Zephaniah's prophecy begins with a grim statement of God's plans to "sweep away everything from the face of the earth." "The wicked will have only heaps of rubble when I cut off man from the face of the earth." Zephaniah is a book of judgment upon Israel and upon all the nations of the earth.
The judgment of Judah is described followed by the judgment of Philistia, Moab, Ammon, and other surrounding nations. The great Day of the Lord will be a worldwide event. It will bring untold disaster on all those who do not repent.
But Zephaniah tells us of a remnant of people who do, in fact, remain true to their God. Through these people, God will restore the fortunes of his chosen people. There will be great rejoicing in the city of Jerusalem as the nation is restored.
