Posted on 05/25/2005 8:09:49 AM PDT by xzins
Wait For Me
Zephaniah
Zephaniah 1:1 – "The word of the Lord which came to Zephaniah the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah."
The name Zephaniah means, ""defended by Jehovah", "protected by Jehovah", "hidden by Jehovah". (1) We know nothing of Zephaniah outside of this Minor Prophetic book. Zephaniah goes out of his way to identify himself as the great-great-grandson of good king Hezekiah of Judah. Zephaniah may do this for the purpose of adding weight and credibility to his rebuke of royalty of his day (1:8,13,18). Zephaniah wanted to link himself with the godly kings of Judah such as Josiah and Hezekiah.
The Date And Place Of Zephaniah’s Ministry
It is believed that Zephaniah lived and ministered about 50 years after the prophet Nahum and that he was a contemporary of the prophet Jeremiah. Zephaniah places his ministry, "in the days of Josiah" (1:1; 2 Kings 22:1-23:30; 2 Chronicles 34-35). Josiah’s reign was between 637 and 606 B.C. Around 621 B.C. a partial revival took place under king Josiah (2 Chronicles 34:3-7). Since Zephaniah does not mention such a revival it is likely that the book of Zephaniah was written before this time. Perhaps Zephaniah’s ministry and words played a supportive role to the revival that took place later in Josiah’s reign.
Because Zephaniah goes out of his way to link himself with the royal line of Hezekiah, it is very possible that he ministered from Jerusalem.
Zephaniah’s Ministry
Zephaniah is the last of the pre-exilic prophets, (he is the last prophet to minister before the captivity of the remaining nation of Judah by the Babylonians). He ministered to the southern kingdom of Judah leading up to the Babylonian captivity. More than any other Minor Prophet, Zephaniah refers to the "Day" or "Day of the LORD." Approximately twenty times Zephaniah refers to the Day of the LORD (1:7-10, 14-16, 18; 2:2-3; 3:8,11,16). You will remember from our study of Joel that the Day of the LORD refers to a decisive intervening of God in human history. Zephaniah also refers frequently to the righteous remnant of those who trust in God (1:4; 2:7,9; 3:13).
The Major Message Of This Minor Prophet
This Minor Prophet is a study in contrasts. Looming in the future is the Day of the LORD which will bring captivity to God’s rebellious people in the near historical future of Zephaniah’s time as well as in the distant future of the prophetic End Times. The contrast Zephaniah lays out is the different effect the Day of the LORD will have on the wicked and the righteous.
In light of this prophet’s repeated mention of the Day of the LORD, the major message of this Minor Prophet both for the people of his day as well as for the people of today is, God is about to act decisively, wait for him. The verses, which are strategic for such a message, are as follows:
Just as surely as the Day of the LORD came for the people of Zephaniah’s day, the Day of the LORD is in our near future. Because of this we should wait for God when He says, "Wait for Me."
Our study of Zephaniah will be done in three parts:
Let’s get into our study of this awesome book of Zephaniah. The Wicked Who Won’t Wait
These verses give a detailed list of those who have refused to wait for God. As we consider those mentioned in this list we will see many parallels to those in our world today. Who are those who refuse to wait for God? Let’s see.
Idolaters
Zephaniah 1:2-4 - "I will utterly consume everything 1 From the face of the land," Says the Lord;3 "I will consume man and beast; I will consume the birds of the heavens, The fish of the sea, And the stumbling blocks along with the wicked. I will cut off man from the face of the land," Says the Lord.4 "I will stretch out My hand against Judah, And against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. I will cut off every trace of Baal from this place, The names of the idolatrous priests with the pagan priests"
The first group mentioned are idolaters (1:2-4). These are the ones who are dissatisfied with God and His revealed word and seek fulfillment elsewhere. Perhaps they do not want to bow down to His word or remain within the prescribed boundaries set in place by God. If the measure of lordship is based on one’s master passion, then idolaters’ master passion is a god or gods, or objects or activities, other than God. God wants to be the master passion in our lives. The One who has given so much for us, deserves nothing less (Romans 5:8).
