Zephaniah. The Second Coming of Jesus Christ

Zephaniah. The Second Coming of Jesus Christ

(a)  Read Zephaniah 1:1–10 and write a description of the condition of the people in his day. How does their condition compare to the people of our day?

Zephaniah 1:1-10

1 The word of the Lord which came unto Zephaniah the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hizkiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah.

 2 I will utterly consume all things from off the land, saith the Lord.

 3 I will consume man and beast; I will consume the fowls of the heaven, and the fishes of the sea, and the stumblingblocks with the wicked; and I will cut off man from off the land, saith the Lord.

 4 I will also stretch out mine hand upon Judah, and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, and the name of theChemarims with the priests;

 5 And them that worship the host of heaven upon the housetops; and them that worship and that swear by the Lord, and that swear by Malcham;

 6 And them that are turned back from the Lord; and those that have not sought theLord, nor inquired for him.

 7 Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord God: for the day of the Lord is at hand: for the Lord hath prepared a sacrifice, he hath bid his guests.

 8 And it shall come to pass in the day of the Lord’s sacrifice, that I will punish the princes, and the king’s children, and all such as are clothed with strange apparel.

 9 In the same day also will I punish all those that leap on the threshold, which fill their masters’ houses with violence and deceit.

 10 And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord, that there shall be the noise of a cry from the fish gate, and an howling from the second, and a great crashing from the hills.

They were extremely wicked and worshipped incorrect Deities and sported deviant clothes. This is exactly what we see today. People have seemed to have forgotten our Father in Heaven the true God.  They put other things first.

(b)  Read the chapter summary for Zephaniah 1 as well as verses 14–18. Explain in writing how the events of these verses apply to our day.

The destruction of Judah is symbolic of the Second Coming—It is the day of the Lord’s sacrifice, a day of wrath and trouble.

14 The great day of the Lord is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the Lord: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly.

 15 That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness anddesolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness,

 16 A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers.

 17 And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the Lord: and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung.

 18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of theLord’s wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.

When you look at the news you notice that this world is extremely negative. It has become a very like a glum existence. Power is portrayed as riches of this world.

(c)   List the ways we could be better prepared for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ as found in Zephaniah 2:1–3; 3:7 and the institute student manual commentary for Zephaniah 2, “Is There Hope of Any Escaping the Wrath When the Day of the Lord Comes?” (pg. 224).

1 Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired;

 2 Before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the Lord come upon you, before the day of the Lord’s anger come upon you.

 3 Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord’s anger.

7 I said, Surely thou wilt fear me, thou wilt receive instruction; so their dwelling should not be cut off, howsoever I punished them: but they rose early, and corrupted all their doings.

The wicked will be destroyed and have no mercy upon those who betrayed him. That is why we need to “Gather ourselves together, seek the lord, seek righteousness, seek meekness.“

If we follow God then we will escape his wrath. We should followed him without query and kept his commandments.

(d)  Study Zephaniah 3:8–20. Write your answers to the following questions and make note of the verse where you find your answer:

8 ¶Therefore wait ye upon me, saith the Lord, until the day that I rise up to the prey: for my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger: for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy.

 9 For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve him with one consent.

 10 From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants, even the daughter of my dispersed, shall bring mine offering.

 11 In that day shalt thou not be ashamed for all thy doings, wherein thou hast transgressed against me: for then I will take away out of the midst of thee them that rejoice in thy pride, and thou shalt no more be haughty because of my holy mountain.

 12 I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall trust in the name of the Lord.

 13 The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid.

 14 ¶Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem.

 15 The Lord hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out thine enemy: the king of Israel, even the Lord, is in the midst of thee: thou shalt not see evil any more.

 16 In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not: and to Zion, Let not thine hands be slack.

 17 The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.

 18 I will gather them that are sorrowful for the solemn assembly, who are of thee, to whom the reproach of it was a burden.

 19 Behold, at that time I will undo all that afflict thee: and I will save her thathalteth, and gather her that was driven out; and I will get them praise and fame in every land where they have been put to shame.

 20 At that time will I bring you again, even in the time that I gather you: for I will make you a name and a praise among all people of the earth, when I turn back your captivity before your eyes, saith the Lord.

