Exegesis and Exposition of Zephaniah 2:14-15

EXEGESIS AND EXPOSITION OF ZEPHANIAH 2:14-15

Pastor William E. Wenstrom Jr. WENSTROM BIBLE MINISTRIES Marion, Iowa 2016 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries

Exegesis and Exposition of Zephaniah 2:14-15

Zephaniah 2:14

Flocks Will Lie Down in Nineveh

Zephaniah 2:14 Flocks will lie down in her midst, all beasts which range in herds; Both the pelican and the hedgehog will lodge in the tops of her pillars; Birds will sing in the window, desolation will be on the threshold; For He has laid bare the cedar work. (NASB95) “Flocks will lie down in her midst” is composed of the following: (1) which is not translated (2) third person masculine plural qal ,( וְ) conjunction w ,( בְ) will lie down” (3) preposition b“ ,(רָ בַץ) active perfect form of the verb rābaṣ (midst” (5“ ,(תָ וְֶך) in” (4) masculine singular construct form of the noun tāwek“ her” (6) masculine“ ,(הִ יא) third person feminine singular pronominal suffix hîʾ ”.flocks“ ,(עֵדֶ ר) plural noun ʿēder The conjunction w is a marker of result meaning that it is introducing a series of prophetic statements which present the result of the previous prophetic declaration recorded at the end of Zephaniah 2:13 which asserts that the God of Israel will make Nineveh a desolation, a dry land like the desert. The noun ʿēder means “flocks and herds” since this word pertains to flocks of sheep and herds of cattle. It pertains to a group of mammals that range together, usually sheep or goats as well as cows, camels, donkeys, etc. The verb rābaṣ means “to lie down” since it pertains to being in a reclining position. Therefore, this word denotes that flocks of sheep and herds of cattle “will lie down” in the city of Nineveh as a result of the God of Israel judging the human population of the city and removing their presence from her. The qal stem is stative expressing a state or condition indicating that these flocks and herds will exist in the state of reclining in the city of Nineveh as a result of God removing the human population from the city. The imperfect form of this verb describes this prophetic event taking place in the future in the city of Nineveh from the perspective of Zephaniah in the seventh century B.C. The noun tāwek means “midst, middle, center” since it pertains to a space within an area, which is determined to be in the middle in relationship to other objects or positions around it. Here it refers to the “midst” or “middle” of the city of Nineveh. The construct state of this noun means that is governing the word which follows it and is expressing a genitive relation with this word which is the ”which means “her ,(הְִיא) third person feminine singular pronominal suffix hîʾ

2016 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 1 referring to the city of Nineveh. The genitive relation is possession indicating that this “middle” or “midst” belongs to the city of Nineveh. The noun tāwek is the object of the preposition b, which means “in”’ since it is functioning as a marker of location. Therefore, this prepositional phrase indicates that these flocks and herds will lie down “in the midst” of Nineveh.

All Types of Wild Animals Will Lie Down in the Midst of Nineveh

Zephaniah 2:14 Flocks will lie down in her midst, all beasts which range in herds; Both the pelican and the hedgehog will lodge in the tops of her pillars; Birds will sing in the window, desolation will be on the threshold; For He has laid bare the cedar work. (NASB95) “All beasts which range in herds” is composed of the following: (1) collective all” (2) feminine singular construct“ ,(כֹּל) singular construct form of the noun kōl beasts which range in herds” (3) masculine“ ,(חַיָה) form of the noun ḥayyâ ”.beasts which range in herds“ ,(ּגֹוי) singular noun gôy The noun kōl denotes totality and is used in a distributive sense to express the wide variety of wild animals which will populate the city of Nineveh as a result of God removing her human population as a result of His judgment. The construct state of the noun kōl means that it is governing the word which follows it and is expressing a genitive relation with this word which is the noun ḥayyâ which means “wild animal, wild beast” and is a general term for all types of wild animals. The genitive relation is attributive expressing the idea that “each and every kind of wild animal” will lie die down in the midst of Nineveh as a result of God removing the human population of the city due to His judgment. The construct state of the noun ḥayyâ means that it is governing the word which follows it and is expressing a genitive relation with this word which is the noun gôy which in this context means “type” or “kind” since it pertains to a type of animal. Here it is used in relation to wild animals. The genitive relation is attributive. Therefore, this entire expression indicates that “each and every type of wild animal” will lie down in the midst of the city of Nineveh as a result of God removing the human population of this city due to His judgment.

Owls Will Sleep in the Tops of Nineveh’s Support Pillars

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“Both the pelican and the hedgehog will lodge in the tops of her pillars” is both” (2) feminine singular noun“ ,(ּגַם) composed of the following: (1) adverb gam and” (4) masculine singular noun“ ,(ּגַם) the pelican” (3) adverb gam“ ,(קָאַ ת) qāʾat in” (6) masculine plural construct“ ,( בְ) hedgehog” (5) preposition b“ ,(קִפֹּד) qippōd the tops of pillars” (7) third person feminine“ ,(כַפ תֹור) form of the noun kaptôr her” (8) third person masculine plural qal“ ,(הִ יא) singular pronominal suffix hîʾ ”.will lodge“ ,(לִין) active imperfect form of the verb lîn The NET Bible has the following note, they write “The Hebrew text reads here refers to some type of bird קָאַ ת gam-qa’at gam-qippod). The term) ּגַם־קָאַ תְּגַם־קִפֹּד (see Lev 11:18; Deut 14:17) that was typically found near ruins (Isa 34:11); one of the most common translations is “owl” (cf. NEB “horned owl”; NIV, NRSV may also refer to a type of קִפֹּד desert owl”; contra NASB “pelican”). The term“ bird (cf. NEB “ruffed bustard”; NIV, NRSV “screech owl”). Some suggest a rodent may be in view (cf. NASB “hedgehog”); this is not unreasonable, for a rodent or some other small animal would be able to sleep in the tops of pillars which would be lying in the ruins of the fallen buildings.”1 The adverb gam means “also” or “as well as” since it is used in an adjunctive sense in that it introduces an addition to the previous prophetic declaration. The noun qāʾat is the name of a species of desert bird. Some argue that the word speaks of a “pelican” in this context but that is highly unlikely since Nineveh will be devoid of a water supply that will make it uninhabitable for this type of animal. Most expositors believe that it is referring to a “desert owl” here in Zephaniah 2:14. This would appear to be the best interpretation since they would be inclined to live in the tops of the pillars of an abandoned city. Once again we have the adverb gam which is again adjunctive meaning that is it presenting an addition to the noun qāʾat. The noun qippōd is often interpreted as referring to the “screech owl” by most of the modern English translations (LEB, NIV, TNIV, NLT, HCSB) and contemporary scholars. This makes the most sense of the context since they are described as lodging in the support pillars of Nineveh, which an owl would do. Some translate the word “hedgehog” or “porcupine” but as Patterson writes “such an identification is difficult on the basis of the words associated with swampland in Isa. 14:23 and with the list of birds in Isa. 34:11.”2

NEB The New English Bible (1970) NIV The New International Version NRSV New Revised Standard Version (1989) NASB New American Standard Bible NEB The New English Bible (1970) NIV The New International Version NRSV New Revised Standard Version (1989) NASB New American Standard Bible 1 Biblical Studies Press. (2005). The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible. Biblical Studies Press. 2 Patterson, Richard D., An Exegetical Commentary-Nahum, Habbakuk, Zephaniah; www.Bible.org; 2007.2

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The verb lîn is in the qal stem and means “to live” since it pertains to occupying a space during both the day and nighttime. Here it is used of both the screech and desert owl roosting in the support pillars of Nineveh. The qal stem of this verb is stative expressing a state or condition indicating that these owls will exist in the state of roosting in the support pillars of the city of Nineveh during the day and night as a result of God removing the human population from the city. The imperfect form of this verb describes this prophetic event taking place in the future in the city of Nineveh from the perspective of Zephaniah in the seventh century B.C. The noun kaptôr is in the plural and means “support pillars” since the word pertains to the top of an upright shaft as a building support to a building structure. The construct state of this noun means that it is governing the word which follows it and is expressing a genitive relation with this word which is the third person feminine singular pronominal suffix hîʾ, which “her” referring of course to the city of Nineveh. The genitive relation is possessing indicating that these support pillars “belong to” the city of Nineveh. The noun kaptôr is the object of the preposition b, which means “on” or “upon” since it functions as a marker of a position upon the surface of an object. Therefore, this prepositional phrase indicates that owls will roost “upon the support pillars” of the city of Nineveh.

