17/08/11

That Day of Wrath

Zephaniah 1:15 - That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness,

Since a few years the Lord has day and day again warned about the Day of His wrath or revenge. To understand what is in store on that day we need to understand the words well and today's scripture gives a very beautiful picture of that day.

In most English translation the words lose the whole value of the scripture when translated from their Hebrew or Greek original words like in today's scripture. It is not that translations are wrong but when the understanding gets clearer throughout the Bible, the translations can be improved.

I will take the Hebrew words, the translation and their root meanings and prove the understanding with what Jesus explained of these times.

Hebrew word - translated - comes from the root meaning
Yowm - day - period of time (here does not mean a 24hrs day)
'ebrah - wrath - overflow
Tsarah - trouble - distress
m@tsuwqah - distress - pillar / column
show' - wasteness - (unused root meaning) to rush over
m@show'ah - desolation - destruction
choshek - darkness - to become dark
'aphelah - gloominess - very dark
'anan - clouds - soothsayer / sorceress
'araphel - thick darkness - drip

Some of the root meanings are symbolic so I will list them below
Overflow - speaks of the abundant down flow of the Spirit of God
Pillar - symbolizes promise
Rush over - symbolizes the speed at which things will happen
Drip - symbolizes the reduction of the mercy of God since rain symbolizes His mercy

Zephaniah 1:15 (with root meanings) - That period is a period of abundant down flow of the Spirit of God, a period of distress and promise, a period of rush and destruction, a period of darkness and pitch darkness, a period of sorceresses and reduction of the mercy of God,

What we see is this period which is called The Day of Lord's Revenge, there will be great anointed men and women of God which means we will see more Men and Women of God then were during the time when Israel was outcaste to Babylon. These Men and Women would be more powerful (having authority) then even what we read Elijah or Jeremiah or Daniel did for even Jesus said we would do greater things than He did. At the same time there will be many who believe in dark things like sorcery more than the false prophets Jezebel had - Jesus said in those days there would be many anti-christs who will mislead. It will be a time when many prophesies will be fulfilled in a short period - Jesus said unless all scriptures are fulfilled the end will not come. People will experience many great disasters one greater than another and the so called ordinary people will be crushed. During this time the mercy of God will be reduced on the people who do not know Him. God had allowed these people to prosper and multiply since long for His people were far from Him but during this period He will make these people whom He calls as grass to pay a great price for not acknowledging Him or hardening their hearts against Him.

In short this is the period when Babylon the Great of Revelation will fall.

I could have gone deeper and given a broader picture with this one scripture. What we see today happening is just the start of this period. For the people of God it is a great Day, a day of rejoicing for all the persecution which they have been put to all these years but yet we need to be sober and pray for the little ones so that they do not get crushed in this mayhem.


[ Prayer Starter ]
Lord, You gave us the Word to warn us of the times and to prepare us so that we do not become victims to these calamities. You have written the beginning and the end, You have written the prosperity and the destruction also and given us the choice to choose our path. Those who choose You and walk in your path will receive eternal prosperity and life and those who do not will receive death. Lord we pray more and more of your people open their eyes to these times of prophesies and turn from their ways...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.


[ Reference Scriptures ]
Read Matthew 24 , Mark 13, Luke 21



The Word of God was given free to us, therefore we should also share it freely with others.
(All rights are with God)