Star Worshippers And Syncretists
Zephaniah 1:5-6 – "Those who worship the host of heaven on the housetops; Those who worship and swear oaths by the Lord, But who also swear by Milcom;6 Those who have turned back from following the Lord, And have not sought the Lord, nor inquired of Him."
The next group is astrologers, those who worship the stars or get their direction from the stars (1:5-6). The people would go onto their rooftops and worship the stars. What made this practice all the more abhorrent was the fact that they worshipped the host of heaven, "swore oaths by the LORD," and also swear by Milcom," the god of the Ammonites also known as Malcom and Molech. This people were not only idolaters but they were syncretistic, they worshipped a little bit of everything just to cover the bases. That’s the way some people are, they aren’t sure of who or what they believe so they invest their faith in a little bit of everything and everyone just in case. God is opposed to such practices and a person who follows Him must serve Him only. This is confirmed in the Bible where it states:
How many of you consult the astrological signs each day in the newspaper? Why would you do such a thing? Astrology is based on wishful thinking and bogus inexactitudes. The root of astrology is traceable to the Tower of Babel when men united to seek direction from the stars rather than submit to the LORD. It never ceases to amaze me the extent to which people will go to not worship God or His Son Jesus Christ. People would rather believe in Elvis than Jesus. This ludicrous path is evidence of the darkness the god of this world, Satan has brought upon the unsaved. Paul the apostle was inspired to write about this blindness when he wrote:
This blindness can only be removed by turning to God. Paul saw this as his call when he wrote that Jesus had said to him:
Only God can give spiritual sight. And His sight leads us to understand that the only way to Him and to the salvation from our sins is through Jesus Christ. This is the clear teaching of the Bible which states:
Merchants And Mall-Mongers
Zephaniah 1:7-13 – "Be silent in the presence of the Lord God; For the day of the Lord is at hand, For the Lord has prepared a sacrifice; He has invited His guests.8 "And it shall be, In the day of the Lord’s sacrifice, That I will punish the princes and the king’s children, And all such as are clothed with foreign apparel.9 In the same day I will punish All those who leap over the threshold, Who fill their masters’ houses with violence and deceit.10 "And there shall be on that day," says the Lord, "The sound of a mournful cry from the Fish Gate, A wailing from the Second Quarter, And a loud crashing from the hills.11 Wail, you inhabitants of Maktesh! For all the merchant people are cut down; All those who handle money are cut off.12 "And it shall come to pass at that time That I will search Jerusalem with lamps, And punish the men Who are settled in complacency, Who say in their heart, ‘The Lord will not do good, Nor will He do evil.’13 Therefore their goods shall become booty, And their houses a desolation; They shall build houses, but not inhabit them; They shall plant vineyards, but not drink their wine."
The next rebellious group mentioned by Zephaniah is the proud royalty or politicians who resort to violence to assert their authority (1:7-9). Then there are the merchants (1:10-11). "Maktesh" is a reference to the part of Jerusalem where all the markets were situated. Today we’d call it the Mall! Those people who are too busy being caught up in shopping and merchandizing are not ready or waiting for the LORD. They are like the next group, the complacent (1:12-13). To these groups the LORD through Zephaniah states:
Sometimes people go to the Mall because they think they have nothing better to do; how about reading your Bible or praying?! How about opening your home for a Bible study? How about visiting an unsaved friend? How about serving the LORD in some other of the myriad ways He opens to us? Look at what the LORD says about His Day:
No one will be able to buy their way out of God’s judgment. No one will be able to plea bargain or cry their way out of God’s judgment. The Day of the LORD is a final and decisively dark day for those who have not waited for the LORD. Are you waiting? Are you ready? For the LORD’s return? Are you waiting for His Day?
