The Prophecy of Zephaniah. Ch 1 Part 1.

Truth In Scripture Pastor Rick Kabrick Thursday July 31, 2025 The Prophecy of Zephaniah. Ch 1 Part 1.
Pastor Rick Kabrick PO BOX 595 Tiverton RI 02878www.paypal.me/PastorRickkwww.truthinscripture.org
The prophecy is not simply judgment against humankind; it is judgment against the Southern Kingdom of Judah, where corruption and idolatry were rampant.
Manasseh rebuilt the “high places” that Hezekiah (his father) destroyed. Manasseh “bowed down to all the starry hosts and worshiped them in the temple of the LORD.”More than that “he (Manasseh) sacrificed his own son in the fire, practiced divination, sought omens, and consulted mediums and spiritists.” (2 KING 21:3–6)
ZECH 12:10, “They will look upon ME, the One that they have pierced, and they will mourn for HIM as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for HIM as one grieves for a firstborn son.”
The GOD of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel (Jacob) is a GOD of love, mercy, and grace. HE does not want anyone to perish but for each of us to enjoy eternity with HIM.In mercy and grace, HE sent HIS only Son to become the ultimate, the final sacrifice so that all who trust in HIM as their Savior will never perish.
Josiah ascended to the throne at the age of eight (new beginning) following the assassination of his father, King Amon. After he had been King for just 2 years.BTW Amon was evil and his own official or servants killed him. He was not a nice guy. He learned evil from his father, Manasseh who was very evil. Unlike his father who was Hezekiah.
Josiah reigned for 31 years, during which time he expanded Judah and brought about major religious reforms, centralizing worship in Jerusalem again and eliminating the worship of foreign gods (from his father and grandfather).When Josiah became king, he was of course too young to lead and so his priests ran things until Josiah got older. Until he was about 18.
The prophet Zephaniah predicted the fall of Nineveh, an event which we know occurred in 612 BC. Jonah had been there nearly 200 years before Zephaniah prophesied the fall of Ninevah. Nineveh, after experiencing a period of repentance and being spared destruction during the time of Jonah, did eventually revert to their wicked ways and faced destruction around 612 BC. The book of Nahum, written roughly a century after Jonah’s preaching, and before Zephaniah describes the impending destruction of Nineveh due to its wickedness and violence which it had reverted back to.
This all means that Zephaniah grew up under the reign of Josiah’s predecessors: Josiah’s grandfather, the evil king Manasseh, and Manasseh’s son, the young and evil Amon Josiah’s father. As a young man, the prophet-to-be would have been surrounded by idolatry, even child sacrifice, strong influences on a young mind and remember no mention of the One True GOD. The TORAH was hidden by his grandfather.