The Last Days and the Day of Yahweh for Jerusalem: With two visions of Zion/Jerusalem’s restoration (1:1–2:1 and 5:1–30) bracketing substantial declarations of coming calamity for Zion/Jerusalem/Judah, chapters 1–5 as a whole have a trouble-promise-trouble-promise-trouble arrangement. Worrisomely, trouble enfolds the community even though blessing is its background destiny. Or, encouragingly, blessing does lie enfolded even if trouble dominates the community’s immediate prospects. We do not know the date of any of the material or of the composition of the whole.

3:1–7 Another solemn designation of God (see 1:24) marks the beginning and end of verses 1–15, and this whole section focuses on the community’s leadership and the collapsing structures of the community. A chiasm describes Yahweh’s …