Zephaniah 1:2

"I will utterly consume all things from off the face of the ground, saith Jehovah."

"This is a proclamation of the universal judgment of God."[4] "Ground," as rendered in this verse would be more clearly rendered "earth" as in the Revised Standard Version." I will utterly sweep everything from the face of the earth, says the Lord." This is an assertion of God's sovereign right and power (also his intention) to judge the whole earth (not land, as in the King James Version)."[5]

Eakin pointed out that the Hebrew in this passage literally means: "I will cut off mankind ([~'adam]) from the face of the earth ([~'adamah])."[6] This is extremely illuminating, for it reveals that the primeval sentence upon Adam for his rebellion against God, which, of course, was death, would at last be executed in the final judgement and destruction of Adam in the person of his total posterity, the unique exceptions being the redeemed in Christ.

"Saith Jehovah ..." In the proclamation of final and universal judgment, "The prophet is merely the vehicle of the Divine announcement."[7] "Those who would tell us that Zephaniah's prophetic insight came merely from an informed political prognosticator, do so only by ignoring the prophet's claim."[8] The message is from God, not from Zephaniah.