Birds Will Sing in the Windows of Nineveh’s Deserted Buildings

2016 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 4 activity. Here it denotes the repeated activity of the sound of owls hooting at night in the windows of the abandoned buildings of Nineveh. The imperfect form of this verb describes this action taking place in the future in the city of Nineveh from the perspective of Zephaniah in the seventh century B.C. The noun ḥallôn means “the window” since the word pertains to an opening in a construction for purpose of passage of light, ventilation. Here it speaks of the windows of the abandoned buildings in Nineveh. The articular construction of this word distinguishes the window of a building from its other parts. This word is the object of the preposition b, “in” since the word is a marker of a position upon the surface of an object. Therefore, this prepositional phrase indicates that a sound of hooting will take place in the window of one of the many abandoned and destroyed buildings in the city of Nineveh.

Desolation on the Threshold

God Has Laid Bare the Cedar Work of Nineveh

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“For He has laid bare the cedar work” is composed of the following: (1) the cedar“ ,(אַרְ זָה) for” (2) feminine singular noun ʾarzâ“ ,(כִ י) conjunction kî work” (3) third person masculine singular piel active perfect form of the verb ʿārâ ”.He has laid bare“ ,(עָרָ ה) The conjunction kî means “even” since it is introducing an addition to the previous statement that rubble will be strewn on the thresholds of the buildings of Nineveh which is out of the ordinary or unexpected. The noun ʾarzâ means “cedar work” since it pertains to finished cedar for construction. Cedar is from the pine family and grows best in a high and dry region. Here it is used of the cedar work of Nineveh’s buildings. The average height of such cedars is about eighty-five feet, though some have measured over one hundred feet. The circumference of such trees may reach forty feet. It is not unusual for this tree’s horizontal spread of branches to equal its height. It is also common for this tree to spread its roots among the rocks and thus secure a stronghold. The Lebanon cedar in the Bible was used primarily in building. The verb ʿārâ is in the piel stem and means “to be exposed, to lay bare, to expose to the elements” since it pertains to having no covering on an object or person, with the implication or vulnerability, destruction or causing low status or humiliation. The third person masculine singular form of this verb means “He” since it is referring to the God of Israel. Therefore, this verb expresses the fact that God will expose to the elements the cedar work of the buildings of Nineveh. The piel stem of this verb is factitive meaning that the subject of the verb in the piel causes its direct object to enter the state that can be described by the same verb in the qal stem. The subject is the God of Israel and the object is the cedar work of the various buildings in Nineveh. Therefore, this stem indicates that the God of Israel will cause the cedar work of the various buildings in Nineveh to enter the state of being exposed to the elements. The perfect tense of this verb is a perfect of certitude or prophetic perfect which describes a future event as if it had already taken place. It expresses the certainty that God will cause the cedar work of the various buildings in Nineveh to be exposed to the elements.

Translation of Zephaniah 2:14

Zephaniah 2:14 Consequently, flocks and herds will lie down in her midst, each and every type of wild animal. Also, the desert owl as well as the screech owl will roost on her support pillars. There will be a sound of repeated hooting in the window, rubble on the threshold. He will even expose the cedar work to the elements. (Author’s translation)

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Exposition of Zephaniah 2:14

Zephaniah 2:14 contains a shocking prophetic description of the city of Nineveh as a result of the God of Israel judging her. The first description is the direct result of the previous prophetic declaration recorded at the end of Zephaniah 2:13 which asserts that the God of Israel will make Nineveh a desolation, a dry land like the desert. In Zephaniah 2:14, the prophet Zephaniah predicts that as a result of this judgment of the city, flocks and herds will lie down in the middle of Nineveh as well as every kind of wild animal. He also goes on to predict that the desert owl as well as the screech owl will roost on her support pillars. In conjunction with this, there will be a sound of repeated hooting in the windows of the buildings of Nineveh and rubble will cover the thresholds of these buildings. Lastly, Zephaniah asserts that God will expose the cedar work of these buildings to the elements. This cedar work was used for the elaborate wall and ceiling coverings of these buildings. This would be shocking to the reader in Zephaniah’s day that the beautiful elaborate wall and ceiling coverings of the various buildings of Nineveh will be exposed to the elements by God since she was thought to be impregnable. The once beautiful city would be destroyed, abandoned and left in ruins as a result of God judging the human population of this city for their unrepentant sinful lives. Those living in Zephaniah’s day in the seventh century B.C. would find this absolutely incredible because she was considered the greatest city in the Ancient Near East at the time. Therefore, Zephaniah 2:14 is predicting that Nineveh will be abandoned and destroyed as a direct result of this city being made a desolation. In other words, God will remove the human population from this city as a result of His judgment. This description in Zephaniah 2:14 makes clear that Nineveh would be completely destroyed and abandoned and left in ruins as a result of the God of Israel judging her for her unrepentant sinful behavior. History records the fulfillment of Zephaniah 2:13-14 since Nineveh was destroyed in 612 B.C. by the Babylonians. Nineveh was so completely destroyed that its very location was lost until rediscovered by modern archaeologists during the nineteenth century. The book of Nahum describes Nineveh’s destruction at the hands of the Babylonians in graphic detail. Nahum describes this city as a city of bloodshed. He along with Jonah describe city as evil and deserved to be destroyed by the Lord. Barker has an excellent comment, he writes “Like Ashkelon (2:7) and Moab and Ammon (2:9), Zephaniah described Nineveh after its fall as a wilderness area without inhabitants. Instead of a bustling metropolis with commerce and travel, the area would be a pastoral scene with flocks and herds grazing where a large population had once resided. Creatures of every kind would roam over the area

2016 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 7 once known as Nineveh.3 ‘Humankind holds its tenure on the earth only by holy obedience.’4 Zephaniah pictured the grandeur of Nineveh as being in ruins with the desert owl and the screech owl roosting on the once magnificent columns of the palatial city.5 The picture, of course, is of the columns overturned with animals lodging among them. In the mind of the hearer, Zephaniah portrayed a deserted city, inhabited only by wild animals whose calls6 echo through the empty buildings7 of the once proud city. ‘The environment was destroyed in verse 13, all human achievement follows in verse 14.’8 Berlin explains that the Assyria oracle is more elaborate than the others in this section not only because we are reaching the climax of the prophecy, but because Assyrian cities and buildings were, indeed, more elaborate than anything that Philistia or Moab had to offer. Our verse reflects the reality of Assyrian palaces, with an ironic twist. They did contain beams and paneling of cedar and other types of wood; and, in addition to the huge statues of winged bulls and lions, and the ever-present reliefs of victorious campaigns, there were, especially in the time of Ashurbanipal when this art form reached its peak, reliefs of hunting scenes depicting many animals.… It is as if Zephaniah is playing on the artistic menagerie in Assyrian palaces and turning it into a vision of destruction and ruin.9 In such a vivid way, Zephaniah prophesied the end of Nineveh and the hope of Judah. With Nineveh on the wane and destined to destruction, Josiah and his godly advisors could proceed with their plans to reform the society of Judah, beginning with the temple in Jerusalem. Zephaniah’s words, like those of Nahum, must have encouraged those who mourned over the ruin of Judah and the apostasy in Jerusalem. With Nineveh out of the way, Josiah could continue to call for the renewal of the nation.”10

