First let's get something clear about erroneous notions of Paul and his founding a new religion, which he didn't. True, the halakhah of his Judaism switched from the Pharisaic oral law to the Ruach Hakodesh, but his religion was still one of the Judaisms of the time, not a new non-Judaism Gentile religion.

Zephaniah (640-622) prophesied between the time of Isaiah and

Jeremiah, roughly 626 B.C.E. near the time of Jeremiah's call to

the office of prophet. Zephaniah's preaching helped (with

Jeremiah's) to spark King Josiah's revival (621 B.C.E.--see II

Kings ch 23) after the wicked reigns of Manassah and his son Amon

had left the people of Judah in need of a spiritual awakening.

Zephaniah may have been a great, great grandson of Hezekiah King

of Judah (1:1). We know he prophesied before Ninevah was

destroyed in 612 B.C.E. (see 2:13).

Mankind is in danger of being swept off the face of the earth

(1:2-3). Backsliders, if they don't repent, will be destroyed

(see 1:6). For the great, dark, terrifying Day of the L-rd is

karov (near--1:7,l5-16) and hastening fast (1:14). The

superstitious (1:9) and those syncretists who try to mix the

faith with Canaanite, Ammonite, and Assyrian religion (1:4-5)

will be destroyed, as will the complacent, too indifferent to

trouble themselves making inquiry of the L-rd (see Zeph. 1:12 and

II Shimon Kefa 3:3-4). Money won't save anyone on that day, when

G-d will make a full and terrible end of sinners, and distress

will fall on all living (1:17-18).

In view of this Day of divine wrath so imminently approaching,

believers should repent of pride, humble themselves (2:3), seek

righteousness, seek the L-rd, through whom one may perhaps "be

hidden on the day of the L-rd's wrath" (2:3). A revival is shown

to be gathering together in one accord, in a spirit of humility,

to seek the L-rd (2:1-3). Notice that the L-rd will not be hidden

on the Day of the L-rd, but the believers may be hidden, hidden,

that is, from G-d's wrath. Elijah's rapture was almost hidden

from Elisha (II Kings 3:10). So G-d will in some way hide His

people when He reverses their fortune. (2:7) and puts their

oppressive enemies under their feet (2:9). The Nubians ("Cush")

mentioned in Ezekiel 38 will also be plundered (2:12).

The kohanim whose careless interpretation and teaching has "done

violence to the Law", the officials, the judges, the prophets --

all the leaders in Jerusalem are shamelessly unafraid of the Day

of the L-rd that is coming. Past destruction of evil cities like

Sodom and Gommorah (2:9) does not phase Jerusalem, who is all the

more eager to make all her deeds corrupt (3:1-7). Therefore, G-d

will gather all nations and the whole earth will be consumed in

fire (3:8). G-d is going to remove the proud and haughty and

leave a remnant of humble and lowly people (3:11-12).

Zephaniah was used to start a revival. What did he preach?

First, he attacked the false g-ds his people worshipped (1:4-5),

the sex-g-d (Baal) and the kohanim of their sex cult that the

people revered more than the L-rd's true servants. Zephaniah

also attacked the hypocrites who bowed publicly before the true

G-d but worshipped a false G-d in secret (1:5). 1:6 hits the

root evil--the unregenerate and desperately corrupt heart that

does not seek the true G-d and will not bother with Him (1:6).

Notice in 1:8-11 Zephaniah is not afraid to preach utter

destruction will befall the political and commercial

establishment of his day. This was a dangerous message for him.

The perils of complacency are depicted in 1:12-13. Zephaniah

rebuked a nation of indifferent nobodies who thought G-d

powerless to interfere with the ephemeral little lives they were

building for themselves through their brazenly sluggish

disinterest in the Word of G-d.

In 1:14-18 he graphically painted the horrors of the coming Day

of the L-rd. Then, having stirred their fear of the L-rd, he

called them to a spiritual change of heart in 2:1-3. Starting in

2:4, Zephaniah preached against the enemies of G-d in the west,

the Philistines (2:4-7); the east, Moab and Ammon (2:8-11); the

south, Nubia (2:12); the north, Assyria (2:13-15).

Then he turned on the leaders of Judah, her ruthlessly cunning

politicians, her bribe-hungry judges, her bragging preachers, her

theologians who "do violence to the Law." Zephaniah declared

that trouble is coming on the whole worthless brood (3:1-4)! G-d

laments that after all of His destruction of the g-dless pagans,

these religious people still haven't taken the hint and repented

(3:6-7). Therefore, judgment will have to begin with them(3:8).

The non-Jews will finally turn to the L-rd, according to 3:9-10,

and Shliach Sha'ul sees them joining the righteous Jewish remnant

in Romans 11. See 3:12. If G-d's judgment means destruction for

the wicked, it also means vindication of the righteous who,

refined by suffering, can render purer service (notice that a

small Jewish remnant would be restored to G-d after the

Babylonian capitivity--see 2:7).

Here we see what G-d is preparing to do to Israel: that is, pour

out his wrath on the non-remnant while He hides His remnant or

elect and spares them from his angry, righteous judgment (see

2:3). Notice the promise of a great Gentile revival, and even of

a "Pentecostal" transformation of a "deceitful tongue" of Judah

(3:12) into "a pure speech" of the Gentiles (3:9). This heavenly

"pure" speech was heard at Pentecost in Acts ch 2.

ZEPHANIAH 3:9

"Then I will purify the lips of the peoples, that all of them may

call on the name of the L-rd and serve Him shoulder to shoulder."