Zephaniah 3.13c-The Impeccable Character and Security of the Remnant of Israel in the Future
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Thursday September 1, 2016
Zephaniah: Zephaniah 3:13c-The Impeccable Character and Security of the Remnant of Israel in the Future
Lesson # 84
Zephaniah 3:13 “The remnant of Israel will do no wrong and tell no lies, nor will a deceitful tongue be found in their mouths; For they will feed and lie down with no one to make them tremble.” (NASB95)
“Will do no wrong” express the idea that the remnant of Israel will never act in an unjust manner with regards to each other and the Gentile race.
“And tell no lies” presents the reason for the previous assertion that the remnant of Israel will never act in an unjust manner towards each other or anyone and is expressing the idea that this remnant of Israel will never in the future speak or communicate lies to each other or with regards to the Gentiles.
“Nor will a deceitful tongue be found in their mouths” advances upon and intensifies the previous prophetic declaration that the remnant of Israel will never speak lies.
It is expressing in emphatic terms the idea that in the future God will never encounter or find in the mouth of the remnant of Israel a deceitful tongue.
“For they will feed and lie down” is a temporal clause meaning that what it is describing will occur simultaneously with the previous prophetic declaration.
“With no one to make them tremble” presents the reason for the two previous assertions that the remnant of Israel in the future will graze like sheep and lie down.
It is expressing emphatically the idea that absolutely no nation or group of people in the future will cause this remnant of Israel to experience fear.
Zephaniah 3:13 “The remnant descending from the patriarch, Israel and a part of the nation of Israel will never act in an unjust manner because they will never speak lies. Indeed, a deceitful tongue will never be found in their mouth while they graze like sheep and lie down because absolutely no one will cause them to fear.” (My translation)
Zephaniah 3:13 contains five assertions which describe the impeccable character of the remnant of Israel which will exist in the future during the millennial reign of Jesus Christ.
The first assertion states that this remnant will never act in an unjust manner.
The second provides a reason for the first by asserting that this remnant will never speak lies.
The third advances upon the second and intensifies it by declaring that a deceitful tongue will never be found in the mouth of this remnant.
The fourth is a temporal clause which occurs simultaneously with the first three assertions and predicts that this remnant will graze like sheep and lie down in peace.
The fifth presents the reason for the fourth and asserts that absolutely no one will cause this remnant to fear.
The first assertion emphatically expresses the idea that the remnant of Israel will never act in an unjust manner with regards to each other and the Gentile race.
This means that in the future they will never commit an act which is not moral or ethical.
The second assertion emphatically expresses the idea that this remnant of Israel will never in the future speak or communicate lies to each other or with regards to the Gentiles.
The third assertion is emphatically expressing the idea that in the future God will never encounter or find in the mouth of the remnant of Israel a deceitful tongue.
Interestingly, the first three assertions which describe this godly remnant living during the millennial reign of Christ also characterize Jesus Christ Himself, their Messiah (cf. Is. 42:1-4; 53:3, 7-9; Zech. 9:9; cf. Matt. 11:28-30; 12:15-21; Phil. 2:1-8).
In fact, if we compare the first assertion in Zephaniah 3:13 with the prophet’s second description of the Lord in Zephaniah 3:5 which uses the same exact language to describe the Lord and the remnant of Israel in Zephaniah 3:13, we can see that this remnant will reflect the impeccable character of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The second assertion about the Lord’s character in Zephaniah 3:5 that He never acts in an unjust manner is tied to the first assertion that the Lord is righteous within Jerusalem in that the Lord never acts in an unjust manner because of His righteous character.
Therefore, a comparison of these two verses reveals that this remnant of Israel in the future will reflect perfectly the impeccable character of Jesus Christ.
The fourth assertion is figurative language describing peace, contentment and security which this godly remnant of Israel will experience during the millennial reign of Her Messiah.
The description of sheep at rest as a picture of security is quite common in the Old Testament. Compare Psalm 23:1–3; Isaiah 17:2; Micah 7:14. In this context it refers to safety.
The fifth assertion in Zephaniah 3:13 is expressing in emphatic terms the idea that absolutely no nation or group of people in the future will cause this remnant of Israel to experience fear during the millennial reign of Her Messiah King, Jesus Christ.
