Zephaniah

[Keraz]

ZEPHANIAH: THE DAY OF THE LORD'S WRATH

It was Zephaniah's lot to speak on the most unpleasant subject in the Bible -- the judgment of God. This is not the only place where this theme occurs, of course, but it is the most concentrated treatment of the judgment of God as the whole book is devoted to this one theme.

There are many people who would like to rule this subject of judgment out of the Bible entirely. There are those who tell us that the God of the New Testament, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, is the kind of a God who can never move in judgment. His heart is so tender, his love is so gracious, his patience is so infinite that there never will be a time when God will move in vengeance. It should be noted though, that in the New Testament the Lord Jesus spoke very frequently about the judgment of God. In the fourth chapter of Luke we are told that the Lord came back to his home town after preaching in Judea for many months. He had done many miracles and the word of his miracles had preceded him, so all the folks in Nazareth were very anxious to see him. He had not behaved like this when he was a boy growing up, and they were keen to see if he was going to do some mighty work when he came home.

Luke tells us that Jesus went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and he was given the book of the prophecy of Isaiah to read. Opening the scroll he found the place in Isaiah 61:1-2a; The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. Luke 4:10 Then he stopped right in the middle of a sentence, right at a comma, and his last word was that he had come to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. But Isaiah goes on to say, and the day of vengeance of our God. Isaiah 61:2b Jesus did not read that because it was not the time for the Day of vengeance of God. It is this day particularly, that Zephaniah is talking about.

Zephaniah means "hidden of the Lord" and the prophet is speaking as if he were a representative of the remnant of faith -- those relatively few people who will remain true to God and be faithful to Him, through this disaster that is to come upon the earth. They will be hidden, as it were, by God himself among the nations of the earth and God will watch over them to keep them in faith during this time. And it is about these people that the book of Zephaniah is written, and especially of that coming day, the Day of the Lord’s vengeance and wrath, which is vividly described by the prophet.

In chapter 1, Zephaniah gives us the character of God's vengeance. It is not a pleasant passage.

"I will utterly sweep away everything
from the face of the land, says the Lord.
I will sweep away man and beast;
I will sweep away the birds of the air
and the fish of the sea.
I will overthrow the wicked;
I will cut off mankind
from the face of the earth," says the Lord.
"I will stretch out my hand against Judah,
and against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem,
and I will cut off from this place the remnant of Baal [the false god of the peoples around Israel]
and the name of the idolatrous priests;
those who bow down on the roofs to the host of heavens; [the star worshipers]
those who bow down and swear to the Lord
and yet swear by Milcom; [one of the other gods the surrounding nations]
those who have turned back from following the Lord,
who do not seek the Lord or inquire of him.

Be silent before the Lord God!
For the day of the Lord is at hand.

The day of the Lord is the day of the manifestation of God's hand directly in human affairs. Notice the personal pronoun all through that passage: "I will sweep away everything." I will sweep away man and beast." "I will cut off mankind." God is working through events in history, working through nations and armies and calamities of various sorts. But as He did in Noah’s day, He will use His creation to once again reset civilization, this time with fire, as over 70 prophesies tell us.

The Apostle Paul also uses the term "the Day of the Lord." In 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6 he says:

But as to the times and seasons, brethren, you have no need to have anything written to you. [Why not? Well, because they already had it in the Old Testament.] For you yourselves know well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. When people say, "There is peace and security," then sudden destruction will come upon them as travail comes upon a woman with child, and there will be no escape. But you are not in darkness, brethren, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all sons of light and sons of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.

There are many other passages that also refer to the Day of the Lord and they all agree that in the time when men are proclaiming peace, but preparing for war; in a time when they are holding to a form of godliness but denying the powers thereof; in a time when they are declaring that the problems of life are being solved. but when actually they are in greater danger than they have ever been before, then the Day of the Lord will come.

Now let us return to Zephaniah and see what he has to say about this (chapter 1. verses 7-9):

Be silent before the Lord God!
For the day of the Lord is at hand;
the Lord has prepared a sacrifice
and consecrated his guests.
And on the day of the Lord's sacrifice --
"I will punish the officials and the king's sons
and all who array themselves in foreign attire ...
every one who leaps over the threshold,
and those who fill their master's house
with violence and fraud.

How can this be? How can the God of love -- the God of the New Testament -- do a thing like this? How can God, who loves mercy and is slow to anger, ever come to this place?

It is this kind of reasoning that suggests we should go through our Bibles and tear out every part that does not agree with our concepts of God. But what we have left, of course, is nothing more than what we like, what we think God ought to be like.

You can see how such an argument defeats itself. The very book that tells us that God is a God of love also says he is a God of vengeance. And anyone who thinks carefully about himself and about love will understand why a God of love has to be a God of vengeance. For if we love someone, we hate everything that injures that person. We are against whatever threatens or destroys what we love. And the very love that moves the heart of God to pour himself out over the centuries in an unceasing effort to awaken man to his need and to hear the call of grace, is the same love that at last prompts him to eliminate those who refuse all the province of his grace, and identify themselves with that which is opposed to his will and to his work among men. Then he has nothing left to do but to destroy them. And that is why the prophet speaks so plainly about this.

Continuing in Zephaniah 1:14-18:

The great day of the Lord is near,
near and hastening fast;
the sound of the day of the Lord is bitter,
the mighty man cries aloud there.
A day of wrath is that day,
a day of distress and anguish,
a day of ruin and devastation,
a day of darkness and gloom,
a day of clouds and thick darkness,
a day of trumpet blast and battle cry
against the fortified cities
and against the lofty battlements.

And God says in stark frankness,

I will bring distress on men,
so that they shall walk like the blind,
because they have sinned against the Lord;
their blood shall be poured out like dust,
and their flesh like dung.
Neither their silver nor their gold
shall be able to deliver them
on the Day of the wrath of the Lord.

Now it is not easy for God to speak this way. He himself says that he takes no delight in the death of men. He says that he does not delight in judgment. Judgment, the prophet says, is his strange work. His heart delights in mercy. But eventually, if his will is to be done, if earth at last is to break out into the glorious freedom of the promises of the prophets concerning man, if the dreams that lie hidden away in the hearts of men of a warless world, a time of prosperity. a time when joy floods the earth, when men live together in glorious harmony, when even the animals lose their enmity toward one another and peace shall cover the earth as the waters cover the sea -- if that is ever to come, then God must deal with the entrenched evil of men. This is why the coming of the day of vengeance of our God is absolutely certain. The prophets warn of this and the word speaks very clearly. all through the New Testament as well, that when God's grace is turned aside, God's judgment awaits.

 

[Keraz]

In Zephaniah 2:8-9 we trace the extent of God's vengeance. Certain nations are named;

"I have heard the taunts of Moab
and the revilings of the Ammonites, "Moab shall become like Sodom,
and the Ammonites like Gomorrah,

The Ethiopians are mentioned in verse 12 and the Assyrians in verse 13. The interesting thing is that although all these nations are long since lost in the dust of history, the promise of this day of the Lord is in the future. How can this be? Why are these nations mentioned here when they have long been buried in antiquity? How can they yet be destroyed in a day to come?

