Zephaniah 3:14

"Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem. Jehovah hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out thine enemy: the King of Israel, even Jehovah, is in the midst of thee: thou shalt not fear evil any more."

This remarkable passage is one of the most amazing in the Old Testament. As for who "the King of Israel" is, who was prophesied to dwell in the midst of the redeemed people, Nathaniel identified him absolutely, "Rabbi (addressed to Jesus), Thou are the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel" (John 1:48). Dummelow and others missed the significance here in their complaint that, "Not the Messiah, but Jehovah himself is the promised King and Deliverer."[31] But why should this be hailed as something different? Is not Jesus Christ himself God come in the flesh? Of course, he is; and John's gospel is totally dedicated to proving that very point; and Nathaniel's great confession hailing Christ as "King of Israel" and "Son of God" has the status of a topic sentence for John's entire gospel.

Thus, Zephaniah must be hailed as the Old Testament prophet who made it clear that the Prophet who would dwell among the people of his kingdom would actually be God Himself. The Greek New Testament declares no less than ten times that Jesus of Nazareth is that divine Person, the Dayspring from on High who has visited us, and who promised his church, "Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world." Deane, therefore, properly understood this passage as a reference "to the perpetual presence of Christ in the Church."[32]

"Daughter of Zion ... daughter of Jerusalem ..." These are both synonyms for Israel";[33] but, of course, not the old Israel, but the New Israel of God (Galatians 3:29; Romans 9:6, etc.) is the Israel which is meant here.

If there had been any doubt of the Messianic thrust of this whole section, Zephaniah 3:14-15 are sufficient to have removed it. As Hanke confidently wrote: "This is a prophetic anticipation of the day when the King Messiah shall reign."[34]