How we personally perceive Yahweh is the way we communicate Him to others. If we think about Yahweh as a harsh disciplinarian we share His strictness and legalities with others. If we think about Yahweh as an angry and fierce deity who seems irate and annoyed with humans we will tell others about His wrath. If we think of Yahweh as a happy, loving, marshmallow type Creator, we will then communicate Him in a manner that suggests that we humans can do no wrong. While there is a balance to all those aspects of our Creators’ nature, there are many who use his fierceness as a manipulation tactic to scare the unsaved into salvation. While manipulation is a tactic used by the devil, the god of this world, we should be able to, quite matter of factly, share what is pre-determined for the future of earth, allowing people to make a rational decision regarding salvation. What we sometimes intend for good, by using fear as a motivator, usually backfires when people think they will have to serve an angry schizophrenic deity who they fear is ready at any moment to backhand them across the face.
If we listen to what we tell others about Yahweh we will find out what we really believe his nature is. For example if we are always telling people about the wrath to come and we all must endure it, we must be serving a God who does not mind punishing the innocent and righteous along with evil malicious humans. If one sees Yahweh as a harsh deity one will not understand the harpazo. The people who only know Yahweh to be angry and hard will call the harpazo escapism and a false teaching. Rather it tells us who thinks of Yahweh as mighty to save and can separate out the righteous from the unrighteous. The harpazo actually reveals who believes all of what the Holy Spirit reveals and who does not.
I recently listened to a recorded book from someone deceased who is claimed to be a prophet. His message was that America is going to burn. His perception may be correct after the harpazo, but not before. The issue of timing and timelines was not regarded, nor was the realization that America is not a middle eastern country and is not the center of Biblical prophecy, but instead Israel is. He lumped the saved together with the unsaved, the redeemed together with the unredeemed, the righteous together with the unrighteous, and the sinner with the saints. Yet Yahweh has always made a way out of wrath for the righteous, redeemed, saved, saints.
If we remember, reading within the context of a timeline, we see clearly how all things written in scripture fit. Just like the idea of taken or left behind, which is better communicated as received or sent away. The “when” of that event is not the rapture/harpazo but at the end of the seven year tribulation, after Jesus comes with his armies. Those received are received into the kingdom on earth, those sent away (which we erroneously translate “left behind”) are sent to hades during the one thousand year millennial kingdom. At this time the Angels scour the heavens and the earth for the seed of Jacob and bring them back to Israel.
Let’s take a look at the prophet Zephaniah’s words. He is not a doom and gloom prophet, but one that is simply warning, announcing a way out, and giving hope regarding future events. Zephaniah lived during the time of Josiah. If we remember, Josiah spent fourteen years cleaning up Jerusalem and the temple. Jeremiah lived during this time as well. But after Josiah’s death, Judah went back to her evil ways.
Zephaniah 1:1-7 (AMP)
1 THE WORD of the Lord which came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah king of Judah and son of Amon.
2 By taking away I will make an end and I will utterly consume and sweep away all things from the face of the earth, says the Lord.
3 I will consume and sweep away man and beast; I will consume and sweep away the birds of the air and the fish of the sea. I will overthrow the stumbling blocks (the idols) with the wicked [worshipers], and I will cut off mankind from the face of the earth, says the Lord.
4 I will also stretch out My hand over Judah and over all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place and the name of the idol priests with the [false] priests,
5 And those who worship the starry host of the heavens upon their housetops and those who [pretend to] worship the Lord and swear by and to Him and yet swear by and to [the heathen god Molech or] Malcam [their idol king],
6 And those who have drawn back from following the Lord and those who have not sought the Lord nor inquired for, inquired of, and required the Lord [as their first necessity].
7 [Hush!] Be silent before the Lord God, for the day [of the vengeance] of the Lord is near; for the Lord has prepared a sacrifice, and He has set apart [for His use] those who have accepted His invitation.
