May 20, 2025 • 14 mins
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We explore the often-overlooked Book of Zephaniah, a royal prophet who delivered a final warning to Judah before exile, revealing that God's judgment ultimately leads to restoration and joy.
• Zephaniah prophesied during King Josiah's reign (640-609 BC), when outward religious reforms hadn't changed people's hearts
• Unlike most prophets, Zephaniah came from the royal family, tracing his lineage back to King Hezekiah
• The "Day of the Lord" appears more in this short book than any other prophetic work
• Zephaniah first addresses Judah's sin (idol worship, complacency, corrupt leadership) before turning to surrounding nations
• The prophecy moves between near events (Babylonian invasion) and far future events (Christ's coming)
• Despite beginning with warnings, the book ends with promises of God purifying nations and rejoicing over His people
• Zephaniah's ultimate message: God sees sin, confronts it, but His goal is restoration
If this episode encouraged you, consider sharing it with someone who might need it. Leave a review or hit subscribe if you're watching on YouTube.
RELATED EPISODE
Nahum: When God Says “Enough”
SOURCES:
- Got Questions Ministries. (n.d.). What does it mean that a prophecy has double/dual fulfillment?
- Got Questions Ministries. (n.d.). What is the day of the Lord?
- Hays, J. D. (2010). The message of the Prophets: A Survey of the Prophetic and Apocalyptic Books of the Old Testament. Zondervan.
- LaHaye, T., & Ice, T. (2001). Charting the End Times: A Visual Guide to Understanding Bible Prophecy. Harvest House Publishers.
- MacArthur, J. (Ed.). (2013). The MacArthur Study Bible (NIV ed.). Thomas Nelson.
- Nelson, T. (Ed.). (2011). The NIV, Open Bible: Complete Reference System (pp. 5885–5886). Thomas Nelson. (Function). Kindle Edition.
- Wood, L. J. (1979). The Prophets of Israel. Baker Book House.
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Note: All scripture references are from the NIV translation unless otherwise indicated.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Jacqui (00:12):
Greetings listeners.
Have you ever looked around andthought, god?
How can you let this happen,when evil goes unchecked, when
leaders abuse power, when theinnocents get crushed and the
proud seems to win?
It's a question that aches inour hearts, and the book of
(00:36):
Zephaniah doesn't ignore it.
It gives us God's answer, onewe might not expect Judgment and
joy, because God sees more thanwe do and he will not stay
silent forever.
Well, welcome everyone.
(00:56):
I'm your host, Jacqui Adewole,and this is the Bible Basics
Podcast, where, weekly, we breakdown the basics of the Bible
into understandable, bite-sizedchunks.
Let's start by setting thescene.
We're in the final decadesbefore Judah goes into exile.
(01:19):
Zephaniah spoke during the reignof King Josiah, around 640 to
609 BC.
Josiah was one of the few kingsof Judah who tried to turn
things around.
He tore down idols, repairedthe temple and called the people
back to worship God, butunderneath the reforms, the
(01:44):
people's hearts hadn't reallychanged.
That's the tension Zephaniahsteps into.
Outward religion is up, butinward rebellion is still alive.
There are signs.
Zephaniah spoke before 621 BC,before Josiah's biggest reforms.
(02:07):
He still described idol worshipand widespread corruption, and
in chapter 1, verses 4 through 6, and 3, verses 1 through 7, he
spoke of other seriousconditions, things Josiah later
tried to remove.
Serious conditions, thingsJosiah later tried to remove.
(02:30):
So while Josiah is working toclean up the nation, Zephaniah
is warning that it's not enoughto clean up the outside.
God sees what's underneath.
Zephaniah also mentionsNineveh's fall as still in the
future.
That's chapter 2, verse 13.
So this places the book before612 BC, when Assyria was
(02:56):
overthrown.
So this is a turning pointmoment.