The answer is, of course, that these nations are used symbolically throughout the Scriptures as well as literally. They were literally destroyed in the course of history, but they are used symbolically with reference to the full and final meaning of the day of the Lord. Moab, for instance, is always a picture of the flesh of man -- his dependence upon his own resources. The Ammonites picture the same thing. Ethiopia is a picture of the stubbornness, or the intransigence of man. "Can the Ethiopian change his color?" the Scriptures say. And Assyria is man in his arrogance and his pride. Now God says he is against all these things, and as he moves at last in judgment on the human race, these are to be eliminated. In chapter 3 you will notice how extensive God's wrath is;

Woe to her that is rebellious and defiled,
the oppressing city!
She listens to no voice,
she accepts no correction.
She does not trust in the Lord,
she does not draw near to her God.

This could be said of almost all the cities of the earth. As you read on you see that this is a world-wide matter;

"Therefore wait for me," says the Lord,
"for the day when I arise as a witness.
For my decision is to gather nations,
to assemble kingdoms,
to pour out upon them my indignation,
all the heat of my anger;
for in the fire of my jealous wrath
all the earth shall be consumed."

What for? What is God after? Is he just interested in getting even, wreaking his vengeance at last upon the stubbornness and willfulness of men? Is he visiting the earth with this terrible hurricane of destruction in order to leave it nothing but a smoking ruin, barren and desolate, without inhabitants? No, that is what men would do if there were another world war. We would leave the earth desolate, but God will never leave it that way.

After you read the description of all the darkness, gloom, and slaughter -- after the desolation and the destruction, what is the next word? Verse 14:

Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion;
shout, O Israel!
Rejoice and exult with all your heart,
O daughter of Jerusalem!

Why? You see, this is the new order that is to follow. This is why God is dealing with men, so that he might bring out songs instead of sorrow, service instead of selfishness, security instead of slavery. This will be the consequence of God's judgment. And we are told that the Lord God is in the midst of the people, not for judgment;

The Lord within her is righteous,
he does no wrong; ... The Lord, your God, is in your midst,
a warrior who gives victory;
he will rejoice over you with gladness,
he will renew you in his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing
as on a day of festival.

"I will remove disaster from you, ...
deal with all your oppressors.
And I will save the lame
and gather the outcasts,
... change their shame into praise
and renown in all the earth.
At that time I will bring you home,

What a picture this is! Specifically, of course, it has to do with the remnant of Israel, but it is a picture of God's loving care during any time of despair or darkness., God calls back the remnant of Israel, plus all the people grafted in, to Himself and they will at last break out into the song of the redeemed. Now the singing here is led by the Lord himself in a marvellous, glorious melody of joy. It reminds me of that beautiful passage in the Song of Songs:

For lo, the winter is past,
the rain is over and gone.
The flowers appear on the earth,
the time of singing has come. Song of songs 2:11-12a

That is what follows the time of judgment. But no one but the redeemed can join in that song. That is what Zephaniah tells us about. Although it is a painful scene, one that begins in darkness and gloom, it ends in joy and gladness and singing.

Ref: Ray Steadman

 

[GISMYS_7]

Accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior and you need not worry about the day of God's wrath.

 

[Keraz]

Zephaniah 3:8 Wait for Me, says the Lord, wait for the Day when I stand up and accuse mankind. For I shall pour out My wrath upon nations and kingdoms, in My burning anger: the whole earth will be devastated by fire.

Zephaniah 1:14-18 The great Day of the Lord’s vengeance and wrath is near and coming fast. That Day will be a Day of distress and torment, a Day of devastation amid thick darkness. A Day of thunder and destruction against military fortifications and cities. the Lord will bring terrible distress upon the people, they won’t know which way to turn as they are punished for their sins against Me. Their blood and guts will be spilled out like filth over the ground. Neither their treasure nor their idols will be able to save them on the sudden and shocking Day of the Lord’s fiery anger. All the Land will be burned and devastated. Ezekiel 20:46-48

Zephaniah 2:1-3 Prepare yourselves, you undesirable nation, be humble before you disappear like chaff, before the burning anger of the Lord comes upon you. Seek righteousness; seek humility, all you people in the Land who obey God’s Laws and it may be that you will find shelter on the Day of the Lord’s anger.

Zephaniah 2:4-7 Gaza will be deserted, Ashkelon left in ruins. At midday all the towns of the Mediterranean coast will be cleared of inhabitants, for the Word of God is against you – land of the Philistines. I shall lay you in ruins, no one will survive. The sea coast will become a sheep grazing area belonging to the survivors of Judah, for their God will turn to them and restore their fortunes. Isaiah 14-1, Ezekiel 36:1-37

Zephaniah 2:8-10 I have noted the insults of Moab and the Ammonites, how they have reviled My people and encroached on their frontiers. For this, I swear, they will become like Sodom and Gomorrah, a place of weeds and salt pans. Those of My people who survive will inherit their land. This is retribution for their pride, because they have insulted God’s people and taken over their Land. Jeremiah 12:14, Amos 2:1-5

Zephaniah 3:11-13 On that Day, Jerusalem, I shall rid you of your proud and arrogant citizens, but I will leave a remnant, a humble people who will trust in Me. The survivors in Israel will be righteous, under My protection. Isaiah 31:5

Zephaniah 3:19-20 When the time comes and I have dealt with your oppressors, then I shall rescue the lost and gather the dispersed and bring you all to your homeland. You will win respect and renown from the other nations when I restore your fortunes before your very eyes, It is I, the Lord, who speaks. Ref: REB. Some verses abridged.


Wait for the Day; the whole earth burned and devastated. The only known way how this could happen, is by a massive Coronal Mass Ejection, a fire judgement mentioned and described over 100 times in Bible prophecy. It will be the event that ‘comes like a thief’, unexpected and shocking. Isaiah 30:26, Malachi 4:1

You undesirable nation – The Jewish State of Israel. It may be that those who live righteously and humbly will ‘find shelter on the Day of the Lord’s anger.’ 2 Peter 2:9

Philistines and Moab and Ammon – Palestinians and Jordanians. Amos 1:6-8 & 13-14, Ezekiel 21:28-31

leave a remnant in Jerusalem, under My protection – Isaiah 4:3, Romans 9:27

rescue the lost....bring you home – The great gathering of all the faithful Christian peoples, prophesied more than 40 times, to happen soon after this forthcoming, worldwide fire judgement.
They will live in the promised Land, under God’s protection and when the Anti Christ comes to Jerusalem, Daniel 11:31-32, Revelation 13:7, they are taken to a place of safety until the Return of Jesus.

