Zephaniah
(Zephaniah 1: 1)
(C3344-3404, 660-600 BC)
His name comes from Hebrew cephanya¯h which means “Yah hides,” or “Yah has hidden” or “treasured.”.
Author of the prophetic book with his name, Zephaniah informs his paternal ancestry up to the fourth generation, probably to show that he was of a descendant of king Hezekiah.
Zephaniah brought the message of God to the kingdom of Judah, being a contemporary of the prophet Jeremiah. He began his ministry around 627 BC in Jerusalem, after the reigns of the abominable kings Manasseh and Amon, and before the reforms made by Josiah.
In a general way his book provides a description of the destruction of the entire earth, because of prevailing idolatry and specifically that of Jerusalem and Judah. The Lord declared that He would completely consume everything that was there, men, animals, birds from the sky and fish of the sea, making it totally deserted.
It is possible that the messages of Zephaniah may have spurred king Josiah to do his reforms. This however, did not change the heart of the people, which remained idolatrous and full of iniquity. The judgment was inevitable. Other nations are also prophetically warned of punishment that is intended for them, because the Lord is the one true God of all nations, not just of Israel.
But at the end we find the auspicious information that God will in the midst of Israel a "meek and humble people, and they shall trust in the name of the LORD. The remnant of Israel shall do no unrighteousness..." and finally "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 . " (Chapter 3:12-20).