Impending Judgment and the Need for Repentance
Amos was among the “herdmen of Tekoa” in Judea and was called to prophesy to both the northern and southern kingdoms of Israel. As in Isaiah 28, the northern kingdom represents the Jews during the Tribulation period who will settle in the northern part of the land; they do not represent the ten tribes, as in Hosea’s prophecies. The ten tribes will not be in the land during the Great Tribulation and when the King of the North attacks the land. (See Letters of J. N. Darby, vol. 3, p. 359.)
Amos focuses on the moral causes for the Lord’s dealings with His people in judgment, and like Joel, speaks more specifically of the Assyrian invasion than Hosea does. It will result in a remnant of the people returning to the Lord in true repentance and being brought into His kingdom blessings (Amos 9:11-1511In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old: 12That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen, which are called by my name, saith the Lord that doeth this. 13Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt. 14And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them. 15And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the Lord thy God. (Amos 9:11‑15)).
Three Sections in the Book of Amos
There are three sections in the book of Amos. They are:
• Chapters 1-2.
• Chapters 3-6.
• Chapters 7-9.
SECTION I: The Nations Judged in the Consumption
Chapters 1-2
Amos fixes the date of his first prophecy as being “two years before the earthquake” during the reign of Uzziah, king of Judah. Josephus states that the earthquake occurred when king Uzziah entered the temple and attempted to offer incense on the golden altar and was smitten with leprosy (2 Chron. 26:16-2116But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction: for he transgressed against the Lord his God, and went into the temple of the Lord to burn incense upon the altar of incense. 17And Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him fourscore priests of the Lord, that were valiant men: 18And they withstood Uzziah the king, and said unto him, It appertaineth not unto thee, Uzziah, to burn incense unto the Lord, but to the priests the sons of Aaron, that are consecrated to burn incense: go out of the sanctuary; for thou hast trespassed; neither shall it be for thine honor from the Lord God. 19Then Uzziah was wroth, and had a censer in his hand to burn incense: and while he was wroth with the priests, the leprosy even rose up in his forehead before the priests in the house of the Lord, from beside the incense altar. 20And Azariah the chief priest, and all the priests, looked upon him, and, behold, he was leprous in his forehead, and they thrust him out from thence; yea, himself hasted also to go out, because the Lord had smitten him. 21And Uzziah the king was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a several house, being a leper; for he was cut off from the house of the Lord: and Jotham his son was over the king's house, judging the people of the land. (2 Chronicles 26:16‑21)). Some expositors tell us that there was also an eclipse of the sun on that day (Zech. 14:5-75And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee. 6And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark: 7But it shall be one day which shall be known to the Lord, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light. (Zechariah 14:5‑7)). If this is true, it was truly a momentous day. Prophetically, the (false) “king” of the Jews, the Antichrist (Isa. 8:21; 30:33; 57:921And they shall pass through it, hardly bestead and hungry: and it shall come to pass, that when they shall be hungry, they shall fret themselves, and curse their king and their God, and look upward. (Isaiah 8:21)
33For Tophet is ordained of old; yea, for the king it is prepared; he hath made it deep and large: the pile thereof is fire and much wood; the breath of the Lord, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it. (Isaiah 30:33)
9And thou wentest to the king with ointment, and didst increase thy perfumes, and didst send thy messengers far off, and didst debase thyself even unto hell. (Isaiah 57:9); Dan. 11:36-3936And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done. 37Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all. 38But in his estate shall he honor the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honor with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things. 39Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain. (Daniel 11:36‑39)), will enter the temple and desecrate it by setting up an image of the Beast (Matt. 24:1515When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) (Matthew 24:15); 2 Thess. 2:3-43Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. (2 Thessalonians 2:3‑4); Rev. 13:11-1811And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. 12And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. 13And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, 14And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. 15And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. 16And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: 17And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. 18Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six. (Revelation 13:11‑18)). It will cause a moral and spiritual upheaval in the land, and through his apostasy he will remove all spiritual light and truth from reaching men (2 Thess. 2:9-129Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2 Thessalonians 2:9‑12); Rev. 9:1-21And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. 2And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. (Revelation 9:1‑2); Isa. 5:30; 8:22; 13:1030And in that day they shall roar against them like the roaring of the sea: and if one look unto the land, behold darkness and sorrow, and the light is darkened in the heavens thereof. (Isaiah 5:30)
22And they shall look unto the earth; and behold trouble and darkness, dimness of anguish; and they shall be driven to darkness. (Isaiah 8:22)
10For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine. (Isaiah 13:10); Joel 2:10, 3010The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining: (Joel 2:10)
30And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. (Joel 2:30), etc.). Apart from the grace of God working in the hearts of some, none would be saved (Matt. 24:2222And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. (Matthew 24:22)).