Zephaniah is speaking about the Day of the Lord, the day the Lord is revealed, the Apocalypse. When is the Day of the Lord going to take place? The day Jesus returns to earth with his armies. When does the Bible tell us that will happen? At the end of the seven year tribulation, Revelation 19. Now if there are people we know who refuse the Messiah, and the harpazo occurs, they will be on the earth during some very hard times. The saints are watching the Lamb take the scroll and open the seals. So anyone who makes the decision to reject the Lord should know what that rejection entails. It’s alright to tell people what is to come as long as we don’t make it a manipulative thing. We don’t want to take on the characteristics of the god of this world.
Zephaniah 1:14-18 (AMP)
14 The great day of the Lord is near—near and hastening fast. Hark! the voice of the day of the Lord! The mighty man [unable to fight or to flee] will cry then bitterly.
15 That day is a day of wrath, 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,
16 A day of the blast of trumpet and battle cry against the fortified cities and against the high towers and battlements.
17 And I will bring distress upon men, so that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the Lord; their blood shall be poured out like dust and their flesh like dung.
18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the Lord's indignation and wrath. But the whole earth shall be consumed in the fire of His jealous wrath, for a full, yes, a sudden, end will He make of all the inhabitants of the earth.
So far, the Bible has proven its veracity. The Holy Spirit has given us this record to read and understand. This foretelling of the Day of the Lord will come to pass. When will this distress take place? During the seven years of tribulations. The last three and one half years known as the Great Tribulation will be the time the whole earth is consumed. But Zephaniah is not only giving people the bad news, he is giving them a way out of the wrath to come.
Zephaniah 2:1-3 (AMP)
1 COLLECT YOUR thoughts, yes, unbend yourselves [in submission and see if there is no sense of shame and no consciousness of sin left in you], O shameless nation [not desirous or desired]!
2 [The time for repentance is speeding by like chaff whirled before the wind!] Therefore consider, before God's decree brings forth [the curse upon you], before the time [to repent] is gone like the drifting chaff, before the fierce anger of the Lord comes upon you—yes, before the day of the wrath of the Lord comes upon you!
3 Seek the Lord [inquire for Him, inquire of Him, and require Him as the foremost necessity of your life], all you humble of the land who have acted in compliance with His revealed will and have kept His commandments; seek righteousness, seek humility [inquire for them, require them as vital]. It may be you will be hidden in the day of the Lord's anger.
It is the time for repentance. It may be that those who repent now will be hidden in the day of the Lord’s anger. Where will they be hidden? There are two groups, the repentant ones will be harpazo’d, seized, and taken up to heaven, both the redeemed dead who are in Paradise and the redeemed living on the earth. They will be partaking in the events occurring in heaven. The second group are the male virgins from the line of Jacob. They will be sealed and hidden among the people on the earth, then seized, or harpazo’d, midway through the seven years, after Jesus is crowned (Revelation 7 & 14)
Zephaniah 3:8-13 (AMP)
8 Therefore [earnestly] wait for Me, says the Lord, [waiting] for the day when I rise up to the attack [as a witness, accuser, or judge, and a testimony]. For My decision and determination and right it is to gather the nations together, to assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them My indignation, even all [the heat of] My fierce anger; for [in that day] all the earth shall be consumed with the fire of My zeal and jealousy.
9 For then [changing their impure language] I will give to the people a clear and pure speech from pure lips, that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve Him with one unanimous consent and one united shoulder [bearing the yoke of the Lord].
10 From beyond the rivers of Cush or Ethiopia those who pray to Me, the daughter of My dispersed people, will bring and present My offering.
11 In that day you [the congregation of Israel] shall not be put to shame for all your deeds by which you have rebelled and transgressed against Me, for then I will take away out of your midst those who exult in your majesty and pride; and you shall no more be haughty [and carry yourselves arrogantly on or] because of My holy mountain.
12 For I will leave in the midst of you a people afflicted and poor, and they shall trust, seek refuge, and be confident in the name of the Lord.
13 What is left of Israel shall not do iniquity or speak lies, neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth, for they shall feed and lie down and none shall make them afraid.
After the Day of the Lord, the day of the Apocalypse, the day Jesus is revealed, He will change the language of the earth back to one language. Recognize, this is all about serving the Lord, whether we do it now, later, or never, will determine our place in the future. Remember the diaspora? The Ethiopians will bring a present, His offering. As we have studied, this may be the Ark of the Covenant, the Mercy Seat (Isaiah 18). The day the Lord brings back the sons of Jacob, from heaven and earth, will be a glorious day for those who accept Him as Lord. Not so much for the Jesus rejecters who will await the white throne judgment in hades for one thousand years. And if by chance their works on the earth were good enough, they may have a place in the new earth. Again, we can tell people what their options are before they die and they can choose.
