Zephaniah 1:10 says, And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD, that there shall be the noise of a cry from the fish gate, and an howling from the second, and a great crashing from the hills. God said that the sound of defeat would be heard from gate to gate in Jerusalem when He sent His judgment. The sound of the coming army would be heard in the hills and all around. There is no safe place to escape the judgment of God when it comes. Verse eleven adds, Howl, ye inhabitants of Maktesh, for all the merchant people are cut down; all they that bear silver are cut off. Even the closest inhabitants of the part of the city that was supposed to be the safest would be howling in distress and defeat. Verse twelve continues, And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are settled on their lees: that say in their heart, The LORD will not do good, neither will he do evil. God said that He would search out the city and find those who said basically that He could or would not do anything, either good or bad. They were saying in effect that God was not in charge or that He did not exist. There are many people today who claim the same thing, but just like the people of Israel and Jerusalem, one day they will find out how wrong they are. Verse thirteen declares, Therefore their goods shall become a booty, and their houses a desolation: they shall also build houses, but not inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, but not drink the wine thereof. God said that all of their work was to be of no use to them. The people of Judah and Jerusalem would not live in the houses that they built nor drink the wine from the vineyards that they planted. We may gain enormous wealth in life today, but even if we just work to meet our everyday needs, if we do not accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord it will be useless when we face God in judgment. Verse fourteen adds, The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. The people were warned that God's judgment was near and that the mighty men would cry bitterly. People may think that they are mighty in the world today, but when they face God's judgment without a relationship with Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, they will be crying bitterly. Verse fifteen continues, That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, Just as God said that the day of judgment on the people then would be a day of desolation and darkness, so wil God's final judgment be for the lost people of the world. Verse sixteen says, A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers. God said that the trumpets would sound the alarm, but it would already be to late. When God's judgment comes, whether it be by death or the return of Christ, it will be too late to sound the alarm. Verse seventeen adds, And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the LORD: and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung. God said that the people of Judah and Jerusalem would be like blind men and their blood would be poured out, because they had sinned against Him. God cannot simply ignore sin, but He does make salvation possible for those who put their faith in Jesus Christ. Those who refuse to are spiritually blind and will suffer the punishment of God one day. Verse eighteen continues, Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD’s wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land. God said that none of the riches of this world could save them, and neither can they today.
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