Amos states that the Lord will proclaim His own rights from the place of His throne (“Zion”) and will call for judgment on the land by a northern army. In the end, the Lord will “roar from Zion” (vs. 2) and judge the last contingent of that great northeastern confederacy under Gog.
Amos uses the inroads of the Assyrian of his day to depict the devastation in the coming day by the King of the North. He shows that when this enemy comes into the land of Israel, six other nations situated on Israel’s promised inheritance (Gen. 15:1818In the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates: (Genesis 15:18); Josh. 1:44From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast. (Joshua 1:4)) will come under judgment by that northern invader. Prophetically, these other nations will be part of the great northeastern confederacy under the King of the North. But when the millions of soldiers pour into the land from the north and east, order will be lost, and mayhem will result. They will kill and loot everything in sight, and the lands surrounding Israel will be ravaged as well as the land of Israel. This judgment is spoken of by Amos in chapters 1-2. It is called “the Consumption” (Isa. 10:23; 28:2223For the Lord God of hosts shall make a consumption, even determined, in the midst of all the land. (Isaiah 10:23)
22Now therefore be ye not mockers, lest your bands be made strong: for I have heard from the Lord God of hosts a consumption, even determined upon the whole earth. (Isaiah 28:22); Dan. 9:2727And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. (Daniel 9:27) – J. N. Darby Trans.).
Chaps. 1:3–2:16
Chaps. 1:3–2:16—Amos lists the various nations whose lands will be devastated by this massive invasion of Islamic soldiers. There are eight nations in total, when counting the northern and southern kingdoms of Israel and Judea. Amos gives a specific message of impending judgment on each of these nations, prefaced with the words, “Thus saith the LORD.” The phrase, “For three transgressions ... and for four” is also used in each prophetic message denoting that the measure of their guilt was more than full.
• Concerning “Damascus” (southern Syria) – chap. 1:3-5.
• Concerning “Gaza” (Philistia) – chap. 1:6-8.
• Concerning “Tyre” (Lebanon) – chap. 1:9-10.
• Concerning “Edom” – (An Arab state southeast of Israel) – chap. 1:11-12.
• Concerning “Ammon” (northern Jordan) – chap. 1:13-15.
• Concerning “Moab” (southern Jordan) – chap. 2:1-3.
• Concerning “Judah” (southern Israel) – chap. 2:4-5.
• Concerning “Israel” (northern Israel) – chap. 2:6-16.
Chap. 2:6-16
Chap. 2:6-16—Amos focuses on some of the evils that will mark the state of the Jews in the coming Tribulation—thus justifying the Lord’s judgment on them. They disregarded the claims of the legal covenant in regards to slave trafficking (vs. 6; Lev. 25:4242For they are my servants, which I brought forth out of the land of Egypt: they shall not be sold as bondmen. (Leviticus 25:42)), they perverted legal procedures to exploit the poor (vs. 7a; Ex. 23:66Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause. (Exodus 23:6); Deut. 16:1919Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a gift: for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous. (Deuteronomy 16:19)), they profaned the moral holiness enjoined in the Law (vs. 7b; Lev. 18:88The nakedness of thy father's wife shalt thou not uncover: it is thy father's nakedness. (Leviticus 18:8)), they disregarded the claims of the Law by taking pledges of forbidden things (vs. 8a; Ex. 22:26-2726If thou at all take thy neighbor's raiment to pledge, thou shalt deliver it unto him by that the sun goeth down: 27For that is his covering only, it is his raiment for his skin: wherein shall he sleep? and it shall come to pass, when he crieth unto me, that I will hear; for I am gracious. (Exodus 22:26‑27); Deut. 24:1717Thou shalt not pervert the judgment of the stranger, nor of the fatherless; nor take a widow's raiment to pledge: (Deuteronomy 24:17)), and they broke the two most important commandments (Ex. 20:3-53Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 4Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: 5Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; (Exodus 20:3‑5)) by having fellowship with idols (vs. 8b).