3 For “creatures of every kind” the MT reads “all the beasts of the nations.” The KJV follows the MT, while the RSV apparently follows the reading of the Tg., using the phrase “beast of the field.” The LXX (cited in BHS) also gives a reading similar to that found in the RSV. The NIV serves ּגֹוי reading seems to understand the phrase to refer to the different species of animals or those that live in flocks or herds. Berlin notes that as a play on the word’s use in v. 11 and exhibits irony in seeing Assyria “overrun by other nations’ wildlife” (Zephaniah, 115). 4 Motyer, “Zephaniah,” 3:937. 5 Both words are uncertain in meaning as can be seen by comparing versions. The “desert owl” (NIV) is referred to variously as a “cormorant” (a water bird, KJV), “vulture” (RSV), “pelican” (RV), “horned owl” (NEB), or “screech owl” (NASB). Clark and Hatton (Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah, 178), citing the use of the word as an unclean bird in Lev 11:18 and Deut 14:17 and as inhabiting deserted places in Ps 102:6 and Isa 34:11, think that some kind of owl best fits the usage found in the Old Testament. The second word (“screech owl”) presents a similar conundrum. The translations present a variety of different animals: “bittern” (KJV), “hedgehog” (RSV), “porcupine” (RV), “bustard” (REB), and “desert owl” (NASB). For purposes of translation, the “screech owl” may be the best choice since the animal connotes the idea of a ruined and deserted area, exactly the idea that Zephaniah wanted to convey. For additional discussion of this issue see Clark and Hatton, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah, 178–79. NIV “calls,” as an interjection and ,קֹול Patterson describes the textual problems of v. 14 (Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, 355). He takes 6 translates (p. 351): Listen! (There is) singing in the window (but) rubble on the threshold.” Contrast the conclusions of Roberts (Nahum, .is a great owl that hoots קֹול Habakkuk, and Zephaniah, 194), whose extended note concludes that 7 The last line of the verse has baffled translators and text critics. Roberts (Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah, 203) simply concludes that “both the text and the translation are uncertain.” Exquisite cedar panels or carvings or other architectural masterpieces that had lined the majestic Assyrian temples and palaces would lie on the ground exposed to the wind and the rain and the scorching heat. 8 Motyer, “Zephaniah,” 937. 9 Berlin, Zephaniah, 116. 10 Barker, K. L. (1999). Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah (Vol. 20, pp. 466–467). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

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Zephaniah 2:15

The Exultant City

Zephaniah 2:15 This is the exultant city which dwells securely, who says in her heart, “I am, and there is no one besides me.” How she has become a desolation, a resting place for beasts! Everyone who passes by her will hiss and wave his hand in contempt. (NASB95) “This is the exultant city which dwells securely” is composed of the this” (2) articular feminine“ ,(זֹּאת) following: (1) demonstrative pronoun zōʾt the city” (3) articular feminine singular form of the“ ,(עִ יר) singular noun ʿîr exultant” (4) articular feminine qal active participle form of“ ,(עַלִיז) adjective ʿallîz which is not translated ,( לְ) which dwells” (5) preposition l“ ,(יָשַ ב) the verb yāšab ”.securely“ ,(בֶטַח) masculine singular noun beṭaḥ (6) Zephaniah is employing the figure of asyndeton in order to emphasize his first statement here in verse 15 regarding the city of Nineveh. It is designed to draw attention to this statement which speaks of the arrogance of her people which serves as an indictment against. This arrogance is the reason why the God of Israel will judge her inhabitants if they don’t repent. So the figure of asyndeton serves to highlight the arrogance of the Ninevites which serves as the basis for the proclamation of judgment against her inhabitants. The demonstrative pronoun zōʾt means “this” and is anaphoric meaning it is pointing back to the description of Nineveh in Zephaniah 2:14 which asserts that this city will be devoid of human beings as a result of God’s judgment. At this point in Zephaniah 2:15, the writer is using the figure of ellipsis meaning that he is deliberately omitting the third person feminine singular qal will be,” although it is clearly“ ,(הָיָה) active imperfect form of the verb hāyâ implied by the context. The verb hāyâ means “to be” in the sense of existing in a particular state or condition. Here it is used in relation to the city of Nineveh and specifically the state of the city described in Zephaniah 2:14 after God judges her. Therefore, this verb is indicating that this city will “exist in the state of being” deserted by human beings and destroyed as described in verse 14. The qal stem is stative expressing a state or condition indicating that Nineveh will “exist in the state of being” devoid of human beings and in ruins. The imperfect conjugation of this verb describes this state as one that will exist in the future if the people of this city don’t repent. The noun ʿîr means “city” referring to a population center enclosed by a wall. The articular construction of this noun is anaphoric meaning that this word refers to the desolate city described in Zephaniah 2:14. It is modified by the adjective

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ʿallîz which means “rejoicing, reveling” since the word pertains to a state or great joy and so exultant. It speaks of noisy partying and merrymaking. The articular construction of the adjective indicates that the city of Nineveh was well-known for its rejoicing or revelry. The article also functions as a relative pronoun phrase and should be translated “which is.” The verb yāšab means “to inhabit, to live in, to dwell in” since it pertains to being in a place for any period of time usually implying a longer amount of time. The articular construction of this word functions as a relative pronoun and should be rendered “which” since the article functions as a substantiver meaning it is converting this verb into a substantive. This verb is modified by the preposition l whose object is the masculine singular noun beṭaḥ, which means “confidence, security, safety” since it pertains to the belief or feeling or conviction of safety and security. It is used of course in relation to the people of Nineveh and their conviction or belief that they were safe and secure and expresses their confidence in their seemingly impregnable city in the seventh century B.C. and their military which dominated the Mediterranean and Mesopotamian regions of the world for two centuries. So in other words, it speaks of the self-confidence of these people. The preposition l is a marker of manner indicating that the idea expressed by the noun beṭaḥ is the manner in which the people of Nineveh dwelled in the city or lived their lives. Therefore, this prepositional phrase affirms that the citizens of Nineveh dwelled self-confidently or in a confident manner when Zephaniah published this prophecy. The qal stem of this verb yāšab is stative expressing the self-confident state of the people living in Nineveh.

Nineveh’s Boast

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The verb ʾāmar means “to say” with emphasis on the content to follow. Here the word is used of the people of Nineveh in Zephaniah’s day in the seventh century B.C. speaking in their hearts to themselves. The word speaks of talking to themselves. The participle form of this verb is functioning as a substantive participle which is indicated by the word’s articular construction which functions as a substantiver meaning the article is converting this verb into a substantive. The article is functioning also as a relative pronoun and should be translated “who, those who.” The qal stem is fientive expressing the action of the people of Nineveh speaking in their hearts to themselves and expressing their conviction that their city was incomparable among the cities of the world at that time. The noun lēbāb refers to the “hearts” of the people of Nineveh in the seventh century B.C. and denotes that aspect of their souls, which circulates their thoughts or mental activity and is where their frame of reference and memory center resides. It is also the place where their vocabulary and the classification of their thoughts reside as well as the conscience where their norms and standards reside. It is where their thoughts circulated and was the place where their subconscious resided where various categories of things that shock or impress from adversity, sin, failure or disappointment are located. Also, it contains their volition, which they used to make their decisions to oppose God. This noun lēbāb is modified by the third person feminine singular pronominal suffix hîʾ, which means “her” referring to the people of Nineveh living during the seventh century B.C. This noun is also the object of the preposition b, which is functioning as a marker of location indicating that the hearts of the people of Nineveh was the place where they were saying to themselves that their city was incomparable in relation to other cities of the earth at that time. The first person singular independent personal pronoun ʾǎnî means “as for me” since it functions as a nominative absolute. This word is used with reference to Nineveh and specifically her citizens living during the seventh century B.C. The conjunction w is emphatic meaning it is used to mark with emphasis the declarative statement to follow which the people of Nineveh expressed in their hearts to themselves. At this point in Zephaniah 2:15, the writer is using the figure of ellipsis meaning that he is deliberately omitting the third person feminine singular qal although it is clearly implied by the ,(הָיָה) active imperfect form of the verb hāyâ context. The verb hāyâ means “to be” in the sense of existing in a particular state or condition and is used in a comparison between Nineveh and other cities of the

2016 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 11 world in the seventh century B.C. Therefore, this verb indicates that absolutely no city exists in the state or condition of being like Nineveh in the seventh century B.C. The qal stem is stative expressing a state or condition indicating that in the minds of the people of Nineveh absolutely no city “existed in the state of being” their city. The imperfect conjugation of this verb is iterative expressing a state or condition indicating that in the minds of the people of Nineveh absolutely no city on earth “existed in the state or condition” of being like their city. The noun ʾepes speaks of non-existence and expresses the idea that there is no city in existence that is like the city of Nineveh. It emphatically expresses non- existence indicating that the people of Nineveh said in their hearts that there was absolutely no city on the face of the earth that can be compared to their city. Once again, we have the first person singular independent personal pronoun ʾǎnî, which means “me” referring to the city of Nineveh but this time the word is used as a marker affirmation and should be rendered “yes, indeed.” The adverb ʿôd means “no other” and is used in a comparative sense meaning it is comparing the cities of the world to Nineveh in the seventh century B.C.

