Zephaniah 1:15–18 gives a terrible depiction of an impending day of the outpouring of God’s wrath. It is, however, nothing compared to the great outpouring of God’s wrath at the cross of Christ. On that day, the Lord Jesus bore the full force of God’s wrath on himself. That was truly a day of distress, anguish, ruin, devastation, darkness, gloom, clouds, thick darkness, where his body was broken, his blood poured out to the ground (see Zephaniah 1:17). And he had nothing to hide himself from the fire of God’s jealousy. He suffered the burning shame of bearing every sin we have ever committed. If we want to see the seriousness of the wrath of God against sin, we need look no further than the cross of Christ.1 And yet it is by faith in the crucified Christ that we have our only protection and shelter in the future day of God’s wrath!
14 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.