 

[Curtis]

ZEPHANIAH: THE DAY OF THE LORD'S WRATH

It was Zephaniah's lot to speak on the most unpleasant subject in the Bible -- the judgment of God. This is not the only place where this theme occurs, of course, but it is the most concentrated treatment of the judgment of God as the whole book is devoted to this one theme.

There are many people who would like to rule this subject of judgment out of the Bible entirely. There are those who tell us that the God of the New Testament, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, is the kind of a God who can never move in judgment. His heart is so tender, his love is so gracious, his patience is so infinite that there never will be a time when God will move in vengeance. It should be noted though, that in the New Testament the Lord Jesus spoke very frequently about the judgment of God. In the fourth chapter of Luke we are told that the Lord came back to his home town after preaching in Judea for many months. He had done many miracles and the word of his miracles had preceded him, so all the folks in Nazareth were very anxious to see him. He had not behaved like this when he was a boy growing up, and they were keen to see if he was going to do some mighty work when he came home.

Luke tells us that Jesus went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and he was given the book of the prophecy of Isaiah to read. Opening the scroll he found the place in Isaiah 61:1-2a; The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. Luke 4:10 Then he stopped right in the middle of a sentence, right at a comma, and his last word was that he had come to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. But Isaiah goes on to say, and the day of vengeance of our God. Isaiah 61:2b Jesus did not read that because it was not the time for the Day of vengeance of God. It is this day particularly, that Zephaniah is talking about.

Zephaniah means "hidden of the Lord" and the prophet is speaking as if he were a representative of the remnant of faith -- those relatively few people who will remain true to God and be faithful to Him, through this disaster that is to come upon the earth. They will be hidden, as it were, by God himself among the nations of the earth and God will watch over them to keep them in faith during this time. And it is about these people that the book of Zephaniah is written, and especially of that coming day, the Day of the Lord’s vengeance and wrath, which is vividly described by the prophet.

In chapter 1, Zephaniah gives us the character of God's vengeance. It is not a pleasant passage.

"I will utterly sweep away everything
from the face of the land, says the Lord.
I will sweep away man and beast;
I will sweep away the birds of the air
and the fish of the sea.
I will overthrow the wicked;
I will cut off mankind
from the face of the earth," says the Lord.
"I will stretch out my hand against Judah,
and against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem,
and I will cut off from this place the remnant of Baal [the false god of the peoples around Israel]
and the name of the idolatrous priests;
those who bow down on the roofs to the host of heavens; [the star worshipers]
those who bow down and swear to the Lord
and yet swear by Milcom; [one of the other gods the surrounding nations]
those who have turned back from following the Lord,
who do not seek the Lord or inquire of him.

Be silent before the Lord God!
For the day of the Lord is at hand.

The day of the Lord is the day of the manifestation of God's hand directly in human affairs. Notice the personal pronoun all through that passage: "I will sweep away everything." I will sweep away man and beast." "I will cut off mankind." God is working through events in history, working through nations and armies and calamities of various sorts. But as He did in Noah’s day, He will use His creation to once again reset civilization, this time with fire, as over 70 prophesies tell us.

The Apostle Paul also uses the term "the Day of the Lord." In 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6 he says:

But as to the times and seasons, brethren, you have no need to have anything written to you. [Why not? Well, because they already had it in the Old Testament.] For you yourselves know well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. When people say, "There is peace and security," then sudden destruction will come upon them as travail comes upon a woman with child, and there will be no escape. But you are not in darkness, brethren, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all sons of light and sons of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.

There are many other passages that also refer to the Day of the Lord and they all agree that in the time when men are proclaiming peace, but preparing for war; in a time when they are holding to a form of godliness but denying the powers thereof; in a time when they are declaring that the problems of life are being solved. but when actually they are in greater danger than they have ever been before, then the Day of the Lord will come.

Now let us return to Zephaniah and see what he has to say about this (chapter 1. verses 7-9):

Be silent before the Lord God!
For the day of the Lord is at hand;
the Lord has prepared a sacrifice
and consecrated his guests.
And on the day of the Lord's sacrifice --
"I will punish the officials and the king's sons
and all who array themselves in foreign attire ...
every one who leaps over the threshold,
and those who fill their master's house
with violence and fraud.

How can this be? How can the God of love -- the God of the New Testament -- do a thing like this? How can God, who loves mercy and is slow to anger, ever come to this place?

It is this kind of reasoning that suggests we should go through our Bibles and tear out every part that does not agree with our concepts of God. But what we have left, of course, is nothing more than what we like, what we think God ought to be like.

You can see how such an argument defeats itself. The very book that tells us that God is a God of love also says he is a God of vengeance. And anyone who thinks carefully about himself and about love will understand why a God of love has to be a God of vengeance. For if we love someone, we hate everything that injures that person. We are against whatever threatens or destroys what we love. And the very love that moves the heart of God to pour himself out over the centuries in an unceasing effort to awaken man to his need and to hear the call of grace, is the same love that at last prompts him to eliminate those who refuse all the province of his grace, and identify themselves with that which is opposed to his will and to his work among men. Then he has nothing left to do but to destroy them. And that is why the prophet speaks so plainly about this.

Continuing in Zephaniah 1:14-18:

The great day of the Lord is near,
near and hastening fast;
the sound of the day of the Lord is bitter,
the mighty man cries aloud there.
A day of wrath is that day,
a day of distress and anguish,
a day of ruin and devastation,
a day of darkness and gloom,
a day of clouds and thick darkness,
a day of trumpet blast and battle cry
against the fortified cities
and against the lofty battlements.

And God says in stark frankness,

I will bring distress on men,
so that they shall walk like the blind,
because they have sinned against the Lord;
their blood shall be poured out like dust,
and their flesh like dung.
Neither their silver nor their gold
shall be able to deliver them
on the Day of the wrath of the Lord.

Now it is not easy for God to speak this way. He himself says that he takes no delight in the death of men. He says that he does not delight in judgment. Judgment, the prophet says, is his strange work. His heart delights in mercy. But eventually, if his will is to be done, if earth at last is to break out into the glorious freedom of the promises of the prophets concerning man, if the dreams that lie hidden away in the hearts of men of a warless world, a time of prosperity. a time when joy floods the earth, when men live together in glorious harmony, when even the animals lose their enmity toward one another and peace shall cover the earth as the waters cover the sea -- if that is ever to come, then God must deal with the entrenched evil of men. This is why the coming of the day of vengeance of our God is absolutely certain. The prophets warn of this and the word speaks very clearly. all through the New Testament as well, that when God's grace is turned aside, God's judgment awaits.

It’s pretty clear that when Jesus returns, it’s in flaming fire with vengeance and the wrath of God and a sword.

The time of being the sacrificial lamb is over, He returns as the lion of the tribe of Judah.

The age of grace just put off Gods judgment until the age of the gentiles is fulfilled, which is when the mid trib rapture occurs.

Yeah, I know, mid trib is a minority opinion.