Desolate City

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The qal stem is stative expressing a state or condition and here it is the city of Nineveh entering into the state or condition of being desolate. The perfect conjugation of this verb is speaks of a present state resulting from a previously completed action. Here it speaks of the desolate state of Nineveh after being judged by the God of Israel. The noun šĕmāmâ means “desolation” since the word pertains to a state of utter ruin often relating to uninhabitable land as a sparsely populated area. It is the object of the preposition l which is marking this word as the state or condition that is the result of the action of the verb hāyâ. Therefore, this prepositional phrase is expressing the desolate state or condition of the city of Nineveh after receiving God’s judgment. The noun marbēṣ means “resting place, lair, shelter” since it pertains to a covered resting place or sheltered area for wild animals. Here it speaks of Nineveh becoming a resting place for wild animals rather than human beings after her human inhabitants have been judged by God. The noun ḥayyâ means “wild animal, wild beast” and is a general term for all types of wild animals. The articular construction of this word is anaphoric meaning that is indicating that this word was used in Zephaniah 2:14 and here in verse 15 it is retaining the same meaning and referent. The word is the object of the preposition l which is a marker of advantage indicating that Nineveh would become a resting place “for the benefit of” wild animals.

Contempt for Nineveh

2016 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 13 get the reader to meditate upon what would be a shocking statement to the people in Zephaniah’s day in the seventh century B.C. The noun kōl means “everyone” and denotes totality speaking of human beings. The verb ʿābar is in the qal stem and means “to pass, to come to pass” since it is a temporal marker of the passing of a duration of time. Its subject are human beings with reference to their race or gender. It is used in relation to the city of Nineveh after she has been judged by God. Therefore, this verb speaks of everyone who “passes” by Nineveh’s ruins. The qal stem of this verb is fientive expressing an action. Here it refers to the act of people who pass by the ruins of Nineveh. The participle form of this verb indicates simultaneous action with the verb šāraq which would indicate that everyone who passes by the ruins of Nineveh will simultaneously shake their fist in contempt of her. The third person feminine singular pronominal suffix hîʾ means “her” and refers to the city of Nineveh. It is the object of the preposition ʿǎl, which means “by, near” since it functions as a marker of proximity speaking of people who travel within close proximity of Nineveh after she was judged by God. The verb šāraq is used in Scripture to describe the reaction displayed by those who pass by the ruins of a once great city or power, either a hiss or a whistle. Hissing (or whistling) was one of the ways of taunting a defeated foe or an object of derision in the culture of the time. Here the word is used of people whistling as they pass by the ruins of Nineveh. The qal stem of this verb is fientive expressing the action of people hissing as they pass by the ruins of Nineveh. The imperfect conjugation of this verb refers to a completed action as part of a temporal sequence. It is expressing this action of people hissing as they pass by the ruins of Nineveh as taking place in the future from the perspective of Zephaniah in the seventh century B.C. The verb nûaʿ means “to shake” since it pertains to a back and forth non-linear movement with one’s fist. The word’s direct object is the noun yād, which means “fist” since it pertains to shape of the hand when the fingers are clenched together doubled into the palm and the thumb doubled inward across the fingers. The construct state of this noun means that it is governing the word which follows it and is expressing a genitive relation with this word which is the third person which means “their” referring to ,(הּוא) masculine singular pronominal suffix hû people without reference to their gender, race or identity. Therefore, this verb nûaʿ speaks of people shaking their fist when traveling by the ruins of Nineveh after she has been judged by God. Like whistling, shaking one’s fist was one of the ways of taunting a defeated foe or an object of derision in the culture of the time. Here the word is used of people shaking their fist as they pass by the ruins of Nineveh.

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The imperfect conjugation of this verb refers to a completed action as part of a temporal sequence. It is expressing this action of people shaking their fists as they pass by the ruins of Nineveh as taking place in the future from the perspective of Zephaniah in the seventh century B.C. The hiphil stem of this verb is causative meaning the subject of this verb causes the direct object to do the action describe by that verb in the qal. Here the subject is people passing by the ruins of Nineveh after she has been judged by God. The direct object of this verb are the fists of these people. Therefore, the hiphil stem of this verb indicates that these people as the subject will cause their fists to be shaken back and forth as they pass by the ruins of Nineveh.

Translation of Zephaniah 2:15

Zephaniah 2:15 This will be the condition of the city which is well-known for revelry, which dwells self-confidently, who says within her heart, “As for me, absolutely no one compares, yes indeed, no one compares!” How, she has become a desolation, a resting place for wild animals. Everyone who passes by her will hiss and shake their fist. (Author’s translation)

Exposition of Zephaniah 2:15

Zephaniah 2:15 completes the prophecy regarding Nineveh which began in Zephaniah 2:13. It begins by affirming the prophecy in Zephaniah 2:14. Therefore, it begins by affirming for emphasis the prophecy that flocks and herds will lie down in the midst of Nineveh with each as well as every type of wild animal. It also affirms that the desert and screech owl will roost on her support pillars. It also affirms that there will be the sound of hooting of these owls in the windows of the city and that there will be rubble on thresholds of her buildings. Lastly, it affirms that God will even expose the beautiful cedar work of these buildings to the elements. Then, the prophet Zephaniah gives us a description of the people of Nineveh in his day and age. He asserts that the city was well-known in his day for revelry. We would say that they partied a lot. He then asserts that the inhabitants of the city were self-confident. Assyria was the super-power for two centuries and Nineveh was her capital city when Zephaniah penned this prophecy. It was unthinkable that anyone could defeat Assyria and destroy her beautiful capital city since many were of the conviction that the former could not be defeated on the battlefield and the latter was considered impregnable. Hannah writes “The city was quite large, having with its suburban areas a circumference of 60 miles and a population of at least 120,000 (cf. comments on

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Jonah 3:3; 4:11). In addition to an extensive outer wall there was an inner wall with an 8-mile circumference, 50 feet thick and 100 feet high. Between the two walls was enough farmland to support the huge population. Nineveh’s claim (there is none besides me) was no idle boast! For approximately 200 years she was superior in strength to any other city of her time. An attack on the outer wall, begun in 614 B.C. by the Medes and Babylonians, was initially withstood by the Ninevites, but a combination of trickery by the attackers, carelessness by the attacked, and a natural disaster, finally brought victory to the attackers (cf. Nahum 1:10; 2:3–5; 3:11). The great inner wall collapsed because of an unexpected deluge that swelled the Tigris River in a normally dry season of the year and inundated the wall. Thus the city was unexpectedly defeated (cf. Nahum 1:8; 2:6–8; 3:12).”11 Zephaniah states that the people said in their hearts to themselves that they were incomparable. They were of the conviction that there was no city in the world like them. They were of the conviction that they were superior to the people of others cities in the world. Thus, this assertion expresses their arrogance as a people. Consequently, God judged them as a people. Elwell writes “The fall of Nineveh is sarcastically portrayed by a hyperbolic description of its greatness (v. 15). By exaggerating the greatness of Nineveh, its fall is heightened. Nineveh represents the Assyrian Empire. The treasures and booty from conquered nations came to Nineveh and enriched the empire. Because Nineveh had been the capital of the Assyrian Empire for more than one hundred years, its citizens imagined the empire was secure. Zephaniah speaks of the city in its fancied security. Nineveh represented a totalitarian regime where the king was called the ‘shepherd’ of his people. He embodied the divine destiny of the empire. The unique position of the Assyrian king and the pride in their way of life was idolatrous from God’s perspective. The prophet sarcastically personifies Nineveh by proclaiming its divine status. For Judah, the phrase I am, and there is none besides me (v. 15a) was a confession of the unique and exclusive claim of Yahweh (cf. Isa. 43:10; 44:6; 45:5, 18, 21–22; 46:9).”12 In the Scriptures, pride is a great evil because it involves pretending to a greatness and glory that belongs rightly to God alone. It is condemned as evil (1 Samuel 15:23; Proverbs 21:4; James 4:16; cf. Mark 7:22-23; Romans 1:29-30; 2 Corinthians 12:20; 2 Timothy 3:1-2; 1 John 2:16). It is a characteristic of Satan (Ezekiel 28:2; 1 Timothy 3:6; cf. 2 Thessalonians 2:4, the antichrist) There are warnings about pride in the book of Proverbs (Proverbs 16:5, 18; cf. Proverbs 3:7, 34; 6:16-17; 11:2; 25:6-7, 27; 26:12; 27:1; 29:23) as well as

11 Hannah, J. D. (1985). Zephaniah. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 1531). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books. 12 Elwell, W. A. (1995). Evangelical Commentary on the Bible (Vol. 3, Zep 2:13). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.

