Prophet Zephaniah
Date of celebration: 03/12
He lived in the 7th century BC, during the reign of King Josios. He is the ninth of the minor so-called prophets and came from the tribe of Simeon or, according to others, of Levi. His name means: God hides, i.e. guards, protects. His prophetic book is divided into three short chapters. In the first he threatens the Jews, who deviated from the Lord in idolatry.
In the second he foretells the destruction of Gaza, Ascalon, Azotus, Damascus, Ethiopia, Assyria and other countries. In the third he censures Jerusalem for its corruption, but also calls it eminent, as the cradle of the redemption of the human race. Finally, he welcomes with joy the coming appearance of the Lord in Zion.
But God spoke through the Mouth of the prophet and this is what he said about the lawless people: “I will save the lawless from the face of the earth, says the Lord… And those who deviate from the Lord and those who do not seek the Lord and those who cannot endure the Lord “, Zephaniah, I’ 3, 6. I will root out the lawless from the face of the earth, says the Lord. And I will punish those who deviate from the commandments of the Lord, those who do not seek the Lord with their prayer and do not keep Him as their support. The prophet Zephaniah died peacefully and was buried in the place of his fathers.