Zephaniah 3.11a-Israel Will Experience the Forgiveness of Sins During the Millennial Reign of Jesus Christ
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Thursday July 21, 2016
Zephaniah: Zephaniah 3:11a-Israel Will Experience the Forgiveness of Sins During the Millennial Reign of Jesus Christ
Lesson # 78
Zephaniah 3:11 “In that day you will feel no shame because of all your deeds by which you have rebelled against Me; For then I will remove from your midst your proud, exulting ones, and you will never again be haughty on My holy mountain.” (NASB95)
“In that day you will feel no shame” is composed of the following: (1) preposition b (בְּ), “in” (2) articular masculine singular form of the noun yôm (יוֹם), “day” (3) definite article ha- which is not translated (4) third person masculine singular pronominal suffix hûʾ (הוּא), “that” (5) negative particle lōʾ (לֹא), “no” (6) second person feminine singular qal active imperfect form of the verb bôš (בּוֹשׁ), “you will feel shame.”
The noun yôm means “time period” since it does not pertain to a twenty-four period but rather an indefinite period of time which could range from a relatively short to very long period of time.
Here it refers to the millennial reign of Jesus Christ.
The articular form of this word yôm is marking the distinctiveness of the millennial reign of the Messiah and its uniqueness in human history.
The noun yôm is the object of the preposition b which means “during” since it is functioning as a marker of an extent of time within a larger unit.
Therefore, it denotes that “during” the millennial reign of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, Jerusalem will feel no shame whatsoever because of all her sinful deeds by which they rebelled against Him.
The verb bôš means “to be ashamed” since the word pertains to possessing a painful feeling and emotional distress as a result of having done something wrong with an associative meaning of having the disapproval of those around them.
The second person feminine singular form of this verb is personifying the city of Jerusalem and specifically it refers to regenerate Jews living during the millennial reign of Jesus Christ.
Therefore, the verb bôš speaks of the shame experienced by these regenerate Jews when they were unregenerate as a result of living a sinful life in relation to God who is holy.
The word’s meaning is emphatically negated by the negative particle lōʾ, which means “never, no longer.”
Therefore, these two words indicate that Jerusalem and specifically the Jews in this city “will no longer be ashamed” of their sinful deeds committed by them when they were unregenerate.
Zephaniah 3:11 “During that distinct and unique period in the future, you will no longer experience shame because of each and every one of your actions by which of you rebelled against Me.” (My translation)
Zephaniah 3:11 marks a change of topic.
Specifically, it marks a change from prophetic announcements regarding the repentance of Gentiles in Zephaniah 3:8-10 to prophetic announcement regarding the repentance of the Jews in Zephaniah 3:11-20.
God through the prophet Zephaniah predicts that during that distinct and unique period of history in the future, Jerusalem will no longer experience shame because of their actions by which they rebelled against Him.
The second person feminine singular form of the two verbs in this passage are both personifying the city of Jerusalem and specifically it refers to regenerate Jews living during the millennial reign of Jesus Christ.
In this verse, the noun yôm as we noted means “time period” and refers to the millennial reign of Jesus Christ.
This is indicated by several factors.
First, this first assertion in Zephaniah 3:11 speaks of the Jewish people experiencing the forgiveness of sins which is the result of trusting in Jesus Christ as Savior.
Secondly, the Scriptures teach that during the seventieth week 144,000 Jews from each of the twelve tribes of Israel will trust in Jesus Chris as Savior and as a result will be regenerated.
Also, the Scriptures teach that, at the Second Advent of Jesus Christ, the majority of the nation of Israel, unlike the First Advent of Christ, will trust in Jesus Christ as their Savior.
Consequently, the Lord will deliver Israel from Satan, Antichrist and the tribulational armies surrounding her.
Thirdly, the second prophetic assertion in Zephaniah 3:11 states that the Lord will remove arrogant, rebellious Jews from Jerusalem so that the nation will no longer be arrogant toward Him again, leaving only the regenerate.
The Scriptures teach that this will take place after the Second Advent when Jesus Christ judges the Jews and orders elect angels to remove unregenerate Jews from the nation leaving only regenerate Jews to enter His millennial kingdom.
Fourthly, there is nothing in history or in past biblical history which corresponds to these two prophetic declarations in Zephaniah 3:11.
This noun yôm is not speaking of the Second Advent of Christ since Zechariah 12:9-14 predicts the nation of Israel will suffer shame and sorrow at the Second Advent because of their forefathers crucifying Jesus of Nazareth and rejecting Him as their Savior throughout the centuries.
Therefore, the noun yôm here in Zephaniah 3:11 is speaking of the millennial reign of Jesus Christ when regenerate Jews will be experiencing the forgiveness of sins and a relationship and fellowship with the triune God.
This is the direct result of the nation of Israel trusting in Jesus Christ as their Savior during the last three and a half years of the seventieth week and at His Second Advent.
The shame which will no longer be experienced by these regenerate Jews who will live during the millennium is a reference to the shame they experienced as unbelievers or in their unregenerate state as a result of living a sinful life in relation to God who is holy.
The reason for their experiencing this shame was their sinful actions.
These actions are sinful because they were the means by which they rebelled against God.
In their unregenerate state, these Jews openly defied the God of Israel and His holy standards by means of their sinful actions.
They took part in a rebellion against God along with unregenerate Gentiles which the Scriptures teach is led by Satan himself.
Therefore, the first prophetic declaration recorded in Zephaniah 3:11 predicts that during a distinct and unique period of history in the future, the Jews will no longer experience shame because of each and every one of their actions by means of which they rebelled against God.
This is referring to the experience of the nation of Israel during the millennium because she has been regenerated through faith in Jesus Christ.
Consequently, they will experience the forgiveness of sins promised to them under the New Covenant as a result of this faith in Jesus Christ.
So this verse is referring to the nation of Israel experiencing regeneration and the forgiveness of sins promised to them under the New Covenant as a result of trusting in Jesus Christ as their Savior.
As we noted, earlier, during the seventieth week of Daniel, 144,000 Jews from each of the twelve tribes of Israel will trust in Jesus Christ as Savior and as a result will be regenerated.
Also, the Scriptures teach that, at the Second Advent of Jesus Christ, the majority of the nation of Israel, in contrast to the First Advent of Christ, will trust in Jesus Christ as their Savior.
Consequently, the Lord will deliver Israel from Satan, Antichrist and the tribulational armies surrounding her.
Also, they will experience regeneration and the forgiveness of their sins.
Joel 2:26 also predicts that the people of Israel and Jerusalem will never be put to shame.
Isaiah 54:4 also predicts Israel will one day in the future no longer experience shame for her sinful past.
The apostle Paul in Romans 11:25-27 teaches the Roman church that the nation of Israel will experience a national regeneration and thus the forgiveness of their sins at the Second Advent of Jesus Christ.
Like Zephaniah 3:11, Romans 11:26 speaks of God removing unrepentant, unregenerate Jews at the Second Advent.
As we noted earlier, the nation of Israel will experience the forgiveness of sins during the millennial reign as a result of their faith in Jesus Christ during the tribulation and Second Advent which was promised to them under the New Covenant.
One of the unconditional promises of the New Covenant is the forgiveness of sins (Jer. 31:34).