Thurs.’s Devo - The Revealing

Read: Zephaniah 1:1-3:20; Revelation 10:1-11; Psalm 138:1-8; Proverbs 30:1-14
Zephaniah prophesied during the reign of Josiah who brought revolutionary changes and brought the nation back to observing the Passover and was a believer himself. Sadly, he couldn’t change the heart of the people on the inside. They had witnessed for 100 years the captivity of Israel, the northern kingdom as they had to pay tribute and were dispersed by the Assyrians. You would think that would have caused Judah to wake up to their own sins but it didn’t. They had fallen into the same idolatrous ways of Israel.
Zephaniah’s name means “God has hidden”. The people had turned to the worship of Baal and astral worship of the stars and the zodiac. There had been a long silence of true prophecy but it was coming back with Josiah’s reform. Josiah had found a copy of the law and brought the truth to the people. They repented in works for a short while then went back to their idolatry. Zephaniah tried to call them back to repentance and warn them of the “day of the Lord”. The day of the Lord for them was the day that the Chaldeans would come and take Jerusalem and take them captive.
In Chapter Two he calls them to repent before the decree of judgment is issued. God names Moab, Ammon and Nineveh at the top of his list to destroy because they arrogantly lived in ease feeling invincible when they were just lambs waiting slaughter.
God will stand up and testify for the godly nations, but He will destroy all who oppressed his people.
We see this same picture in the seventh angel in Revelation. He is God standing on the earth saying there is no more delay in his prophesies. It is time to fulfill the last ones of them because the end is near.
John is told to eat a new book and in it are the things which will befall the holy city and the Church of God which is the subject of the rest of Revelation.
God is saying to his people - no more delay in what he has promised us. It is time for God to act and it is time for his promises to be fulfilled on the earth. So, we can expect to see prayers answered speedily and promises we have been standing on for years to be fulfilled. It is an exciting time to be on the earth.
Thank you, Lord, for your promises. They are “yes” and “amen”.