Prophet: Zephaniah

Zephaniah was the great grandson of King Hezekiah. He prophesied in the days of Josiah, ruler of the Kingdom of Judah (640–609 BC), but before Josiah's reform in 621 BC, and was contemporary with Jeremiah. Under the two preceding kings of Judah, Amon and Manasseh, the cult of other deities, especially Baal and Astarte, had developed in Jerusalem, and brought with it elements of alien culture and morals. Josiah wished to put an end to misuse of the holy places, and had a zealous champion in Zephaniah.

Manasseh's most heinous idolatry included human sacrifice (2 Chronicles 33:9),and his son son, Amon made it worse (2 Chronicles 33:22–23). However, Zephaniah preached his message during the rule of King Josiah, who had initiated religious reform in all of Judah and some surrounding territories. At that time, the nation as a whole was obeying God’s laws and turning from idols (2 Chronciles 34:33). As a result, one might ask to whom Zephaniah's warning was directed.It appears that his warnings better resonated with the next generation of Judah after Josiah died in battle. His sons took the throne and disobeyed the Lord, stirring up trouble with Babylon, and tdisregarding the prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 36:27–29; Jeremiah 37:1–2). 

Zephaniah's startling message for Judah appeared to be in part directed at those times that would immediately follow as well as times in the distant future.vThe day of the Lord would come to Judah, and would be a terrible day for those who had put God to the test. Zephaniah told the people that judgment would not be limited to Israel, but that Moab, Ammon, Ethiopia, and especially Assyria would not stand. All nations would know that the Lord is God, and “He will make a complete end, indeed a terrifying one, of all the inhabitants of the earth” (Zephaniah 1:18).

However, while God will remove all things, He then will restore all things, bringing about a time when all the nations will "call on the name of the Lord."