There are a load of references in Zephaniah 1-2 to “a/the day” or “that day” or “that great day of the LORD.” So what is he talking about?
Chapter 1
(v. 7) Be silent before the Lord God! For n the day of the Lord is near; the Lord has prepared a sacrifice and consecrated his guests.
(v. 8) And on the day of the Lord's sacrifice-“I will punish the officials and the king's sons.
(v. 9) On that day I will punish everyone who leaps over the threshold...
(v. 10) “On that day,” declares the Lord, “a cry will be heard from the Fish Gate,
(v. 14)The great day of the Lord is near, near and hastening fast;
(v. 15) [This verse is chock full of “days” and they all allude to “the day of the Lord” in some shape or form].
(v. 15a) A day of wrath is that day,
(v. 15b) a day of distress and anguish,
(v. 15c) a day of ruin and devastation,
(v. 15d) a day of darkness and gloom,
(v. 15e) a day of clouds and thick darkness,
(v. 16) a day of trumpet blast and battle cry against the fortified cities and against the lofty battlements.
(v. 18) Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them on the day of the wrath of the Lord.
Chapter 2
(v. 2) ...before there comes upon you the burning anger of the Lord, before there comes upon you the day of the anger of the Lord.
(v. 3) …perhaps you may be hidden on the day of the anger of the Lord
The great day of the Lord. It is a term coined sporadically throughout the Old Testament but is very heavily used in Zephaniah, chapters 1 & 2. It is a day of judgment but also a day of hope. It is a day specifically relevant to God and His covenant people in that it will be the historical fulfillment of eschatological and apocalyptic prophecy and expectations related to prophecy. Additionally it is also a day of significance to non-covenant people also. It will be a day when God will act in perfect justice and judgment and loving mercy. Specific faults will be numbered against the perpetrators centering on God’s people, Jerusalem first.
Not just any judgment, The Judgment. It is eminent and it is inevitable. It is viewed as a day of reckoning when a person's
“deeds will return upon your own head” Obadiah 15
When sinners will not repent and offer themselves as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1) while allowing Jesus to act as their substitutionary atonement to satisfy God’s wrath, then they themselves become the sacrifices for sin. Then they become victims of their own sins because the wages of sin is death. Sin demands either Jesus’ or yours, if it’s yours you suffer damnation and separation from God for eternity as punishment.
The Judgment of God’s People (v 1:8-13):
Comes first, centered on the religious and economic practices there. “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” Luke 12:48
The Judgment of The Gentiles/The World (v. 1:14-18; 2:2-3):
Comes second. It is during this period that we see allusions to cataclysmic battles encompassing or involving the entire world. In particular we see a grocery list of characteristics in verse 15 given in a staccato manner like blasts from a machine gun, Day of Wrath, Day of Distress, Day of Anguish, Day of Ruin, boom boom boom. Also, although we do not see anymore mentions of “the day” or “day” we do see certain nations called out by name for judgment. This perhaps could be because of the strained or poor relationship they had had with God’s chosen people. They are:
(1) Philistia (v. 4-7)
(2) Moab & Ammon (v. 8-11)
(3) Cush (v. 12)
(4) Assyria (v. 13-15)
Baker, David W.. "The Day of Yahweh." Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah.. Downers Grove: Inter-Varisty Press, 1988. 94-102. Print.
Blue, J. Ronald., John Walvoord. "The Reasons For God’s Judgment on Nineveh" Bible Knowledge Commentary Old Testament: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Bible Knowledge). Acambaro: Victor, 1985. 1508-1516. Print.
Wiersbe, Warren. "The Prophet Worrying" Bible Exposition Commentary: Old Testament: The Prophets (Bible Knowledge). Acambaro: Victor, 2003. 412-417. Print.
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