Further to this, they despised His grace (vss. 9-16). The Lord had “destroyed” the “Amorites” in order to bring them into the land of Canaan, and He cared for Israel through the “wilderness” journey on the way there. Moreover, when they reached the land, in grace the Lord raised up spiritual men (“prophets” and “Nazarites”) to speak His Word to them and help them. However, in spite of His grace toward them, they were unwilling to hear the prophets and defiled the Nazarites by giving them “wine to drink.” Hence, the Lord was just in bringing His just judgment on the nation (vss. 14-16).
Chapters 3-6
In this section of the book, we have three prophetic messages pertaining to the sad state of Israel and the Lord’s retributive dealings with them. These messages document the moral reasons for the coming judgment of God by the hand of the Assyrians, a foreshadow of the coming attack of the King of the North. The sad state of the people foreshadows the even sadder state of the apostate mass of Jews that will be in the land during the Great Tribulation. Each discourse begins with the expression, “Hear this word.”
• The doom of Israel – chap. 3.
• The depravity of Israel – chap. 4.
• The disaster over Israel – chap. 5-6.
The FIRST Prophetic Message
Chapter 3
Chap. 3—The first prophetic message is to “the whole family” of Israel—the twelve tribes. Amos reminds them that they were the most privileged nation on earth because they had a special relationship with the Lord. He had redeemed them and brought them into a unique bond with Himself. “You only have I known of all the families of the earth” (vss. 1-2). But with privilege comes responsibility. Since they had departed from the Lord morally and spiritually, there would be punishment for their iniquities, if they didn’t repent.
SEVEN Rhetorical Questions in Verses 3-6
Amos asks seven rhetorical questions in verses 3-6. The point in each of these questions is that one event does not take place unless another event has already happened. Hence, one is consequent upon the other. Amos uses this to show that since the nation has committed evil, it would surely have corresponding judgment to go with it. Apart from there being repentance, these two things always go together in God’s dealings with men. Hence, these verses focus on the moral cause for the coming judgment.
Chapter 3:9-15
Chap. 3:9-15—“Ashdod” (the Philistines) and “Egypt”—people well versed in the practices of evil and injustice—are called to witness the incredible injustices being practiced in “Samaria,” the capital city of the northern kingdom of Israel. They would surely be astonished at what they saw. Hence, an “adversary” would come in and “bring down” God’s judgment upon them. But in judgment, the Lord would remember mercy (Hab. 3:22O Lord, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid: O Lord, revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy. (Habakkuk 3:2)) and promises that a remnant would be “rescued” from the jaws of the predator. Not only would their capital city (Samaria) be destroyed, but their religious center in “Bethel” and its “altars” would also be destroyed. Moreover, “the horns of the altar shall be cut off” (vs. 14). The horns of the altar were the place of asylum for fugitives; they could find mercy there (Ex. 21:12-1312He that smiteth a man, so that he die, shall be surely put to death. 13And if a man lie not in wait, but God deliver him into his hand; then I will appoint thee a place whither he shall flee. (Exodus 21:12‑13); 1 Kings 1:50; 2:2850And Adonijah feared because of Solomon, and arose, and went, and caught hold on the horns of the altar. (1 Kings 1:50)
28Then tidings came to Joab: for Joab had turned after Adonijah, though he turned not after Absalom. And Joab fled unto the tabernacle of the Lord, and caught hold on the horns of the altar. (1 Kings 2:28)). The cutting off of these horns would mean that there would be no mercy for them.
