The prophecy opens with a statement of the authors ancestry, which in itself is an unusual feature of the hebrew prophetic tradition. It is a small book, nestled in the midst of the minor prophets, toward the end of the old testament. Jan 02, 2020 book of zephaniah bible survey what are the major prophets and minor prophets. Study the bible online using commentary on zephaniah and more.
Title as with each of the 12 minor prophets, the prophecy bears the name of its author, which is generally thought to mean the lord hides cf. Among the prophets, this is a unique introduction with its long list of fathers back to zephaniah s great. Nor is it impossible that zephaniah should have been the. Study guide for zephaniah 1 by david guzik blue letter bible. He traces his genealogy back 4 generations to king hezekiah ca. It was zephaniah s lot to speak on the most unpleasant subject in the bible the judgment of god. Chapter 1 judgment upon judah chapter 2 judgment upon the nations.
Zephaniah summary we have detailed a brief summary of the book of zephaniah for bible study or sunday school lessons. Zephaniah 1 the word of the lord that came to bible. The book presents an unambiguous denunciation of sin and warning of imminent judgment on judah. Summary of the book of zephaniah the story of the bible. An integrated digital bible study library including complete notes from the niv study bible and the nkjv macarthur study bible is just a step away. Zephaniah, too, was a minor prophet, writing only 3 chapters to make his book. Zephaniah begins this section with a command to wait. Ek klesia we can see this greek word in the english ecclesiology study of the church. This is book number 8 in the summary of the 12 minor prophets of the bible. I dare say that few have ever heard a sermon on zephaniah. The day of the lord is coming, says the book of zephaniah, because gods patience has a limit when it comes to sin. The purpose of this book was to show that god raised up his prophet zephaniah to proclaim a warning of coming judgment and to encourage repentance. This is a request to trust god to carry out his promises. Zephaniah calls the nation to repentance and warns foreign nations to repent as well.
Josiah led judah to religious and social reform, but zephaniah declared that these spiritual changes would not last. We have mentioned this several times in our study of the prophets, but i will point it out in case someone has not heard the explanation. Zephaniah foresees the joyful return from captivity in due time. The answer is not directly found in the scripture passage as the other questions. Some have referred the phrase i will purify the lips of the peoples 3. Prophet zephaniah, gods day of judgment on nations and people. Bible study guide book of zephaniah saturday, november 3, 2012 background on zephaniah in zephaniah 1. The book of zephaniah was written during the reign of king josiah, likely in the early part of his reign, between 635 and 625 bc. There are many people who would like to rule this subject of judgment out of the. The prophet zephaniah was evidently a person of considerable social standing in judah and was probably related to the royal line. The prophets nahum, habakkuk and jeremiah were his contemporaries. Zephaniah was almost certainly born during the long, wicked reign of manasseh, whose reign began 55 years before the start of josiahs reign.
Zephaniah is the ninth of the minor prophets, the last 12 books of the old testament. Read zephaniah commentary using matthew henry commentary on the whole bible complete. The book of zephaniah is quite shortonly three chapters in length. The words of zephaniah contain one of my favorite bible verses. Book of zephaniah overview insight for living ministries. 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.
By exposing his plan for the major powers zephaniah 2. The word of the lord that came to zephaniah son of cushi, the son of gedaliah, the son of amariah, the son of hezekiah, during the reign of josiah son of amon king of judah. Zephaniah contemporary of jeremiah preached around 625 bc king manasseh is dead after a reign of 55 years the most evil king in judah he was the exact opposite of his father king hezekiah. The day of the lord zephaniah adult bible study guide. What does it mean to worship the starry host or the host of the heavens zephaniah 1. In the book of revelation, this punishment is called the wrath of god revelation 14. The contents of this book have never been familiar, and i doubt that it has been read very much. Through the prophet zephaniah, we are taught that god uses various catastrophes to punish and humble nations.
