When did Zephaniah’s prophecy of judgment find its fulfillment?

It is generally believed that Zephaniah’s prophecy of judgment found its initial fulfilment in the events of 586 BC, when Jerusalem was overthrown by the Babylonians. But even then, everything was not consumed. This reminds us of that simple principle that must always be borne in mind when seeking to interpret prophecy—namely, that any one prophecy might contain within itself foretastes of events that still await a future dimension.¹ The imminent destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians…foreshadowed a much greater catastrophe that is yet to come, a day when every human being will finally have to give account to his or her Maker.²