Even the Birds of the Air and the Fish in the Sea will Disappear

"I will sweep away both men and animals alike. Mankind and all the idols that he worships—all will vanish. Even the birds of the air and the fish in the sea will perish." Zephaniah 1:3

Throughout the history of its scriptures, the biblical witness has pronounced great final judgment upon humankind and the nations of the earth (and because of humankind's stewardship of the earth, judgment that imperils the earth itself).

It is important to note that this judgment, although it appears to be unchangeable and a result of God's judgment, is really the sure reaping of humankind of the fruit of its ways (Gen 4:7; Pr 1:31, 5:22-23, 8:36, 14:14; Isa 3:10-11; Jer 6:19, 21:14; Ho 4:3; 2 Cor 5:10; Gal 6:7; Rev 22:12; and frequently). Rarely is God's judgment in the bible announced without the announcement that the evil to come is the inevitable consequence of evil actions.

It is also important to recognize that although the bible speaks from a 'religious' point of view, its observations are often transparent from a nonreligious viewpoint.

For example, how can humanity create peace and security by the deterrent of nuclear warfare against civilian populations, placed in the hands of error-prone and fallible individuals and systems, and then go about its daily business?

How can humanity ignore the ever louder and even deafening warnings of climate change, carbon sinks transforming into carbon sources, a rapidly disappearing cryosphere, massive species population declines, the collapse of ecosystems, the collapse of the permafrost, massive forest fires and weather extremes, drought, famine, water and food scarcity, and go about business as usual?

The prophetic judgment, though terrible in its finality and extent, is not inevitable. Humankind has the freedom and the power to change.

'This was the word the LORD spoke to Jeremiah:

"Arise, and go down to the shop where clay pots and jars are made, and I will speak to you there."

So I went down to the potter’s house and found the potter working at his wheel. But the jar that he was forming didn’t turn out the way he wished, so he kneaded it into a lump and started again.

Then the LORD spoke this word to me:

"O Israel, can’t I do with you the same thing this potter did to his clay? You are in my hands as the clay is in the potter’s hands."

"Whenever I announce to a certain nation or kingdom that I shall pull it up by the roots, or will pull it down to destroy it, then if that nation changes its ways, I will not destroy it as I had planned."

"And if I announce that I will make a certain nation strong and great, but then that nation changes its mind and turns to evil, then I too will change my mind, and not carry out my plans to do that nation good as I said I would."'

Jeremiah 18:1-10?