we h ▁despite ▁having ▁seen ▁Israel ' s ▁ex ile ▁a ▁generation ▁or ▁two ▁previously — an ▁ex ile ▁that ▁the ▁Jud ah ite ▁literary ▁tradition ▁attributed ▁to ▁Y ah we h ' s ▁anger ▁against ▁Israel ' s ▁dis ob ed ience ▁to ▁his ▁c oven ant . ▁In ▁this ▁historical ▁context , ▁Ze ph ania h ▁ur ges ▁Jud ah ▁to ▁ob ed ience ▁to ▁Y ah we h , ▁saying ▁that ▁" per haps " ▁he ▁will ▁forg ive ▁them ▁if ▁they ▁do . ▁ ▁Th emes ▁▁ ▁The ▁Har per Coll ins ▁Study ▁Bible ▁supplies ▁head ings ▁for ▁the ▁book ▁as ▁follows : ▁ ▁More ▁consist ently ▁than ▁any ▁other ▁proph etic ▁book , ▁Ze ph ania h ▁focus es ▁on ▁" the ▁day ▁of ▁the ▁Lord ," ▁developing ▁this ▁tradition ▁from ▁its ▁first ▁appearance ▁in ▁Am os . ▁The ▁day ▁of ▁the ▁Lord ▁tradition ▁also ▁appears ▁in ▁Isa iah , ▁E zek iel , ▁Ob ad iah , ▁Jo el , ▁and ▁Mal achi . ▁ ▁The ▁book ▁begins ▁by ▁describing ▁Y ah we h ' s ▁jud g ement . ▁The ▁three fold ▁repet ition ▁of ▁" I ▁will ▁swe ep ▁away " ▁in ▁ ▁emphas izes ▁the ▁tot ality ▁of ▁the ▁destruction , ▁as ▁the ▁number ▁three ▁often ▁sign ifies ▁complete ▁per fection ▁in ▁the ▁Bible . ▁The ▁order ▁of ▁cre atures ▁in ▁ ▁(" hum ans ▁and ▁animals ▁... ▁the ▁birds ▁... ▁the ▁fish ") ▁is ▁the ▁opposite ▁of ▁the ▁creation ▁order ▁in ▁, ▁sign