I've noticed something that happens a great deal when dealing with prophetic discourse in Scripture. Often, the application of it for us today is lacking. I'm not talking about the giving the meaning of the passage. That meaning doesn't change from one generation to the next. What I'm talking about is how that specific text of Scripture applies to our lives. It seems many to most avoid making an application (or they only make application but breeze over meaning), and because of that, we are left with trying to figure out how to apply it.

In the current class on Revelation I'm teaching, I recently realized I've not been providing enough application in my teaching. I've provided meaning, knowledge or understanding of a particular passage. But I've usually left off application and there needs to be both.

The lesson I just taught this past Sunday in our Bible study group is a case in point. There was not a great deal of application of the passage (Revelation 13). What I did was break down the potential meaning of the text and while I did throw in some application, there needs to be much more. If there is no application for us now, today, what good is even studying those portions of Scripture except to gain knowledge? Knowledge is good, so please don't get me wrong, but Scripture teaching needs to do both.

For instance, this past Sunday morning in our Sunday class at church, we went over Zephaniah 3. Much of this passage just deals with what I believe to be the Millennial Kingdom, where Jesus has physically returned and is reigning as Lord over all the earth. The description in Zephaniah 3 speaks of the day when Jews specifically will speak with a "pure" language (v 9). While some believe the prophet is speaking of the resurrection of the Hebrew language, chances are much better that he was speaking (under the guidance of the Holy Spirit), of a day when people who worship God (Gentile and Jewish believers), will offer that worship to God with pure lips stemming from a pure heart (not a specific language). In other words, the spoken worship (whether through praise, praying or singing), will be such that it will be pure in thought and word, stemming from people who are clearly righteous, not only labeled that way by God, but righteous in their words, actions and thoughts.

Zephaniah 3:9-13 deals specifically with the coming day when evil will essentially be vanquished, for the most part. During the Millennial Kingdom, Jesus will rule with a rod of iron and will deal with any sin instantly. The nations will all worship only Him during that time. This world will be a completely different place than it is now. There will be absolutely no comparison with the way the world is now and the way the world will be then.