And you might be thinking,Jacqui, didn't you already
discuss a prophet giving a finalwarning to Judah in your last
episode on the book of Nahum?
Well, yes, but Zephaniah wasn'tthe only voice speaking.
(03:16):
He's one of four prophetsalongside Nahum.
The episode link is in the shownotes.
Then there's Habakkuk andJeremiah, who together were to
sound the alarm just beforeJudah falls.
It's a last call, a finalchance for Judah to listen.
(03:40):
So who was Zephaniah?
He isn't mentioned anywhereelse in the Bible outside this
book, but the opening versegives us an important clue about
who he was Zephaniah.
Chapter 1, verse 1, traces hisfamily line back four
generations, all the way to KingHezekiah.
(04:02):
That likely means Zephaniah waspart of the royal family.
He wasn't just another prophetpreaching from the street
corners, he was speaking frominside the palace walls.
He knew the system, he hadaccess, and yet he still called
(04:22):
out the nation's sin.
And yet he still called out thenation's sin, including the sin
of its leaders.
So what was the core message inZephaniah?
Well, on the surface it's afierce warning, and it is
Zephaniah's message starts witha shock.
Zephaniah's message startsabruptly.
(04:44):
No soft introduction, just adirect, serious announcement
from God.
Chapter 1, verses 2 and 3 saydeclares the Lord, I will sweep
away both man and beast.
(05:04):
I will sweep away the birds inthe sky and the fish in the sea
and the idols that cause thewicked to stumble, when I
destroy all mankind on the faceof the earth, declares the Lord"
.
This isn't just dramaticlanguage, it's a warning.
(05:28):
God's about to confront sin,starting with his own people.
Now there's a phrase Zephaniahrepeats more than any other
prophet the day of the Lord.
It's the day God steps in toconfront sin and bring justice,
not just fairness, but fullaccountability for sin.
(05:51):
We'll unpack that more in a fewminutes, but for now just know
it's the thread that ties thiswhole book together.
And God's justice doesn't beginwith pagan nations, it starts
with Judah nations.
It starts with Judah.
God calls out idol worship.
In chapter 1, verses 4 through 6, complacency and indifference
(06:20):
towards God.
You know the people who say,quote the Lord won't do anything
, either good or bad unquote.
That's chapter 1, verse 12.
And he calls out corruptleaders that oppress and twist
the truth.
Chapter 3, verses 1 through 4.
Then, in chapter 2, god expandshis focus to the heathen
nations around Judah Philistia,moab, ammon, cush and Assyria.
(06:46):
Chapter 2, verses 4 through 15.
Each one is held accountable.
God brings them to answer fortheir pride, violence and
rebellion.
So who is God confrontingEveryone?
Chapter 1, verse 17 says I willbring such distress on all
(07:10):
people because they have sinnedagainst the Lord.
No one is left out, butjudgment.
God's act of confronting andremoving sin isn't the final
word.
In chapter 3, the tone shifts.
God says he'll purify thenations.
(07:32):
That's chapter 3, verse 9.
Remove the proud and raise upthe humble.
Chapter 3, verses 11 through 13.
And rejoice over his peoplewith singing.
Chapter 3, verse 17.
That's the surprise ofZephaniah.
(07:52):
It begins with judgment butends with singing.
Chapter 3, verse 20.
So what's the main message?
The day of the Lord is coming.
God will confront sin both thenand in the future.
But his goal isn't destruction,it's restoration.
(08:16):
God will judge what's corrupt,restore what's good and bring
his people back to himself.
Now let's talk about that phrasethat ties the whole book of
Zephaniah together the day ofthe Lord.
It shows up more in this shortbook than in any other book of
(08:39):
prophecy, especially in chapter1, verses 7 and 14 through 18,
and again in chapter 2, verses 2and 3.
So what is it?
The day of the Lord is when Godsteps in to confront sin, holds
people accountable andultimately restore what's been
(09:02):
broken in the world.
