The
Book of Amos
The Book of Amos is a prophetic book of the Hebrew Bible, one of the twelve minor prophets. Amos corresponds to Hosea, the link being Jeroboam II (II Kings 14:27). Being a native of Judah, he prophesied in Israel, and against Israel. As Jeroboam II died in the fourteenth year of Uzziah king of Judah, Amos was among the earliest of all the prophets. Amos made it a point that before his calling he was a simple husbandman and that he was not a "professional" prophet of the prophetic guild. Some scholars believe that Amos gave his message around 689 BC or 687 BC. But most scholars believe that Amos gave his message around 750 BC or 749 BC. Leading up to this time, Assyrian armies battled against Damascus for a number of years, which greatly diminished Syria's threat to Israel. As a result of the fighting amongst its neighbors, Israel had the benefit of increasing its borders almost to those of the time of David and Solomon. It should be noted that Amos preached about two years before a very large earthquake (geologist believe it to be around 760 BC or 749 BC), and made reference to it twice in the book. Zechariah remembers this earthquake over 200 years later.
Amos 1
Amo 1:2 And he said, The LORD will roar from Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the habitations of the shepherds shall mourn, and the top of Carmel shall wither. This was his vision. The Lord's voice will roar (rumbling thunder), from Zion (a mountain of Jerusalem), and thunder from Jerusalem! "The lush pastors of the shepherds will dry up, and the grass on Mount Carmel (a hill and town of Palestine), will wither and die."
Amo 1:3 Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron. The Lord says; "The people of Damascus have sinned again and again, and I will not let them go unpunished." (Isaiah 17:1), They beat My people in Gilead down just like grain is threshed with iron sledges. (Gilead is a region east of the Jordan).
Amo 1:4 But I will send a fire into the house of Hazael, which shall devour the palaces of Benhadad. I will send fire of King Hazael's (fortresses), and King Benhadad's (official title of the Syrian kings, son of Hadad, i.e. the sun-god), will be destroyed. (Jeremiah 17:27, 49:27, 50:32, Hosea 8:14).
Amo 1:5 I will break also the bar of Damascus, and cut off the inhabitant from the plain of Aven, and him that holdeth the sceptre from the house of Eden: and the people of Syria shall go into captivity unto Kir, saith the LORD. I will break down the gates (for defense of the city) of Damascus, and will slaughter the people in the valley of Aven. (The same as Beth-aven, east of Betl-el, belonging to Benjamin). (Hosea 4:15), (Beth-aven means House of naught), (Hosea 10:5). I will destroy Eden (Beth-eden), and the people of Syria (Aram), will go as captives to Kir (II Kings 16:9), says the Lord.
Amo 1:6 Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Gaza, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they carried away captive the whole captivity, to deliver them up to Edom. This is what the Lord says: The people of Gaza have sinned again and again, and they will be punished! They sent whole villages into exile, selling them as slaves to Edom. (Jeremiah 13:19).
Amo 1:7 But I will send a fire on the wall of Gaza, which shall devour the palaces thereof. I will send fire down on the whole city of Gaza. (Hebrews 12:29), God is a consuming fire that will warm the hearts of those who love Him, but will take vengeance on those who do not know Him and follow Satan. (II Thessalonians 1:8).
Amo 1:8 And I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod, and him that holdeth the sceptre from Ashkelon, and I will turn mine hand against Ekron: and the remnant of the Philistines shall perish, saith the Lord GOD. I will slaughter the people of Ashdod (later know by the Greeks as Azotus, now Esdud, in the plain of Philistia, 35 miles north of Gaza) and destroy the king of Ashkelon. (now Askalan, on the coast of Philistia). Ekron (Accron), six miles west of Gezer. (Isaiah 20:1, Jeremiah 47:5, Zephaniah 2:4-7).
Amo 1:9 Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Tyrus, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they delivered up the whole captivity to Edom, and remembered not the brotherly covenant. The Lord says: The people of Tyrus (Tyre, now e.g. Sur), have sinned again and again also, and will not go unpunished! (Isaiah 23:1-18, Jeremiah 47:4, Ezekiel 26:28, Joel 3:4-5). They broke their treaty of brotherhood (a covenant of brethren) with Israel, selling the whole villages as slaves to Edom. (II Samuel 5:11, I Kings 5:1-11, 9:11-14).
Amo 1:10 But I will send a fire on the wall of Tyrus, which shall devour the palaces thereof. A consuming fire sent down to destroy Tyre and all its fortresses. (Amos 1:4, Zechariah 9:4).
Amo 1:11 Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Edom, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because he did pursue his brother with the sword, and did cast off all pity, and his anger did tear perpetually, and he kept his wrath for ever. The Lord says: The people of Edom have sinned again and again, and will not go unpunished! They chase their brother the Israelites with swords, showing them no mercy. They slashed them continually in their anger. (Ezekiel 25:12-14, Malachi 1:4).
Amo 1:12 But I will send a fire upon Teman, which shall devour the palaces of Bozrah. I will send down fire on Teman. (Jeremiah 49:7, 20, Obadiah 1:9-10). I will destroy the fortresses of Bozrah. (Jeremiah 49:13).
Amo 1:13 Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of the children of Ammon, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have ripped up the women with child of Gilead, that they might enlarge their border. The Lord says: "The people of Ammon have sinned again and again, and will not go unpunished! (I Samuel 11:1-2), They attacked Gilead to extend their borders, and ripped open pregnant women with their swords. (Hosea 13:16).