John the Baptist preached a message of repentance.
Matthew 3:1-3 (AMP)
1 IN THOSE days there appeared John the Baptist, preaching in the Wilderness (Desert) of Judea
2 And saying, Repent (think differently; change your mind, regretting your sins and changing your conduct), for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
3 This is he who was mentioned by the prophet Isaiah when he said, The voice of one crying in the wilderness (shouting in the desert), Prepare the road for the Lord, make His highways straight (level, direct).
Actual repentance encompasses regret, reconsidering our morality, reversal of decisions regarding behavior, and a change in our thinking.
3338μεταμέλλομαι
metamellomai
met-am-el'-lom-ahee
KJV Usage: repent (self).
3340 μετανοέω
metanoeō
met-an-o-eh'-o
From G3326 and G3539; to think differently or afterwards, that is, reconsider (morally to feel compunction)
KJV Usage: repent.
3341 μετάνοια
metanoia
met-an'-oy-ah
From G3340; (subjectively) compunction (for guilt, including reformation); by implication reversal (of [another’s] decision)
KJV Usage: repentance.
John had been calling to regular people to repent, but when he saw the Pharisees and Sadducees he says something interesting. He says “who warned you to flee and escape from the wrath and indignation that is coming?” This tells us there must be a way to escape.
Matthew 3:7-12 (AMP)
7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee and escape from the wrath and indignation [of God against disobedience] that is coming?
8 Bring forth fruit that is consistent with repentance [let your lives prove your change of heart];
9 And do not presume to say to yourselves, We have Abraham for our forefather; for I tell you, God is able to raise up descendants for Abraham from these stones!
10 And already the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
11 I indeed baptize you in (with) water because of repentance [that is, because of your changing your minds for the better, heartily amending your ways, with abhorrence of your past sins]. But He Who is coming after me is mightier than I, Whose sandals I am not worthy or fit to take off or carry; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
12 His winnowing fan (shovel, fork) is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear out and clean His threshing floor and gather and store His wheat in His barn, but the chaff He will burn up with fire that cannot be put out.
John challenges them to bring forth fruit consistent with repentance. Remember John was an Essene. He knew the Pharisees and Sadducees were corrupt. He demands a change of behavior from them. Then says that Jesus will be baptizing with the Holy Spirit and Fire. The chaff will be burnt with a fire that cannot be put out. John plainly told them what to expect. Whether he said it with anger and distain in his voice, or matter of factly, we see he did not say this with manipulation or enticement. John wanted to know who told them how to escape from the wrath and indignation that is coming.
Jesus warns the people that the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Repentance is the way to redemption.
Matthew 4:17 (AMP)
17 From that time Jesus began to preach, crying out, Repent (change your mind for the better, heartily amend your ways, with abhorrence of your past sins), for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Once a person repents, he/she can see clearly. This is obviously hard to explain to someone who doesn’t understand that they are not seeing things clearly now.
2 Corinthians 3:16-18 (AMP)
16 But whenever a person turns [in repentance] to the Lord, the veil is stripped off and taken away.
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty (emancipation from bondage, freedom).
18 And all of us, as with unveiled face, [because we] continued to behold [in the Word of God] as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured into His very own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another; [for this comes] from the Lord [Who is] the Spirit.
Repentance starts a transformation. Someone could confess Jesus as Lord but without repentance there is no transformation, because repentance is a continuous action.
Jesus reminds the church by way of the seven churches to repent. Notice this repentance is for the believer, not just the unbeliever. Unless there is repentance there is no overcoming. Without being an overcomer, one does not receive rewards in Paradise. We should remember to go back to our first love and repent, then we will be given fruit in Paradise.
Revelation 2:4-7 (AMP)
4 But I have this [one charge to make] against you: that you have left (abandoned) the love that you had at first [you have deserted Me, your first love].