God didn’t stop being a God of judgment - He just postponed it so the harvest can grow until it’s ready to be reaped.

Maranatha

 

[Keraz]

It’s pretty clear that when Jesus returns, it’s in flaming fire with vengeance and the wrath of God and a sword.

The 3 prophecies; Zechariah 14:3, Matthew 24:30, Revelation 19:11, that tell us about Jesus' Return, do not say He comes in fire.
The Lord's Day of fiery vengeance and wrath, is the Sixth Seal; years before the Return.

Mid Trib rapture? Too bad there is no scriptural support for such an idea.
NO 'rapture to heaven', is correct, as we must endure until the end. THEN Jesus will reward His faithful people, those who stood firm in their faith thru all that must happen.

 

[GISMYS_7]

Why be left behind on rapture day???

Luke 21:36
“Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.”
1 Thessalonians 5:9
“For God hath ""not appointed us to wrath,"" but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,”
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (9) Much more then, being now justified by his blood, ""we shall be saved from wrath through him"". (10) For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.” (Romans 5:8-10)

 

[Keraz]

Zephaniah 1:2-13 The Lord will consume and get rid of humans and all living things from the Land. The wicked will be brought to their knees. Ezekiel 20:47-48 & 30:1-5, Jer. 30:23-24

Judah will be judged and those who have neither sought the Lord nor enquired of Him will be cut off. Ezekiel 21:3, Isaiah 22:14, Zechariah 13:8-9, Jeremiah 12:14

Be silent before the Lord, for the Day of vengeance is near. The Lord has prepared a sacrifice and set apart those He has invited. Isaiah 66:15-16, Malachi 4:1, Rev. 6:12-17

I shall punish all you leaders and officers on the Day of the Lord’s sacrifice. Cry and wail, you merchants and dealers, all who fill their lord’s house with violence and fraud, you will be destroyed on that Day of distress, desolation, darkness and death. Jeremiah 13:19-27.

I shall search for all those complacent people, those who say the Lord will do nothing. They can build and plant, but all will be destroyed. Jeremiah 12:4+12-17, 2 Peter 3:3-4

Zephaniah 1:14-18 The Great Day of the Lord’s wrath is near, a Day of destruction and battle cries. Great distress will come on the peoples who have sinned against the Lord; their blood will pour out on the ground. Their wealth will not save them, for He will make a sudden and terrible end to all who live in the holy Land. Isaiah 2:12-22, Habakkuk 3:12-14, Joel 2:1-11

Zephaniah 2:1-15 Humble yourselves, you shameful nation, before the Day arrives, before the burning anger of the Lord comes upon you. Jeremiah 6:8, Jer. 8:5-12, Matthew 21:41-43

Seek the Lord, all you who live humbly, obeying His laws. It may be that you will be sheltered on the Day of the Lord’s anger. Isaiah 31:5, Micah 5:1, Revelation 6:12-17.

Gaza will be deserted, woe to all you Philistines, at midday I shall crush you – your land will belong to the survivors of Judah. Amos 1:6-8, Ezekiel 25:15-17, Obadiah 19-21.

I have heard the insults of the Ammonites, those who revile against My people. Moab and Ammon will become a wasteland for evermore and the remnant of My people who survive will dispossess them. Ezekiel 25:1-11, Jeremiah 9:25-26. Because, they [the Ammonites, i.e. Jordanians] have insulted My people and encroached on their Land, I will bring terror upon them. Jer. 12:14, Amos 1:13-15, Ezekiel 21:28-32, Jeremiah 49:1-27.

You Cushites will be slain by the Sword of the Lord. Psalm 83, Jer. 49:28-33. [Cush, a son of Ham; the African peoples] Syria and Iraq will be devastated, becoming a wasteland, all who pass by will scoff at her fate. Isaiah 17:1, Isaiah 33:10-12, Nahum 3:18-19. Then the nations of the coasts and islands will worship the Lord. Isaiah 49:1-6, Isaiah 66:18b-21

Zephaniah 3:1-8 Woe betide that tyrant city, filthy and foul. [Jerusalem] She heeded no warning and refused to trust the Lord. Her leaders were as wolves and lions. Her prophets are treacherous men and her Rabbis do violence to the Law. Ezekiel 14:21-23, Jeremiah 8:8

Yet every day, the Lord dispenses justice, but the evildoer knows no shame. Matthew 23:25

I have wiped out this arrogant people, their cities are abandoned. Jer. 9:10-11, Ezekiel 21:4

I said surely they will fear Me and accept correction, that they would escape destruction, but no, they eagerly continued in their evil ways. Isaiah 22:11, Ezekiel 16:59

Therefore, says the Lord, wait for the Day when I accuse you. I will gather nations in order to pour My wrath upon them. The whole earth will know the fire of My jealousy. Hab. 3:12, Jeremiah 8:3, Hebrews 10:27, Romans 1:18

Zephaniah 3:9-20 Then I shall restore pure lips to all peoples. So that everyone may call on the Name of the Lord and serve Him with one accord. Hosea 2:14-23, Isaiah 52:6.

My worshippers, from distant places will bring their offering to Me. Isaiah 66:20-21

On that Day, Jerusalem, you will not be shamed because I will have rid you of your proud and arrogant citizens. Isaiah 65:11-12, Isaiah 65:1-7

Only a remnant of lowly and humble people will survive. They will be righteous and nothing will make them afraid. Isaiah 14:1, Malachi 3:17

Shout for joy, Israel, your punishment is over, your enemies defeated. Isaiah 35:1-10

The Lord is now in your midst, He will show His love for you. Isaiah 41:8-10, Psalm 118.

When that time comes, I will deal with your oppressors. I shall gather you and bring you all home. Ezekiel 34:11-16, Isaiah 65:8-9, Jeremiah 16:14-16

You will have honor and praise among all the peoples when I restore your fortunes before your eyes. It is the Lord who speaks. Jeremiah 33:6-9, 2 Esdras 1:35-40, 2 Esdras 2:12-28.
Ref: Revised English Bible. Some verses abridged.


