"Wait for Me, therefore, says the Lord, wait for the day when I stand up to accuse you; for Mine it is to gather nations and assemble kingdoms, to pour out on them My indignation, all the heat of My anger; the whole earth shall be consumed by the fire of My jealousy." (Zeph 3:8 NEB).

FOR THIS PURPOSE GOD IS GATHERING NATIONS IN THE MIDDLE EAST.
The adversaries of spirit Zion are to be swept away because of God's jealousy for His people and His Kingdom, and because God is about to begin His rule.⁽¹⁾   He begins His rule by removing all enemies "by all the heat of My anger".⁽²⁾ Notice that there is no element of surprise or secrecy over the systematic gathering of enemy nations, yet our Lord has come "as a thief" to the vast majority of unenlightened ones who are still unaware that this worldwide gathering is for God to express all of His wrath upon them. Although our Lord gave many warnings and scourgings worldwide concerning the things that offend Him, especially during this decade, it has not been His intention to punish all offenders over a long period of many years. Instead, at His appointed time, all the proud and arrogant from the standpoint of God will be swept into death by the "besom of destruction"⁽³⁾ during one uninterrupted period of a "single hour".

As to natural Jews of Jerusalem it says, "you shall not be put to shame for all your deeds". However, it goes on to say, "for then I will rid you of your proud and arrogant citizens".⁽⁴⁾ This can only mean that many Jews are about to perish in Jerusalem. Only the "daughter of Jerusalem" (those of spiritual "Jerusalem") will survive to rejoice⁽⁵⁾ over the beneficial results of God's anger.

THE GREAT SUPPER OF GOD IS NOW IMMINENT. (See Rev 19:18).
All those with the symbolic "mark"⁽⁶⁾ of 666 (for supporting unGodly political regimes) are about to perish. And the dragon satan who gave his power to his human followers to rule these present systems of the political "wild beast"⁽⁷⁾ will be taken prisoner by our Lord, along with the "false prophet" (those administering and those supporting false uninspired charities). Besides these, Kings, commanders and fighting men and certain slaves and freemen great and small will perish.⁽⁸⁾ The devil satan and his accomplices will be abyssed⁽⁹⁾ (for the next thousand years satan will no more actively influence men). Demons will not be able to seduce the nations anymore until after the next thousand years are ended⁽¹⁰⁾ (when apostates will surround the holy ones again).

THE TIME FOR THE JUDGEMENT OF BABYLON HAS ARRIVED! (Rev 18:10).
Already kings and merchants of the earth are beginning to mourn their losses from no longer being able to trade with Babylon (Iraq)⁽¹¹⁾ because of a siege against her. But soon, in "a single hour", she "should be laid waste".⁽¹²⁾ Therefore, if we adopt the scriptural symbolic principle of one "day" representing one year (as stated in Ezekiel 4:6) a "single hour" is 15 days (according to the Jewish year of 360 days ÷ 24 'hours' = 15 days). Then 15 days would be the overall period of time that our Lord will be laying Babylon waste. But Babylon's "pestilence, bereavement, famine, and burning" will symbolically last for a "single day"⁽¹³⁾; one year.

All scriptures here cited are from the New English Bible.

(1) Zeph 3:15.             (2) Zeph 3:8.                 (3) Isaiah 14:23.       (4) Zeph 3:11.              (5) Zeph 3:14.

(6) Rev 13:16-18.      (7) Rev 13:4. 17:11.     (8) Rev 19:18.           (9) (10) Rev 20:1-3.     (11) (12) (13) Rev 18:8-20.

2/10/90.