The SECOND Prophetic Message
Chapter 4
Chap. 4—In the second message, Amos declares that God would exile the upper-class women in Israel (the “kine [cows] of Bashan”) because of their love of opulence (vss. 1-3). He would also judge the nation for its religious hypocrisy (vss. 4-5) and for its obstinate refusal to repent, despite the Lord’s repeated chastisements (vss. 6-13).
Chapter 4:1-3
Chap. 4:1-3—Amos exposes a condition that existed in Israel that could be traced to the women. Their lust for opulence and being pampered with upper-class dainties created a situation where their “masters” [“lords” or “husbands”] were forced to exploit “the poor” and “needy” in order to support their wives’ expensive lifestyles. In exposing their true state, Amos speaks as though the women were doing the oppressing, but they really did it through their husbands. It was a pitiful situation in which their husbands were reduced to obeying their wives like servants.
Chapter 4:4-5
Chap. 4:4-5—Amos then exposes the religious hypocrisy with which the people were characterized. “Bethel” was a false center of worship set up by Jeroboam, the first king of the northern kingdom of Israel. He broke away from the divinely owned center (Jerusalem) where the Lord had placed His name and led the ten northern tribes away with him (1 Kings 12). Amos warns that to go to worship the Lord in Bethel was to transgress. It was the same with “Gilgal.” Gilgal was the place where Israel cut off their foreskins—a picture of judging the sins of the flesh (Josh. 5). But these people were going to Gilgal and multiplying their transgressions!
Chapter 4:6-13
Chap. 4:6-13—Amos then focuses on the people’s refusal to repent. He tells them that they had been given “cleanness of teeth,” due to the shortage of rain to grow food. This was a retributive dealing of the Lord designed to produce repentance, but the people hadn’t repented. The Lord, speaking through Amos, said, “Yet have ye not returned unto Me” (vss. 6-8). The Lord had also sent disease into their crops. There was “blasting and mildew,” and “the palmerworm” that had devoured what they had grown. They had experienced “pestilence after the manner of Egypt.” Also, the Lord had allowed their soldiers (“the young men”) to fall in battle and their “horses” had been taken away. Thus, their military strength had been greatly weakened. Again, the Lord said through Amos, “Yet have ye not returned unto Me” (vss. 9-10).
Moreover, the Lord had overthrown some in the land “as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah” and the people who were spared were as “a firebrand plucked out of the burning.” Yet for all this, there was no repentance among the people. Again, the Lord said through Amos: “Yet have ye not returned unto Me” (vs. 11). The solemn consequence was that they were going to meet with God and His judgment. The day of recompence was at hand; it was as sure as His Word for “He is the Lord, The God of Hosts.”
The THIRD Prophetic Message
Chapter 5
In his third prophetic message, Amos emphasizes the imminence of the coming judgment upon the land by the hand of the Assyrian—a foreshadow of the King of the North. To portray the certainty of it, the prophet is led to give this final message as a “lamentation” (vss. 1-2). Historically, ninety percent of the population in the northern kingdom was killed or taken away captive by the enemy (vs. 3). Prophetically, two-thirds of the population of Jews will be “cut off” (Zech. 13:8-98And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the Lord, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. 9And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God. (Zechariah 13:8‑9)). As mentioned earlier, those in the northern kingdom prophetically represent the Jews at the time of the 70th week of Daniel (Dan. 9:2727And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. (Daniel 9:27)) who settle in the northern part of the land. (See Letters of J. N. Darby, vol. 3, p. 359.)
The doom of the northern kingdom of Israel was at hand, but there was still a way of escape—it was to “seek” the Lord (vs. 4) and to leave off their sins (vs. 5). If this were done sincerely, they would continue to “live” in the land (vs. 6); the Lord would turn away the invaders. The wealthy had been establishing themselves by oppression, but they needed to seek Him who made the constellations. The One who had such creatorial power in His hand could “strengthen the spoiled” (Israel) “against the strong” (the Assyrian) (vss. 7-9).
