‘From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants, even the daughter of my dispersed, shall bring mine offering.’ The figurative language describes all the Jews that have been taken into captivity, being brought back into one land; that is the symbolism. But this is the call of the Gentiles, people will be brought in from all over the place. The restoration of national Israel to their land is made to stand for the gathering in of spiritual Israel from among all the Gentile nations – ‘If the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision? … he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God’ (Romans 2:26-29). ‘From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants, even the daughter of my dispersed, shall bring mine offering.’ People will be converted – this prey, this end product – from Gentile nations throughout the world. Sometimes Zephaniah is talking about the sacking of Jerusalem and the captivity and the release from captivity; other times he is sailing right to the coming of Christ. The following verse show that this is about a day in which believers are still living on earth, and not about the final end.