• How will the Lord destroy the wicked before and at His coming? (see also D&C 5:19; 29:11; JS–H 1:37).

The earth will be devoured by fire.

• In the millennial day, what language will people speak?

The Pure Language

• Why will we be able to rejoice?

Peace will prevail

• Where will the Lord be?

The Lord will be with his people

Habakkuk. Understanding the Majesty of God

Habakkuk. Understanding the Majesty of God

Read the chapter summary for Habakkuk 1. Write a paragraph explaining how Habakkuk felt after learning what the Lord was going to do.

When Habakkuk learns that the Lord will raise up the Chaldeans to overrun the land of Israel, he is troubled that the wicked can be thus employed.

Habakkuk is “disturbed” that the wicked can be thus employed. I feel that this means that he is shocked that people are permitting themselves and others to fall away from what is true and virtuous. I

Read Habakkuk 2:3–15

 3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.

 4 Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.

 5 ¶Yea also, because he transgresseth by wine, he is a proud man, neither keepeth at home, who enlargeth his desire as hell, and is as death, and cannot be satisfied, but gathereth unto him all nations, and heapeth unto him all people:

 6 Shall not all these take up a parable against him, and a taunting proverb against him, and say, Woe to him that increaseth that which is not his! how long? and to him that ladeth himself with thick clay!

 7 Shall they not rise up suddenly that shall bite thee, and awake that shall vex thee, and thou shalt be for booties unto them?

 8 Because thou hast spoiled many nations, all the remnant of the people shall spoil thee; because of men’s blood, and for the violence of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein.

 9 ¶Woe to him that coveteth an evil covetousness to his house, that he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the power of evil!

 10 Thou hast consulted shame to thy house by cutting off many people, and hast sinned against thy soul.

 11 For the stone shall cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the timber shall answer it.

 12 ¶Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and stablisheth a city by iniquity!

 13 Behold, is it not of the Lord of hosts that the people shall labour in the very fire, and the people shall weary themselves for very vanity?

 14 For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.

 15 ¶Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink, that puttest thy bottle tohim, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness!

and compare it with Articles of Faith 1:9;

We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.

Jacob 4:8

 8 Behold, great and marvelous are the works of the Lord. How unsearchable are the depths of the mysteries of him; and it is impossible that man should find out all his ways. And no man knoweth of his ways save it be revealed unto him; wherefore, brethren, despise not the revelations of God.

 Doctrine and Covenants 101:32–34

32 Yea, verily I say unto you, in that day when the Lord shall come, he shallreveal all things—

 33 Things which have passed, and hidden things which no man knew, things of the earth, by which it was made, and the purpose and the end thereof—

 34 Things most precious, things that are above, and things that are beneath, things that are in the earth, and upon the earth, and in heaven.

121:26–31

 26 God shall give unto you knowledge by his Holy Spirit, yea, by the unspeakable gift of the Holy Ghost, that has not been revealed since the world was until now;

 27 Which our forefathers have awaited with anxious expectation to be revealed in the last times, which their minds were pointed to by the angels, as held in reserve for the fulness of their glory;

 28 A time to come in the which nothing shall be withheld, whether there beone God or many gods, they shall be manifest.

 29 All thrones and dominions, principalities and powers, shall be revealedand set forth upon all who have endured valiantly for the gospel of Jesus Christ.

 30 And also, if there be bounds set to the heavens or to the seas, or to the dry land, or to the sun, moon, or stars—

 31 All the times of their revolutions, all the appointed days, months, and years, and all the days of their days, months, and years, and all their glories, laws, and set times, shall be revealed in the days of the dispensation of the fulness of times—

 130:18–19.

 18 Whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection.

 19 And if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come.

Understanding and Obtaining the Knowledge and Glory of the Lord.”

The saying “knowledge is power” will never be more true than when it knowledge obtained from our Father in Heaven.  This is why it is absolutely essential that we learn as much about the Plan of Salvation as possible. This knowledge we will maximize the blessings that we receive in this life and the next. It will motivate us to stay on the straight and narrow and to follow our Savior Jesus Christ.

