Zephaniah 3:8

"Therefore wait ye for me, saith Jehovah, until the day that I rise up to the,prey; for my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them my indignation, even all my fierce anger; for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy."

Despite the fact of Deane and other respected commentators understanding this verse as a prophecy of the nations "being converted"[14] unto God, it appears to us that the verse must refer to the eternal judgment. "All the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy" could hardly apply to anything else. See chapter introduction for the manner in which this verse actually ties the preceding and succeeding paragraphs together. The great theme of Zephaniah is the judgment; and the doom of Jerusalem for their sins soon to executed upon them by the power of Assyria prompted this reference to the final judgment, of which Jerusalem's judgment, like all similar judgments, was a pledge and token.

"Gather the nations ..." We agree with Bennett that this "does not mean that Jerusalem shall be the gathering place."[15] The "gathering" of this passage is a "harvesting" of the earth, the execution of the final judgment upon all men. This gathering of the nations is that of Revelation 16:14; and it is "to gather them together unto the war of the great day of God, the Almighty."

"Therefore, wait ye for me ..." Such an exhortation is directed to the righteous remnant in all ages, who oppressed by the general wickedness of mankind and tending ever to discouragement are admonished to wait patiently for the fulfillment of God's purpose upon the earth. Hailey's comment on this clause is helpful:

"The exhortation `wait for Jehovah' is a favorite with Isaiah, who uses it over and over. `They that wait for Jehovah shall renew their strength' (Isaiah 40:31); `the isles shall wait for his law' (Isaiah 42:4); `they that wait for me shall not be put to shame' (Isaiah 49:23); `neither hath eye seen a God besides thee, who worketh for him that waiteth for him'" (Isaiah 64:4).[16]

"That I may assemble the kingdoms ..." This is parallel with the gathering of the nations, the purpose for which is stated in the next clause, "that I may pour upon them my indignation." This assembling of the kingdoms of the earth will be orchestrated and controlled by Satan himself (the beast), as in this reference to it: "I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat upon the horse (the KING OF KINGS; AND LORD OF LORDS), and his army" (Revelation 19:19). The imagery of a battle so strongly suggested here is, however, misleading. The so-called battle of Armageddon was prophetically revealed as not a traditional struggle at all, but a summary triumph of God. The beast and the false prophet, along with all the kings and their armies "were cast alive into the lake of fire that burneth with brimstone" (Revelation 19:20). That will be the day when God shall indeed "rise up to the prey!"

It is noteworthy that John D. W. Watts unequivocally assigned this verse eight to the final judgment. "The scene returns to the universal judgment with which the book began."[17]