The Old Testament Book of Zephaniah

The Book of Zephaniah is one of the twelve Minor Prophets in the Old Testament. Zephaniah prophesied during the reign of King Josiah, warning of the coming Day…

Zephaniah’s prophecy of judgment on Judah and Jerusalem emphasizes, perhaps more than any other prophecy, the devastation and death that divine judgment will bring. Described as the day of the Lord, the day of judgment is pictured as a time of darkness, of anguish and distress, of destruction and plunder of cities, and of threat to all life, human and animal alike. The major sins motivating this judgment, in Zephaniah’s view, are Judah’s worship of other deities (Zep 1:4–9) and its unjust and abusive leadership (Zep 3:1–4). The title of the prophecy informs us that the ministry of Zephaniah to…