SOUTH AFRICA IN BIBLE PROPHECY
THERE are many prophecies in the Bible predicting various Empires and countries, such as Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome (covering over 1000 years) and right on to present times and beyond, so we should not be over-surprised if there should be prophecies in the Bible relating to South Africa! We could also refer to quite a number of present day prophecies relating to South Africa, but for the time being we will confine ourselves to Biblical prophecies. We could consider three or four, but perhaps, for the present, we will restrict ourselves to two such prophecies quoting quite a number of verses for clarifying what we want to present:
Zephaniah 3:8-13
Verse 8: “Therefore wait ye upon me saith the Lord, until the day that I rise up to the prey: for My determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them My indignation, even all My fierce anger: for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of My jealousy.”
This is surely an “end time” Scripture – like you would find in Joel Chs. 2 & 3, Zech. Chs. 12 & 14, Ezek. Chs. 38 & 39, Matt. Ch. 24, Luke Ch. 21, 2 Peter Ch. 3, Rev. Ch. 16, etc, – perhaps all Armageddon Scriptures.
Verse 9: “… that they may all call upon the Name of the Lord, to serve Him with one consent.” Surely also an “end time” Scripture.
Verse 10: “From BEYOND the rivers of Ethiopia My suppliants, even the daughter of My DISPERSED shall bring Mine offering.”
Looking carefully at the map I have supplied, the prophet Zephaniah looks south past Palestine, past Egypt, past Ethiopia, past the rivers of Cunene, Cubango. Cuando, Zambezi, etc, etc., right down to Southern Africa – even to South Africa where I live!
And the Lord calls these “the daughter of My DISPERSED!” As the book of Zephaniah was written in 630 B.C. this could never refer to the House of Judah (the Jews) because they were not dispersed into Babylon until about 26 years later on – 604 B.C. (II Chron. 36:19-21). So this “daughter of My dispersed” could only be the House of Israel (10 Tribes) who were dispersed into Assyria in 721 B.C. (II Kings 17:5-6,18,24) – that is 117 years before Zephaniah Chapter three. So therefore the white people represent some of the House of Israel, and this is confirmed by Verse 13 which calls us a “remnant of Israel”!
But in Verses 11 to 13 the Lord speaks very sternly to these white Israelites in South Africa, and demands that five things must GO!, and two things must COME!
Verses 11 & 13: “In that day shalt thou not be ashamed for all thy doings, wherein thou hast transgressed against Me: for then will I take away out of the midst of thee them that rejoice in thy pride, and thou shalt no more be haughty in My holy mountain … The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth…”
These five things must GO! – pride, haughtiness, iniquity, lies and deceitfulness! These two things must COME! – “bring Mine offering!” – God wants us to Repent and present ourselves unto Him! We must love GOD!
Verse 12: “I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and THEY shall trust in the name of the Lord”!
We Europeans must love our NEIGHBOUR as well as love GOD, and help all the peoples in South Africa to “trust in the name of the Lord!” This is again confirmed in Verse 9 in another translation –
Verse 9: “For then will I give to the peoples a pure lip, that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve Him with one shoulder.”
In other words the Lord wants all in South Africa to stand ‘shoulder to shoulder’, and together serve the Lord and one another. If the peoples of South Africa will do this, then the Lord promises “they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid!” Is not this what South Africa needs? Is not this God’s answer for all people in South Africa?
Isaiah Chapter 18
We are told to whom Chapters 15, 16, 17 and 19 are addressed – Moab, Moab again, Damascus and Egypt, but no such designation is given to Chapter 18, so for this and other reasons it has been looked upon, by commentators down the centuries, as one of the most difficult chapters in the Bible to interpret and understand! However let us proceed to look at this short chapter of seven verses, also using alternative translations:
Verse 1: “Ho to the land shadowed on both sides, which is BEYOND THE RIVERS OF ETHIOPIA”!
This is identical to the wording and designation of Zephaniah 3:10! – “From BEYOND THE RIVERS OF ETHIOPIA”! In other words this chapter is to people in South Africa!
Verse 2: “That sendeth ambassadors by the sea, even in vessels drawing (or using) water (steamships?) … whose land the rivers have DIVIDED!”
 This is just what the mass of rivers of Central Africa have done! – South Africa has been separated from Ethiopia and North Africa by the Cunene, Cubango, Cuando, Zambesi! etc etc.
Verse 3: “All the inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the earth, see ye, when He lifteth up an ensign on the mountains; and when He bloweth a trumpet, hear ye”!
So after speaking about South Africa in verses one and two, the Lord calls upon all nations to observe what He is going to say; and then in
Verses 4-6: the Lord defeats the enemy.
Verse 7: “In that time shall the PRESENT be brought unto the Lord … whose land the rivers have DIVIDED”!
So the same people as in Verses 1 to 2 “whose land the rivers have DIVIDED,” are to bring a PRESENT to the Lord – or an OFFERING to the Lord as it says in Zephaniah 3:10. So I believe both of these Chapters – Zephaniah 3 and Isaiah 18 – are calling upon all in South Africa to be reconciled to God, and to one another, and love and serve Him sincerely with all of our hearts, and He will help us in all ways needed. So will we be able to set a right and godly example to other countries in Africa, and help them to likewise serve the Lord. What a challenge and God-given mission awaits South Africa! May we not fail Him and others! South Africa’s National Anthem requests … GOD BLESS AFRICA
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Lord bless Africa,
May her spirit rise high up;
Hear Thou our prayers,
Lord bless us.
Descend O Spirit,
Descend O Holy Spirit,
Lord bless us
Your family.
Lord bless Africa
May her spirit rise high up;
Hear Thou our prayers,
Lord bless us
Your family.
Editors Notes: 1. ‘My people’, called by my name (ISRA-EL). 2. Southern Africa – Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana, Swaziland, Lesotho. 3. II Chronicles 7:14
