Zephaniah 1:7, “Be silent before the Lord God! For the day of the Lord is near; the Lord has prepared a sacrifice and consecrated His guests” (ESV).

Zephaniah 1:14-16, “The great day of the Lord is near, near and hastening fast; the sound of the day of the Lord is bitter; the mighty man cries aloud there. A day of wrath is that day, a day of distress and anguish, a day of ruin and devastation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness, a day of trumpet blast and battle cry against the fortified cities and against the lofty battlements” (ESV).

Zephaniah 2:3, “Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land, who do His just commands; seek righteousness; seek humility; perhaps you may be hidden on the day of the anger of the Lord” (ESV).

We want to let you know that many of these last books in the Old Testament (which we are currently going through) make mention of a phrase or event that often unifies them into a common theme, but can be confusing. 

The common theme we sometimes see is: “The Day of the Lord.” 

The phrase “The Day of the Lord” can mean three different things depending on the context.  First, it can mean a time of judgment from God that will come within the prophet’s lifetime and in the lifetime of the people who are listening.  This might mean a king is removed or a severe famine or something significant meant to discipline God’s people towards repentance. 

Second, it can mean a significant severe judgment that will happen at some point in the future.  We know from the history of God’s people that 722BC, 586BC, and 70AD are all dates that fulfilled these prophets’ warnings and were great times of war and destruction. 

Third, it can also mean the final judgment of humanity at the end of time.  However it is used, and confusingly it can mean more than one at the same time, it is important to note that “The Day of the Lord” is a span of time during which God personally intervenes in history to accomplish some specific aspect of His plan and it usually involves death, destruction, and terrible judgment; especially for those who turn away from God.

We find “The Day of the Lord” talked about in Isaiah, Ezekiel, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Zephaniah, Zechariah, and Malachi in the Old Testament among other places.  We should not forget that the same event or events are talked about by Jesus in the Gospels and also Acts, 1 & 2 Corinthians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, 2 Peter, and the Book of Revelation. 

This is a significant theme for these prophets and it binds them together.  Yes, “The Day of the Lord” is a time of judgment and fear, but for those who believe in God and look to Him for deliverance, “The Day of the Lord” is a time of excitement and salvation and hope.  God did, does, and will do much judging on “The Day of the Lord” but He also did, does, and will do much saving on “The Day of the Lord.”

Basically: it is a time of judgement from God designed for people to repent.

TMB & BMD