14. How far-reaching would God’s examination of his professed worshipers be?

¹⁴ How far-reaching would Jehovah’s examination of his professed worshipers be? The prophecy continues: “It must occur at that time that I shall carefully search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will give attention to the men who are congealing upon their dregs and who are saying in their heart, ‘Jehovah will not do good, and he will not do bad.’ And their wealth must come to be for pillage and their houses for a desolate waste. And they will build houses, but they will not have occupancy; and they will plant vineyards, but they will not drink the wine of them.”​—Zephaniah 1:12, 13.

16. What was to happen when divine judgment was executed upon Judah, and how should knowledge of that affect us?

¹⁶ Judah’s apostates were warned that the Babylonians would pillage their wealth, desolate their houses, and take the fruitage of their vineyards. Material things would be valueless when divine judgment was executed upon Judah. The same will be true when Jehovah’s day of judgment comes upon the present system of things. May we, therefore, have a spiritual outlook and ‘store up treasures in heaven’ by keeping Jehovah’s service first in our lives!​—Matthew 6:19-21, 33.