Sunday School Lesson

1. Zephaniah 2:4–3:20
Israel Finally Home
“The 1000 Year Reign”
March 15, 2015
First Baptist Church
Jackson, Mississippi
USA
What’s the number one thing?
The Glory of God!
http://ts1.mm.bing.net/th?&id=HN.607995021124832962&w=300&h=300&c=0&pid=1.9&rs=0&p=0
1 Corinthians 10:31 NKJV
31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of
God.
March Memory Verse:
Romans 3:23 NKJV
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
Spring 2015 (March – May)
Lessons in the Minor Prophets
Nahum
Zephaniah
Obadiah
(Easter Lessons)
Zechariah
Habakkuk
Malachi

2. References
• Are We Living in the End Times? By Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins, Tyndale
House,1999
• The MacArthur Study Bible, NKJV, Thomas Nelson Publishing, 1997.
• Revelation 20, Dr. Chuck Missler, YouTube Video
• www.gotquestions.org/endtimes (Got Questions)
The Minor Prophets
• Hebrew Bible treats these as a single book
– “The Book of the Twelve Prophets”
• English versions separate into 12 books based on the name of the Prophet
• Not in chronological order in Bible
• Major vs. Minor – based on length of writing
• Only 4 mentioned elsewhere in Bible (Micah, Jonah, Haggai, Zechariah)
Minor Prophets Timeline
The Prophet Zephaniah
• Ministry was probably from 635-625 B.C.
• Was a contemporary of Prophet Jeremiah
• During reign of King Josiah 640 – 609 B.C.
– Josiah was anointed Judah’s King age 8 years
– Reigned for 31 years
– Instituted religious reforms in last years of Zephaniah’s ministry 628
B.C.
– Reforms began with discovery and reading of Book of the Law (2
Kings 22:8)

3. Zephaniah’s Prophecy
Review of Zephaniah 1:1–2:3
• Describes the judgments of the Lord on Judah in 587 BC (50 years later)
• Describes the judgments of the Lord on the world and Israel during the
Tribulation Period
• These judgments are referred to as the “Day of the Lord”
• The sins described are idolatry and complacency
Zephaniah 2:3 “A Call to Repentance”
3 Seek the Lord, all you meek of the earth,
Who have upheld His justice.
Seek righteousness, seek humility.
It may be that you will be hidden
In the day of the Lord's anger.
(Zephaniah means ‘you will be hidden’)
Zephaniah – Only One Piece of the Tribulation & Millennium Puzzle

4. Dispensationalism
• Definition – divine administration of a period of time, a divinely appointed
age
• Primary Principles:
1. A consistently literal interpretation of scripture, especially with
Biblical Prophecy
- Pretribulation & Premillenium (Rapture before Tribulation)
2. A distinction between Israel and the church in God’s program (Not
Replacement Theology)
Zephaniah - The Tribulation & The Millennium
The Tribulation
• Preceded by the Rapture of the Church
• All about Israel and nonbelievers
• Interpreted as lasting 7 years
• Time of the Antichrist
• Many Jews will become believers
• “Day of the Lord” – God’s wrath poured out
– Seal, Trumpet & Bowl Judgments
• Ends with Battle of Armageddon
The Millennium/1000 Years Rein
• Begins with Christ returning to earth with His own (The Glorious Appearing
or 2nd Coming)
• Christ will occupy the “Throne of David” and Israel returns to their
“Promised Land”
• Resurrected saints will reign with Him over Israel and all nations on earth
• Satan is bound in Abyss for 1,000 years
• Major changes in earth’s climate, geography, flora and fauna

5. Zephaniah 2:4-15 Overview
• Israel’s neighbors from all 4 directions will be punished in Tribulation for
mistreating Israel
– Philistia in west (v. 4-7)
– Moab & Ammon in east (v. 8-11)
– Ethiopia in south (v. 12)
– Assyria in north (v. 13-15)
• Israel will occupy all of these neighbors land in the Millennium
Zephaniah 2:5-7
5 Woe to the inhabitants of the seacoast,
The nation of the Cherethites!
The word of the Lord is against you,
O Canaan, land of the Philistines:
“I will destroy you;
So there shall be no inhabitant.”
6 The seacoast shall be pastures,
With shelters for shepherds and folds for flocks.
7 The coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah;
They shall feed their flocks there;
In the houses of Ashkelon they shall lie down at evening.
For the Lord their God will intervene for them,
And return their captives.
Zephaniah 2:11 Overview
• After the Tribulation and judgment of the neighbors of Israel, the
Millennium is described
– All gods of other nations will be reduced to nothing
– The Lord Himself will be universally worshipped
• Zeph. 2:11; Isaiah 66:18-21; Zech 14:16; Mal. 1:1
Zephaniah 2:11
11 The Lord will be awesome to them,
For He will reduce to nothing all the gods of the earth;
People shall worship Him,
Each one from his place,
Indeed all the shores of the nations.
Isaiah 66:18
The Lord Universally Worshipped
18 "For I know their works and their thoughts. It shall be that I will gather all nations
and tongues; and they shall come and see My glory.

