A14.01.85A.htm

"ON THE DAY OF THE LORD'S SACRIFICE".
(Zephaniah 1:8 NEB).

"Silence before the Lord God! for the day of the Lord is near. The Lord has prepared a sacrifice and has hallowed His guests. On the day of the Lord's sacrifice I will punish the royal house and its chief officers and all who ape outlandish fashions. On that day I will punish all who dance on the temple terrace, who fill their master's house with crimes of violence and fraud." (Zeph 1:7-9 NEB).

HOW THE "ROYAL HOUSE" AND ITS OFFICERS
SEGREGATE THEMSELVES FROM ALL OTHERS.
Segregationists not only employ "outlandish fashions" to integrate and associate with fellow "officers", but use this as a means of identification and symbol of authority to distinguish themselves from others even to divide themselves off from other nations. This is the method by which ethnic differences are exploited and authority among their own kind established.

Primarily, the "royal house" described in this scripture is that of King David, from whom natural born Jews trace their descent. On the day of the Lord's sacrifice Almighty God will punish all those among them or allied to them who exercise authority over the people through the use of outlandish garb, violence (military force), ethnic segregation, or commercial usury and fraud. In contravention of the Law of God, many Jews run financial institutions and banks practicing usury (lending with interest). (See Ezek 18:5-9 NEB).

"CRIMES OF VIOLENCE AND FRAUD". (Zeph 1:9 NEB).
"Violence and fraud" is manifested in a variety of ways, but often through the adoption of exploitive financial and commercial practices for "driving others to work"; manipulating financial and business transactions to gain unjust advantage over the people. (Isaiah 14:4). (See Pages 31/12/84A, 31/12/84B, & 31/12/84C).

"For all the traders are undone, the merchants are wiped out. For I am searching Jerusalem with a lamp, to punish careless men, living at ease, who think the Eternal never does anything so their goods shall be plundered, their houses laid in ruins [[they shall not live in the houses they build, nor drink wine from the vineyards they plant]]." (Zeph 1:11-13 Moffatt).

(Cont. on Page 14/1/85B).

14/1/85A.