2016 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 16 elsewhere in Scripture (Psalm 119:21; cf. Leviticus 26:19). God is said to be opposed to the proud (1 Peter 5:5; James 4:6; Proverbs 3:34). Arrogance is an attitude of the heart (Mark 7:21-22; cf. Job 35:12; Psalm 10:2- 11; 73:3-12; 86:14; 94:3-7; Malachi 3:15; Romans 1:28-31). It arises from self- confidence (Isaiah 9:9-10; Daniel 4:29-30; Revelation 18:7; cf. Exodus 15:9; 1 Kings 20:11; 2 Kings 14:10; 2 Chronicles 25:19; Isaiah 28:15; Ezekiel 16:49; Hosea 12:8; Habakkuk 2:4-5; Luke 18:9; Acts 8:9-10; 2 Peter 2:10-12). Arrogance expresses itself in words (Psalm 17:10; 119:51; James 3:5; cf. 1 Samuel 2:3; Psalm 31:18; 119:69; 123:4; Proverbs 17:7; 21:24; Jeremiah 43:1-2). Arrogance is essentially rebellion against God (Deuteronomy 1:43; 1 Samuel 15:23; cf. Nehemiah 9:16-17,29; Job 36:8-9; Psalm 5:5; 119:85; Hosea 5:4-5; 7:10; Zephaniah 3:1-4). It may even be found in the church (2 Corinthians 12:20; cf. 1 Corinthians 4:18; 1 Timothy 6:17). The Christian should reject arrogance (Proverbs 8:13; Jeremiah 9:23-24; cf. Jeremiah 13:15; Romans 11:20; 1 Corinthians 1:28-31; 4:7; 13:4; Ephesians 2:8-9). God punishes the arrogant whether they are a believer or a non-believer (Isaiah 2:17-18; Exodus 18:11; 1 Samuel 15:23). On the other hand, humility is viewing ourselves from God’s perspective meaning we are sinners saved by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ and expresses itself in obedience to the Father’s will, which manifests itself in loving and serving others. It expresses itself in putting others ahead of yourself. The people of Nineveh in the prophet Zephaniah’s day had a distorted view of themselves and were not viewing themselves from God’s perspective which is that they were creatures of God and subordinate to Him. Humility is the antithesis to arrogance. It is a mental attitude. Humility is characterized by obedience to the will of God. The humble believer will imitate the Lord Jesus Christ’s servant mentality and as a result perform acts of service for both God and man. Christian service demands humility, which is the antithesis to arrogance. The people of Nineveh in the prophet Zephaniah’s day did not have a servant’s mentality but rather were rebellious and were disobedient to the will of God which forbids idolatry. Romans 2:14-15 teaches that every human being including the Ninevites of Zephaniah’s day knew inherently that they were wrong for worshipping images and false gods since this passage teaches that every human being has inherently the Ten Commandments in their soul. God commands humility (Micah 6:8; James 4:10; 1 Peter 3:8; cf. Exodus 10:3; Proverbs 16:19; Isaiah 57:15; 58:5; Zephaniah 2:3; Luke 14:9-11; Romans 12:3; 1 Corinthians 1:28; Ephesian 4:2; Colossians 3:12; Titus 3:2; James 3:13; 1 Peter 5:5). He promotes the humble (Luke 1:52; cf. 2 Samuel 7:8; 1 Kings 14:7). Believers should humble themselves before God (2 Chronicles 7:14; 1 Peter 5:6; cf. 2 Samuel 22:28). Humility is linked with repentance (1 Kings 21:29; 2

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Kings 22:19; 2 Chronicles 12:6-7, 12; 30:11; 33:12,19; 34:27). Humility is also linked with God’s favor (Psalm 18:27; 25:9; 138:6; 147:6; 149:4; Proverbs 3:34; 18:12; James 4:6; Isaiah 29:19; 38:15; 57:15; Proverbs 15:33; 22:4; Psalm 35:13; Jeremiah 44:10). A lack of humility is the direct result of disobedience. God humbles His people to renew and restore them (Psalm 44:9; cf. Leviticus 26:41; Deuteronomy 8:2, 16; 1 Kings 11:39; 2 Chronicles 28:19; Psalm 107:39; Isaiah 9:1; 2 Corinthians 12:21). He humbles the proud (Luke 18:14; cf. 1 Samuel 2:7; Isaiah 2:11,17; 5:15; 13:11; 23:9; 25:11; 26:5; Daniel 4:37). In the book of Zephaniah, we see God announcing that He will humble the people of Nineveh in Zephaniah’s day which He accomplished through Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylonian army and a coalition of other nations such as the Medes. There are many outstanding examples of humble people in the Bible (Genesis 32:10 Jacob; Genesis 41:16 Joseph; Numbers 12:3 Moses; 1 Samuel 9:21 Saul; 1 Samuel 18:18; 2 Samuel 7:18 David; 1 Kings 3:7 Solomon; Daniel 2:30 Daniel; Matthew 3:14 John the Baptist; Luke 1:43 Elizabeth; Luke 1:48 Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ; Paul: 1 Timothy 1:15; Acts 20:19). There is also of course the example of Jesus Christ (Philippians 2:5-8; cf. Isaiah 53:3-5,7-8; Zechariah 9:9; Matthew 21:5; John 12:15; Matthew 11:29; 20:28; Luke 22:26-27; John 13:4; 2 Corinthians 8:9). Proverbs 11:2 When pride comes, then comes dishonor, but with the humble is wisdom. (NASB95) Proverbs 15:33 The fear of the LORD is the instruction for wisdom, and before honor comes humility. (NASB95) Proverbs 18:12 Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, but humility goes before honor. (NASB95) Matthew 23:10-12 “And do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ. 11 But the greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 And whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.” (NASB95) Humility is subordinating ones’ self-interest to the best interests of others. The incarnate Son of God Jesus Christ became a human being and died a substitutionary spiritual and physical death on the cross in the interests of sinful humanity (John 13:1-17). Humility is expressed by the believer who regards his fellow believer more highly than himself and subordinates his interests to the best interests of his fellow believer (Philippians 2:3-4). When a believer regards his fellow believer more highly than himself he is imitating the humility of the Lord Jesus Christ who subordinated His interests to the best interests of sinners. If Christ subordinated His interests to the best interests of all believers by becoming a human being and dying a substitutionary spiritual and physical death on the cross, then the Christian is obligated to operate this way