The Enemies Of God’s People
Zephaniah 2:4-15 – "4 For Gaza shall be forsaken, And Ashkelon desolate; They shall drive out Ashdod at noonday, And Ekron shall be uprooted.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.8 "I have heard the reproach of Moab, And the insults of the people of Ammon, With which they have reproached My people, And made arrogant threats against their borders.9 Therefore, as I live," Says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, "Surely Moab shall be like Sodom, And the people of Ammon like Gomorrah—Overrun with weeds and saltpits, And a perpetual desolation. The residue of My people shall plunder them, And the remnant of My people shall possess them."10 This they shall have for their pride, Because they have reproached and made arrogant threats Against the people of the Lord of hosts.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.12 "You Ethiopians also, You shall be slain by My sword."13 And He will stretch out His hand against the north, Destroy Assyria, And make Nineveh a desolation, As dry as the wilderness.14 The herds shall lie down in her midst, Every beast of the nation. Both the pelican and the bittern Shall lodge on the capitals of her pillars; Their voice shall sing in the windows; Desolation shall be at the threshold; For He will lay bare the cedar work.15 This is the rejoicing city That dwelt securely, That said in her heart, "I am it, and there is none besides me." How has she become desolation, A place for beasts to lie down! Everyone who passes by her Shall hiss and shake his fist."
Zephaniah turns to listing a series of areas such as Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod, and Ekron (2:4), Cherethites (2:5 - immigrants from the island of Crete who lived amongst the Philistines), Philistines (2:5), Moabites and Ammonites (2:8), Ethiopians (2:12), and Assyrians (2:13), all of which were strong but would not be able to stand before God on His Day. In 2:4-15 Zephaniah addresses the judgment of God on the surrounding nations who were enemies of God’s people, they too would be judged. The basic sin of these nations was pride (2:10), which showed itself in the reproach and insults against God’s people (2:8).
Even Jerusalem
Zephaniah 3:1-7 – "Woe to her who is rebellious and polluted, 1 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.3 Her princes in her midst are roaring lions; Her judges are evening wolves That leave not a bone till morning.4 Her prophets are insolent, treacherous people; Her priests have polluted the sanctuary, They have done violence to the law.5 The Lord is righteous in her midst, He will do no unrighteousness. Every morning He brings His justice to light; He never fails, But the unjust knows no shame.6 "I have cut off nations, Their fortresses are devastated; I have made their streets desolate, With none passing by. Their cities are destroyed; There is no one, no inhabitant.7 I said, ‘Surely you will fear Me, You will receive instruction’—So that her dwelling would not be cut off, Despite everything for which I punished her. But they rose early and corrupted all their deeds."
Even Jerusalem would fall because of her disobedience and refusal to draw near to God (3:2). The kings of Judah were devouring (2:3) and her prophets "insolent" (2:6). Through Zephaniah God says He brings His justice "every morning’ but no one will acknowledge it (3:5). For this God will judge His people.
This pronouncement of Zephaniah certainly shows that all fall short of God’s glory and judgment is due them. But how can we wait appropriately on God? The Way To Wait On God
In the book of Zephaniah there are seven parts of waiting on God that are mentioned.
Prayerfully
Zephaniah 1:7 – "Be silent in the presence of the Lord God; For the day of the Lord is at hand, For the Lord has prepared a sacrifice; He has invited His guests."
"Be silent in the presence of the LORD," implies a number of things. First, in order to hear God we should get silent. When Elijah was stressed to the max after defeating the prophets of Baal, he ran away to get alone as well as because he feared for his life. The LORD spoke to him in this instance but listen to what the Bible says:
The psalmist wrote:
We need to be still and come into God’s presence, humbly. His presence is holy ground.
Expectantly
Zephaniah 1:14 – "The great day of the Lord is near; It is near and hastens quickly. The noise of the day of the Lord is bitter; There the mighty men shall cry out."
Just as Zephaniah warned that the Day of the LORD was coming quickly, we in the present day are warned to wait expectantly for the LORD’s return to rapture His saints. WE see this in the following verses:
We need to watch and be ready for the LORD’s return.
