Exegesis and Exposition of zephaniah 3: 17-18
Psalm 89:35 Once I have sworn by My holiness; I will not lie to David. 36 His descendants shall endure forever and his throne as the sun before Me. (NASB95)
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- Psalm 98:3 He has remembered His lovingkindness and His faithfulness to the house of Israel; All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. (NASB95)
- Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven
| Psalm 89:35 Once I have sworn by My holiness; I will not lie to David. 36 His descendants shall endure forever and his throne as the sun before Me. (NASB95)
The millennial kingdom will also be characterized by truth. Jesus Christ will judge the world with His truth (Ps. 96:10). Truth will triumph since “the Truth” Himself, the Lord Jesus Christ will reign. Zechariah 8:7 Thus says the LORD of hosts, “Behold, I am going to save My people from the land of the east and from the land of the west; 8 and I will bring them back and they will live in the midst of Jerusalem; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God in truth and righteousness.” (NASB95) Isaiah 65:16 “Because he who is blessed in the earth will be blessed by the God of truth; And he who swears in the earth will swear by the God of truth; Because the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hidden from My sight!” (NASB95) Jeremiah 33:6 “Behold, I will bring to it health and healing, and I will heal them; and I will reveal to them an abundance of peace and truth. 7 I will restore the fortunes of Judah and the fortunes of Israel and will rebuild them as they were at first.” (NASB95) Truth shall be joined together with mercy during our Lord’s reign and then Israel shall say the following: Psalm 98:3 He has remembered His lovingkindness and His faithfulness to the house of Israel; All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. (NASB95) The millennial kingdom will be characterized by the full manifestation of the Holy Spirit. Joel 2:28 It will come about after this that I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. 29 Even on the male and female servants I will pour out My Spirit in those days. (NASB95) The Spirit will indwell all believers during the millennial reign of Christ (Ezek. 36:22-28; 37:1-14). The filling of the Spirit will be common during the millennium. This will be in contrast with the dispensations of human history prior to the millennial reign. National and individual peace is the fruit of the Messiah’s reign (Is. 2:4; 9:4-7; 11:6-9; 32:17-18; 33:5-6; 54:13; 55:12; 60:18; 65:25; 66:12; Ezek. 28:26; 34:25; Hos. 2:18; Mic. 4:2-3; Zech. 9:10). Joy will also be a distinctive mark of the millennial age (Is. 9:3-4; 12:3-6; Jer. 30:18-19; 31:13-14; Zeph. 3:14-17; Zech. 8:18-19; 10:6-7). There will be a full knowledge of the Lord during the millennium because of the indwelling presence of the Spirit in the subjects of the Lord (Is. 11:1-2; 41:19-20; Hab. 2:14). This knowledge will be the result of the instruction that issues from the Lord Jesus (Is. 2:2-3; 12:3-6; Jer. 3:14-15; Mic. 4:2). The Scriptures make clear that the world government during the millennium will be under the rule of the Lord Jesus Christ (Is. 2:2-4; 9:3-7; 11:1-10; 16:5; Dan. 2:44; 7:15-28; Obad. 17-21; Mic. 4:1-8; 5:2-5; Zeph. 3:9-10; Zech. 9:10-15; 14:16-17). There will be a perfect world government under the rule of Christ (Isa. 11:1-2; Zech. 14:9). Christ will literally reign in Jerusalem and Israel will be the head of the nations. Capital punishment will be used for punishment of any criminals during the millennium as denoted by the phrase in Revelation 2:27 that Christ will rule “with a rod of iron.” The cessation of war through the unification of the kingdoms of the earth under the reign of Christ, together with the resultant economic prosperity, since nations need not devote vast proportions of their expenditure on weapons, is a major theme of the prophets. The city of Jerusalem, which was the center of David’s government will become the center of the government of David’s greater Son. The city will become a glorious city, bringing honor onto Jehovah (Isaiah 52:1-12; 60:14-21; 61:3; 61:1-12; 66:10-14; Jeremiah 30:18; 33:16; Joel 3:17; Zechariah 2:1-13). So closely is the King associated with Jerusalem that the city will partake of his glory. The city will be protected by the power of the King (Isaiah 14:32; 25:4; 26:1-4; 33:20-24) so that it never again need fear for its safety. The city will be greatly enlarged over its former area. (Jeremiah 31:38-40; Ezekiel 48:30-35; Zechariah 14:10). It will be accessible to all in that day (Isaiah 35:8-9) so that all who seek the King will find audience within its walls. The city will endure forever (Isaiah 9:7; 33:20-21; 60:15; Joel 3:19-21; Zechariah 8:4). The thousand-year reign is the direct administration of divine government on earth for one thousand years by our Lord and His church. Its earthly center will be Jerusalem and the nation of Israel, though Christ and the overcomers of the church age will rule in resurrected bodies and will take the place now occupied by the kingdom of darkness. The millennial reign of Christ will be the public earthly honoring by God the Father of His Son Jesus Christ where men dishonored Him on this earth 2000 years ago. It will be the execution of God’s promises to His Son and the prophecies concerning the Lord Jesus. The Messianic reign will be God’s answer to the prayer, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” The Lord Jesus Christ will finally receive the kingdom that He was promised by the Father, which in turn allows the Son to fulfill His promises to those who were faithful to Him while under the persecution of the kingdom of darkness. The Lord will share His kingly honors with the overcomers of the church age. Revelation 2:26 “He who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, TO HIM I WILL GIVE AUTHORITY OVER THE NATIONS; 27 AND HE SHALL RULE THEM WITH A ROD OF IRON, AS THE VESSELS OF THE POTTER ARE BROKEN TO PIECES, as I also have received authority from My Father; 28 and I will give him the morning star. 29 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” (NASB95) Revelation 3:21 “He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. 