Therefore, Zephaniah 3:13 is describing the impeccable character and blessings which a remnant of Jews will experience during the millennial reign of Jesus Christ.
What brought about this radical change in these Jews who will compose the godly, believing remnant in the nation of Israel in the future and what will cause them to experience these blessings?
It was their faith in the Lord which is prophesied in Zephaniah 3:12.
Zephaniah 3:13 is giving a glimpse into the spiritual character of the millennial reign of Christ and speaks of the righteousness of this remnant.
In fact, the millennial kingdom will be characterized by righteousness.
The key words of the Lord Jesus Christ’s millennial reign are righteousness and peace, the former being the root of which the latter is the fruit (cf. Is. 32:17).
During the millennial reign of the King, the prophecy of Psalm 85:10 will be fulfilled.
The Messiah’s presence in Jerusalem shall be the source from which all millennial righteousness will emanate in spectacular glory (cf. Is. 62:1-2).
Righteousness will be the descriptive term characterizing the rule of the Messiah as a whole and Christ will be the King reigning in righteousness (Is. 32:1).
He will judge the poor in righteousness and in judging and seeking judgment He shall be quick to bring about righteousness (cf. Is. 11:4-5; 16:5; Ps. 96:10).
Under the Lord Jesus, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness shall be filled (cf. Matt. 5:6).
Through regeneration, Israel will possess the capacity for obedience because of the indwelling of the Spirit (Jer. 31:31-34; Ezek. 36:25-31).
There will be complete obedience in the millennial reign because of the absence of Satan and the fallen angels.
All the wicked evil social, religious, economic and political systems of Satan’s cosmic system will be terminated.
There will be universal knowledge of the Lord, which will eliminate opposition to God’s will through ignorance.
Not only will there be obedience in the nation of Israel to Christ’s rule but also there will be universal obedience among the Gentile nations.
There will be complete submission to the Lord’s sovereign authority in the millennium.
This perfect obedience to Christ’s authority will be another manifestation of the spiritual character of the millennium (Ps. 22:27-28; Mal. 1:11).
Another manifestation of the spiritual character of the millennium will be holiness which will be manifested through the King and the King’s subjects.
The land will be holy, the city of Jerusalem holy, the temple holy and the subjects holy unto the Lord (Is. 1:26-27; 4:3-4; 29:18-23; Jer. 31:33; Ezek. 36:24-31; 37:23-24; Joel 3:21; Zeph. 3:11; Zech. 8:3; 13:1-2; 14:20-21).
Christ will reign over the nations of the earth from the throne of His holiness (Ps. 47:8-9) which will be according to the promise of the Davidic covenant (cf. Ps. 89:35-36).
The millennial kingdom will also be characterized by truth since Jesus Christ will judge the world with His truth (Ps. 96:10) and He, “the Truth” Himself, will reign (Zech. 8:7-8; Is. 65:16; Jer. 33:6-7).
Truth shall be joined together with mercy during our Lord’s reign (cf. Ps. 98:3)
The millennial kingdom will be characterized by the full manifestation of the Holy Spirit (cf. Joel 2:28-29).
The Spirit will indwell all believers during the millennial reign of Christ (Ezek. 36:22-28; 37:1-14).
National and individual peace is the fruit of the Messiah’s reign (Is. 2:4; 9:4-7; 11:6-9; 32:17-18; 33:5-6; 54:13; 55:12; 60:18; 65:25; 66:12; Ezek. 28:26; 34:25; Hos. 2:18; Mic. 4:2-3; Zech. 9:10).
Joy will also be a distinctive mark of the millennial age (Is. 9:3-4; 12:3-6; Jer. 30:18-19; 31:13-14; Zeph. 3:14-17; Zech. 8:18-19; 10:6-7).
There will be a full knowledge of the Lord during the millennium because of the indwelling presence of the Spirit in the subjects of the Lord (Is. 11:1-2; 41:19-20; Hab. 2:14) and this knowledge will be the result of the instruction that issues from the Lord Jesus (Is. 2:2-3; 12:3-6; Jer. 3:14-15; Mic. 4:2).