United Not Divided
Zephaniah 2:1-2 – "Gather yourselves together, yes, gather together, 1 O undesirable nation,2 Before the decree is issued, Or the day passes like chaff, Before the Lord’s fierce anger comes upon you, Before the day of the Lord’s anger comes upon you!"
That God calls His people to come together implies they were divided among themselves. One of the primary purposes of God’s salvation plan is to unite all things in Christ. We see this in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians:
Sin is division. Sin divides people from God and from each other. Therefore in this cry to gather together by God through Zephaniah, we see a call to unity amongst God’s people. Now notice, God does not call His people to unite with the idolaters, the astrologers and syncretists, merchants and mall-mongers, He calls His people to unite and He is talking to His righteous remnant.
Seeking The Lord And His Righteousness
Zephaniah 2:3 – "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."
To wait for the LORD is to seek Him and His righteous way every day throughout our lives. It is to seek first God’s kingdom and trust Him to provide for all your needs (Matthew 6:33). It is to walk in the Spirit and not fulfill the lust of the flesh (Galatians 5:16). That is the way to wait on God.
Heed His Word
Zephaniah 2:5 – "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."
"The word of the LORD is against you," implies that the one waiting for the LORD should pay close attention and heed God’s word. The Bible tells us that this is essential to our walk with God:
Act On God’s Word
Zephaniah 3:5 – "The Lord is righteous in her midst, He will do no unrighteousness. Every morning He brings His justice to light; He never fails, But the unjust knows no shame."
God indicts Judah because He has revealed His just way every day, but they have ignored it or let it go unnoticed. God’s word is not only meant to be read and studied, it is meant to be lived out. In fact, if you don’t live it, your study and reading are worthless. Read what James states in this regard:
Wait On The Lord
Zephaniah 3:8a – "Therefore wait for Me," says the Lord,"
To wait on the LORD is not to sit around and do nothing, but it is to serve the LORD until He returns. Jesus gave a parable that called His disciples to readiness:
Another way to look at this is to remember the last time you went into a restaurant or diner. There are employees in these places that are called waiters and or waitresses. Now when you go into these places to eat what are the waiters and waitresses doing? Are they sitting around having a smoke? Are they lounging around reading the paper, talking, just shooting the breeze? No, if they do that they’ll loose their jobs. No, they are serving. That’s what a waiter and waitress does, they serve. That is also what the one who waits on the LORD needs to do; they need to serve the LORD until He comes.
But why should we wait? Is it worth it? Let’s see. Why Wait?
Why wait? Because God is worth the wait. Let’s look at what makes waiting on the LORD worth it to us.
He Is Returning!
Zephaniah 3:8 - "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."
God is coming back and He is going to act decisively again in human history. God acts in life every day and every moment of every day, but a day is coming when He will act in an incredible way. God is going to rise up in His Son and set all things straight in the world. The word "indignation" in this verse is a reference to the outpouring of God’s wrath on a Christ rejecting world during the seven-year Tribulation described in Revelation 6-19. Now notice something very important to us.
Believers Are Saved From The Wrath To Come
The Bible teaches that believers are not going to experience God’s wrath. Read what Paul writes in this regard:
Now perhaps you’ve already put two and two together but seem to be getting five. If the Tribulation is a time of God outpouring His wrath on a Christ-rejecting world, how does that jive with the above verses, which say we are saved from God’s wrath? What will happen to those who are here when God decides to begin that seven-year Tribulation? The answer to that is the Rapture.
