The word of the Lord came to Zephaniah in the days of Josiah, the son of Amon,
king of the southern kingdom (Judah) (Zep 1:1). At that time, the northern kingdom (Israel) was already conquered by the Assyrian Empire.
The message was that God would judge the nations around them, but God would also judge Judah:
- God as covenant keeper would bless the Jews when they return to their covenant relationship with him (the Mosaic Laws in the Old Covenant).
They should seek the Lord, all the humble of the land, who do his righteous commandments. They should seek righteousness and humility. (Zep 2:3). - Judgment but also blessing would occur both in the near future, but also in a more distant future (Zep 1:14–18, 2:7, 9), see Prophet Jeremiah. At the end of the Great Tribulation, Antichrist will attack Israel (Zep 3:1–8), but will be defeated by Jesus when he returns, see The Return of Jesus. God will then bless the remnant of Israel (Zep 3:9–20), see Messiah's Second Coming and
The Millennial Kingdom in The Prophecies of Isaiah. - God will judge the whole Earth along with Judah and her pagan nations
(Zep 1:2–5, 1 Kings 11:33), see the Great White Throne Judgement in
The Millennial Kingdom and the Great White Throne Judgement.
Judgement comes upon those who have turned back from following the Lord, who don't seek the Lord or inquire after him (Zep 1:6, Proverbs 2:1–5). - God wants to extent blessing and grace to all peoples and nations (Zep 3:20b).
- There is no such thing that a second generation child of God. Each generation must own God's covenant, see Salvation, not rely on the faith of a previous generation. In our time we live in the New Covenant, see Jesus and the Law.
God disciplines us because we need it. We should endure hardship as discipline, see the first part of The Book of James. But he also longs to pour out his blessings.
Just because the judgment was going on, God hadn't forgotten his covenant with the Jews. God doesn't forget his promises. You can't mess up so much that God will forget you, see also Sanctification.
See also The Prophet Books in the Old Testament.
