Judgment Day Bilong Jehovah Hem Klosap!
“Bigfala day bilong Jehovah hem klosap. Hem klosap nao, and hem start for hariap tumas.”—ZEPHANIAH 1:14.
1. Wanem warning nao God givim thru long Zephaniah?
JEHOVAH GOD hem redy for tek akson againstim wicked pipol. Lisin! Diswan nao warning bilong hem: ‘Mi bae finisim man bilong earth . . . Mi bae finisim man from antap long graon.’ (Zephaniah 1:3) Sovereign Lord Jehovah nao talem datfala toktok thru long profet Zephaniah, maet hem great-great-granson bilong faithful King Hezekiah. Datfala toktok wea hem talem long taem bilong gudfala King Josiah, hem no gudfala nius for olketa wicked wan long land bilong Judah.
2. Why nao olketa akson bilong Josiah no stopem judgment day bilong Jehovah?
2 Wei wea Zephaniah strong for talemaot profesi hem helpem young Josiah for barava luksavve long need for aotem dirty worship long Judah. Bat, olketa samting wea king duim for aotem giaman religion from datfala land hem no finisim evri wicked fasin from olketa pipol or kavarem olketa sin wea grandadi bilong hem, King Manasseh, hem duim, wea “fulimap Jerusalem witim blood wea no guilty.” (2 Kings 24:3, 4; 2 Chronicles 34:3) So, judgment day bilong Jehovah hem mas kam.
3. Hao nao iumi savve sure man fit for winim “day bilong kros bilong Jehovah”?
3 Nomata olsem, samfala bae laef long datfala day for mekem man fraet. Dastawe profet bilong God sei: “Bifor law hem mekem eni samting kamap, bifor day hem finis olsem rabis bilong wheat, bifor bigfala kros bilong Jehovah hem kam againstim iufala pipol, bifor day bilong kros bilong Jehovah hem kam againstim iufala, lukaotem Jehovah, iufala evriwan wea garem kwaet fasin long earth, wea duim olketa law bilong Hem. Lukaotem raeteous fasin, lukaotem kwaet fasin. Maet iufala savve haed long day bilong kros bilong Jehovah.” (Zephaniah 2:2, 3) Witim hope for sev taem judgment day bilong Jehovah go ahed, letem iumi lukluk long Bible buk bilong Zephaniah. Profet Zephaniah raetem long Judah bifor 648 B.C.E., and hem part long “profesi toktok” bilong God wea iumi mas tingting strong long hem.—2 Peter 1:19.
Jehovah Putim Aot Hand Bilong Hem
4, 5. Hao nao Zephaniah 1:1-3 fulfill long olketa wicked wan long Judah?
4 “Toktok bilong Jehovah” long Zephaniah start witim warning wea iumi lukim finis. God hem sei: “‘Mi bae finisim evri samting antap long graon,’ hem nao toktok bilong Jehovah. ‘Mi bae finisim man and animal bilong earth. Mi bae finisim olketa bird wea flae long heven and olketa fish long sea, and olketa samting wea mekem man stambol witim olketa wicked wan; and mi bae finisim man from antap long graon,’ hem nao toktok bilong Jehovah.”—Zephaniah 1:1-3.
5 Yes, Jehovah bae finisim barava wicked fasin from land bilong Judah. Hu nao God bae iusim for “finisim evri samting antap long graon”? Bikos Zephaniah hem talemaot profesi taem King Josiah hem just start for rul, long 659 B.C.E., wan wei wea datfala profesi toktok hem fulfill hem taem olketa bilong Babylon finisim Judah and kapitol taon bilong hem, Jerusalem, long 607 B.C.E. Long datfala taem, olketa wicked wan long Judah bae ‘finis.’
6-8. Wanem profesi nao stap long Zephaniah 1:4-6, and hao nao datfala profesi fulfill long Judah bifor?
6 Taem hem talem profesi abaotem akson from God againstim olketa wea duim giaman worship, Zephaniah 1:4-6 sei olsem: “Mi bae putim aot hand bilong mi againstim Judah and againstim evri pipol bilong Jerusalem, and mi bae killim dae from disfala ples olketa wea stap yet bilong Baal, nem bilong olketa heathen-god priest witim olketa priest, and olketa wea baodaon antap long ruf long olketa army bilong heven, and olketa wea baodaon, wea mekem promis long Jehovah and mekem promis thru long Malcam; and olketa wea hol bak for followim Jehovah and wea no lukaotem Jehovah and no ask for hem.”
