Zephaniah 1: 1-18
This whole 3-chapter book is about the Day of the Lord. But that Day will go from the time Jesus returns to set up His Kingdom, through the whole 1000 years of Earth's Golden Age, to the final End.
My meager efforts here are humbly offered. Comments are welcome.
The Word of the Lord which came to Zephaniah, the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hizkiah, in the days of Josiah son of Ammon, king of Judah.
Josiah was only eight years old when he became king, and he reigned 31 years. He is considered a good king, because when he was about 25 years old he found the Book of the Law while doing repairs on the Temple, and got rid of all the idols and stuff because he whole-heartedly followed the Lord. But his reign was between really evil kings, before and after him.
Zephaniah was prophesying during this time. It is such a scary prophesy, because the kings before and after Josiah were really exceedingly wicked, and he was trying to scare the people into doing right.
I will completely remove all things from the face of the Earth, declares the Lord.
I will remove man and beast; I will remove the birds of the sky and the fish of the sea, and the ruins along with the wicked; And I will cut off Man from the face of the Earth, declares the Lord. ...
This looks like the final day of the Day of the Lord, when the Earth explodes. Everything and everyone will burn up and be destroyed at the end of God's timeline for this Earth.
Be silent before the Lord God! For the Day of the Lord is near, for the Lord has prepared a sacrifice, He has invited His guests ...
The Battle of Armageddon will destroy the evil armies, and the birds of prey will feast on their carcasses (like "guests" at a "feast"), but then people who are still alive will enter into the Kingdom. Mankind won't be totally eradicated from the face of the Earth until after the 1000 years. If this is at the final End, then the "guests" could be Angels?
On That Day, declares the Lord, ...
It will come about at that Time ...
A Day of Wrath is That Day, a Day of trouble and distress, a Day of destruction and desolation, a Day of darkness and gloom, a Day of clouds and thick darkness,
A Day of trumpet and battle cry against the fortified cities and the high corner towers.
This looks to me to be when Satan is released at the end of the 1000 years and gathers the armies to attack King Jesus' capital city.
I will bring distress on men so that they will walk like the blind, because they have sinned against the Lord; and their blood will be poured out like dust and their flesh like dung.
This looks like a liquefaction of the enemies attacking, right before the Earth explodes. A very terrifying picture.
Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to deliver them on the Day of the Lord's wrath;
None of this Earth's wealth can ever buy anything spiritual, including life, which is spirit.
And all the Earth will be devoured in the fire of His jealousy, for He will make a complete end, indeed a terrifying one, of all the inhabitants of the Earth.
This is what what will happen at the very end of this timeline we are living in. The Earth will explode, and the Universe will implode, and God will create a New Heaven and a New Earth-like planet. We get a bit of a glimpse of this New Earth in Revelation 21-22.
God is constantly urging people to do right, to turn to Him and learn His ways, so they can cooperate with how He designed this Creation to work, and experience the benefits He put into this Earth for us.
But we are vulnerable to the lies of our enemy who only wants to steal, kill, and destroy everything good God made.
Satan is so jealous of Mankind for God to kick him out of Heaven and put us in his position of being God's worship leaders! So he wants to get back at God by hurting the ones God loves--us!
Let's not let this depraved enemy have the upper hand--choose your pastors and teachers carefully, to not be sidetracked from the narrow path God has placed our feet on.
Yes, God wants us to enjoy the prosperity He put into the Earth for us, but He blesses us so we can bless others, not to just hold onto it for ourselves, whether that means finances, or gifts and abilities, or whatever else God gives us. We are to share and be generous in our sharing.
And we need to be strong in the Lord, wearing all of our Armor of God, to withstand the persecution that is coming, and has already come in many areas of the World. We will all be put through the refining process, as God's gold; the pressures that produce His diamonds out of the dust He made us of.
O my Father, please help us to pay attention to Your warnings. You are very serious, and You never exaggerate. What You have said is what You mean to say, just as You said it. We can trust You to always be truthful and forthcoming in telling us everything we need to know.
Now strengthen us, to withstand all the enemies attacks, Father. And thank you for telling us that when You pour out Your wrath on Your enemies, that it will not touch Your children, even though a thousand fall at our side, ten thousand at our right hand. It will be marvelous to watch! Hollywood can't out-dramatize You, Father!
And every knee will bow, and every created being will acknowledge that You alone are God; that King Jesus is our Lord God Almighty, to the glory of Almighty God the Father.
Even so, come,Lord Jesus!