‘God has Kept His Treasure’: Zephaniah’s name in Hebrew = God hides in order to protect, also means God is a vigilant watch keeper. Zephaniah was a prophet at the time of King Josiah, circa 620 BCE, 100 years after the exile of the House of Israel. God will keep His people safe. Amos 9:9, Jer. 31:36, Isaiah 49:15-16, Matt. 13:44

‘The Great Day of the Lord’s vengeance and wrath is near’: This is the next prophesied event that we can expect to happen. It will be an earth directed blast of fire from the sun, as Isaiah 30:26a, 2 Peter 3:7 and Malachi 4:1 informs us. It will literally fulfill all the graphic prophesies about that Day. The results of that terrible Day will be: ‘a sudden and terrible end to all who live in the holy Land, Palestinians, Arabs, Africans and the proud and arrogant citizens of Judah will all die by this sword of the Lord’s judgement’. Jeremiah 11:16, Ezekiel 21:3, Ezekiel 30:1-5 ‘The whole earth will know the fire of My wrath’, a worldwide devastation, that will destroy most of our modern infrastructure and kill millions. Jer. 25:33, Isaiah 34:6, 2 Peter 3:10, Rev. 6:12-17

‘When that time comes, I will deal with your enemies’ : It is foolish to speculate about another conventional war or a nuclear exchange in the Middle East, as the prophetic truth confirms how the Lord Himself will instigate His fiery wrath against those attackers of Israel. Psalms 83:1-18, Psalms 18:7-15, Isaiah 22:1-14, Jeremiah 49:35-37

But those ‘who live humbly, obeying His Laws, may be sheltered on that Day’. Nahum 1:7, Psalms 50:3-6, Daniel 12:1 Then: ‘I will gather you and bring you all home’. Psalm 107, Hosea 2:23, Zechariah 10:8-10 This will be the great Second Exodus of all the Lord’s people, back to a regenerated Land; all of that area promised to Abraham, Genesis 15:18 but never as yet fully owned by His chosen people. Their right of ownership will be proven when the title deed buried by Jeremiah 32:14, is found.

‘Then the nations of the coasts and islands will worship the Lord’ : This makes it clear that all Israel is far more than just the Jews. Isaiah 49:12 They are coming from far away, some from the North and the West and some from the South. The true, righteous Israelites are now mostly living on islands or in countries with extensive coastlines and in places to the North, West and South of the holy Land. Those nations and peoples are the ones with a Christian heritage, but have fallen away in the latter years, although many remain faithful and it will only be true born again Christian people; ‘My worshippers in distant places’, who will go to live in the new nation of Beulah. Isaiah 62:1-5, Isaiah 60:21-22, Ezekiel 36, Jeremiah 33, Amos 9:13-15, Acts 26:6-7

‘The Lord is now in your midst’. In the same way as He was for the ancient Israelites. 1 Cor. 10:11 This is confirmed by Ezekiel 43:4 – it will be the Shekinah Glory that will enter the new Temple and also the Lord will ‘reveal Himself to the elders and leaders’, in a cloud, like He did for Moses and David. Jer. 30:21, Acts 7:37-38


All of this is prophesied to happen before the end of this age: The world changer of the Sixth Seal devastation, the regeneration and resettlement of all the holy Land, the establishment of a One World Government, the attack by a Northern confederation led by Gog, a seven year treaty signed between Beulah and the Leader of the OWG, then at the mid-point; the Great Tribulation starts and 3½ years later, comes the culmination, the Lord Jesus Returns for His Millennial reign.

 

[Keraz]

The Book of Zephaniah, the great end times story:

Keep silent before the Lord, for the Day of the Lord is near, He has prepared a sacrifice and set apart those He has invited.

The Great Day of the Lord is near and coming fast, no runner is as swift as that Day, no warrior so fleet. That Day will be a Day of God’s wrath, a Day of anguish and torment, a Day of destruction and devastation, a Day of cloud and darkness, of trumpet calls and distress of the peoples. Because of their sins, their blood will be poured out and their bowels spilled like dung. Their rich possessions will not avail to save them from the fire of the Lord’s wrath, for He will make a sudden and terrible end to all who live in the holy Land.

On the Day of the Lord’s sacrifice, He will stretch His hand over Judah, [the State of Israel] and over all who live in Jerusalem. He will wipe out from that Land all traces of idol worship, all those who have turned their backs to Him and have neither sought the Lord nor acknowledged Him. The Lord will punish their leaders and rabbis, all those who are ruined by complacency and all who commit crimes of violence and fraud. There will be a great noise as the Land is devastated, even the birds and fish will be gone and the whole earth will be affected by the fire of His judgement.

Humble yourselves, you shameful nation before you disappear like burning chaff, before the burning anger of the Lord comes upon you. Seek the Lord all you dwellers in the Land, seek righteousness, seek humility and it may be that you will find shelter on the Day of the Lord’s wrath.

Gaza and all the cities of the Palestinians will be deserted and become a waste, at noon day, they will all be laid in ruins, bereft of inhabitants. Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Egypt and Arabia will become like Sodom, a deserted wasteland and those of My people who survive - the remnant of My nation, will take over those lands. [Of all the 12 tribes of Israel, plus those grafted in.] You Cushites too, [African peoples] will be slain by the Lord. This will be a retribution for their arrogance, for they have insulted the Lord’s people and encroached on their Land. The Lord will bring terror upon them and will discredit their religion. [Islam] Then the people of the coast and islands, [the Western nations] will worship the Lord, each in their own country.

Woe to Judah, they heeded no warning, took no rebuke to heart and never put their trust in the Lord. Her leaders are like roaring lions, her rabbis have falsified the Law, but the Lord in their midst dispenses justice to them. Twice now, [using Babylon and Rome, the third ‘swing of the sword’ to come; Ezekiel 21:14] He has destroyed their cities and exiled them, so He thought: surely now they will fear Me and take My instruction to heart. But they have hastened all the more to do evil and go their own sinful way.

Therefore wait for the Day when the Lord stands up and accuses them! He will pour His fiery wrath upon them and the earth will be enveloped by the flames of His wrath. On that Day, the Lord will rid the Land of all the proud and arrogant peoples, only a remnant of poor and lowly people will be left, a righteous people will live there in peace and safety. Psalms 37:29

Then: be glad all you who trust in the Lord, He has swept away all your foes, the Lord your God will be with you. He will rescue the lost and gather the dispersed and bring them home, they will be envied by all the other peoples of the earth. It is the Lord who will do all this.
Revised English Bible; abridged and paraphrased

 

[Oseas]

FOR FULFILLING LITERALLY FROM NOW ON, DAY BY DAY

Luke 20:v.35-36
35 But they which shall be accounted WORTHY to obtain that world(that next world-the Kingdom of GOD),and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage:

36 Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.


Revelation 11:15 to 18

15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms OF THIS WORLD are become the Kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever.

16 And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God,

17 Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.

18 And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.


18 And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come,...

The wrath of God and its ETERNAL punishment written in His Word were previously determined to begin at such a time. Therefore, the ETERNAL PUNISHMENT has time to begin, but it will never end, understand?
Believe it or not, the ETERNAL PUNISHMENT has already begun and it will GET WORSE MORE and MORE from now on in the face of God's wrath.

Be careful or get ready

Malachi 4:v.1-2
1 For, behold, the Day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the Day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.

2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.

 

[Keraz]

Zephaniah 3:1-13 Woe to all that is filthy and defiled, woe to all who refuse to heed God’s warning. They won’t take correction or place their trust in their Creator. Their leaders have no concern for the people and prophet and priest alike profane the Holy Scriptures.