The Rapture
While the Christian does experience trials in this life (John 16:33; James 1:2-5; 1 Peter 1:6-9; 4:12-19; 5:8-11), the Christian will not experience God’s wrath. The Tribulation is a Day when God will pour out His wrath on a Christ-rejecting world (Revelation 6:17; 11:18; 16:1). The Tribulation is a time that pertains particularly to Israel not the Church (Jeremiah 30:7; Daniel 9:24-27; Matthew 24:15; Mark 13:14; Romans 11:1-36). Jesus instructed His disciples to pray they would escape the Tribulation (Luke 21:36) and He wouldn’t have directed them to do so unless it was possible to escape such a time. Jesus promised to keep His Church from the Tribulation (Revelation 3:10). Interestingly the church is not mentioned at all during the description of the Tribulation in Revelation 6-19. So what does all this mean? It means that the Church will not be around when the Tribulation takes place. What will happen to the Church? (And when I speak of the church it is not defined by denominational boundaries but on the basis of those who believe in their heart that Jesus died for their sins, that Jesus is raised form the dead and confess that He is their LORD – Romans 10:8-9). The church will be raptured.
The rapture is described in the first letter to the Thessalonians, which states:
The rapture is distinct from the 2nd Coming of Jesus in that the rapture occurs before the Tribulation (Revelation 4:1), the 2nd Coming occurs at the end of the Tribulation (Matthew 24:29-31; Mark 13:24-27; Luke 21:29-33). At the rapture Jesus comes for His Church in the clouds (John 14:1-3; 1 Thessalonians 4:17). At the 2nd Coming Jesus comes with His Church to the earth (Zechariah 14:1-7; Jude 14; Revelation 20:1-6).
Now you might say, "So what?" The reason why this is important is that the rapture can take place at any time, even before I finish this sentence. The idea of the imminent return of Jesus to rapture His Church should have a purifying effect on those waiting for Him (Matthew 25:1-13; 1 John 3:3). That’s a good reason to be waiting. It would be a sad day in the life of someone who did not heed this and was left behind.
He Will Restore
Zephaniah 3:9-13 - "For then I will restore to the peoples a pure language, That they all may call on he name of the Lord, To serve Him with one accord.10 From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia My worshipers, The daughter of My dispersed ones, Shall bring My offering.11 In that day you shall not be shamed for any of your deeds In which you transgress against Me; For then I will take away from your midst Those who rejoice in your pride, And you shall no longer be haughty In My holy mountain.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."
God is going to unite the world in Christ. This will occur initially at His 2nd Coming and when He sets up His Millennial Kingdom on earth and more permanently when He creates the New Heavens and the New Earth (Revelation 20-22). God has a great plan to restore those who have waited for Him. Believe me, it will be worth the wait!
We Will Rejoice With Him
Zephaniah 3:14-20 – "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.16 In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: "Do not fear; Zion, let not your hands be weak.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."18 "I will gather those who sorrow over the appointed assembly, Who are among you, To whom its reproach is a burden.19 Behold, at that time I will deal with all who afflict you; I will save the lame, And gather those who were driven out; I will appoint them for praise and fame In every land where they were put to shame.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."
What a beautiful picture. Imagine we will rejoice in that Day and God will rejoice too (3:14; 17). What will it be like to be in the presence of the LORD when He is rejoicing? That will be incredible. What a time of worship that will be. I don’t want to miss that and you won’t either. That will certainly be worth waiting for. Conclusion
It will be a sad day when those who have refused to wait on the LORD will come to realize their foolishness. But as sad as it will be for the foolish, it will be gloriously joyful for those who did wait for the LORD. He is worth the wait! How about you, are you waiting for the LORD? He is calling to you now and He is saying, "Wait for Me."
(1) Jerry Falwell, executive editor; Edward E. Hinson and Michael Kroll Woodrow, general editors, KJV Bible commentary [computer file], electronic ed., Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, c1994.
It will be a sad day when those who have refused to wait on the LORD will come to realize their foolishness. But as sad as it will be for the foolish, it will be gloriously joyful for those who did wait for the LORD. He is worth the wait! How about you, are you waiting for the LORD? He is calling to you now and He is saying, "Wait for Me."
I'll read it later. I have to take off for a while.
Bookmarking for later. It's a busy day.
Temporally they are children of wrath until the time when they are saved by grace. Eternally they have been saved from the foundation of the earth (outside of time) in the infinite foreknowledge of God.
To add to what you've said, I really have no problem with the foreknowledge of God also being a "loving" foreknowing.