22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” (NASB95) David will be a regent in the millennium (Is. 55:3-4; Jer. 30:9; 33:15, 17, 20-21; Ezek. 34:23-24; 37:24-25; Hos. 3:5; Amos 9:11). Ezekiel 34:23 “Then I will set over them one shepherd, My servant David, and he will feed them; he will feed them himself and be their shepherd. 24 And I, the LORD, will be their God, and My servant David will be prince among them; I the LORD have spoken.” (NASB95) He will be prince in Israel and offer sacrifices for himself in the millennial temple (Ezek. 45:22). Nobles and governors will reign under David (Is. 32:1; Ezek. 45:8-9). The parable in Luke 19:12-28 indicates there will be smaller subdivisions of authority in the administration of the government. Israel will be responsible to David and of course ultimately, they will be responsible to the Lord Jesus Christ. The subjects in our Lord’s millennial kingdom will be the following: (1) Regenerated Israel in resurrection bodies (Is. 9:6-7; 33:17; Jer. 23:5) (2) Regenerated Gentiles in resurrection bodies (Is. 2:4; 11:12; 60:1-14; 61:8-9). (3) Regenerated Jews without resurrection bodies (4) Regenerated Gentiles without resurrection bodies (5) Unregenerate Jew and Gentiles. Israel will become the subjects of the King’s reign (Isaiah 9:6-7; 33:17, 22; 44:6; Jeremiah 23:5; Micah 2:13; 4:7; Daniel 4:3; 7:14, 22, 27). In order to be the subjects of the Lord Jesus Christ during His millennial reign, Israel will have been converted and restored to the land (Ezek. 37). Israel will be reunited as a nation in order to be the subjects of the Lord Jesus Christ during His millennial reign (Jeremiah 3:18; 33:14; Ezekiel 20:40; 37:15-22; 39:25; Hosea 1:11). In order to be the subjects of the Lord Jesus Christ during His millennial reign, Israel will be exalted above the Gentiles (Isaiah 14:1-2; 49:22-23; 60:14-17; 61:6-7). Israel will be made righteous in order to be the subjects of the Lord Jesus Christ during His millennial reign (Isaiah 1:25; 2:4; 44:22-24; 45:17-25; 48:17; 55:7; 57:18-19; 63:16; Jeremiah 31:11; 33:8 50:20; 34; Ezekiel 36:25-26 Hosea 14:4; Joel 3:21; Micah 7:18-19; Zechariah 13:9; Malachi 3:2-3). The nation will become God’s witnesses during the millennium in order to be the subjects of the Lord Jesus Christ during His millennial reign, (Isaiah 44:8, 21; 61:6; 66:21; Jeremiah 16:19-21; Micah 5:7; Zephaniah 3:20; Zechariah 4:1-7; 4:11-14; 8:23). In order to be the subjects of the Lord Jesus Christ during His millennial reign, Israel will be beautified to bring glory to Jehovah (Isaiah 62:3; Jeremiah 32:41; Hosea 14:5-6; Zephaniah 3:16-17; Zechariah 9:16-17). The millennial reign will be marked by the worship of the Lord Jesus Christ (Is. 12:1-6; 25:1-26:19; 56:7; 61:10-11; 66:23; Jer. 33:11, 18, 21-22; Ezek. 20:40-41; 40:1-46:24; Zech. 6:12-15; 8:20-23; 14:16-21). Worship is adoring contemplation of the Lord and is the act of paying honor and reverence to Him and affection for Him and flows from love and where there is little love, there is little worship. It is the loving ascription of praise to the Lord in gratitude and appreciation for who and what He is, both in Himself and in His ways and in His work on the Cross for us and is the bowing of the soul and spirit in deep humility and reverence before the Lord. Worship of the Lord involves “reverence” for Him, which is an attitude of deep respect and awe for Him. Worship of the Lord also involves “respect” for Him, which is to esteem the excellence of His Person as manifested through His attributes such as love, faithfulness, mercy, compassion, justice, righteousness, truth, omnipotence, omnipresence, omniscience, immutability, and sovereignty. Worship of the Lord involves “awe” of Him, which means we are to possess an overwhelming feeling of reverence, admiration for Him. Worship of the Lord also involves “wonder” towards Him, which refers to being filled with admiration, amazement and awe of Him and reaches right into our hearts and shakes us up and enriches our lives and overwhelms us with an emotion that is a mixture of gratitude, adoration, reverence, fear and love for Him. Worshipping the Lord is adoring contemplation of Him as He has been revealed by the Holy Spirit in the Scriptures and is also the loving ascription of praise to Him for what He is, both in Himself, His Work on the Cross and in His ways and is the bowing of the soul and spirit in deep humility and reverence before Him. The believer is to worship the Father spiritually by means of truth, i.e. the Word of God (John 4:23-24). Zechariah 14:16-21 describes the millennial reign of Christ, which is typified by the feast of booths or tabernacles. Jerusalem will become the center of the worship of the millennial age (Jeremiah 30:16-21; 31:6, 23; Joel 3:17; Zechariah 8:8, 20-23). 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