The Lord has judged and punished mankind before, but they continue on in their evil deeds and show no shame for it.
Therefore: look out for Me, for the Day when I will stand up to witness against you, for the Day that I execute justice, for I will pour out the fire of My wrath and the whole earth will be affected. 2 Peter 3:7

On that Day, the Holy Land shall be cleared of all its proud and arrogant citizens, only the humble and peaceful people will remain, those who never practise evil or speak lies, they will settle in the Land and no one will disturb them. My righteous people will come from afar to worship the Lord and bring offerings to Him. Isaiah 66:18-21

They will all know a pure language, so everyone will know the true Name of the Lord and will praise Him with one accord. Psalms 106:47


Revelation 7:9…I saw a vast uncountable throng of people from every race and language, in front of Mt Zion, all in white robes and waving palm branches. They shouted: Victory to our God who sits on the Throne and to the Lamb.


Zephaniah 3:14-18 Shout in triumph you Land of Zion, sing for joy, you daughter of Jerusalem, for the Lord has revoked your sins and swept away your enemies. He is once more with you and you need never again fear disaster. Isaiah 66:14

This is the message to all who trust in their Creator: Do not be afraid on the Day of Judgement against My enemies, for I am in your midst and will keep you safe.

[In your midst: the same way as He was with the ancient Israelites. The physical Return of Jesus will come later, after all that is prophesied before that takes place.]


Zephaniah 3:19-20 Be sure that at that time, the Lord will deal with all who have opposed Him and My people will no longer endure reproach.

The Lord will show His love for His own people and will rejoice over them. He will rescue the lost and gather the dispersed into their rightful heritage. Psalms 107

When the Lord establishes His people into all of the Holy Land, all the world will be amazed at the great blessings they have received. Ezekiel 34:25-31


Psalm 126:1-3 When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were as a people renewed in health. Our mouths were full of laughter and we sang for joy! The rest of the world said: The Lord God has done great things for them. And we rejoiced!
Reference: REB, KJV, CJB. Some verses condensed and paraphrased.

 

[Keraz]

I will give the Land to new owners:

Zephaniah 3:1-8 Woe to the place of oppression, filthy and defiled, they heed no warning voice and ignore God’s rebukes. They won’t take correction or place their trust in their Creator. Their leaders have no concern for the people and prophet and priest alike profane the Holy Scriptures.

The Lord has judged and punished them before, their land laid waste and the towns deserted and He thought: surely now they will fear Me and will accept instruction, but they continue on in their evil deeds and they show no shame for it.

Judah has been punished by Babylon and by Rome.

Therefore: look out for Me, for the Day when I will stand up to witness against you, on the Day that I execute justice upon the nations, for I will pour out My fierce anger and the whole earth will be enveloped by the fire of My wrath.

This will be the great and terrible Day of the Lord’s vengeance and wrath against the nations. Prophesied in the Bible over 100 times. 2 Peter 3:7, Revelation 6:12-17, +


Zephaniah 3:11-13 On that Day, Jerusalem, I shall wipe away your shame for all the transgressions committed in you, for I shall remove all your proud and arrogant citizens, only the humble and peaceful people will remain and those who never practice evil or speak lies, they will settle in the Land and nothing will disturb them.

This is the great Second Exodus of all of God’s people into all of the holy Land. Every faithful Christian: a vast multitude from every tribe, race, nation and language. Isaiah 66:18-21, Ezekiel 34:11-31, Romans 9:24=26, Revelation 7:9


Zephaniah 3:9-10 They will all know a pure language, so everyone will know the true Name of the Lord and will praise Him with one accord. My worshippers, all the righteous people will come from afar to worship the Lord and bring offerings to Him. People from every race, nation and language, all the born again Christian people, will travel there to live, in the new nation of Beulah, Isaiah 62:1-5, while the rest of the world is ruled by a One World Government. Daniel 7:23, Revelation 17:12


Zephaniah 3:14-17 Daughter of Jerusalem; sing for joy! For the Lord has taken away your punishments and has cast out your enemies. Now the Lord is with you and you need never again fear disaster.

On the Day of the Lord’s wrath; This is the message for My people: Fear not, stand firm in your faith, your God will keep you safe and will rejoice over you.

Ref: REB, CJB, KJV. Some verses condensed and paraphrased.


This chapter of Zephaniah encapsulates the soon to happen end times story.

It tells how Jerusalem is denigrated by its ungodly inhabitants and will rejoice when they are gone. How those enemies of the Lord, the evil neighbors, Jeremiah 12:14, and all who reject the Salvation of Jesus, will be uprooted, then the holy Land resettled by the Lord’s faithful believers. Ezekiel 34:11-31 tells it plainly.

Jeremiah 7:30-34 & 8:1-13 The people of Judah have done wrong, they worship idols and have no regard for their Creator....Therefore, the time is coming when I shall fill the valley of Topeth with their corpses.......All the survivor’s of this wicked race, from wherever I have banished them, would rather die than live. Isaiah 22:14

...Judah is incurable in their waywardness......I listen, but I hear not one word of remorse ....My people do not know the Judgements of the Lord. How can you say: We are wise and we have the Law of God, when your scribes and priests have falsified it? The wise are shamed and where is wisdom in them?

Therefore I will give their wives to others and give their land to new owners, for all of their prophets and priests are frauds....on My Day of reckoning, they will fall with a great crash. I shall surely consume them says the Lord and there will be no grapes on the vine, [Israel] and no figs on the fig tree. [Judah]


We Christians are told by Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:4-5, that we should know God’s plans for what will happen in the near future. Zephaniah 3 gives it to us, confirmed by the sequence of Revelation chapters 6-7.


What is presented to you in these scriptures, is God’s Promises to His faithful people, His blessings of peace and prosperity, of joy and happiness, of security and long life, as all who love Him and keep the Commandments; will live in His Land.

It is the prophetic parallel of ancient Israel, where Jesus led the people through the desert and how most of them refused to accept the Promise. 1 Corinthians 10:6-13

Ezekiel 20:34-38 tells how, once again, some of His people will revolt and rebel and they will not enter the Land of Israel.


In today’s situation, we have many who have accepted the Gospel, but who have chosen their own beliefs about what God intends to do for His people and during this forthcoming test, 1 Peter 4:12, they may fail to stand firm in their trust that the Lord will protect them. This won’t lose their salvation, but it will be a serious disadvantage, 1 Corinthians 3:13-15


As the great chapter of Isaiah 35:1-10, one of the many prophesies that describe the Lord’s faithful Christian people entering the holy Land, says: ...no one unclean will go there....The Lord’s people, set free: will enter Zion with shouts of triumph.

 

[Curtis]

The 3 prophecies; Zechariah 14:3, Matthew 24:30, Revelation 19:11, that tell us about Jesus' Return, do not say He comes in fire.
The Lord's Day of fiery vengeance and wrath, is the Sixth Seal; years before the Return.

Mid Trib rapture? Too bad there is no scriptural support for such an idea.
NO 'rapture to heaven', is correct, as we must endure until the end. THEN Jesus will reward His faithful people, those who stood firm in their faith thru all that must happen.

