

The message of God to the all world:

Judgment on the Whole Earth in the Day of the Lord

 “I will sweep away everything
    from the face of the earth,”
declares the Lord.

“I will sweep away both man and beast;
    I will sweep away the birds in the sky
    and the fish in the sea—
    and the idols that cause the wicked to stumble.”

“When I destroy all mankind
    on the face of the earth,”
declares the Lord.

God has already planned since the Old Days, a time when all man must be taken into account for their ways, a way in respect of God's Law or away against God's directions. No man can stay out of it. God makes sure that he tells Zephaniah, all that is in His plan and who is involved. The all world is inside this project, and no one can take himself out of "that Day", not even if he owns riches and gold.

Picture: God's hand in the Day of Judgment.

So the all world and the people of all Nations must pay attention; nobody is excluded!  The First chapter is dedicated to the people of the all world:

The great day of the Lord is near—
    near and coming quickly.
The cry on the day of the Lord is bitter;
    the Mighty Warrior shouts his battle cry.
 That day will be a day of wrath—
    a day of distress and anguish,
        a day of trouble and ruin,
    a day of darkness and gloom,
        a day of clouds and blackness—

    a day of trumpet and battle cry
against the fortified cities
    and against the corner towers.

“I will bring such distress on all people
    that they will grope about like those who are blind,
    because they have sinned against the Lord.
Their blood will be poured out like dust
    and their entrails like dung.
 Neither their silver nor their gold
    will be able to save them
    on the day of the Lord’s wrath.”

In the fire of his jealousy
    the whole earth will be consumed,
for he will make a sudden end
    of all who live on the earth.

But God has a message in the second Chapter, also for the people that look for God in their life, and He tells them what they should expect from "this Day":


Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land,
    you who do what he commands.
Seek righteousness, seek humility;
    perhaps you will be sheltered
    on the day of the Lord’s anger.

After a general call to all man to turn from their wicked ways, and follow God's way, the Prophet Zephaniah make sure that the people, who are looking for God and to please God, will also get the message from God. And after the introduction for the Nations of the all world, God's message given to Zephaniah, get's more into details and speaks about "a specific area" of the World: the muslim Nations around Israel. The same old enemies.

The Prophet Zephaniah start "the list of the muslim Nation" that will see the "day of the wrath of God", and the first on the list is Palestine and Gaza:

Philistia and Gaza

 Gaza will be abandoned
    and Ashkelon left in ruins.
At midday Ashdod will be emptied
    and Ekron uprooted.

Woe to you who live by the sea,
    you Kerethite people;
the word of the Lord is against you,
    Canaan, land of the Philistines.
He says, “I will destroy you,
    and none will be left.”

The land by the sea will become pastures
    having wells for shepherds
    and pens for flocks.

That land will belong
    to the remnant of the people of Judah;
    there they will find pasture.
In the evening they will lie down
    in the houses of Ashkelon.
The Lord their God will care for them;
    he will restore their fortunes.

God's message starts from the West of Israel, to move then in the East side of the Middle east, where He list the second muslim and Islamic Nations, in His list to see God's wrath.

They will see God's judgment and put down their arrogance and their wicked actions., against Israel:

Moab and Ammon

 “I have heard the insults of Moab
    and the taunts of the Ammonites,
who insulted my people
    and made threats against their land.
 Therefore, as surely as I live,”
    declares the Lord Almighty,
    the God of Israel,
“surely Moab will become like Sodom,
    the Ammonites like Gomorrah—
a place of weeds and salt pits,
    a wasteland forever.
The remnant of my people will plunder them;
    the survivors of my nation will inherit their land.”

 This is what they will get in return for their pride,
    for insulting and mocking
    the people of the Lord Almighty.
 The Lord will be awesome to them
    when he destroys all the gods of the earth.
Distant nations will bow down to him,
    all of them in their own lands.

After the Western nations around Israel and the East nations, God's wrath moves from North to South and His list is clear; the near nations of Syria, Iraq and Arabia are next, just before the muslim Nations of the deep South of the Holy Land of Israel:

Cush and Etiophia

“You Cushites, too,
    will be slain by my sword.”