5 Remember then from what heights you have fallen. Repent (change the inner man to meet God's will) and do the works you did previously [when first you knew the Lord], or else I will visit you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you change your mind and repent.
6 Yet you have this [in your favor and to your credit]: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans [what they are doing as corrupters of the people], which I Myself also detest.
7 He who is able to hear, let him listen to and give heed to what the Spirit says to the assemblies (churches). To him who overcomes (is victorious), I will grant to eat [of the fruit] of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
The teachings of Balaam were to manipulate the Hebrew men with foreign women to cause them to sin. The Nicolaitans were dominators and intimidators of other people.
Revelation 2:14-17 (AMP)
14 Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: you have some people there who are clinging to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to set a trap and a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, [to entice them] to eat food that had been sacrificed to idols and to practice lewdness [giving themselves up to sexual vice].
15 You also have some who in a similar way are clinging to the teaching of the Nicolaitans [those corrupters of the people] which thing I hate.
16 Repent [then]! Or else I will come to you quickly and fight against them with the sword of My mouth.
17 He who is able to hear, let him listen to and heed what the Spirit says to the assemblies (churches). To him who overcomes (conquers), I will give to eat of the manna that is hidden, and I will give him a white stone with a new name engraved on the stone, which no one knows or understands except he who receives it.
There are manipulators in the Body of Christ. There are also dominators and intimidators like the Nicolaitans. Repent. Not just the brood of vipers who are manipulating and dominating, but everyone who follows these people should repent for being led by them.
Some people have tolerated sexual sins in their church, knowing what is going on and allowing it to continue. “Jezebel” is a woman who is a tool of the devil and who has been given time to repent.
Revelation 2:20-28 (AMP)
20 But I have this against you: that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess [claiming to be inspired], and who is teaching and leading astray my servants and beguiling them into practicing sexual vice and eating food sacrificed to idols.
21 I gave her time to repent, but she has no desire to repent of her immorality [symbolic of idolatry] and refuses to do so.
22 Take note: I will throw her on a bed [of anguish], and those who commit adultery with her [her paramours] I will bring down to pressing distress and severe affliction, unless they turn away their minds from conduct [such as] hers and repent of their doings.
23 And I will strike her children (her proper followers) dead [thoroughly exterminating them]. And all the assemblies (churches) shall recognize and understand that I am He Who searches minds (the thoughts, feelings, and purposes) and the [inmost] hearts, and I will give to each of you [the reward for what you have done] as your work deserves.
24 But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not explored and known the depths of Satan, as they say—I tell you that I do not lay upon you any other [fresh] burden:
25 Only hold fast to what you have until I come.
26 And he who overcomes (is victorious) and who obeys My commands to the [very] end [doing the works that please Me], I will give him authority and power over the nations;
27 And he shall rule them with a sceptre (rod) of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, and [his power over them shall be] like that which I Myself have received from My Father;
28 And I will give him the Morning Star.
Jezebel has no desire to repent. Don’t waste your time on Jezebel. She and all her followers will perish. Next, there is a group who doesn’t remember the lessons they have been taught.
Revelation 3:2-5 (AMP)
2 Rouse yourselves and keep awake, and strengthen and invigorate what remains and is on the point of dying; for I have not found a thing that you have done [any work of yours] meeting the requirements of My God or perfect in His sight.
3 So call to mind the lessons you received and heard; continually lay them to heart and obey them, and repent. In case you will not rouse yourselves and keep awake and watch, I will come upon you like a thief, and you will not know or suspect at what hour I will come.
4 Yet you still have a few [persons'] names in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes, and they shall walk with Me in white, because they are worthy and deserving.
5 Thus shall he who conquers (is victorious) be clad in white garments, and I will not erase or blot out his name from the Book of Life; I will acknowledge him [as Mine] and I will confess his name openly before My Father and before His angels.
Lay the lessons you received to heart; obey, and repent. This group at Sardis doesn’t seem to have changed the way they behave, which could very well mean they confess Jesus as Lord without repenting. Repenting means there is regret for our past, a reconsidering of our morality, a reversal of our decisions regarding our behavior, and a change in our thinking. This was John’s issue with the Pharisees and Sadducees, he knew they wouldn’t change their behavior but they heard that this baptism of repentance was going to save them from wrath so they went along with it. As if repeating magic words would save them. Here Jesus is speaking to the church not to the brood of vipers. If vipers can escape the wrath and indignation of the Lord through repentance, how much more the called out?