One good thing about reading the Bible verse by verse, and chapter by chapter, is you run into scriptures you never see by reading someone’s proof texts on a given topic, such as this passage that says Jesus comes in flaming fire and vengeance:

The Judgment at Christ's Coming <—— chapter heading in all bibles

2Th 1:5 This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering—

2Th 1:6 since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you,

2Th 1:7 and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels

2Th 1:8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.

2Th 1:9 They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might,

2Th 1:10 when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.

The mid trib rapture is found in 2 Thessalonians 2:1 when Paul says at His COMING - His second coming - we will be gathered to be with Jesus, after the mid trib son of perdition event occurs first.

This is backed up by the Matthew 24:15 mid trib son of perdition event, which precedes His second coming and rapture in 24:30.

This should suffice to start with.

BTW you mention the day of the Lord, which occurs in Zechariah 14:1 just before Jesus returns with all the saints to Mount Olive from where He as ascended from in verse 5.

And in Matthew 24 again, you find the mid trib son of perdition event in verses 15, the day of the Lord in verse 29, and the rapture in verses 30-31.

Maranatha

 

[Curtis]

I will give the Land to new owners:

Zephaniah 3:1-8 Woe to the place of oppression, filthy and defiled, they heed no warning voice and ignore God’s rebukes. They won’t take correction or place their trust in their Creator. Their leaders have no concern for the people and prophet and priest alike profane the Holy Scriptures.

The Lord has judged and punished them before, their land laid waste and the towns deserted and He thought: surely now they will fear Me and will accept instruction, but they continue on in their evil deeds and they show no shame for it.

Judah has been punished by Babylon and by Rome.

Therefore: look out for Me, for the Day when I will stand up to witness against you, on the Day that I execute justice upon the nations, for I will pour out My fierce anger and the whole earth will be enveloped by the fire of My wrath.

This will be the great and terrible Day of the Lord’s vengeance and wrath against the nations. Prophesied in the Bible over 100 times. 2 Peter 3:7, Revelation 6:12-17, +


Zephaniah 3:11-13 On that Day, Jerusalem, I shall wipe away your shame for all the transgressions committed in you, for I shall remove all your proud and arrogant citizens, only the humble and peaceful people will remain and those who never practice evil or speak lies, they will settle in the Land and nothing will disturb them.

This is the great Second Exodus of all of God’s people into all of the holy Land. Every faithful Christian: a vast multitude from every tribe, race, nation and language. Isaiah 66:18-21, Ezekiel 34:11-31, Romans 9:24=26, Revelation 7:9


Zephaniah 3:9-10 They will all know a pure language, so everyone will know the true Name of the Lord and will praise Him with one accord. My worshippers, all the righteous people will come from afar to worship the Lord and bring offerings to Him. People from every race, nation and language, all the born again Christian people, will travel there to live, in the new nation of Beulah, Isaiah 62:1-5, while the rest of the world is ruled by a One World Government. Daniel 7:23, Revelation 17:12


Zephaniah 3:14-17 Daughter of Jerusalem; sing for joy! For the Lord has taken away your punishments and has cast out your enemies. Now the Lord is with you and you need never again fear disaster.

On the Day of the Lord’s wrath; This is the message for My people: Fear not, stand firm in your faith, your God will keep you safe and will rejoice over you.

Ref: REB, CJB, KJV. Some verses condensed and paraphrased.


This chapter of Zephaniah encapsulates the soon to happen end times story.

It tells how Jerusalem is denigrated by its ungodly inhabitants and will rejoice when they are gone. How those enemies of the Lord, the evil neighbors, Jeremiah 12:14, and all who reject the Salvation of Jesus, will be uprooted, then the holy Land resettled by the Lord’s faithful believers. Ezekiel 34:11-31 tells it plainly.

Jeremiah 7:30-34 & 8:1-13 The people of Judah have done wrong, they worship idols and have no regard for their Creator....Therefore, the time is coming when I shall fill the valley of Topeth with their corpses.......All the survivor’s of this wicked race, from wherever I have banished them, would rather die than live. Isaiah 22:14

...Judah is incurable in their waywardness......I listen, but I hear not one word of remorse ....My people do not know the Judgements of the Lord. How can you say: We are wise and we have the Law of God, when your scribes and priests have falsified it? The wise are shamed and where is wisdom in them?

Therefore I will give their wives to others and give their land to new owners, for all of their prophets and priests are frauds....on My Day of reckoning, they will fall with a great crash. I shall surely consume them says the Lord and there will be no grapes on the vine, [Israel] and no figs on the fig tree. [Judah]


We Christians are told by Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:4-5, that we should know God’s plans for what will happen in the near future. Zephaniah 3 gives it to us, confirmed by the sequence of Revelation chapters 6-7.


What is presented to you in these scriptures, is God’s Promises to His faithful people, His blessings of peace and prosperity, of joy and happiness, of security and long life, as all who love Him and keep the Commandments; will live in His Land.

It is the prophetic parallel of ancient Israel, where Jesus led the people through the desert and how most of them refused to accept the Promise. 1 Corinthians 10:6-13

Ezekiel 20:34-38 tells how, once again, some of His people will revolt and rebel and they will not enter the Land of Israel.


In today’s situation, we have many who have accepted the Gospel, but who have chosen their own beliefs about what God intends to do for His people and during this forthcoming test, 1 Peter 4:12, they may fail to stand firm in their trust that the Lord will protect them. This won’t lose their salvation, but it will be a serious disadvantage, 1 Corinthians 3:13-15


As the great chapter of Isaiah 35:1-10, one of the many prophesies that describe the Lord’s faithful Christian people entering the holy Land, says: ...no one unclean will go there....The Lord’s people, set free: will enter Zion with shouts of triumph.

Nice theory - but there are two gatherings of Israel back to the land - that land is theirs, given to them forever in the everlasting covenant God gave to Abraham.

The re-establishment of the Jewish state in 1948 has not only thrown a wrench in amillennial thinking, but it has also thrown a chink in much of premillennial thinking. Amazingly, some premillennialists have concluded that the present state of Israel has nothing to do with the fulfillment of prophecy. For some reason the present state some how does not fit their scheme of things, and so the present state becomes merely an accident of history. On what grounds is the present state of Israel so dismissed? The issue that bothers so many premillennialists is the fact that not only have the Jews returned in unbelief with regard to the person of Jesus, but the majority of the ones who have returned are not even Orthodox Jews. In fact the majority are atheists or agnostics. Certainly, then, Israel does not fit in with all those biblical passages dealing with the return. For it is a regenerated nation that the Bible speaks of, and the present state of Israel hardly fits that picture. So on these grounds, the present state is dismissed as not being a fulfillment of prophecy.

