Sofonias 3

Sofonias 3

Zephaniah 2 Zephaniah 1 Chart from recommended resource Jensen's Survey of the OT - used by permission Zephaniah Chart from Charles Swindoll SETTING OF ZEPHANIAH PROPHECIES OF JUDGMENT Zeph 1:1-3:8 PROPHECIES OF BLESSING JUDGMENT IN THE DAY OF THE LORD SALVATION IN THE DAY OF THE LORD DAY OF WRATH & ANGER DAY OF JOY JUDGMENT ON JUDAH RESTORATION FOR JUDAH Judgment & Doom Joy & Deliverance Divine Judgment on Judah Zeph 1:1-18 Invitation to Judah Zeph 2:1-3 Sure Doom of Nations Zeph 2:4-15 Sure Doom of Jerusalem Zeph 3:1-8 Kingdom Promises to Remnant JUDAH NATIONS REMNANT God's Wrath on Judah God's Woes on Nations God's Will for Remnant Sin Hope Desolation Restoration KEY WORD: "The Day of the LORD" Zeph 1:7, 14 See key words & marking key words KEY WORD: "Seek the LORD" Zeph 2:3 KEY WORD: "Woe" Zeph 2:5, 3:1 KEY WORD: "The LORD is with you" Zeph 3:15NIV, Zeph 3:17NIV Sin Offer of Salvation >>> Salvation "I will utterly consume" Zeph 1:2KJV "I will save" Zeph 3:19KJV Key Verses: Zeph 1:4, Zeph 2:3 Judgment: Zeph 1:14-18 Restoration: Zeph 3:14-17 Theme: Judgment and doom are certain unless there is repentance. Only repentance will bring hope and restoration. Time: 630BC (640-612) To: Judah & the Nations Background: To accurately interpret the famous passage in Zephaniah 3:17, we must first take a moment to examine the context, for context is "king" regarding accurate Interpretation. When was Zephaniah written? Zephaniah prophesied during the reign of godly King Josiah (640-609BC), most likely in the latter portion of his reign (between 640-630BC). Others suggest that Zephaniah's prophecy occurred earlier were a significant influence of the godly actions of King Josiah who became king in 632BC at age 16, when "he began to seek the God of his father David and in the twelfth year (age 20, 628BC) he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the Asherim, the carved images, and the molten images (idolatry)" (2Chr 34:3). "In the eighteenth year of his reign (age 26, 622BC), when he had purged the land and the house" (2Chr 34:8), the book of the was discovered in the house of the LORD (2Chr 34:14) which led to significant reforms which lasted for only a short time (For more excellent historical background read 2Ki 22:1-23:30, 2Chr 34:1-35:27). Recall that the Northern 10 Tribes (often referred to as "Israel") had fallen and been taken into exile by Assyria in 722BC, over a century before the fall of Judah and Jerusalem (586BC) of which Zephaniah prophesied. Zephaniah also prophesied the destruction of Nineveh (Zeph 2:13) which occurred in 612BC. (For more on the historical setting of Zephaniah read 2Ki 22:1-23:30, 2Chr 34:1-35:27)