Jesus says to the lukewarm church to be enthusiastic in earnest with burning zeal and repent.
Revelation 3:16-21 (AMP)
16 So, because you are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of My mouth!
17 For you say, I am rich; I have prospered and grown wealthy, and I am in need of nothing; and you do not realize and understand that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.
18 Therefore I counsel you to purchase from Me gold refined and tested by fire, that you may be [truly] wealthy, and white clothes to clothe you and to keep the shame of your nudity from being seen, and salve to put on your eyes, that you may see.
19 Those whom I [dearly and tenderly] love, I tell their faults and convict and convince and reprove and chasten [I discipline and instruct them]. So be enthusiastic and in earnest and burning with zeal and repent [changing your mind and attitude].
20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears and listens to and heeds My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will eat with him, and he [will eat] with Me.
21 He who overcomes (is victorious), I will grant him to sit beside Me on My throne, as I Myself overcame (was victorious) and sat down beside My Father on His throne.
The people in this church were fat and happy. They didn’t think they needed anything. They didn’t realize that the riches and comforts of this life are nothing compared to the riches the Lord offers. If we already have everything we need, we do not look to the Lord for our sufficiency.
Repent from losing your first love. Repent from using manipulative tactics. Repent from being domineering and intimidating. Repent from allowing Jezebel into the church. Repent from not obeying the lessons learned. Repent from slumber. Repent from being lukewarm. Repent from not buying gold from the Lord.
People look at repentance as death, as if they are giving up on life when they repent. But we know the opposite is true. People gain life when they repent because we are repenting of death, or dead works. Who would have tricked people into thinking repentance is the opposite of what it is?
Five of the seven churches are reminded to repent; Ephesus, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, and Laodicea. If repentance wasn’t an important subject for the church, the called out body of Christ, Jesus would not have mentioned it five times. This is not repentance unto salvation but repentance unto righteousness. The people may be saved but they are not living rightly. Smyrna and Philadelphia were the two churches not told to repent. Smyrna and Philadelphia were both enduring persecution.
Peter gives us a bit of insight into repentance as well. He speaks as if he is talking to us today. “Where is the promise of His coming” the scoffers always ask. The promise of his first coming came to pass while all the scoffers believed the word of God had been broken, yet Jesus showed up and people still didn’t believe him. God still desires that all humans would repent.
2 Peter 3:3-14 (AMP)
3 To begin with, you must know and understand this, that scoffers (mockers) will come in the last days with scoffing, [people who] walk after their own fleshly desires
4 And say, Where is the promise of His coming? For since the forefathers fell asleep, all things have continued exactly as they did from the beginning of creation.
5 For they willfully overlook and forget this [fact], that the heavens [came into] existence long ago by the word of God, and the earth also which was formed out of water and by means of water,
6 Through which the world that then [existed] was deluged with water and perished.
7 But by the same word the present heavens and earth have been stored up (reserved) for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly people.
8 Nevertheless, do not let this one fact escape you, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day.
9 The Lord does not delay and is not tardy or slow about what He promises, according to some people's conception of slowness, but He is long-suffering (extraordinarily patient) toward you, not desiring that any should perish, but that all should turn to repentance.
10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will vanish (pass away) with a thunderous crash, and the [material] elements [of the universe] will be dissolved with fire, and the earth and the works that are upon it will be burned up.
11 Since all these things are thus in the process of being dissolved, what kind of person ought [each of] you to be [in the meanwhile] in consecrated and holy behavior and devout and godly qualities,
12 While you wait and earnestly long for (expect and hasten) the coming of the day of God by reason of which the flaming heavens will be dissolved, and the [material] elements [of the universe] will flare and melt with fire?
13 But we look for new heavens and a new earth according to His promise, in which righteousness (uprightness, freedom from sin, and right standing with God) is to abide.
14 So, beloved, since you are expecting these things, be eager to be found by Him [at His coming] without spot or blemish and at peace [in serene confidence, free from fears and agitating passions and moral conflicts].
