In the October 1998 "Prophecy in the News" magazine, Bible scholar J. R. Church makes some fascinating and compelling points about the prophet Zephaniah. The prophet seems to refer to the rapture of the Gentile church BEFORE the tribulation, and IN OUR DAY!

1. In 1:14-16, Zephaniah is speaking about end times, because of the references to and description of "the great day of the Lord."

2. In 2:1, Zephaniah is not speaking to Israel but to a Gentile nation. "Nation not desired" is from the Hebrew "HaGoy," meaning Gentile. The full context seems to address Gentile believers (the church).

3. In 2:1, Zephaniah also speaks of these Gentiles "gathering together." (It reminds me of Paul's reference to the rapture in 2 Thessalonians 2:1, "our gathering together unto him.")

4. In 2:2, Zephaniah repeatedly exhorts to gather "BEFORE... BEFORE... BEFORE... BEFORE" (four times) the day of the Lord.

5. In the very next verse, 2:3, Zephaniah speaks of being "hid" in the day of the Lord's anger. "When will we be hid?" Church asks, then answers, "BEFORE the fierce anger of the Lord come upon you" (2:2). Isaiah 26:19-21 also gives this order: (1) the resurrection, (2) hiding (implying in "chambers" provided by God -- what Jesus went to prepare for us), then (3) clearly, the tribulation.

Church says, "It could not be any clearer that Zephaniah, while addressing the time when the day of the Lord is near, promises all Gentile believers throughout the earth that we shall be spared the wrath of God. We will be 'hid' as verse 3 predicts."

He gives further evidence that Zephaniah is referring to our day:

First, in 3:9, Zephaniah speaks of a "pure language" being given. Only in this century with the rebirth of Israel has there been a revival of the ancient Hebrew language. For this purpose, God called Eleazar ben Yehuda at the beginning of this century. Yehuda spent his life restoring the "pure language," fulfilling ancient prophecy

Second, Church points out that Zephaniah was the son of Cush, an Ethiopian, and it is fitting that he prophesy (3:10) the return to the land of the Ethiopian Jews, which happened just in 1984-1991. Church adds, "The offspring of Moses and his Ethiopian wife are back in the Promised Land today. Therefore, we can be certain that Zephaniah was writing about the very generation in which we are living. 'The day of the Lord is near.'"

(Against incredible odds, when I opened my Bible to check these references, without even looking at what I was doing it fell randomly and precisely to the exact page in the book of Zephaniah, only a three-chapter book and one of the smallest books in the entire Bible!!! I strongly sensed in my spirit that this was a powerful confirmation of Church's conclusions. Just this week, I had asked the Lord for confirmation of the pre-trib rapture. Church's article arrived in the mail on Friday, October 16, and the open-Bible phenomenon happened on today, October 17.) Does this mean rapture before the final 7 years or final 3 1/2 years? I have also been reminded this week that in speaking to Daniel, the angel Gabriel told him that the 70 weeks (490 years), including the final seven years, was for "thy people" (9:24). It is clear that the last seven years is a Jewish thing, I suspect synonymous with "the time of Jacob's trouble." Also, Acts 15 says that God "At the first did visit the GENTILES, to TAKE OUT of them a people for his name. And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, AFTER THIS I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David" (vs.14-16).

The last 2,000 years have been the church age, "the times of the Gentiles," while Israel suffered her final dispersion. But as prophesied, Israel is now back in the Promised Land. "The fullness of the Gentiles" and the final end of the Gentile age must be imminent. Israel is now center stage, and about to enter its 70th and final week before "all Israel shall be saved" (Romans 11:26) and the return of Messiah Yeshua to stand on the Mount of Olives in power (Zechariah 14:4). We are at the very edge of history. Look up, for your redemption draweth nigh!

God bless,

Jim