7 Jehovah bae putim aot hand bilong hem againstim pipol bilong Judah and Jerusalem. Hem bae killim dae olketa wea worshipim Baal, datfala sex and fertility god bilong Canaan. Olketa kolem olketa god bilong difren ples Baal, bikos pipol wea worshipim olketa tingse olketa garem paoa ovarem samfala difren ples. Olsem example, olketa Moabite and Midianite worshipim wanfala Baal long Maunt Peor. (Numbers 25:1, 3, 6) Evriwea long Judah, Jehovah bae finisim olketa priest bilong Baal, and tu olketa Levite priest wea no faithful wea brekem law bilong God from wei for kaban witim olketa.—Exodus 20:2, 3.
8 God bae finisim tu olketa wea ‘baodaon long olketa army bilong heven,’ pipol wea studyim star and worshipim sun. (2 Kings 23:11; Jeremiah 19:13; 32:29) Kros bilong God bae kasem tu olketa wea trae for mixim tru worship witim giaman religion long wei for “mekem promis long Jehovah and mekem promis thru long Malcam.” Maet Malcam hem semsem olsem Molech, main god bilong olketa Ammonite. Insaed worship bilong Molech hem wei for sakrifaesim pikinini.—1 Kings 11:5; Jeremiah 32:35.
End Bilong Christendom Klosap Nao!
9. (a) Christendom hem guilty long wanem? (b) Long difren wei from olketa bilong Judah wea no faithful, wanem nao iumi shud disaed strong for duim?
9 Evri samting hia mekem iumi tingim Christendom, wea fulap witim giaman worship and wei for studyim olketa star. Wei wea olketa sakrifaesim planti million laef long altar bilong war wea olketa bigman bilong church saportim hem samting wea nogud tumas! Iumi mas no kamap olsem olketa bilong Judah wea no faithful, wea “hol bak for followim Jehovah,” wea no kea and no lukaotem hem moa or lukaotem gaedens bilong hem. Bat, letem iumi keepim faithful fasin bilong iumi long God.
10. Hao nao iu bae explainim mining bilong profesi long Zephaniah 1:7?
10 Next toktok bilong disfala profet hem fitim olketa bilong Judah wea duim rong samting and olketa wicked wan long distaem. Zephaniah 1:7 hem sei olsem: “Stap kwaet front long Sovereign Lord Jehovah; bikos day bilong Jehovah hem klosap, bikos Jehovah hem redyim wanfala sakrifaes; hem mekem holy olketa wea hem invaetem.” Olketa wea hem “invaetem” nao olketa from Chaldea wea enemy bilong Judah. Datfala “sakrifaes” hem Judah nao, and kapitol taon bilong hem. Zephaniah talemaot purpose bilong God for distroem Jerusalem, and diswan point go long wei wea Christendom bae finis evribit. Tru nao, from judgment day bilong God hem klosap tumas distaem, full world shud “stap kwaet front long Sovereign Lord Jehovah” and herem samting wea hem talem thru long “smol flock” bilong olketa anointed follower bilong Jesus and olketa fren bilong olketa, “nara sheep” bilong hem. (Luke 12:32; John 10:16) Evriwan wea no laek for lisin showimaot hao olketa againstim rul bilong Kingdom bilong God and bae finis evribit.—Psalm 2:1, 2.
Klosap Nao—Day for Big Singaot!
11. Wanem nao main mining bilong Zephaniah 1:8-11?
11 Long saed long day bilong Jehovah, Zephaniah 1:8-11 sei moa: “ ‘Hem mas happen long day bilong sakrifaes bilong Jehovah hao mi bae luk go long olketa prince, and long olketa son bilong king, and long evriwan wea werem kaleko bilong nara kantri. And mi bae luk long evriwan wea klaem antap long platform long datfala day, olketa wea fulimap haos bilong olketa masta bilong olketa witim raf fasin and laea fasin. And hem mas happen long datfala day,’ hem nao toktok bilong Jehovah, ‘noise bilong wanfala man wea singaot from Fish Gate, and wanfala big singaot from wanfala part long taon, and bigfala noise from olketa hill. Krae big, iufala wea stap long Maktesh, from evri pipol wea sellim samting mas kwaet nao; olketa wea scalem silver olketa dae finis.’”
12. Hao nao samfala “werem kaleko bilong nara kantri”?
12 Olketa wea bae rul bihaenem King Josiah nao Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, and Jehoiachin. Then rul bilong Zedekiah kamap, wea hem nao taem wea Jerusalem bae finis evribit. Nomata kaen trabol olsem hem feisim olketa, samfala wea laekem olketa nation wea stap klosap for acceptim olketa “werem kaleko bilong nara kantri.” Olsem tu, planti distaem showimaot long olketa difren wei hao olketa no part long organization bilong Jehovah. From olketa showimaot wei bilong organization bilong Satan, olketa bae kasem panis.