Nevertheless, this is a great book with a significant. Among the prophets, this is a unique introduction with its long list of fathers back to zephaniahs great. Three other old testament individuals share his name. Among the minor prophets, we are certainly much more familiar with jonah and hosea. Interesting facts about zephaniah barnes bible charts meaning. All that is known of zephaniah comes from the text the name cushi, zephaniahs father, means cushite or ethiopian, and the text of zephaniah mentions the sin. It was a day that would come against judah for all her sins, but he also acknowledged that some had remained faithful and they would be spared. It was zephaniahs lot to speak on the most unpleasant subject in the bible the judgment of god. The name zephaniah means yahweh hides or yahweh has hidden. The word of the lord which came unto zephaniah the son of cushi, the son of gedaliah, the son of amariah, the son of hezekiah it seems likely that more forefathers of the prophet are named than is the wont of holy scripture, because the last so named was some one remarkable. His word came in visions, oracles, dreams, parables, and the like. Zephaniah bible study outlinecontents by chapter and verse.
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. A summary, synopsis or recap is a shortened version of the original. Zephaniahs prophetic revelations and stern warnings occurred during josiahs reign zephaniah 1. May 14, 2016 watch our overview video on the book of zephaniah, which breaks down the literary design of the book and its flow of thought. The people of judah would return to wickedness and rebellion against god. The book of zephaniah introduction to the book of zephaniah in the bible. Who is zephaniah and why is he important in the bible. Historically, the book of zephaniah was used in the providence of god to prepare judah for the reforms and revival under king josiah. Zephaniah s ministry, then, was directed to judah just before these major changes came about. David pawson unlocking the bible zephaniah on 20th sep, 2014. While we do not know a lot about zephaniah, we do know that he. Zephaniahs ministry, then, was directed to judah just before these major changes came about. The book tells us that zephaniah prophesied during the reign of josiah, the king of judah from 640 to 609 bc zephaniah 1. The little book of zephaniah will never take the place of john 3.
The prophecy opens with a statement of the authors ance stry 1. Zephaniah was a fourthgeneration descendant of hezekiah, a notable king of judah from 715 to 686 b. Indeed, his main message was regarding the day of the lord. The voice of judgment is softened by gospel promises. His prophecy is probably to be dated relatively early in josiahs reign, before that kings attempt at reform and while conditions brought about by the reigns of manasseh and amon still prevailed and before the assyrian king. We can begin to pinpoint exactly when zephaniah prophesied by accounting for a few details in the text. When did moab and ammon eventually worship the lord zephaniah 2. Introduction286 the book of zephaniah is probably best known for being the least known book of the entire bible. Zephaniah lived in the capital of jerusalem compare with chap.
We learn from the first verse of zephaniahs book that he was the greatgreat grandson of good king hezekiah of judah. Yet before we get to that verse, the book, like many prophetic books, is full of alarming brokenness and impending judgement. Zephaniah means yahweh has hiddenprotected, or yahweh hides. The small book of zephaniah is narrative history and prophetic oracle. What kings of judah preceded zephaniahs prophetical work, and what king. This summary of the book of zephaniah provides information about the title, author s, date of writing, chronology, theme, theology, outline, a brief overview, and the chapters of the book of zephaniah. As with each of the 12 minor prophets, the prophecy bears the name of its author, which is generally thought to mean the lord hides compare 2. We learn in the same verse that zephaniah prophesied during the. Zephaniah 1 the word of the lord that came to bible gateway. Zephaniah was an unusual prophet, in that he was of royal lineage, descending from the godly king hezekiah. Book of zephaniah bible survey what are the major prophets and minor prophets. Zephaniahs preaching condemned the hopeless corruption found in judean society. The books superscription attributes its authorship to zephaniah son of cushi son of gedaliah son of amariah son of hezekiah, in the days of king josiah son of amon of judah 1. When god had a message for the people, he spoke through the prophets.
As we prepare to study the literal and spiritual senses of the book of zephaniah, lets look at some historical facts that will help us enter into the eternal message of the lords word. Book of zephaniah outline summary online bible nwt. Intro to zephaniah biblica the international bible society. The day vs 8 must refer to the tribulation when god will judge all the earth. The nwt study bible is complete with cross references, maps, and an accurate bible dictionary. And them that worship the host of heaven upon the housetops. In this book, zephaniah announces gods purifying judgment on israel. Zephaniah was the fourthgeneration descendant of hezekiah, a notable king of judah from 715 to 686 b. The prophet foresaw the devastating consequences of gods judgment on corruption and wickedness but also announced the lords gracious plan to restore judah.
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