1
The Book of Zephaniah
Student name
Institution name
Unit name
Date
, 2
Part 2
After careful analysis of the Day of the Lord in the book of Zephaniah, how does
Zephaniah characterize the Day of the Lord? What was this “Day” like for the original
audience?
The Day of the Lord is a time of judgment and destruction when God would send a
plague upon all the nations that wage war against Jerusalem. Their skin would rot, their eyes
would grow blind, and their tongues would rot in their mouths while they were still alive
Zephaniah 1:14–16. He predicts the wicked will be mercilessly put to death when the Lord
returns in His anger and resentment. There will come a horrible day, he says, when the people
scatter, and the cities are destroyed. After a period of severe anger and judgment, God will
extract retribution on the wicked and vindicate the faithful, as described by Zephaniah. Due to
spiritual and political bankruptcy, the prophet's message was a call to repentance and was also
meant to serve as a warning that the Day of the Lord is drawing near and that people must repent
and change their ways if they hope to be spared1.
1
Rikka, John Umaru. "A THEOLOGICAL-ETHICAL ANALYSIS OF “THE DAY OF THE
LORD” IN THE OLD TESTAMENT." JALINGO JOURNAL OF CHRISTIAN RELIGIOUS
STUDIES: 109. Retrieved from
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Obedben-Lumanze-3/publication/
353879331_Esau_and_Jacob_Reconciliation_Episode_Genesis_334_8-
12_A_Model_for_Interpersonal_Conflict_Resolution/links/6116370f169a1a0103f9de03/Esau-
and-Jacob-Reconciliation-Episode-Genesis-334-8-12-A-Model-for-Interpersonal-Conflict-
Resolution.pdf#page=117
The Book of Zephaniah
Student name
Institution name
Unit name
Date
, 2
Part 2
After careful analysis of the Day of the Lord in the book of Zephaniah, how does
Zephaniah characterize the Day of the Lord? What was this “Day” like for the original
audience?
The Day of the Lord is a time of judgment and destruction when God would send a
plague upon all the nations that wage war against Jerusalem. Their skin would rot, their eyes
would grow blind, and their tongues would rot in their mouths while they were still alive
Zephaniah 1:14–16. He predicts the wicked will be mercilessly put to death when the Lord
returns in His anger and resentment. There will come a horrible day, he says, when the people
scatter, and the cities are destroyed. After a period of severe anger and judgment, God will
extract retribution on the wicked and vindicate the faithful, as described by Zephaniah. Due to
spiritual and political bankruptcy, the prophet's message was a call to repentance and was also
meant to serve as a warning that the Day of the Lord is drawing near and that people must repent
and change their ways if they hope to be spared1.
1
Rikka, John Umaru. "A THEOLOGICAL-ETHICAL ANALYSIS OF “THE DAY OF THE
LORD” IN THE OLD TESTAMENT." JALINGO JOURNAL OF CHRISTIAN RELIGIOUS
STUDIES: 109. Retrieved from
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Obedben-Lumanze-3/publication/
353879331_Esau_and_Jacob_Reconciliation_Episode_Genesis_334_8-
12_A_Model_for_Interpersonal_Conflict_Resolution/links/6116370f169a1a0103f9de03/Esau-
and-Jacob-Reconciliation-Episode-Genesis-334-8-12-A-Model-for-Interpersonal-Conflict-
Resolution.pdf#page=117