The unrighteous ones who sat in the administrative seats of the city, “in the gate,” hated those who judged righteously. They would take bribes etc., but Amos reminds them that it had all been seen by the Lord (vss. 10-13). Even with all this evil having been done, if there were true repentance with the people and they would “seek good, and not evil,” they would live (vss. 14-15). But on account of their obduracy, there was judgment coming upon the land. There would be “wailing” in the streets, the highways, and in the vineyards (vss. 16-17).
Amos then breaks out with a warning against those who wanted “the day of the Lord.” Evidently, they didn’t realize what it meant—it would not be deliverance from the Assyrian, but judgment from the Lord by the Assyrian (vss. 18-20). This shows that they had been spiritually blinded and confused. The people were trusting in their sacrifices offered at Bethel, the false center of worship, but the Lord (through the prophet) told them that He had refused to accept them (vss. 21-23). What the Lord really wanted from the people was right judgment and practical righteousness, but they had not turned away from their idolatry even from the days of the nation’s passage through the wilderness. The Lord said, “Therefore will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus.” (vss. 24-26).
Chapter 6
Chapter 6 focuses on the wealthy class in the capital cities of both the southern kingdom (“Zion”) and the northern kingdom (“Samaria”). These people lived in luxury and indulged themselves in pleasure, but it made them insensible to the reality of the coming judgment. They had a false sense of security and it led to complacency. There had been a “breach of Joseph” (1 Kings 11:30-3230And Ahijah caught the new garment that was on him, and rent it in twelve pieces: 31And he said to Jeroboam, Take thee ten pieces: for thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to thee: 32(But he shall have one tribe for my servant David's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel:) (1 Kings 11:30‑32)), but they had not been grieved about it. Joseph, here, stands for the ten tribes who had broken away from the divine center in Judah. Consequently, they would be the first to go into captivity (vss. 1-7).
The Lord had “sworn” that the judgment by the hand of the Assyrian would surely come. He would no longer protect the nation but “deliver up the city” and all in it. The decision was immutable (vs. 9). If there were ten men hiding in a house from the Assyrians, even they would die by the plague that would rise from the contamination of dead bodies strewn in the streets. If a relative came to burn their bodies to prevent disease, and he found a survivor hiding in the house, he would beg the survivor not to mention the name of the Lord. Supposing superstitiously that such an invocation would call the Lord’s attention to that house; they would die too, for He had commanded that all houses (great and small) should be destroyed (vss. 10-11).
Amos reasons that horses don’t run on rock and neither do those who plow with oxen, yet the magistrates in Israel had done the unthinkable; they had turned “judgment [justice] into gall [poison]” and “righteousness into wormwood [bitterness]” (vs. 12). Since they thought themselves to be immune to disaster, the Lord would surely send the northern invader (the Assyrians) and they would destroy the land from “Hamath” in the north to “the river of the wilderness [the torrent of the Arabah]” in the south (vss. 13-14). This is a foreshadow of what the King of the North will do in a coming day (Dan. 11:40-4240And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over. 41He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. 42He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape. (Daniel 11:40‑42)).
Chapters 7–9:15
We now turn from Amos’ prophetic messages to his prophetic visions. These are marked by the words: “The Lord God showed me ... ” or, “I saw ... .”
The FIRST Prophetic Vision—A Locust Invasion
Chapter 7:1-3
Chap. 7:1-3—Amos saw God forming swarms of locusts and sending them over the land to devastate it. (The first cuttings were called “the king’s mowings.”) This led Amos to intercede for the land and the Lord heard him and repented of it. This act of divine mercy illustrates the fact that the Lord is longsuffering and not willing that any should perish. Judgment is “His strange work” (Isa. 28:2121For the Lord shall rise up as in mount Perazim, he shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that he may do his work, his strange work; and bring to pass his act, his strange act. (Isaiah 28:21)). That is, it is foreign to His nature which is love, but necessary because of His holiness. The result of Amos’ intercession was that judgment was postponed.
The SECOND Prophetic Vision—A Devouring Wildfire
Chapter 7:4-6
Chap. 7:4-6—Amos then saw a fire break out and spread in all directions. This led Amos to intercede for the land again, and again the Lord repented of it, and restrained His judgment.
