8 Therefore
wait ye upon me, saith the LORD, until the day that I rise up to the prey: for
my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to
pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger: for all the earth
shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy.
Abarbanel, “Because of the sins listed above, salvation will
not come for a long time, and you will have to wait for the day when God
plunders he nations that oppressed Israel.”
9 For then
will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name
of the LORD, to serve him with one consent.
This hints at several things, the events we see in Acts 2
where they spoke in tongues and were all in one accord.
This verse also alludes to a one unified world under a
theocratic rule by YHWH through His Holy Torah.
Mic. 4:2 And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let
us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and
he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall
go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
Zech. 14:19 This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the
punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.
Judah will one day be ever so remorseful and genuine
repentance will come and a chance to redeem one’s self through charity will
present itself through the poor of the world. Israel will fulfill its calling
to be a light unto the Goyim.
Vv. 9-20 Rev. 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them,
and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were
beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not
worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon
their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a
thousand years.
10 From
beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants, even the daughter of my dispersed,
shall bring mine offering.
Ethiopia represents the boarders of the known world at that
time. One day, all the nations will bring offerings to God in Jerusalem.
Isa. 66:18, 20 For I know their works and their thoughts: it
shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come,
and see my glory… And they shall bring all your brethren for an offering unto
the LORD out of all nations upon horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and
upon mules, and upon swift beasts, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, saith the
LORD, as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the
house of the LORD.
11 In that
day shalt thou not be ashamed for all thy doings, wherein thou hast
transgressed against me: for then I will take away out of the midst of thee
them that rejoice in thy pride, and thou shalt no more be haughty because of my
holy mountain.
“That Day,” refers to when God will bring the world to a true
knowledge of Him and when this happens Israel will be restored (v.20).
12 I will
also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall
trust in the name of the LORD.
Vv. 8-12 These nations will pay for such heartless insolence
against Judah and as long as Judah repents she should take comfort in this
fact. Israel is told to be patient in regards to their enemies getting their
just deserts, that it is coming and will be such an incomparable vengeance that
will satisfy.
13 The
remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor 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.
This remnant that will remain and institute Josiah-like
reform will lead the way back to Torah Righteousness (Isa. 11:6).
A remnant is seen as a small group of believers within Israel
dedicated to keeping Torah and following only YHWH. The first example may have
been in:
I Kings 19:18 Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel,
all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not
kissed him.
14 Sing, O
daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O
daughter of Jerusalem. 15 The LORD hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast
out thine enemy: the king of Israel, even the LORD, is in the midst of thee:
thou shalt not see evil any more. 16 In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem,
Fear thou not: and to Zion, Let not thine hands be slack.
This speaks of the time when Messiah will return to reign and
rule from the Temple in Jerusalem in the Millennium (Rev. 7:15; 21:3-4).
17 The LORD
thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee
with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.
Rev. 21:3,7,12 And I heard a great voice out of heaven
saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them,
and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their
God… He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he
shall be my son… And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at
the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the
twelve tribes of the children of Israel:
Isa. 59:1, 49:16 Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened,
that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear… Behold, I have
graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.
The Full Life Study Bible says, “God’s people must rejoice
over their salvation. Joy in one’s heart is not a natural response; it is a
supernatural response resulting from God’s redemptive activity in our lives.”
We are saved from ourselves, our sin and adverse judgment.
18 I will
gather them that are sorrowful for the solemn assembly, who are of thee, to
whom the reproach of it was a burden.
This verse describes well the seriousness and solemnness of
Yom Kippur.
19 Behold,
at that time I will undo all that afflict thee: and I will save her that
halteth, and gather her that was driven out; and I will get them praise and
fame in every land where they have been put to shame.
Vv. 17-19 Rev. 21:3,7,12 And I heard a great voice out of
heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with
them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be
their God… He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God,
and he shall be my son… And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates,
and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names
of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel.
20 At that
time will I bring you again, even in the time that I gather you: for I will
make you a name and a praise among all people of the earth, when I turn back
your captivity before your eyes, saith the LORD.
A repentant Israel is judged favorably on this ultimate Yom
Kippur and all that has been promised to Israel from Abraham on will be
restored and paid in full to Israel. Israel will remember and find out who they
really are and will finally return from Assyrian captivity and be rejoined with
Judah. Israel will be once again and finally once and for all be settled in the
entire Promised Land.
Vv. 9-20 Rev. 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them,
and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were
beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not
worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon
their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a
thousand years.
CONCLUSION:
What Zephaniah emphasizes to me is that although Israel is
YHWH’s Chosen People, He doesn’t play favorites; that if necessary He will
punish Israel just as He does the other nations.
These are not just empty words, but He has proven this
throughout History through the Assyrian exile of Israel and the Babylonian
exile of Judah. As I said in the commentary, that He chastises those he loves
(Heb. 12:6-11). That even in the midst of these disciplinary eras, there is
small groups that has always obeyed and have been the catalyst with in exile
and the Diaspora to return to faithfulness to God with one’s whole heart
through return to Torah. It’s not that they do not feel the punishment of
exile; they are insulated because they are close to God and they feel the pain
through the eyes of the disobedient. They have a special mission to wake the
reasons, the one for whom they are in exile.
We are on the cusp of an exile with in an exile; God’s
remnant will be called and needed to usher in the Last Great Revival and the
Last Great Exodus. This Remnant is like a holy sleeper cell, “hidden” and
scattered throughout the Diaspora, like little hot embers that slowly ignite
those around them. Persecution is actually the grease that causes these flames
of faith to burn hotter, brighter and spread like wild fire. What satan uses in
an attempt to extinguish such faith actually creates a wild fire. This is why
miracles such as in Acts are a daily occurrence in what missionaries call
“closed countries” where believers and services to Yeshua are illegal and
punishable by death. And likewise ever abundance of liberties has caused apathy
and stagnation and actually unbelief among believers which is Kryptonite to
miracles.
I pray this commentary has been a shot in the arm and a
beacon of hope, light at the end of the tunnel to encourage us that the glimmer
of the fulfillment of the Promises have been seen and we can almost touch it.
In the service of the God of Israel, Shalom,
Kris Shoemaker - Yehudah ben Shomeyr