What kind of people should we be since the Day of the Lord will come? We should be consecrated, set apart, holy, devout, and godly. After the Day of the Lord, the millennial kingdom on the earth will take place for the righteous while the unrighteous will spend one thousand years waiting to be judged by their works. The redeemed have received their rewards half way through the tribulation, the unredeemed have to wait until the end of the millennial kingdom to find out if their works were enough to gain them life. Then there will be a new heaven and a new earth. The unrighteous will perish in the lake of fire, the righteous will enter a new heaven or earth where there is uprightness, freedom from sin, and right standing. This is because the god of this world is finally exterminated in the lake of fire along with death and hell and the unrighteous. There will not be an earth filled with evil and sin any longer. What a glorious hope!
Josephus writes a discourse to the Greeks concerning Hades and tries to explain a better way to live without sin. He advises that repentance and guarding of our lives is like recovering from sickness.
Josephus, Discourse to the Greeks Concerning Hades Section 8. In whatsoever ways I shall find you, in them shall I judge you entirely: so cries the end of all things. And he who hath at first lived a virtuous life, but towards the latter end falls into vice, these labors by him before endured shall be altogether vain and unprofitable, even as in a play, brought to an ill catastrophe. Whosoever shall have lived wickedly and luxuriously may repent; however, there will be need of much time to conquer an evil habit, and even after repentance his whole life must be guarded with great care and diligence, after the manner of a body, which, after it hath been a long time afflicted with a distemper, requires a stricter diet and method of living; for though it may be possible, perhaps, to break off the chain of our irregular affections at once, yet our amendment cannot be secured without the grace of God, the prayers of good men, the help of the brethren, and our own sincere repentance and constant care. It is a good thing not to sin at all; it is also good, having sinned, to repent; as it is best to have health always, but it is a good thing to recover from a distemper. To God be glory and dominion for ever and ever Amen.
The Works of Flavius Josephus.
This is Josephus’ advice for the Greeks regarding death and hell. It is good not to sin yet it is also good to have repentance. Jesus has the keys to death and hell, no one goes to either place without going through Him.
Going back to Zephaniah the prophet, he did not leave people without hope. He tells us of the joy at the end of the age when Israel is brought back to the land they were/are to inherit.
Zephaniah 3:14-17 (AMP)
14 Sing, O Daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice, be in high spirits and glory with all your heart, O Daughter of Jerusalem [in that day].
15 [For then it will be that] the Lord has taken away the judgments against you; He has cast out your enemy. The King of Israel, even the Lord [Himself], is in the midst of you; [and after He has come to you] you shall not experience or fear evil any more.
16 In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear not, O Zion. Let not your hands sink down or be slow and listless.
17 The Lord your God is in the midst of you, a Mighty One, a Savior [Who saves]! He will rejoice over you with joy; He will rest [in silent satisfaction] and in His love He will be silent and make no mention [of past sins, or even recall them]; He will exult over you with singing.
The enemy is cast out. The Lord will be the King and the people will not have to fear. The people will rejoice in their savior, and in their salvation. The Lord will rejoice over the people, Jacob’s heirs, who were brought back from the farthest corners of heaven and earth. The Lord will rest. The Lord will be jubilant over Israel, and He will sing over them.
Zephaniah is a prophet of light and life. Although he had to tell them what a horrid day the Day of the Lord would be for those who are on the earth at that time, he gave them hope and a way out. Repent. Then he gave them vision for the future, the picture of the Lord singing over them. Zephaniah did not manipulate or intimidate the people. He spoke to them, foretelling what would happen.
This is our call. Tell people what is going to happen in the near future, tell them what repentance will do for them, and then let people figure it out. Meanwhile we need to look at ourselves and judge whether we are like the five churches Jesus spoke to. Repentance is life, it is setting ourselves apart from the god of this world who is death. Like Peter told us, we should be eager to be found by Him at His coming. He will call from the clouds. He gave us a way to escape the wrath to come. There are a lot of things the saints will do in heaven to prepare for the Day of the Lord. The saints will not be relaxing. We can be without spot or blemish and we can be at peace while we wait for the call of the Lord if we make repentance a regular practice in our lives.