2016 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 18 towards his fellow believer. The believer, who regards his fellow believer more highly than himself and thus subordinates his interests to the best interests of his fellow believer is not only humble but also has a servant’s mentality. In Zephaniah 2:15, the prophet Zephaniah then speaks of the desolation of Nineveh from the perspective that it has already taken place by expressing the shock that she has become a desolation and a resting place for wild animals. This echoes his statements in verse 14. Interestingly, there is irony in this statement in that one of the principle leisure activities of Assyrian royalty was hunting. Now, the animals that were hunted by Assyrian royalty are dwelling in their homes. He then concludes this description of Nineveh by asserting that every person who passes by her after she has been judged by God will hiss and shake their fist at her in contempt. History records the fulfillment of Zephaniah 2:13-15 since Nineveh was destroyed in 612 B.C. by a Babylonian-Mede coalition. Nineveh was so completely destroyed that its very location was lost until rediscovered by modern archaeologists during the nineteenth century. Wiersbe writes “Since the predictions about the destruction of these nations have all come true, isn’t it reasonable to assume that Zephaniah’s other predictions will also be fulfilled? Each of these local invasions and conquests was a precursor of the end times Day of the Lord, which will come upon the whole world. But when the Day of the Lord has run its course, Israel will be delivered, and the Lord will establish His glorious kingdom on the earth. In the last chapter of his prophecy, Zephaniah explains how the Day of the Lord will relate to this promised kingdom.”13 Barker writes “Nineveh prided itself in its security and wealth. For generations the Assyrian army brought goods to Nineveh. The city enjoyed the spoils of war brought from conquered peoples. No one could remember a time of trouble, poverty, or insecurity. The city that would be destroyed and inhabited only by the beasts of the earth was this same city—a city of pride, one that dwelt securely. In pride the inhabitants of Nineveh said: ‘I am and there is none else.’ ‘These words claim a status of absolute power and complete independence that in no way properly characterizes finite humanity.… Such arrogant, self-centered blasphemy can only lead to ruin.’14 The people of Judah must have thought of the words of the Lord when they heard these words. Repeatedly in the books of Deuteronomy and Isaiah we are told that, “the Lord is God; there is no other besides him” (Deut 4:35; see also Isa 45:5). In the days of Isaiah, God had promised to punish the arrogance of Assyria. Though the Lord used the Assyrian as the rod of his anger, he also promised to punish Assyria because of such arrogance. ‘When the Lord has

13 Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be concerned (p. 128). Colorado Springs, CO: Chariot Victor. 14 J. N. B. Heflin, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, and Haggai, BSC (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1985), 145.

2016 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 19 finished all his work against Mount Zion and Jerusalem, he will say, ‘I will punish the king of Assyria for the willful pride of his heart and haughty look in his eyes” (Isa 10:12).’”15 Therefore, we can see that Zephaniah 2:13-15 describes the God of Israel as the judge of Assyria and Nineveh her capital city (Zeph. 2; 3:1-7). He has authority to judge since He is the creator. The Scriptures teach of God’s status as judge (Psalm 75:7; cf. Psalm 50:6; 76:8-9; Ecclesiastes 11:9; Isaiah 33:22; 66:16; 2 Timothy 4:8; Hebrews 12:23; James 4:12). God also decides disputes (Judges 11:27; cf. Genesis 16:5; 31:53; 1 Samuel 24:15; Isaiah 2:4; Micah 4:3; James 5:9). He presides in the heavenly court in the third heaven (Isaiah 3:13; cf. Psalm 50:4; 82:1; Daniel 7:9- 10; Joel 3:12; Revelation 20:11-15). God is judge over the whole of creation. He judges the inhabitants of the earth (Genesis 18:25; cf. Psalm 9:8; 58:11; 82:8; 94:2; 96:13; 98:9). God judges every individual (Ezekiel 33:20; cf. Ecclesiastes 3:17; Hebrews 9:27; 1 Peter 4:5; Jude 15; Revelation 20:12). He judges the nations (Joel 3:12; cf. Psalm 9:19-20; 110:6; Obadiah 15; Zephaniah 3:8). God judges rulers of nations (Isaiah 40:23; Jeremiah 25:17-27; Revelation 6:15-17). He also judges His own people in the sense that He disciplines them as His children (Hebrews 10:30; cf. Deuteronomy 32:36; Psalm 78:62; Jeremiah 1:16; 1 Peter 4:17). God will judge the fallen angels (2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6). He judges Satan (Genesis 3:14-15; Matthew 25:41; 1 Timothy 3:6; Revelation 20:10). God’s judgment is inescapable in that no one can hide from Him (Obadiah 4; cf. Genesis 3:8-9; Job 11:20; Jeremiah 11:11; Amos 9:1-4). He searches human hearts (Jeremiah 17:10; cf. 1 Chronicles 28:9; Psalm 7:9; Proverbs 5:21; Jeremiah 11:20). God reveals secrets (Romans 2:16; cf. Ecclesiastes 12:14; Jeremiah 16:17; 1 Corinthians 4:5; Hebrews 4:13). God judged the inhabitants of the antediluvian period by sending a world-wise flood (Genesis 6:7, 13, 17; 7:21-23). He has judged individuals both believers and unbelievers (Genesis 4:9-12 Cain; Acts 5:3-10 Ananias and Sapphira; Acts 13:8-11 Elymas the sorcerer). He judged families (Joshua 7:24-25 of Achan; 1 Samuel 3:12-13 of Eli). He has judged cities (Genesis 19:24-25 Sodom and Gomorrah; Joshua 6:24 Jericho). He has judged nations (Deuteronomy 7:1-5 the Canaanite nations). He has judged rulers of nations (2 Chronicles 26:16-21 Uzziah; Daniel 4:31-33 Nebuchadnezzar; Daniel 5:22-30 Belshazzar; Acts 12:22-23 Herod). God judges His own people (Judges 2:11-15; 2 Chronicles 36:15-20; Isaiah 33:22). God reveals His holy character through His righteous judgments. By judging men and angels He reveals his sovereignty (Psalm 9:7; 96:10; 99:4; Ezekiel 6:14), His power (Exodus 6:6; 14:31; Ezekiel 20:33-36; Revelation 18:8), His holiness (Leviticus 10:1-3; 1 Samuel 6:19-20; Ezekiel 28:22; Revelation 16:5), His

15 Barker, K. L. (1999). Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah (Vol. 20, pp. 467–468). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

2016 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 20 righteous indignation (Nahum 1:2-3; Romans 2:5), His truth (Psalm 96:13; Romans 2:2; Revelation 16:7), His impartiality (2 Chronicles 19:7; Romans 2:9- 11; Colossians 3:25; 1 Peter 1:17), His compassion (Lamentations 3:31-33; Hosea 11:8-9; John 3:10; 4:2), His patience (Numbers 14:18; Nehemiah 9:30; 2 Peter 3:9), and His mercy (Nehemiah 9:31; Job 9:15; Psalm 78:38; Micah 7:18). God the Father has awarded power and authority over all creation and every creature to the incarnate Son of God, Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ, because of His substitutionary spiritual and physical deaths on the cross (Phil. 2:5-11). Because the Lord Jesus Christ controls history as sovereign ruler of history, He has the authority to conduct the following judgments and evaluations in the future. The humanity of Christ in hypostatic union has been awarded the sovereign rulership over the entire cosmos for His voluntary substitutionary spiritual death on the cross and as a result has been awarded by God the Father the power and authority to preside over and conduct the following judgments: (1) Bema Seat Evaluation: Takes place at the Rapture of the Church and is the evaluation of the Church Age believer’s life after salvation (Rom. 14:10; 1 Cor. 3:11-15; 2 Cor. 5:10; 1 John 2:24). (2) Israel: Takes place at the Second Advent and is the removing unregenerate Israel from the earth leaving only regenerate Israel to enter into the Millennial reign of Christ (Ezek. 20:37-38; Zech. 13:8-9; Mal. 3:2-3, 5; Matt. 25:1- 30). (3) Gentiles: Takes place at the Second Advent and is for the purpose of removing unregenerate, anti-Semitic Gentiles from the earth (Matt. 25:31-46). (4) Fallen Angels: Takes place at the end of the appeal trial of Satan which runs co- terminus with human history and is execution of Satan and the fallen angels sentence for the pre-historic rebellion against God (1 Cor. 6:3; 2 Pet. 2:4; Jude 6; Rev. 20:10). (5) Great White Throne: Takes place at the end of human history and is the judgment of all unregenerate humanity in human history for the rejection of Christ as Savior (Rev. 20:11-15). The following groups of regenerate human beings throughout human history will be subjected to a eschatological compulsory evaluation that the victorious, resurrected incarnate Son of God as Sovereign Ruler of the entire cosmos will conduct: (1) OT saints in heaven who lived during the dispensation of the Gentiles (Adam to the Exodus). (2) OT saints in heaven that lived during the dispensation of Israel (Exodus to 1st Advent). (3) All Church Age believers (Day of Pentecost to the Rapture). (4) Regenerate Jews who will live during the Tribulation (Post- Rapture to the Second Advent). (5) Regenerate Gentiles who will live during the Tribulation (Post-Rapture to the Second Advent). (6) Regenerate Jews and Gentiles who will live during the Millennial reign of Christ (Second Advent to Gog and Magog Rebellion). The following groups of unregenerate human beings throughout human history will be subjected to a eschatological compulsory judgment that the resurrected

