The salvation of the Gentiles (v 9)

From today’s passage, the latter half of the book of Zephaniah begins. Verse 9 says: “For then I will restore to the peoples pure lips, so that all of them may call on the name of the Lord, to serve Him shoulder to shoulder.” (1) This is a prophecy that there will be Gentiles who are saved during the Great Tribulation. Even during the Great Tribulation, those who call on the name of the Lord will be saved. (2) They are the “sheep Gentiles.” That is, they are Gentiles who help the Jewish people during the Great Tribulation. They are mentioned in Matthew 25:31-46: “But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. And all the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, just as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on His right, but the goats on the left…” (3) They (the peoples of the nations) are those whose lips will be purified. They will “call on the name of the Lord to serve Him with shoulder to shoulder.” In the Millennial Kingdom (the Messianic Kingdom), people will speak one language, and with it they will pray to God and offer worship.

The restoration of the Jewish people (v 10)

The Gentiles who are saved during the Great Tribulation (the sheep Gentiles) will contribute to the restoration of the Jewish people. “From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia My worshipers, My dispersed ones, will bring My offerings” (v 10). (1) “My dispersed ones” refers to the Jewish people in the Diaspora. They will return to the land of Israel. (2) “From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia” means from beyond Ethiopia, and in the understanding of that time, it carries the nuance of “from the ends of the earth.” (3) With the help of the sheep Gentiles, the dispersed people will return from distant lands, bringing offerings to the Lord. Even in the midst of judgment and even during the Great Tribulation, God’s grace remains. It is a grace offered to both Gentiles and Jews. Blessed are those who trust in the Lord in times of trial.