Prophet Essay
Blake Jones
Mr. Kranz
Bible 101
23 February 2013
Zephaniah the Prophet Zephaniah prophesied about 625 B.C., which makes him a contemporary of Jeremiah. The unusual thing about Zephaniah is his ancestry. He is of the royal line of Judah, and more specifically of the house of David. His great-great grandfather was Hezekiah, one of Judah's most righteous kings. James says, however, when Hezekiah died, it was Zephaniah's great uncle, Manasseh, and not his great grandfather, Amariah, who took over the throne, (39). Manasseh became the most corrupt king of Judah's history; reversing all the accomplishments his father had made and is thought to be the king responsible for killing Isaiah.
Zephaniah’s prophecy takes place during the reign of Josiah, who was the last good king Judah had. However, like the reforms of Hezekiah, it appears that the hearts of the people are not really in Josiah's reforms. Josiah, a devout man, does his best to get the nation back on the right track, so God promises not to bring judgment upon the land of Judah during his lifetime. It will be coming though, and the time is nearing. Zephaniah's prophecy deals with God's judgment upon his own people, followed by descriptions of divine judgment upon the surrounding nations, and finally a section dealing with the future hope of salvation under the Messiah which will be enjoyed by a remainder of the people. "And I will bring distress on men, so that they will walk like the blind, because they have sinned against the Lord." (Zephaniah 1:17). Josiah began his reforms rather late in his reign, not because of a lack of will upon his part but rather because nobody in the land had a copy of the Law of God given through Moses. It was during this time that an ancient scroll was found in the ruins of the temple and discovered to be a copy of the Law. It was read to the people and then applied. If the reforms had sunk in deeper perhaps Judah could have been saved. Or, however, if Josiah's
Mr. Kranz
Bible 101
23 February 2013
Zephaniah the Prophet Zephaniah prophesied about 625 B.C., which makes him a contemporary of Jeremiah. The unusual thing about Zephaniah is his ancestry. He is of the royal line of Judah, and more specifically of the house of David. His great-great grandfather was Hezekiah, one of Judah's most righteous kings. James says, however, when Hezekiah died, it was Zephaniah's great uncle, Manasseh, and not his great grandfather, Amariah, who took over the throne, (39). Manasseh became the most corrupt king of Judah's history; reversing all the accomplishments his father had made and is thought to be the king responsible for killing Isaiah.
Zephaniah’s prophecy takes place during the reign of Josiah, who was the last good king Judah had. However, like the reforms of Hezekiah, it appears that the hearts of the people are not really in Josiah's reforms. Josiah, a devout man, does his best to get the nation back on the right track, so God promises not to bring judgment upon the land of Judah during his lifetime. It will be coming though, and the time is nearing. Zephaniah's prophecy deals with God's judgment upon his own people, followed by descriptions of divine judgment upon the surrounding nations, and finally a section dealing with the future hope of salvation under the Messiah which will be enjoyed by a remainder of the people. "And I will bring distress on men, so that they will walk like the blind, because they have sinned against the Lord." (Zephaniah 1:17). Josiah began his reforms rather late in his reign, not because of a lack of will upon his part but rather because nobody in the land had a copy of the Law of God given through Moses. It was during this time that an ancient scroll was found in the ruins of the temple and discovered to be a copy of the Law. It was read to the people and then applied. If the reforms had sunk in deeper perhaps Judah could have been saved. Or, however, if Josiah's