Zephaniah 3:9-13, God’s Glorious Future For All His People

There can be no doubt that J.R.R. Tolkien’s celebrated trilogy, The Lord of the Rings, with its epic battle against evil and its triumphant restoration of the true king to the throne, is meant as a depiction of the final rule of God on earth. In the coronation scene of king Aragorn in the city of Gondor, all his subjects bow to him and rejoice in a new and safe kingdom of righteousness. This is what Zephaniah describes as the future of God for all of His people.

⁹ “Then I will purify the lips of the peoples, that all of them may call on the name of Yahweh and serve him shoulder to shoulder. ¹⁰ From beyond the rivers of Cush my worshipers, my scattered people, will bring me offerings [or, will be brought as offerings]. 11On that day you, Jerusalem, will not be put to shame for all the wrongs you have done to me, because I will remove from you your arrogant boasters. Never again will you be haughty on my holy hill. ¹² But I will leave within you the meek and humble. The remnant of Israel will trust in the name of Yahweh. ¹³ They will do no wrong; they will tell no lies. A deceitful tongue will not be found in their mouths. They will eat and lie down, and no one will make them afraid.”

After this world-wide judgment there will be a time of absolute, world-wide submission to Yahweh, a perfect kingdom of God on earth. The lips that used to call on the names of false gods, will now all call upon the name of Yahweh. The nations who used to fight one another will now serve under the same yoke, pulling in the same direction, “shoulder to shoulder.” As far away as Cush (modern day Ethiopia, then viewed as the most southern extremity of the world), Gentiles who now worship Yahweh will bring Him offerings, or perhaps will bring scattered Jews who have left off faith as now converted ones, like offerings to Yahweh (Isaiah 66:20).

In that day Jerusalem will be restored from one doing shameful wrongs against Yahweh to a city bereft of boasters and full of the meek and humble. What is left of Israel after the judgment will trust in Yahweh’s name. Their behavior will be perfect, “they will do no wrong; they will tell no lies.” And so their world will be perfect, lying down in safety with no one to make them afraid.

This can only describe the perfect kingdom, which has obviously yet to have occurred. Why would Yahweh prophecy through Zephaniah of this distant reality? What he describes will only be fulfilled in the Messianic era, after Jesus’ return to establish his kingdom on earth. Perhaps it is important to hold out the end-game of God’s glorious purposes for humanity so that we might see the big and positive picture of what comes from God’s terrifying judgment. His end goal is not destruction, but a beautiful creation of something wonderful.

This is God’s purpose for all of us. How should we respond?