SPECIFIC WOES FROM ZEPHANIAH TO JUDAH
My Dear Precious Child,
   Even before Jeremiah prophesied to Judah, I sent Zephaniah to tell the kings and priests to correct the sins of religious degradation of their adding the worship of former gods to their worship of Me.  Religious rites from former pagan idol worship had been added to their worship of Me and so in their eyes we became a dual deity, of which there is no such thing.  Their sins were much like My children who generations later had accepted Jesus Christ as Savior, become born again of My Holy Spirit, were baptized in My Holy Spirit and then returned to their old Jewish traditions of worship which were dead rites and liturgies and requiring observing the old covenant laws which I called the laws of sin and death.  That old covenant was null and void, passe and powerless.  False prophets in both instances were responsible for the degradation of adding the powerless old practices to My current and workable practices.  When the old laws were given they were sufficient, but after My new covenant of the Holy Spirit began the practices that were instituted under the old covenant were null and void.  
   While operating under the old covenant My prophesies to the cities of the country of Israel were necessary to correct their sins which placed them under the devil's curses instead of their being under My blessings.  I sent prophets to the kings and priests to urge them back onto the right paths and practices so that they could once again be blessed by Me instead of their qualifying for the curses of hell by their making the devil their god by their following his will.
    My words of correction through Zephaniah related to the many sins that the  kings, politicians and people of Jerusalem had once again committed in defiance of My previous counsel to them which caused them to remove themselves from My protection and guidance because they had chosen other gods instead of Me. I told the people of certain sections of Jerusalem that they would wail from the curses because their wealth would become the pillage of other countries, that they would build houses but not live in them, that they would plant vineyards but not drink their wine.  I said that they would be hemmed in without escape and that neither gold nor silver would be able to save them because of their signing on to  inherit My wrath which I have for the devil and his demons by their binding themselves to the devil by their following the devil's temptations instead of My guidance.  (Zephaniah 1:11-13)  Their binding themselves to the devil and his demons in the idols had caused them to bind themselves to My wrath that is only poured out upon the devil and his demons because of what they do to My children.  (verses 14-18)
   My advice to the royalty and people was to seek Me instead of continuing to bind themselves to the demons that were present in the idols, that they seek justice and humility and maybe they would be sheltered from My wrath for the devil.  Zephaniah spoke about the curses that were coming on the coastal cities which were going to be cursed, but he prophesied also that eventually in the future a remnant was going to be restored to Me when the people returned to Me.  
    Even though I prophesied through Zephaniah about Jerusalem's inhabitants who were rebellious and polluted the earth, they also did not accept correction from Me, their priests profaned what was holy and did violence to the laws of Moses, but I said that all the time I was still the same Lord who is just and does no wrong. (Zephaniah 3:1-5) I said that there would be a remnant of people who were humble who would take refuge in My name, that they would speak no lies or have deceitful tongues.  My promise to them was that they would pasture their flocks and no one would disturb them. (verses 12-13)
   That remnant of people would shout for joy because judgment had been removed from them and I had turned away their enemies, celebrating that I would be in their midst and that they would no longer have misfortune to fear.  I told them that that eventual group of people, the remnant that remained loyal to Me, would eventually shout for joy and not fear.  I said through Zephaniah that eventually those people who were descendants of the remnant which was saved would profess this song, "The Lord thy God in the midst of you is mighty, He will save and rejoice over you with joy.  You will rest in His love and He will sing over you with gladness." (Zephaniah 3:14-17)  
   In that glorious day of My new covenant of the Holy Spirit I said that I would remove disaster from them so there would be no disgrace, that I would deal with all who oppress them, that I would save the lame and assemble the outcasts to Me.  I said that I would give those people of My new covenant of love praise and renown in the earth when I brought about My restoration before their very eyes.  That promise is the same promise that was seen by other prophets when I gave to them spiritual insights into what was to eventually come into the earth as My promise of the restoration of the earth.  (Zehaniah 3:18-20)  That prophesy related to the ministry of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit in which I chose to live inside of people, creating a spiritual nation of people who would hear My voice and follow My guidance.  That prophesy was the same as the prophesies of Jeremiah, Isaiah, Joel, Amos and other prophets with each prophet speaking of a specific portion of My truth which was to be manifested in Jesus Christ and My Holy Spirit.  After it was all prophesied, then Salvation came to earth in the person of Jesus Christ and then He turned the ministry of Salvation of the earth over to My Holy Spirit when He came to live with Me, which was My plan from the beginning.
    It's called, with My power, saving My children from the works of the devil.  (I John 3:9)
    Your Father of Effective Plans