I merely read scripture in its context. I do believe the great judgments of God have similarities but a passage has one meaning and one meaning only.
Well, this is wrong! In hermeneutics, we learn how to correctly interpret the Bible.
The first step of interpreting any verse or passage is learning who the passage was written to. That means the people who were contemporaries of the author. Many of the prophets have written passages & even whole chapters on prophesying the destruction of certain nations. Isaiah 15-34, for example, contains several prophecies about the destruction of nations surrounding Israel. By revealing to Israel and Judah that all surrounding nations would be destroyed, the Lord gave them good reasons to trust Him instead of trusting in any treaties or alliances with these neighboring countries.
Some of these nations Isaiah write to include Moab, Damascus, Ephraim (the northern kingdom), Ethiopia or Cush, Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Edin & Arabia.
Of course, we must recognize these prophecies were for those specific people, at that time! Yet, Isaiah's prophecies can be useful to us, today, and through the centuries.
"See, the day of the Lord is coming
—a cruel day, with wrath and fierce anger—
to make the land desolate
and destroy the sinners within it.
10 The stars of heaven and their constellations
will not show their light.
The rising sun will be darkened
and the moon will not give its light.
11 I will punish the world for its evil,
the wicked for their sins.
I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty
and will humble the pride of the ruthless." Isaiah 13:9-11
Certainly the references to the Day of the Lord are relevant for today, as found in another OT prophecy:
"Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to save them on the day of the Lord’s wrath.” In the fire of his jealousy the whole earth will be consumed, for he will make a sudden end of all who live on the earth." Zephaniah 1:18
I'm not sure who Zephaniah was writing to, (My study Bible is in another room!) but this also looks like a warning for today. Yet, he used the same "Day of the Lord!"
So once the context has been examined (to whom and where was it written) we can line it up to similar passages that add information. And some of that information applies not just to the people or nation it was written to, but many times in history!
I suggest you read a book on Bible interpretation. It made understanding the Bible so much easier, but also why so many false doctrines have been made, that come from eisegesis, or reading personal ideas into the text, rather than exegesis, or taking out of the text what the verse/passage is saying both to the original people it was written to, as well as for generations to the present!