In Zephaniah's time, that daywas coming soon.
Babylon would invade, jerusalemwould fall and judgment would
hit Judah and her neighbors hard.
That's the near view of the dayof the Lord.
Old Testament prophecy referringto the day of the Lord often
(09:25):
speak of both a near view and afar view, sometimes referred to
as the not yet fulfillment.
But here's where it getsinteresting.
Like many prophets, zephaniahdoesn't stop with the crisis
right in front of him.
He moves between near and farevents, blending what was about
(09:49):
to happen in his own time withthings that wouldn't be
fulfilled until much later.
That's the far or the not yet.
His words stretch forward tothe return from exile, to Jesus'
first coming, and even to hisreturn.
(10:11):
As biblical scholar J DanielHayes explains, in their
depiction of future restorationthe prophets can be referring to
one, two or all of thefollowing events in the same
text the returning from exile,the first coming of Christ and
(10:32):
the second coming of Christ.
So in Zephaniah we seedifferent moments in time, some
near, some far and some way off,described together in the same
message.
That is what the day of theLord is like in Zephaniah.
(10:53):
Some parts happened in hislifetime Babylon's judgment.
Some point to Jesus' firstcoming, god taking away our
punishment and being with us,and some still look ahead to the
final day when God will judgeevil fully and restore his
(11:18):
people completely.
That's where the hope inZephaniah really takes shape and
why his words ultimately pointto Jesus.
Zephaniah doesn't mention theMessiah by name, but his
promises in chapter 3 pointdirectly to Jesus.
(11:38):
Chapter 3, verse 15, says theLord 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 anyharm.
According to the open Biblequote, although the Messiah is
(12:00):
not specifically mentioned inZephaniah, it's clear that he's
the one who will fulfill thegreat promises of chapter 3,
verses 9 through 20.
These promises began to unfoldwhen the exiles returned to
Jerusalem, but they areultimately fulfilled in Jesus,
(12:24):
in his first coming to satisfyGod's judgment against sin, and
in his second coming where hewill redeem and restore Israel
and the nations.
So, as I mentioned in thebeginning, the book of Zephaniah
is short it's just threechapters but it speaks clearly
(12:47):
about who God is.
He sees the sin, whether it'sidol worship, pride, complacency
or corruption, and he doesn'tignore it, he confronts it.
But he also offers mercy toanyone willing to turn back to
him.
Just like we heard in theepisode on the book of Nahum,
(13:10):
god sees and he will act.
But in Zephaniah we also seewhat comes after God restores
and he rejoices.
Thank you for tuning in.
Next time we'll meet theprophet Jeremiah, who didn't
just warn about what was coming,he lived through it.
(13:33):
Until then, keep reading, keepseeking and keep growing in your
faith.
And hey, if this episodeencouraged you, consider sharing
it with someone who might needit.
Leave a review or hit subscribeif you're watching on YouTube.
(13:53):
We'd love to keep learningtogether.
Greetings listeners.
Have you ever looked around andthought, god?
How can you let this happen,when evil goes unchecked, when
leaders abuse power, when theinnocents get crushed and the
proud seems to win?
It's a question that aches inour hearts, and the book of
(00:36):
Zephaniah doesn't ignore it.
It gives us God's answer, onewe might not expect Judgment and
joy, because God sees more thanwe do and he will not stay
silent forever.
Well, welcome everyone.
(00:56):
I'm your host, Jacqui Adewole,and this is the Bible Basics
Podcast, where, weekly, we breakdown the basics of the Bible
into understandable, bite-sizedchunks.
Let's start by setting thescene.
We're in the final decadesbefore Judah goes into exile.
(01:19):
Zephaniah spoke during the reignof King Josiah, around 640 to
609 BC.
Josiah was one of the few kingsof Judah who tried to turn
things around.