13. For fitim profesi long Zephaniah, wanem samting nao mas happen taem olketa bilong Babylon attakim Jerusalem?
13 “Datfala day” wea Judah mas givim ansa hem semsem witim day bilong Jehovah for judgem olketa enemy bilong hem, for finisim wicked fasin, and for pruvim wei wea hem nao hae winim evriwan. Taem olketa bilong Babylon attakim Jerusalem, wanfala singaot bae kam from Fish Gate. Maet datfala ples garem nem hia bikos hem klosap long fish market. (Nehemiah 13:16) Sekson bilong Babylon bae kam insaed long wanfala part long taon, and “bigfala noise from olketa hill” maet minim saond bilong olketa bilong Chaldea wea kakam klosap. Pipol bilong Maktesh bae “krae big,” maet long antap part bilong Tyropoeon Valley. Why nao olketa bae krae big? Bikos olketa bisnis, witim diswan “olketa wea scalem silver,” bae no stap long there nao.
14. Wei wea God lukluk long sekson wea sei olketa worshipim hem bae go kasem wea nao?
14 Wei wea Jehovah duim inspection long pipol wea sei olketa worshipim hem bae go kasem wea? Profesi hem go ahed for sei: “Hem mas happen long datfala taem hao mi bae lukluk gud insaed long Jerusalem witim olketa lamp, and mi bae luk long olketa man wea sidaon nomoa antap long rabis bilong olketa and wea sei insaed long heart bilong olketa, ‘Jehovah bae no duim gud samting, and hem bae no duim nogud samting.’ And olketa bae tekem riches bilong olketa and haos bilong olketa bae kamap emti ples. And olketa bae buildim haos, bat olketa bae no stap insaed; and olketa bae plantim grape plantation, bat olketa bae no drinkim wine bilong hem.—Zephaniah 1:12, 13.
15. (a) Wanem nao bae happen long olketa apostate priest long Jerusalem? (b) Wanem nao bae kasem pipol wea followim giaman religion distaem?
15 Olketa apostate priest bilong Jerusalem mixim worship bilong Jehovah witim giaman religion. Nomata olketa feel sef, God bae lukaotem olketa olsem witim braet lamp wea bae go insaed long spiritual darkness wea olketa haed insaed. No eniwan bae ranawe from toktok and judgment bilong God. Olketa apostate hia sidaon nating olsem rabis insaed long botom bilong wine tank. Olketa no laekem eniwan for sekem olketa witim toktok hao judgment bilong God hem klosap, bat olketa bae no savve missim datwan. Datwan hem fitim olketa wea insaed giaman religion distaem, especially long Christendom, and tu samfala wea lusim worship bilong Jehovah and kamap apostate. Olketa denyim distaem hem “olketa last day” taem olketa sei insaed heart bilong olketa, “Jehovah bae no duim gud samting, and hem bae no duim nogud samting.” Bat olketa barava rong!—2 Timothy 3:1-5; 2 Peter 3:3, 4, 10.
16. Wanem samting nao mas happen taem judgment bilong God kasem Judah, and hao nao datfala savve shud affectim iumi?
16 Olketa apostate bilong Judah kasem warning hao sekson bilong Babylon bae stealim riches bilong olketa, distroem haos bilong olketa, and tekem frut long grape plantation bilong olketa. Olketa material samting bae iusles taem judgment bilong God hem kasem Judah. Datwan hem semsem tu taem judgment day bilong Jehovah kasem disfala system. So, letem iumi garem spiritual wei for lukluk and ‘hipimap olketa riches long heven’ taem iumi putim service bilong Jehovah olsem first samting long laef bilong iumi!—Matthew 6:19-21, 33.
“Bigfala Day Bilong Jehovah Hem Klosap”
17. Olsem Zephaniah 1:14-16 hem talem, hao klos nao judgment day bilong Jehovah?
17 Hao klos nao judgment day bilong Jehovah? Long Zephaniah 1:14-16, God talem disfala promis: “Bigfala day bilong Jehovah hem klosap. Hem klosap nao, and hem start for hariap tumas. Noise bilong day bilong Jehovah hem nogud tumas. Long datfala taem wanfala strongfala man hem singaot big. Datfala day hem wanfala day bilong bigfala kros, day for mekem man feel nogud and garem bigfala wari, day bilong bigfala wind and for finisim evri samting, day bilong darkness and bilong laet wea fail, day bilong olketa cloud and bilong smoke, day bilong horn and bilong alarm signal, againstim olketa strongfala taon and againstim olketa haefala taoa long wall.”
18. Why nao iumi shud no ting judgment day bilong Jehovah hem farawe yet?
18 Olketa bighed priest, prince, and pipol bilong Judah kasem warning hao datfala “bigfala day bilong Jehovah hem klosap.” For Judah ‘day bilong Jehovah bae hariap tumas.’ Olsem tu long taem bilong iumi, no eniwan mas tingse judgment bilong Jehovah for wicked pipol bae happen farawe yet long future. Bat, long sem wei wea God duim samting kwiktaem long Judah, hem bae “hariap” witim day bilong hem. (Revelation 16:14, 16) Hem bae nogud taem for evriwan wea no willing for followim message bilong Zephaniah and fail for followim tru worship!
