Zephaniah 1:12-15 -- On the Great Day of the Lord

"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.
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.
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.
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"
Zephaniah 1:12-15


These verses are talking about the destruction of Jerusalem in a symbolic way, as a prediction of the Second Coming. I think the part about searching with candles means that the events are not going to leave anyone untouched.

One of the main points here is that the Lord will take action against the evil in the world, and when we grow complacent and think that he won't end up doing anything at all, that is when we become dangerous to ourselves and others.

Perhaps the other essential point is that trouble will come. Living as righteously as possible will of course help us to stand firm with faith, but it isn't going to make it so bad things never happen, or prophecy doesn't get fulfilled. Times of thick darkness and gloominess are going to happen... I think the many drastic changes in our world the past few years have shown how easily the Lord can change things if he chooses. The difference the gospel makes is that if we are obedient, we can have confidence that the Lord will help us, and stand with assurance and faith, knowing that God will make all things right in the end.
Today, let's remember both that God is in charge, and that his day of judgement will come. Let's be ready for it by preparing as well as we can, and assisting others as much as we are able. Against some darkness all we can do is hold to the rod and get through it, but God will always give us something to hope in and hang onto, and the ability to endure. And when it isn't that bleak, let's take the opportunity to rejoice in our blessings. :) The great day of the Lord will come... and it will be scary, but it will also be great as it makes things right and prepares us for more.