The THIRD Prophetic Vision—a Testing Plumbline
Chapter 7:7-17
Chap. 7:7-17—Amos then saw the Lord standing with a “plumbline” in His hand testing His people Israel. The nation is found to be away off the mark morally and spiritually, and thus, needing to be torn down. The Lord quickly precluded any appeal from the prophet to restrain judgment from falling this time, stating: “I will not again pass by [spare] them any more” (vs. 8). Hence, Amos does not intercede for the land as he had with the first two visions. Having failed the test of the plumbline, the nation’s idolatrous shrines and chief sanctuaries for idol worship would be destroyed (vs. 9).
Having announced coming judgment on the land and on the idolatrous houses of worship, it drew forth the ire of “Amaziah the priest of Bethel” who informed the king that Amos was raising a conspiracy. To denounce Bethel as a system of worship was to attack the very foundation of the northern kingdom of Israel. Amaziah then told Amos to leave Bethel because his ministry against the false center was not appreciated. As a retributive judgment on this priest, his wife would be reduced to be a harlot in the city in order to provide for herself! This would be a special disgrace to one who was the chief priest of Bethel (vss. 10-17).
The FOURTH Prophetic Vision—a Basket of Fruit
Chapter 8:1-14
Chap. 8:1-14—Amos then sees “a basket of summer fruit.” The Lord informs him that it is a picture of His people Israel being ready to be taken by the enemy into a foreign land. The Lord again states: “I will not again pass by [spare] them anymore.” Judgment was certain and their deportation from the land was certain, pictured in the basket of fruit being taken away. Thus, Israel was ripe fruit ready for a dreadful harvest of judgment. Thus “saith the Lord God, There shall be many dead bodies in every place” (vss. 1-3).
The cause of the judgment was their despising of the Sabbath. It was clearly something that was in the way of their corrupt business practices; they couldn’t wait for it to be over so that they could continue with their dealing and cheating, etc. (vss. 4-6). The Lord promised that He would remember their works in the day of judgment; there would be “mourning” and “lamentation” everywhere in the land (vss. 7-10). The result of the judgment would be a famine for the Word of God; the truth would be taken away from them and they would perish with their calf worship in “Samaria” and in “Dan” (vss. 11-14).
The FIFTH Prophetic Vision—The Lord as the Avenger
Chap. 9:1-10
Chap. 9:1-10—In the last vision, Amos sees the Lord “standing upon the altar” at Bethel as a great conquering Warrior leading the Assyrian armies against His people. As Commander-in-chief of the armies, He is seen ordering the soldiers to destroy the false center at Bethel (vs. 1). No one will escape (vss. 2-3). They would surely “go into captivity,” and those who are not taken captive would be slain by the sword of the Assyrians (vss. 4-5). The Lord’s ability to effect this judgment is proved by the fact that He holds all creation in His hand (vs. 6). This is all a foreshadow of the inroads of the King of the North and his slaughter of the apostate Jews in the land—which are those who will receive the Antichrist.
After judgment is executed upon the apostate Jews (vss. 7-8), the Lord will spare a remnant of the ten tribes of Israel and they will return out of “all nations” to Zion. The sinners among those who return to the land after the judgment will perish at the borders of the land (Ezek. 20:34-3834And I will bring you out from the people, and will gather you out of the countries wherein ye are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out. 35And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there will I plead with you face to face. 36Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I plead with you, saith the Lord God. 37And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant: 38And I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them that transgress against me: I will bring them forth out of the country where they sojourn, and they shall not enter into the land of Israel: and ye shall know that I am the Lord. (Ezekiel 20:34‑38)), but not one who is righteous will fall (vss. 9-10).
The Lord’s Blessing on the Restored Remnant of Israel
Chap. 9:11-15
Chap. 9:11-15—In the closing verses of the book we have a happy picture of the future blessing of Israel. After these judgments are executed upon the Jews by the King of the North, Christ will return and restore a remnant of the 12 tribes of Israel, and they will be blessed in His millennial kingdom. The Lord’s throne will be in heaven (Psa. 103:1919The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all. (Psalm 103:19)), but His blessing will be upon Israel and all the nations of the earth, and they will all greatly benefit from the millennial prosperity.