2016 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 21 incarnate Son of God as Sovereign Ruler of the entire cosmos will conduct: (1) Unbelievers who lived during the dispensation of the Gentiles (Adam to the Exodus). (2) Unbelievers who lived during the dispensation of the Jews (Exodus to the 1st Advent). (3) Unbelievers who lived during the Church Age (Day of Pentecost to Rapture). (4) Unbelievers who lived during the Tribulation (Post- Rapture to Second Advent). (5) Unbelievers who lived during the Millennium (Second Advent to Gog Rebellion). All fallen angels including Satan himself have already been subjected to a judgment before human history but the execution of that sentence has been delayed because the Supreme Court of Heaven granted Satan and the fallen angels an appeal trial, which runs co-terminus with human history. The elect angels do not come under judgment for the very same reason that regenerate human beings don’t come under judgment because they have exercised personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation. Every regenerate human being in every dispensation of human history must at some point in the future submit to an evaluation of their lives after salvation which will be conducted by the resurrected and sovereign humanity of Christ in hypostatic union. Regenerate Israel who lived during the Age of Israel and Tribulation period will evaluated at the Second Advent (Ezek. 20:37-38; Zech. 13:8-9; Mal. 3:2-3, 5; Matt. 25:1-30). Regenerate Gentiles who lived during the Age of the Gentiles and Tribulation period will be evaluated at the Second Advent (Matt. 25:31-46). Church Age believers will be evaluated at the Bema Seat Evaluation of Christ (Rom. 14:10; 1 Cor. 3:11-15; 2 Cor. 5:10; 1 John 2:24). Regenerate Jews and Gentiles who lived during the Millennium will be subjected to a judgment at the conclusion of human history (Rev. 20:15). Every unregenerate human being in every dispensation of human history must submit to a judgment, which will also be conducted by the resurrected and sovereign incarnate Son of God at the Great White Throne Judgment (Rev. 20:11- 15). Every fallen angel has already been judged and sentenced to the Lake of Fire by the Supreme Court of Heaven before human history. The execution of that sentence will not be carried out until the conclusion of the appeal trial of Satan and the fallen angels (Rev. 20:10). Zephaniah 2:13-15 also describes the God of Israel as sovereign over Assyria and her capital city, Nineveh. The term “sovereignty” connotes a situation in which a person, from his innate dignity, exercises supreme power, with no areas of his province outside his jurisdiction. As applied to God, the term “sovereignty” indicates His complete power over all of creation, so that He exercises His will absolutely, without any necessary conditioning by a finite will or wills.

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Isaiah 40:15 Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and are regarded as a speck of dust on the scales; Behold, He lifts up the islands like fine dust. (NASB95) Isaiah 40:17 All the nations are as nothing before Him, they are regarded by Him as less than nothing and meaningless. (NASB95) Daniel 2:19 Next in a vision during the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel. Then Daniel showered the God of the heavens with adoring praise, honor, recognition and worshipful thanksgiving. 20 Daniel responded and said: “God has had His name showered with adoring praise, honor, recognition and worshipful thanksgiving from eternity past and in addition this will continue throughout eternity future because He inherently is wisdom as well as power. 21 Namely, He determines the appointed times as well as the durations of time. He deposes kings as well as elevates kings. He gives wisdom to wise men as well as knowledge to those who possess the capacity to receive understanding. 22 God reveals unfathomable events, yes events which are hidden. He alone knows what is in the darkness. Specifically, the light resides in Him. 23 For the benefit of You, O God of my fathers, I myself give thanks, yes and praise too because You gave to me wisdom, yes and power too. Indeed, now You have made known to me what we requested from You because You made known to us the king’s secret.” (Author’s translation) The apostle Paul also taught that the nations receive their time and place as a result of the sovereignty of God (Acts 17:22-34). Psalm 66:7 He rules by His might forever; His eyes keep watch on the nations; Let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah. (NASB95) The humanity of Christ in hypostatic union has been promoted by the Father as the supreme ruler of history as a result of His victory over Satan at the Cross. Colossians 2:9 For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form 10 and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority. (NASB95) Philippians 2:5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name 10 so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (NASB95)

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1 Timothy 6:13 I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate 14 that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ 15 which He will bring about at the proper time -- He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords 16 who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen. (NASB95) Barker writes “The Lord is sovereign over the land of Israel and over the entire world. No one and no nation can stand before the Lord. Zephaniah promised that the Lord would punish the wicked in Judah, but he also would punish the nations as well. The city built on the blood of oppressed peoples would become a lair for the beasts of the field. ‘Because this nation exalted itself to the highest heaven, it must be brought to the lowest hell.’16 Such is the fate of all those who live in defiance of the Lord God. But how is that defiance expressed? For Zephaniah, the basic expression is pride. As Achtemeier phrases it: Philistia’s sin is not specifically mentioned but her proud arrogance and blasphemy against the God of Israel had already given birth to legend in Israel (cf. 1 Sam 17). And it is precisely the pride of the nations (cf. Gen 11:1–9) which primarily characterizes them in these oracles, and which is the object of the divine wrath on his Day (cf. Isa 2:6– 20): pride of wealth, alluded to with the word ‘Canaan’ in verse 5, a synonym for greedy traders, and with the mention of fine ‘cedar work’ in verse 14; pride of power, embodied in the boasts and scoffings of Moab and Ammon (vv. 8, 10; cf. Isa 16:6; Jer 48:7, 14, 17; 49:4) and in their grabs for territory (cf. Amos 1:13; Ezek 25:1–7); pride of independence and security and sovereignty, set forth in the taunt of verse 15 against Assyria (cf. Isa. 47:8, 10). The nations exulted in their pride (v. 15; cf. Isa 22:2; 23:7; 32:13; Zeph 3:11), but God’s exultation was to be the last word (3:17).17 We should remember that God punishes arrogance and oppression. He desires humble submission to him and right relationships toward others.”18 All the announcements of judgment recorded in Zephaniah 2:4-15 which were directed at the Gentile pagan nations surrounding Judah in the seventh century B.C. are implied calls for repentance. Repentance involves not only a change of attitude but of conduct. In Zephaniah 2:4-15, God wanted the Gentile pagan nations surrounding Judah to change their attitude and conduct towards Him. In other words, He wanted them to do a 180 degree turn with regards to their attitude and behavior toward Him. For

16 Robertson, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, 314. 17 Achtemeier, Nahum–Malachi, 77. 18 Barker, K. L. (1999). Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah (Vol. 20, pp. 468–469). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

2016 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 24 these nations repentance would have been a change of attitude and conduct which demonstrates itself in forsaking their false gods and worshipping the God of Israel who is the God of creation. To receive eternal salvation, the only issue in repentance is Christ and not a person’s sin. In relation to receiving eternal salvation, the Scriptures never teach repentance of sins but of a change of attitude regarding Christ as one’s personal Savior. An individual’s personal sins are not an issue because they were all paid for at the cross by the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, with respect to the non- believer, repentance would involve simply faith along in Christ alone (John 3:16- 18; Acts 16:31). On the other hand, repentance for the believer would involve the confession of sin (1 John 1:9) which must be followed immediately by obedience to the Word of God (1 John 2:3-6). As we noted in our previous studies in detail, Nebuchadnezzar was a believer when he received this vision in Daniel chapter four. The Greek word in the New Testament for repentance is the noun metanoia, which means “a change of mind” and its cognate verb is metanoeo, which means “to change your mind, to change your attitude toward something.” Metanoia is found 24 times in the Greek New Testament and metanoeo is found 35 times. Metanoeo is a compound verb, which means that it is composed of two words. The first is meta meaning “change,” and the second is noeo, “mind,” therefore, the correct meaning of repentance is “to change one’s mind,” or “to change your attitude toward something.” Both words have absolutely nothing to do with feeling sorry for your sins. They have nothing to do with your emotions. There is another word in the Greek New Testament which has an emotional connotation and that is the verb metamelomai which means “to feel sorry, to regret, to feel sorrow.” This word is found 6 times in the Greek New Testament. The distinction between the two verbs metanoeo and metamelomai is obvious in the Greek New Testament. Metamelomai expresses a merely emotional change while metanoeo expresses a change of choice. Metamelomai signifies nothing but regret resulting in feeling sorry while metanoeo deals with a change of mental attitude. Metanoeo concerns your volition and not your emotions. Since our English word is a translation of the Greek of the New Testament, we need to look at the original language. There are two New Testament Greek words which are translated “repentance” in the modern English translations: metanoia (and its verbal counterpart metanoeo) and metamelomai. The former term is so translated fifty-eight times in the New Testament; the latter only six times. This study will be concerned primarily with metanoia. Metamelomai means, “to regret, change the mind” and may connote the idea of sorrow, but not necessarily. It is translated by “regret, change the mind, and feel

