This prophet, a contemporary of Jeremiah, exercised his ministry during the reign of Josiah. It was a time of revival (2Ki. 22), but the captivity was impending, nevertheless, and Zephaniah points out the moral state which, despite the superficial revival under Josiah (Jer. 2.11-13), made it inevitable. # Jer 2:11-13
Zephaniah is in four parts:
The coming invasion of Nebuchadnezzar a figure of the day of the Lord, 1.1-2.3. Predictions of judgment on certain peoples, 2.4-15. The moral state of Israel for which the captivity was to come, 3.1-7. The judgment of the nations followed by kingdom blessing under Messiah, 3.8-20.