Assyria

 He will stretch out his hand against the north
    and destroy Assyria,
leaving Nineveh utterly desolate
    and dry as the desert.
 Flocks and herds will lie down there,
    creatures of every kind.
The desert owl and the screech owl
    will roost on her columns.
Their hooting will echo through the windows,
    rubble will fill the doorways,
    the beams of cedar will be exposed.
 This is the city of revelry
    that lived in safety.
She said to herself,
    “I am the one! And there is none besides me.”
What a ruin she has become,
    a lair for wild beasts!
All who pass by her scoff
    and shake their fists.

The message is clear, the map of the "Day of the Lord" is well specified: God is talking about the Middle East and the Muslim Nations of the region. There is no doubt that God is sending a clear message to a specific Nation and to a specific people of a specific language. God is sending a message, in a very special time, in a treasured and hidden time, that is coming; and is at more and more, at hand. This is the modern times we are living.

Therefore wait for me,”
    declares the Lord,
    “for the day I will stand up to testify.
I have decided to assemble the nations,
    to gather the kingdoms
and to pour out my wrath on them—
    all my fierce anger.
The whole world will be consumed
    by the fire of my jealous anger.


After having put down the map of the world, and given a message to a specific group of Nations, in a specific area of the Middle Eastern world, God has a message also for Israel and the Jewish people.

Israel has always been in God's first place, and all other Nations are seen, in God's eyes, having Israel as the epicenter of the all world, starting from the Land of Israel:


“Then I will purify the lips of the peoples,
    that all of them may call on the name of the Lord
    and serve him shoulder to shoulder.
10 From beyond the rivers of Cush
    my worshipers, my scattered people,
    will bring me offerings.
11 On that day you, Jerusalem, will not be put to shame
    for all the wrongs you have done to me,
because I will remove from you
    your arrogant boasters.
Never again will you be haughty
    on my holy hill.
12 But I will leave within you
    the meek and humble.
The remnant of Israel
    will trust in the name of the Lord.
13 They will do no wrong;
    they will tell no lies.
A deceitful tongue
    will not be found in their mouths.
They will eat and lie down
    and no one will make them afraid.”


But God wants to make sure that Jerusalem, His special jewel, would get also a message; Jerusalem is the Capital of the Jewish Nation, the Promise Land, and holds a very special place in God's heart.

   God has chosen Israel between all the other Nations, and he makes sure Israel knows it:

Sing, Daughter Zion;
    shout aloud, Israel!
Be glad and rejoice with all your heart,
    Daughter Jerusalem!
 The Lord has taken away your punishment,
    he has turned back your enemy.
The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you;
    never again will you fear any harm.
 On that day
    they will say to Jerusalem,
“Do not fear, Zion;
    do not let your hands hang limp.
 The Lord your God is with you,
    the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you;
    in his love he will no longer rebuke you,
    but will rejoice over you with singing.”

“I will remove from you
    all who mourn over the loss of your appointed festivals,
    which is a burden and reproach for you.
 At that time I will deal
    with all who oppressed you.
I will rescue the lame;
    I will gather the exiles.
I will give them praise and honor
    in every land where they have suffered shame.
 At that time I will gather you;
    at that time I will bring you home.
I will give you honor and praise
    among all the peoples of the earth
when I restore your fortunes
    before your very eyes,”
says the Lord.

The message of Zephaniah in the Bible is clearly directed to the all world, but in the same time there is an area where God's work is more active; the Middle East region, and the reason is that Israel, His Chosen Nation, is located in the way between the West and East, between North and South, and is the epicenter of God's action and grace. From Israel the Light of God spreads in the world. There is no other reason why the Middle East region is always at the center of the news forecast and the worldwide attention.

With the Prophet Zepheniah message to Israel and the world, God want to make sure that we understand that it's time to take out God's secret treasure for the all world to see and to know; that world powers and Middle Easter muslim Nations, seem not to pay attention, for their own dismay and destruction.

Zephaniah has a message for all of them: Egypt, Gaza, Palestinians, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Arabia, until the Middle East deep south, Ethiopia, all Muslim Nations around the only tiny Newish Nation of Israel. It's a message of destruction and gloom, that will come to pass in our times and not too far from us.

This is what we all need to know; Zephaniah is God's secret treasure to take out, for our special times.