6. Zechariah 14:16
Worship in the Millennium
16 And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which
came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the
Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.
Malachi 1:11
11 For from the rising of the sun, even to its going down,
My name shall be great among the Gentiles;
In every place incense shall be offered to My name,
And a pure offering;
For My name shall be great among the nations,”
Says the Lord of hosts.
Zephaniah 3:1-7 Overview
• Return to prophecy about Jerusalem and its upcoming judgment by
destruction of the city and the Exile of Judah to Babylon
– It has become a city of tyranny
– There is corruption and no justice
– The priests and prophets are unfaithful to the Lord
– The Lord had taken up residence in Jerusalem, yet the people
refused to draw near to Him in worship
Zephaniah 3:1-2
1 Woe to her who is rebellious and polluted,
To the oppressing city!
2 She has not obeyed His voice,
She has not received correction;
She has not trusted in the Lord,
She has not drawn near to her God.
(Skip to v. 8)
Zephaniah 3:8 Overview
• Describes the Great Tribulation
– The last 3 ½ years of the Tribulation
– Often called the 70th week of Daniel
– Triggered by the “abomination of desolation”
– Dan 12:1 “a time of distress such as never occurred since there was
a nation until that time”
– The Bowl Judgments: The Wrath of God in Rev. 16 & 17

7. Zephaniah 3:8
8 "Therefore wait for Me," says the Lord,
"Until the day I rise up for plunder;
My determination is to gather the nations
To My assembly of kingdoms,
To pour on them My indignation,
All My fierce anger;
All the earth shall be devoured
With the fire of My jealousy.
The Glorious Appearing

8. Zephaniah 3:9-13 Overview
• The blessings of restoration for God’s people and the nations for the
Millennium
– Restore a pure language(speech)
• Inward cleansing from sin manifested in speech
• Conversion of remnant of Israel
– Nations able to worship in Jesus’ presence
– Material prosperity and peace
– Enjoy the rich blessing of God undisturbed
Zephaniah 3:9
9 "For then I will restore to the peoples a pure language,
That they all may call on the name of the Lord,
To serve Him with one accord.
(Skip to v. 12)
Zephaniah 3:12-13
12 I will leave in your midst
A meek and humble people,
And they shall trust in the name of the Lord.
13 The remnant of Israel shall do no unrighteousness
And speak no lies,
Nor shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth;
For they shall feed their flocks and lie down,
And no one shall make them afraid."
Zephaniah 3:14-20 Overview
• The messianic era of millennial blessing is described
– Rejoicing that Israel’s day of judgment is past
– Israel’s King is residing in her midst
– The Lord will exult over His people with song
– Israel will become a source of blessing to the world, fulfilling it’s
original destiny
Zephaniah 3:14-15
14 Sing, O daughter of Zion!
Shout, O Israel!
Be glad and rejoice with all your heart,
O daughter of Jerusalem!
15 The Lord has taken away your judgments,
He has cast out your enemy.
The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst;
You shall see disaster no more.

9. (Skip to v. 17)
Zephaniah 3: 17
17 The Lord your God in your midst,
The Mighty One, will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.
Salvation for Israel
Romans 11:25-26
25 … that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles
has come in. 26 And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written:
“The Deliverer will come out of Zion,
And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob;
27 For this is My covenant with them,
When I take away their sins.”
• A significant number of Jews will be saved during the Tribulation and the
Millennium
Zephaniah 3:20
20 At that time I will bring you back,
Even at the time I gather you;
For I will give you fame and praise
Among all the peoples of the earth,
When I return your captives before your eyes,”
Says the Lord.
Who will be present on earth in the Millennial Reign?
1. Resurrected believers with glorified bodies
– Church
– Tribulation martyrs
– OT Saints
2. Survivors of the Tribulation with natural bodies
– Jewish & Gentile believers (Tribulation Saints)

10. Purpose of Millennial Reign?
• To fulfill the promises God made to the world that cannot be fulfilled while
Satan is free and humans have political authority.
– Examples:
• The Land Covenant to Israel (Deut 30:1-10);
• The Davidic Covenant (2 Sam 7:12-17, Luke 3:23-38);
• The New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:33)
What will life be like on earth during the Millennial Kingdom?
• Characterized by harmony, peace, righteousness and long life
• Death for unbelievers born in Millennium
• Limited evil – still born with sin nature
• Great increase in world population
• All nations worship Christ in Temple
• Not yet in eternity – Heaven awaits
Closing Thoughts
Jeremiah 29:11
11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you
and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
• God keeps His promises!
• God is sovereign and everything will unfold as He determines!
• Trust Him!!

11. The Plan of Hope & Salvation
John 3:16 NKJV
16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever
believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
John 14:6 NKJV
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the
Father except through Me.”
Romans 3:23 NKJV
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Romans 6:23a NKJV
23a For the wages of sin is death,
 Death in this life (the first death) is 100%.
 Even Jesus, the only one who doesn’t deserve death, died in this life to
pay the penalty for our sins.
 The death referred to in Romans 6:23a is the second death explained in
Revelation 21:8.
Revelation 21:8 NKJV
8 “But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral,
sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with
fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
Romans 6:23b NKJV
23b but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 5:8 NKJV
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners,
Christ died for us.
Revelation 21:7 NKJV
7 “He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be
My son.”
 Romans 10:9-10 explains to us how to accept Jesus as our Savior.

12. Romans 10:9-10 NKJV
9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that
God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one
believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto
salvation.
Romans 10:13 NKJV
13 For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.”
If you have questions or would like to know more, Please, contact First Baptist
Church Jackson at 601-979-1900 or http://firstbaptistjackson.org/contact/