19, 20. (a) Wanem nao samfala samting wea happen taem kros bilong God kasem Judah and Jerusalem? (b) From wei for distroe hem for disfala system nomoa, wanem nao olketa kwestin wea kamap?
19 Taem kros bilong God kasem Judah and Jerusalem, hem “day for mekem man feel nogud and garem bigfala wari.” Pipol bilong Babylon wea attak bae kosim planti wei for safa for pipol bilong Judah, insaed diswan bigfala wari taem man feisim dae and wei for distroe. Datfala “day bilong bigfala wind and for finisim evri samting” bae wanfala taem bilong darkness, cloud, and smoke, maet no long tokpiksa wei nomoa bat tu long really wei, bikos smoke and wei for busarem pipol bae evriwea. Hem “day bilong horn and bilong alarm signal,” bat olketa warning hia bae iusles nomoa.
20 Taem enemy attak, olketa man for lukaot bae no savve stopem wei wea hem daonem “olketa haefala taoa long wall.” Long taem bilong iumi, olketa strong samting bilong disfala world bae iusles againstim samting from heven bilong Jehovah for faet, wea hem iusim for distroem olketa samting wea hem chusim. Waswe, iu hope for stap laef? Waswe, iu stap strong finis long saed bilong Jehovah wea “protectim evriwan wea lovem hem, bat evri nogud man hem bae finisim evribit”?—Psalm 145:20.
21, 22. Hao nao Zephaniah 1:17, 18 hem bae fulfill long taem bilong iumi?
21 Profesi abaotem barava nogud day bilong judgment stap long Zephaniah 1:17, 18! “Mi bae mekem olketa man feel nogud,” Jehovah God hem talem, “and olketa bae barava wakabaot olsem olketa blind man; bikos againstim Jehovah nao olketa sin. And blood bilong olketa bae kapsaet olsem dust, and bele bae kamaot olsem siti. Silver bilong olketa and gold bilong olketa bae no fit for sevem olketa long day bilong bigfala kros bilong Jehovah; bat from strong bilong hem wea olsem fire full earth bae finis, from hem bae finisim evribit, yes long wei wea nogud tumas, olketa pipol bilong earth.”
22 Olsem long taem bilong Zephaniah, klosap nao Jehovah bae mekem trabol kasem “olketa pipol bilong earth,” olketa wea no want for obeyim warning bilong hem. From olketa sin againstim God, olketa wakabaot olsem olketa blind man and no savve faendem ples for sev. Long judgment day bilong Jehovah, blood bilong olketa bae “kapsaet olsem dust,” olsem iusles samting nomoa. Olketa bae dae long wei wea mekem man shame, bikos God bae torowem body—and bele tu—bilong wicked pipol hia long earth, “olsem siti.”
23. Nomata pipol wea duim rong bae no ranawe “long day bilong bigfala kros bilong Jehovah,” wanem hope nao profesi bilong Zephaniah garem for iumi?
23 No eniwan savve sevem olketa wea faet againstim Jehovah and pipol bilong hem. Silver or gold no sevem pipol bilong Judah wea duim rong samting, long sem wei riches and selen wea olketa hipimap no savve protectim or sevem Christendom and olketa nara part bilong disfala wicked system “long day bilong bigfala kros bilong Jehovah.” Long datfala last day bilong disison, “full earth” bae finis from strong bilong God wea olsem fire taem hem distroem wicked pipol. From iumi garem faith long profesi toktok bilong God, iumi barava biliv iumi stap deep insaed “taem bilong end” distaem. (Daniel 12:4) Day bilong judgment bilong Jehovah hem klosap, and klosap nao kros bilong hem bae kasem olketa enemy bilong hem. Nomata olsem, profesi bilong Zephaniah givim hope for stap sef. Sapos olsem, wanem nao iumi mas duim sapos iumi bae stap haed long day bilong kros bilong Jehovah?
Hao Nao Bae Iu Ansa?
• Hao nao profesi bilong Zephaniah fulfill long Judah and Jerusalem?
• Wanem nao stap redy for Christendom and evri wicked pipol long taem bilong iumi?
• Why nao iumi shud no ting judgment day bilong Jehovah bae kam longtaem yet long future?
[Piksa long page 13]
Zephaniah no fraet for sei judgment day bilong Jehovah hem klosap
[Credit Line]
From the Self-Pronouncing Edition of the Holy Bible, containing the King James and the Revised versions
[Piksa long page 15]
Day bilong Jehovah hem kasem Judah and Jerusalem long hand bilong olketa long Babylon long 607 B.C.E.
[Piksa long page 16]
Waswe, iu hope for stap sev taem Jehovah distroem wicked pipol?