The books of Joel and Zephaniah depict divine judgment on the Day of YHWH through rich metaphors that evoke destruction, cosmic upheaval, and purification (Joel 2:1–11; 2:28–32; Zeph 1:1–18) This study applies Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT) to analyze how these metaphors function cognitively and theologically with special attention to how the metaphors frame the Day as a decisive act of divine justice. In sum, this paper argues that the Twelve’s portrayal of judgment provides a biblical foundation for later Christian eschatology and as such the metaphors in Joel and Zephaniah both corroborate and bolster the Nicene Creed’s affirmation that Christ “shall come to judge the quick and the dead.”