I've got to depart. Won't return until tomorrow or very late tonight.
This is very good, thanks!
And since God "foreknows" with certainty that they are saved, then there is no chance whatsoever that they will NOT be saved.
Is this correct?
Depends on the amount of faith that we have. God gave us free will and some are not willing to go to god. Does this help?
God gave us our free will. And who gives us our faith?
BTTT
Matthew 6:24 - "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon."
What does the word "mammon" mean? Study the constuction:
It begins with the letter mem, which is often used to form abstract nouns. Example: the noun "knowledge" from the verb "to know". Or it can denote places, say Magog from Gog.
In the case of "mammon", it is the noun formed from the root amn:
0539 'aman {aw-man'}
a primitive root; TWOT - 116; v
AV - believe 44, assurance 1, faithful 20, sure 11, established 7,
trust 5, verified 3, stedfast 2, continuance 2, father 2, bring up 4,
nurse 2, be nursed 1, surely be 1, stand fast 1, fail 1, trusty 1; 108
1) to support, confirm, be faithful
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to support, confirm, be faithful, uphold, nourish
1a1a) foster-father (subst.)
1a1b) foster-mother, nurse
1a1c) pillars, supporters of the door
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be established, be faithful, be carried, make firm
1b1a) to be carried by a nurse
1b1b) made firm, sure, lasting
1b1c) confirmed, established, sure
1b1d) verified, confirmed
1b1e) reliable, faithful, trusty
1c) (Hiphil)
1c1) to stand firm, to trust, to be certain, to believe in
1c1a) stand firm
1c1b) trust, believe
This is the also the root of "amen" (verily, truly). Mem + amn becomes an abstract noun denoting "that in which one trusts" or "that in which one's confidence is placed". In the verse above, serving mammon is clearly contrasted with serving YHVH. That is, one cannot honestly trust in (or be loyal to) YHVH and other things (gods, idols) simultaneously. Torah states plainly:
Exodus 20:1-6
1 And God spake all these words, saying,
2 I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
The Strong's definition states:
3126 mammonas {mam-mo-nas'}
of Aramaic origin (confidence, i.e. wealth, personified);
TDNT - 4:388,552; n m
AV - mammon 4; 4
1) mammon
2) treasure
3) riches (where it is personified and opposed to God)
***
Mammon = other gods, where or in what or whom trust is placed outside of YHVH.
To come full circle, here is the verse [referenced above] again in its context:
Matthew 6:19-24
19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single (sound), thy whole body shall be full of light.
23 But if thine eye be evil (unsound), thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
A contrast of eyes:
Genesis 13:10-17
10 And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar.
11 Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other.
12 Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom.
13 But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.
14 And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward:
15 For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.
16 And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered.
17 Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee.
P.S. the Rapture is a false doctrine.
So are the people who believe in it going to go to hell?
Their fate is only sealed inasmuch as God foreknows their fate, not inasmuch as there is nothing they can do about it. Temporally they can accept or reject the grace of God. Temporally the future is still open. Eternally (outside the dimension of time) God already knows their choices.
Quick question: Does prayer change things?
I still don't understand why people think Zephaniah refers to the end times except for that "day of the Lord" thingy. I don't much care for commentaries that pick and choose their verses. One can make the scriptures say anything; including and excluding what you want. I noticed in both threads with Zephaniah that both authors leave out what I would consider a key verse:
This doesn't fit with their soteriology so they just conveniently leave it out.
Here is another and better commentary on Zephaniah.
That is pretty profound. A lot of people think waiting on the Lord means to just be in some kind of spiritual meditation, but the phrasal verb means to serve.
Phrasal Verbs:
wait on or upon
God gave us our free will. And who gives us our faith?
If your faith is not strong enough, there is the possibility of turning the other way. Faith is something that you gain over the years, it goes along with free will. If faith was given to us by god, would we have athiest?
God sees our faith, or lack there of.
Why ask me? I don't determine their eternal destinations.
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