He tore down idols, repairedthe temple and called the people
back to worship God, butunderneath the reforms, the
(01:44):
people's hearts hadn't reallychanged.
That's the tension Zephaniahsteps into.
Outward religion is up, butinward rebellion is still alive.
There are signs.
Zephaniah spoke before 621 BC,before Josiah's biggest reforms.
(02:07):
He still described idol worshipand widespread corruption, and
in chapter 1, verses 4 through 6, and 3, verses 1 through 7, he
spoke of other seriousconditions, things Josiah later
tried to remove.
Serious conditions, thingsJosiah later tried to remove.
(02:30):
So while Josiah is working toclean up the nation, Zephaniah
is warning that it's not enoughto clean up the outside.
God sees what's underneath.
Zephaniah also mentionsNineveh's fall as still in the
future.
That's chapter 2, verse 13.
So this places the book before612 BC, when Assyria was
(02:56):
overthrown.
So this is a turning pointmoment.
And you might be thinking,Jacqui, didn't you already
discuss a prophet giving a finalwarning to Judah in your last
episode on the book of Nahum?
Well, yes, but Zephaniah wasn'tthe only voice speaking.
(03:16):
He's one of four prophetsalongside Nahum.
The episode link is in the shownotes.
Then there's Habakkuk andJeremiah, who together were to
sound the alarm just beforeJudah falls.
It's a last call, a finalchance for Judah to listen.
(03:40):
So who was Zephaniah?
He isn't mentioned anywhereelse in the Bible outside this
book, but the opening versegives us an important clue about
who he was Zephaniah.
Chapter 1, verse 1, traces hisfamily line back four
generations, all the way to KingHezekiah.
(04:02):
That likely means Zephaniah waspart of the royal family.
He wasn't just another prophetpreaching from the street
corners, he was speaking frominside the palace walls.
He knew the system, he hadaccess, and yet he still called
(04:22):
out the nation's sin.
And yet he still called out thenation's sin, including the sin
of its leaders.
So what was the core message inZephaniah?
Well, on the surface it's afierce warning, and it is
Zephaniah's message starts witha shock.
Zephaniah's message startsabruptly.
(04:44):
No soft introduction, just adirect, serious announcement
from God.
Chapter 1, verses 2 and 3 saydeclares the Lord, I will sweep
away both man and beast.
(05:04):
I will sweep away the birds inthe sky and the fish in the sea
and the idols that cause thewicked to stumble, when I
destroy all mankind on the faceof the earth, declares the Lord"
.
This isn't just dramaticlanguage, it's a warning.
(05:28):
God's about to confront sin,starting with his own people.
Now there's a phrase Zephaniahrepeats more than any other
prophet the day of the Lord.
It's the day God steps in toconfront sin and bring justice,
not just fairness, but fullaccountability for sin.
(05:51):
We'll unpack that more in a fewminutes, but for now just know
it's the thread that ties thiswhole book together.
And God's justice doesn't beginwith pagan nations, it starts
with Judah nations.
It starts with Judah.
God calls out idol worship.
In chapter 1, verses 4 through 6, complacency and indifference
(06:20):
towards God.
You know the people who say,quote the Lord won't do anything
, either good or bad unquote.
That's chapter 1, verse 12.
And he calls out corruptleaders that oppress and twist
the truth.
Chapter 3, verses 1 through 4.
Then, in chapter 2, god expandshis focus to the heathen
nations around Judah Philistia,moab, ammon, cush and Assyria.
(06:46):
Chapter 2, verses 4 through 15.
Each one is held accountable.
God brings them to answer fortheir pride, violence and
rebellion.
So who is God confrontingEveryone?
Chapter 1, verse 17 says I willbring such distress on all
(07:10):
people because they have sinnedagainst the Lord.
No one is left out, butjudgment.
God's act of confronting andremoving sin isn't the final
word.
In chapter 3, the tone shifts.
God says he'll purify thenations.