2016 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 25 remorse” in the NASB and NIV, and in all but one of the passages where it is used, the primary idea is a change of mind (cf. Matt. 21:29, 32; 27:3; 2 Cor. 7:8; Heb. 7:21). Metanoia, the primary word, without question, means “a change of mind.” It refers to the thinking of people who thought one thing or made one decision and then, based on further evidence or input, changed their minds. So, the basic sense is “a change of mind.” This is its meaning and use outside the New Testament and in the New Testament. It is a change of mind that leads to a different course of action, but that course of action must be determined by the context. In a context that deals with forgiveness of sin or receiving eternal life as a gift from God, the course of action is a change of trust because one now sees Jesus as the only means of salvation from sin. Let me illustrate this for you in the Scriptures and I’ll point out when each word is used. John the Baptist used the verb metanoeo. Matthew 3:2 Now in those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, “Repent (metanoeo, “change your mind”), for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (NASB95) What were John’s listeners supposed to change their minds about? Mark 1:14 And after John had been taken into custody (put into prison), Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand (Jesus Christ the Savior is right in front of them.); Repent (metanoeo, “change your mind”) and believe in the gospel.” (NASB95) They were to change their minds about Christ. They were unbelievers and they were to change their minds about Christ and believe in Him for salvation. They were to change their minds concerning the gospel, which is the “power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Rom. 1:16). Our Lord makes an interesting comment concerning the person who changes their mind about Christ and accepts Him as Savior. Luke 15:7 “I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents (metanoeo, “changes their mind about Christ and accepts Him as Savior”), than over ninety-nine righteous persons (people who have accepted Christ as Savior) who need no repentance (metanoia, “change of mind about Christ”).” (NASB95) Luke 15:10 “In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents (metanoeo, “changes their mind about Christ and believes in Him for salvation”).” (NASB95) So you can see that repentance has nothing to do with emotion but is a change of mind about Christ.

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Now, the first occurrence of metamelomai is in Matthew 21:29-32 in the parable of the two sons. In the parable, one son said to his father that he would go in the vineyard while the second son said he would not but then he metamelomai, felt badly, regretted not going and then went. The first son, who said he would go, but didn’t. Metamelomai occurs twice in this passage. It is found in verse 29 which the New American Standard translates as “regretted,” and it is found in verse 32 where it is translated “remorse.” In Matthew 27:3, metamelomai is used in connection with Judas Iscariot, an unbeliever who betrayed the Lord Jesus Christ. Matthew 27:1 Now when morning had come, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put Him to death; 2 and they bound Him, and led Him away, and delivered Him up to Pilate the governor. 3 Then when Judas, who had betrayed Him (Jesus), saw that He (Jesus) had been condemned, he felt remorse (metamelomai, “he felt sorry”) and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests, 4 saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” But they said, “what is that to us? See that yourself.” 5 And he (Judas) threw the pieces of silver into the sanctuary and departed; and he went away and hanged himself. (NASB95) Judas felt sorry for his sin and yet he went to the Lake of Fire. We know that he went to hell because the Lord Jesus Christ said so Himself. John 17:12 “While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name (God the Father’s) which You have given Me; and I guarded them, and not one of them perished (the apostles and His disciples) but the son of perdition (Judas Iscariot), that the Scripture might be fulfilled.” (NASB95) Now, what is important to note is that Judas felt sorry for his sin for betraying the Son of God and yet he was not saved because of his emotions. The apostle Peter denied Christ three times and he felt sorry and wept. Matthew 26:75 And Peter remembered the word which Jesus had said, “Before a cock crows Peter, you will deny Me three times.” And he (Peter) went out and wept bitterly. (NASB95) Both men felt sorry for their sins, and yet one was saved and the other was not. Each committed a terrible sin, one was saved and the other was not. Emotion could not save Judas. Peter wept bitterly and yet his tears did not save him but rather his faith in Christ saved him. There is only one-way of salvation which excludes human works and emotion and that is to “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved” (Acts 16:31; John 3:16, 36). Judas could have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ but did not. Peter did believe on the Lord Jesus Christ (Matt. 16:13-16).

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The word metamelomai also occurs in 2 Corinthians 7:8 where the apostle Paul is talking about his first letter to the Corinthians in which he sharply rebuked the believers in Corinth, 1 Corinthians 7:8 For though I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it (metamelomai); though I did regret it (metamelomai)-for I see that that letter caused you sorrow, though only for a while-9 I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance (metanoia, “a change of mind”). For you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, in order that you might not suffer loss in anything though us. 10 For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a change of mind (metanoia) WITHOUT REGRET (metamelomai), leading to salvation; but the sorrow of the world produces death. (NASB95) This passage deals with confession of sin followed by obedience to the Word of God. Paul was talking to people who were believers. They had already believed in Jesus Christ as Savior and were saved forever. The repentance that Paul is talking about is the confession of sin and their recovery from that sin through obedience. This sin knocks them out of fellowship yet does not cost them their salvation. In relation to receiving eternal salvation, sin is never an issue in repentance according to the Scriptures but rather one’s attitude toward Jesus Christ is the issue. Psalm 103:10 He (God) has NOT dealt with us (you and I) according to our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. (NASB95) John 1:29 “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” (NASB95) Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as through one man (Adam) sin (sin nature) entered into the world, and death (spiritual) through sin (the sin nature), and so death (spiritual) spread to all men (the entire human race), because all sinned. (NASB95) 1 Corinthians 15:3 For I (Paul) delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures. (NASB95) Galatians 1:3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who (the Lord Jesus Christ) gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us out of this present evil age, according to the will of God and Father. (NASB95) Hebrews 8:12 For I will be merciful to their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more. (NASB95) Hebrews 10:17 And their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more. (NASB95)

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1 Peter 2:24 And He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin (sin nature) and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. (NASB95) 1 Peter 3:18 For Christ died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, in order that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit. (NASB95) 1 John 2:2 He is the propitiation (satisfaction) for our sins, and not for ours only but for those of the whole world. (NASB95) 1 John 3:5 He (the Lord Jesus Christ) appeared in order to take away sins (plural; personal sins of the entire human race). (NASB95) Revelation 1:4 John to the seven churches in Asia (what is today western Turkey): Grace to you and peace, from Him who is and who was and who is to come; and from the seven spirits who are before His throne; 5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the first-born of the dead (1st to be resurrected), and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us, and released us from our sins by His blood. (NASB95) The only issue in repentance that the Scriptures teach is regarding the Person and Work of Jesus Christ (Matt. 16:13-20). The sins of the entire world-past, present and future were paid for by the impeccable humanity of Christ in hypostatic union at the cross. He paid for these sins with His voluntary substitutionary spiritual and physical deaths. Therefore, repentance in relation to the non-Christian with respect to receiving eternal salvation has nothing to do with a person’s sins but rather his attitude toward Jesus Christ. The issue in repentance is simply, “Will you change your mind about Jesus Christ and accept Him as your Lord and Savior?” Each person must decide for himself. Salvation is through faith alone in Christ alone and nothing more and nothing less (John 3:16-17, 36; Acts 16:31). In relation to the Christian, repentance involves confession of sin (1 John 1:9) followed by obedience to the Word of God (1 John 2:3-6).

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