17. According to Zephaniah 1:14-16, how close is Jehovah’s day of judgment?

¹⁷ How close is Jehovah’s day of judgment? According to Zephaniah 1:14-16, God gives this assurance: “The great day of Jehovah is near. It is near, and there is a hurrying of it very much. The sound of the day of Jehovah is bitter. There a mighty man is letting out a cry. That day is a day of fury, a day of distress and of anguish, a day of storm and of desolation, a day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick gloom, a day of horn and of alarm signal, against the fortified cities and against the high corner towers.”

19, 20. (a) What were some features of the execution of God’s wrath upon Judah and Jerusalem? (b) In view of the selective destruction facing this system of things, what questions are raised?

¹⁹ The execution of God’s wrath upon Judah and Jerusalem was “a day of distress and of anguish.” Babylonian invaders caused Judah’s inhabitants many sufferings, including mental anguish in the face of death and destruction. That “day of storm and of desolation” was one of darkness, clouds, and thick gloom, perhaps not only figuratively but also literally, for smoke and carnage were everywhere. It was “a day of horn and of alarm signal,” but warnings were sounded in vain.