The life of St Zephaniah
His nearness to the royal court gave weight to his preaching, and he lent his voice to King Josiah's efforts to root idol worship out of the kingdom, calling the people back to repentance before it was too late.
His prophecy reached beyond Judah's own borders, pronouncing coming judgment not only on his own people but on the cities of Gaza and Ashkelon, on Crete, and on the Moabites, Ammonites, and the people of Nineveh alike. Yet his book does not end in warning alone; Zephaniah looked ahead as well to the joy that the coming of the Messiah would one day bring to Jerusalem, a note of hope set against the weight of judgment that fills most of his short prophecy. Little more of his personal life survives beyond this brief but far-reaching ministry at the edge of the Judean court.
