07/25/08: Zephaniah 1-2
"Be silent before the Sovereign LORD, for the day of the LORD is near" (Zephaniah 1:7). The "day of the Lord" refers to the time period that the wrath of God will be poured out at the end of the age. "Be silent" may refer to the "silence in heaven for about half an hour" (Revelation 8:1) which will just precede the blowing out of the seven trumpet judgments by the seven angels (8:2).
"Gather together, gather together, O shameful nation, before the appointed time arrives and that day sweeps on like chaff, before the fierce anger of the LORD comes upon you, before the day of the LORD's wrath comes upon you" (Zephaniah 2:1,2). Remember from one of my comments back in Isaiah that "that day" refers to the initial portion of wrath--the day of vengeance--of the period known as the day of the Lord, at the end of the age. In the passage above, God is speaking to Israel. The command to "gather together" may refer to Israel's becoming a nation again 60 years ago, in 1948.
"Gather together, gather together, O shameful nation, before the appointed time arrives and that day sweeps on like chaff, before the fierce anger of the LORD comes upon you, before the day of the LORD's wrath comes upon you" (Zephaniah 2:1,2). Remember from one of my comments back in Isaiah that "that day" refers to the initial portion of wrath--the day of vengeance--of the period known as the day of the Lord, at the end of the age. In the passage above, God is speaking to Israel. The command to "gather together" may refer to Israel's becoming a nation again 60 years ago, in 1948.