(07:32):
That's chapter 3, verse 9.
Remove the proud and raise upthe humble.
Chapter 3, verses 11 through 13.
And rejoice over his peoplewith singing.
Chapter 3, verse 17.
That's the surprise ofZephaniah.
(07:52):
It begins with judgment butends with singing.
Chapter 3, verse 20.
So what's the main message?
The day of the Lord is coming.
God will confront sin both thenand in the future.
But his goal isn't destruction,it's restoration.
(08:16):
God will judge what's corrupt,restore what's good and bring
his people back to himself.
Now let's talk about that phrasethat ties the whole book of
Zephaniah together the day ofthe Lord.
It shows up more in this shortbook than in any other book of
(08:39):
prophecy, especially in chapter1, verses 7 and 14 through 18,
and again in chapter 2, verses 2and 3.
So what is it?
The day of the Lord is when Godsteps in to confront sin, holds
people accountable andultimately restore what's been
(09:02):
broken in the world.
In Zephaniah's time, that daywas coming soon.
Babylon would invade, jerusalemwould fall and judgment would
hit Judah and her neighbors hard.
That's the near view of the dayof the Lord.
Old Testament prophecy referringto the day of the Lord often
(09:25):
speak of both a near view and afar view, sometimes referred to
as the not yet fulfillment.
But here's where it getsinteresting.
Like many prophets, zephaniahdoesn't stop with the crisis
right in front of him.
He moves between near and farevents, blending what was about
(09:49):
to happen in his own time withthings that wouldn't be
fulfilled until much later.
That's the far or the not yet.
His words stretch forward tothe return from exile, to Jesus'
first coming, and even to hisreturn.
(10:11):
As biblical scholar J DanielHayes explains, in their
depiction of future restorationthe prophets can be referring to
one, two or all of thefollowing events in the same
text the returning from exile,the first coming of Christ and
(10:32):
the second coming of Christ.
So in Zephaniah we seedifferent moments in time, some
near, some far and some way off,described together in the same
message.
That is what the day of theLord is like in Zephaniah.
(10:53):
Some parts happened in hislifetime Babylon's judgment.
Some point to Jesus' firstcoming, god taking away our
punishment and being with us,and some still look ahead to the
final day when God will judgeevil fully and restore his
(11:18):
people completely.
That's where the hope inZephaniah really takes shape and
why his words ultimately pointto Jesus.
Zephaniah doesn't mention theMessiah by name, but his
promises in chapter 3 pointdirectly to Jesus.
(11:38):
Chapter 3, verse 15, says theLord 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 anyharm.
According to the open Biblequote, although the Messiah is
(12:00):
not specifically mentioned inZephaniah, it's clear that he's
the one who will fulfill thegreat promises of chapter 3,
verses 9 through 20.
These promises began to unfoldwhen the exiles returned to
Jerusalem, but they areultimately fulfilled in Jesus,
(12:24):
in his first coming to satisfyGod's judgment against sin, and
in his second coming where hewill redeem and restore Israel
and the nations.
So, as I mentioned in thebeginning, the book of Zephaniah
is short it's just threechapters but it speaks clearly
(12:47):
about who God is.
He sees the sin, whether it'sidol worship, pride, complacency
or corruption, and he doesn'tignore it, he confronts it.
But he also offers mercy toanyone willing to turn back to
him.
Just like we heard in theepisode on the book of Nahum,
(13:10):
god sees and he will act.
But in Zephaniah we also seewhat comes after God restores
and he rejoices.
Thank you for tuning in.
Next time we'll meet theprophet Jeremiah, who didn't
just warn about what was coming,he lived through it.
(13:33):
Until then, keep reading, keepseeking and keep growing in your
faith.
And hey, if this episodeencouraged you, consider sharing
it with someone who might needit.
Leave a review or hit subscribeif you're watching on YouTube.
(13:53):
We'd love to keep learningtogether.
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