However, the real problem is the failure to see that the prophets spoke of two international returns. First, there was to be a regathering in unbelief in preparation for judgment, namely the judgment of the tribulation. This was to be followed by a second world-wide regathering in faith in preparation for blessing, namely the blessings of the messianic age. Once it is recognized that the Bible speaks of two such regatherings, it is easy to see how the present state of Israel fits into prophecy.6

First World-Wide Gathering in Unbelief

In 1948 when the modern state of Israel was born, it not only became an important stage setting development but began an actual fulfillment of specific Bible prophecies about an international regathering of the Jews in unbelief before the judgment of the tribulation. Such a prediction is found in the following Old Testament passages: Ezekiel 2:20:33-38; 22:17-22; 36:22-24; 37:1–14; Isa. 11:11-12; Zeph. 2:1-2 and Ezek. 38–39 presupposes such a setting.

Zephaniah 1:14-18 is one of the most colorful descriptions of “The Day of the LORD,” which we commonly call the tribulation period. Zephaniah 2:1-2 says that there will be a world-wide regathering of Israel before the day of the LORD. “Gather yourselves together, yes, gather, O nation without shame, before the decree takes effect—the day passes like the chaff—before the burning anger of the LORD comes upon you, before the day of the LORD’s anger comes upon you.”

Ezekiel 20:33–38 speaks of a regathering, which must take place before the tribulation. The passage speaks of bringing the nation of Israel back “from the peoples and gather you from the lands where you are scattered, with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out” (Ezek. 20:34). “With wrath poured out” is a descriptive reference to the tribulation. Thus, in order this to occur in history, Israel must be back in the land before the tribulation. This passage clearly says that it is the Lord who is bringing them back. The current nation of Israel is in the process of fulfilling this passage.

In a similar vein, two chapters later, Ezekiel receives another revelation about a future regathering of national Israel (Ezek. 22:17–22). This time, the Lord is “going to gather you into the midst of Jerusalem” (Ezek. 22:19). Like the metallurgist, the Lord will use the fire of the tribulation to purge out the unfaithful. The Lord is going to “gather you [Israel] and blow on you with the fire of My wrath, and you will be melted in the midst of it” (Ezek. 22:21). Once again, “My wrath” depicts the time of the tribulation. It also follows here that the nation must be regathered before that event can take place. The outcome of this event will be that the nation “will know that I, the LORD, have poured out My wrath on you” (Ezek. 22:22). For this to occur, there must be a regathering by the Lord of Israel to the land, just like we see happening with the modern state of Israel. God is at work through the current state of Israel.

Source: Liberty University

 

[Curtis]

PART TWO - the two gatherings of Israel back to their land:

Surely, anyone who claims to believe in a national future for Israel would have to say that the valley of dry bones prophecy in some way, shape, or form relates to modern Israel (Ezek. 37:1–14). The prophet describes a future process through which the nation of Israel will come to be reconstituted and (when the process is complete) enter into a faithful spiritual relationship with the Lord. This multi stage process must surely include the current nation of Israel, in unbelief, that is being prepared to go through a time that will lead to her conversion to Jesus as their Messiah. This is said by Ezekiel to be a work of the Lord (Ezek. 37:14). Thus, the modern state of Israel is a work of God and biblically significant.

Second World-Wide Gathering in Belief

Many passages in the Bible speak of Israel’s regathering, in belief, at the end of the tribulation, in conjunction with Christ’s second coming, in preparation for commencement of the millennium. These references are not being fulfilled by the modern state of Israel. Some of the citations include: Deut. 4:29-31; 30:1-10; Isa. 27:12-13; 43:5-7; Jer. 16:14- 15; 31:7-10; Ezek. 11:14-18; Amos 9:14-15; Zech. 10:8-12; Matt. 24:31 and many more. I think that this regathering will fulfill the Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah) for the nation of Israel.

Matthew 24:31, records a future regathering of Israel, this time in belief. “And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other” (Matt. 24:31). This is said to take place after the tribulation (Matt. 24:29), which would be the second coming.

Source: Libert University

 

[Keraz]

Nice theory - but there are two gatherings of Israel back to the land - that land is theirs, given to them forever in the everlasting covenant God gave to Abraham.

God gave the holy Land to Abraham and his descendants. Genesis 15:18
After 50 + generations, the genetic dispersion of 3000 years, means that everybody alive today has some of Abraham's genes.
We are told who the children of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are; Galatians 3:26-29 It is by faith that we Christians are deemed to be their descendants. We inherit the holy Land. Ephesians 1:11-14, Romans 8:6-18, Psalms 37:29
We are the Lord's 'sheep', Ezekiel 34:11-16, Psalms 100:3

 

[Curtis]

God gave the holy Land to Abraham and his descendants. Genesis 15:18
After 50 + generations, the genetic dispersion of 3000 years, means that everybody alive today has some of Abraham's genes.
We are told who the children of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are; Galatians 3:26-29 It is by faith that we Christians are deemed to be their descendants. We inherit the holy Land. Ephesians 1:11-14, Romans 8:6-18, Psalms 37:29
We are the Lord's 'sheep', Ezekiel 34:11-16, Psalms 100:3

The Ezekiel account of the dry bones coming to life, is unequivocal. It says the bones are the nation of Israel, coming back to life again.

 

[Keraz]

The Ezekiel account of the dry bones coming to life, is unequivocal. It says the bones are the nation of Israel, coming back to life again.

Ezekiel 37:11 says they are the whole people of Israel, that is: Israel and Judah.
We know who and where Judah are, but where is the House of Israel, the ones Jesus came to save? Matthew 15:24

Galatians 3:26-29 and Galatians 6:14-16 make it perfectly clear; they are the Christian peoples.
WE were spiritually dead, but Jesus brought us Salvation and we stood up in faith and produced fruit. Matthew 21:43

Soon after the next prophesied event, when the Sixth Seal has taken place, we will join with the Christian Jews, the remnant. Romans 9:27, Isaiah 6:11-13

 

[Curtis]

Ezekiel 37:11 says they are the whole people of Israel, that is: Israel and Judah.
We know who and where Judah are, but where is the House of Israel, the ones Jesus came to save? Matthew 15:24

Galatians 3:26-29 and Galatians 6:14-16 make it perfectly clear; they are the Christian peoples.
WE were spiritually dead, but Jesus brought us Salvation and we stood up in faith and produced fruit. Matthew 21:43

Soon after the next prophesied event, when the Sixth Seal has taken place, we will join with the Christian Jews, the remnant. Romans 9:27, Isaiah 6:11-13

Those scriptures arecirrelevant to the claim that Israelites in Israel today don’t belong there.

 

[Keraz]

Those scriptures arecirrelevant to the claim that Israelites in Israel today don’t belong there.

The current citizens of the Jewish State of Israel, call themselves; Israelis.
Jesus calls them; of the synagogue of Satan, Revelation 3:9 And Paul calls them not Jews at all; Romans 2:29

We Christians are the Israel of God, the Overcomers for Him.