Ways that we obtain this knowledge is through study, prayer and application. In D&C 88:118-120 you read: “And as all have not faith, seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith.

 119 Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God;

 120 That your incomings may be in the name of the Lord; that your outgoings may be in the name of the Lord; that all your salutations may be in the name of the Lord, with uplifted hands unto the Most High.

I know that if we seek this knowledge that we will progress and that we will be able to help others progress as well

Obadiah. Saviors “up on Mount Zion”

 Obadiah. Saviors “up on Mount Zion”

Read Obadiah 1:17, 21; Doctrine and Covenants 128:5, 15; institute student manual Points to Ponder, “Saviors on Mount Zion” (pg. 259); Bible Dictionary, “Obadiah” (pg. 739).

Obadiah 1:17

17 ¶But upon mount Zion shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; and the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions.

Obadiah 1:21

21 And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the Lord’s.

Doctrine and Covenants 128:5, 15

5 You may think this order of things to be very particular; but let me tell you that it is only to answer the will of God, by conforming to the ordinance and preparation that the Lord ordained and prepared before the foundation of the world, for the salvation of the dead who should die without a knowledge of the gospel.

15 And now, my dearly beloved brethren and sisters, let me assure you that these are principles in relation to the dead and the living that cannot be lightly passed over, as pertaining to our salvation. For their salvation is necessary and essential to our salvation, as Paul says concerning the fathers—that they without us cannot be made perfect—neither can we without our dead be made perfect.

Institute Manual

(25-31) Saviors on Mount Zion

In yet another example of prophetic dualism, Obadiah’s prophecy of the destruction of Edom or Idumea and the restoration of Israel refers also to the last days. Elder Theodore M. Burton spoke of the role we ourselves play as “saviors on Mount Zion” (see Obadiah 1:21). You may wish to write in your journal the things that are of particular worth to you.

“As revealed by the scriptures, one of the characteristics of these last days is the appearance of saviors on the earth. This was prophesied in Old Testament times: [Obadiah 1:21].

“It was prophesied by Paul in New Testament times, referring to people who had lived on the earth in times of old: [Hebrews 11:39–40].

“It has also been prophesied of us who live today: [D&C 86:11].

“So the Lord himself has placed his seal of approval upon this work.

“A logical question then follows: For whom am I to be a savior? In section 127 of the Doctrine and Covenants, verse 6, the Prophet Joseph Smith used these words: ‘for your dead.’ …

“Our dead, then, are clearly our own progenitors or direct ancestors, as Joseph Smith explained:

“‘But how are they to become saviors on Mount Zion? By building their temples, erecting their baptismal fonts, and going forth and receiving all the ordinances, baptisms, confirmations, washings, anointings, ordinations, and sealing powers upon their heads, in behalf of all their progenitors who are dead, and redeem them that they may come forth in the first resurrection and be exalted to thrones of glory with them; and herein is the chain that binds the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the children to the fathers, which fulfills the mission of Elijah.’ (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, [Deseret Book, 1968], p. 330.)” (In Conference Report, Oct. 1972, pp. 47–48.)

Bible Dictionary

Obadiah

Servant of the Lord. (1) The steward of Ahab who protected the prophets of God from Jezebel (1 Kgs. 18).

(2) A prophet who foretold the doom of Edom. Nothing is known of his personal history. The prophecy was spoken directly after some capture of Jerusalem (possibly by the Philistines and Arabians during the reign of Jehoram, 848–844 B.C., or more probably by the Chaldeans, 586 B.C.) during which the Edomites had displayed hostility to Judah. (See Edom.) Obadiah foretells their punishment. For the fulfillment of his prophecy see 2 Kgs. 14:7; 2 Chr. 25:11–12. One of the better known passages of Obadiah is 1:21, speaking of “saviours… on mount Zion,” which refers to the doctrine of salvation for the dead.

Explain in a paragraph or two what is taught in these references. In what ways does the temple deliver the faithful? How does the temple represent holiness?

The verses above are regarding how the way was made everything on this earth came to be. It references a plan that was given those who pass away with out getting the chance to the gospel will receive the opportunity to do. Temples play a tremendous part in this process.