Bible passage: Zephaniah 2:2-4
Prophet: Zephaniah
Written: About 2,600 years ago
In Zephaniah, chapter 2, the prophet Zephaniah warns of judgment against the people of Judah for being unfaithful to God. He prophecy also gives the people of Judah the information that they cannot look to Philistia for help, because it too will be destroyed.
Zephaniah lived during the rise of Babylonian empire, which later would conquer the land of Judah, destroying the city of Jerusalem and the temple in 586 BC, about 2,600 years ago.
During the time of that conquest, Babylon also conquered the area surrounding Judah. Biblical mentions of the Philistines, as well as mentions of them in other records, decreased substantially after the time of the Babylonian invasion.
Whereas the people of Judah were able to later recover from the Babylonian conquest and retain their national identity, the Philistines did not.
- Research and commentary is based on the book 100 Fulfilled Bible Prophecies. © Ray Konig and AboutBibleProphecy.com.
Here is Zephaniah 2:4-7 (NIV):
4 Gaza will be abandoned and Ashkelon left in ruins.
At midday Ashdod will be emptied and Ekron uprooted.
5 Woe to you who live by the sea, you Kerethite people;
the word of the Lord is against you, Canaan, land of the Philistines.
He says, "I will destroy you, and none will be left."
6 The land by the sea will become pastures having wells for shepherds and pens for flocks.
7 That land will belong to the remnant of the people of Judah; there they will find pasture.
In the evening they will lie down in the houses of Ashkelon. The Lord their God will care for them; he will restore their fortunes.[a]
Footnotes:
a. Zephaniah 2:7 Or will bring back their captives