Amo 1:14 But I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah, and it shall devour the palaces thereof, with shouting in the day of battle, with a tempest in the day of the whirlwind. I will send fire down on the walls of Rabbah and it will be destroyed. (Jeremiah 49:2).
Amo 1:15 And their king shall go into captivity, he and his princes together, saith the LORD. Their king and his princes (his priests), will go into exile together. (Jeremiah 49:3).
Amos 2
Amo 2:2 But I will send a fire upon Moab, and it shall devour the palaces of Kerioth: and Moab shall die with tumult, with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet. I will send fire down on the land of Moab and the fortresses in Kerioth (two places in Palestine), will be destroyed. The people will fall in battle to the sound of the warriors shouting and the ram's horn.
Amo 2:3 And I will cut off the judge from the midst thereof, and will slay all the princes thereof with him, saith the LORD. I will destroy their king and slaughter their princes. (Numbers 24:17, Jeremiah 48:7, 48:25).
Amo 2:4 Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Judah, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have despised the law of the LORD, and have not kept his commandments, and their lies caused them to err, after the which their fathers have walked. The Lord says: The people of Judah have sinned again and again, and I will not let them go unpunished! They rejected the instructions from the Lord and refused to obey His commandments. Led astray by the same lies that deceived their ancestors. (II Kings 17:15-20, Isaiah 9:15-16, 28:15, Jeremiah 16:17-20).
Amo 2:5 But I will send a fire upon Judah, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem. I will send fire down on Judah, and all the fortresses of Jerusalem will be destroyed. (Jeremiah 17:27, 39:8, 52:13, Hosea 8:14), Israel has forgotten their Maker and built great places, and Judah has fortified its cities. But, God would send fire upon their cities and burn them up. Remember that God is a consuming fire. (Hebrews 12:29), A fire that can destroy evil, or warm the hearts of the good people who believe in Him.
Amo 2:6 Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes. The Lord says: The people of Israel have sinned again and again, and I will not let them go unpunished! They sell honorable people for silver. In reference too: (Leviticus 25:39, Deuteronomy 15:12, Nehemiah 5:5). They sell the poor people for a pair of sandals. (Ruth 4:7), The shoe passed then. This is how it applies now, “The new law.” Christ being our nearest kinsman. It is not done the old way now. (Galatians 4:1-19).
Amo 2:7 That pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor, and turn aside the way of the meek: and a man and his father will go in unto the same maid, to profane my holy name. They are angry towards the helpless people and shove aside the poor. (Isaiah 10:2). Both father and son sleep with the same woman, corrupting God's Holy name. (Ezekiel 22:11, I Corinthians 5:1), Referring to insist. (Allowing this to happen their).
Amo 2:8 And they lay themselves down upon clothes laid to pledge by every altar, and they drink the wine of the condemned in the house of their god. At their religious festivals, they lounge around in clothing that debtors put up as security. They drink wine bought with unjust fines. A bunch of rip-off artists! We can see it today in churches and in your own neighborhoods. Take a good look at how we have become as a people in this country. We take God out of our schools, perversion has become rampant, rip-off artists around every corner, crime as never seen before. "God is not happy." We see the examples of what He has done and how He feels in the previous scriptures, but we still don't get it.
Amo 2:9 Yet destroyed I the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars, and he was strong as the oaks; yet I destroyed his fruit from above, and his roots from beneath. As My people watched, I destroyed the Amorites, though they were as tall as cedars and strong as oaks. I destroyed the fruit on their branches and dug out their roots. (Numbers 21:24, Joshua 24:8), The Amorites being the descendants of the Nephilim were all to have been destroyed, with the other Canaanite nations, by the sword of Israel. (Read our newsletter titled "The Fallen Angels" for a better understanding of the Nephilim).
Amo 2:10 Also I brought you up from the land of Egypt, and led you forty years through the wilderness, to possess the land of the Amorite. It was I who rescued you from Egypt and led you through the desert for forty years, so you could possess the land of the Amorites. (Exodus 12:51, Deuteronomy 2:7, 4:27).
Amo 2:11 And I raised up of your sons for prophets, and of your young men for Nazarites. Is it not even thus, O ye children of Israel? saith the LORD. I chose some of your sons to be prophets and others to be Nazirites, My people of Israel. You can't deny this, says the LORD.
Amo 2:12 But ye gave the Nazarites wine to drink; and commanded the prophets, saying, Prophesy not. But, you caused the Nazirites to sin by giving them wine to drink, and you commanded the prophets to "shut up!"
Amo 2:13 Behold, I am pressed under you, as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaves. You weigh Me down as an overloaded cart filled with sheaves of grain.
Amo 2:14 Therefore the flight shall perish from the swift, and the strong shall not strengthen his force, neither shall the mighty deliver himself. Because of this, your fastest runners will not get away. The strong among you will become weak. Even your mighty warriors will be unable to save themselves.
Amo 2:15 Neither shall he stand that handleth the bow; and he that is swift of foot shall not deliver himself: neither shall he that rideth the horse deliver himself. Even the archers will not stand their ground. Even those who ride horses won't be able to save themselves.
Amo 2:16 And he that is courageous among the mighty shall flee away naked in that day, saith the LORD. On that day, even your most courageous fighting men will drop their weapons and run for their lives. (This is what happened to the northern kingdom when the Assyrians invaded in 722 BC). It will happen again in the near end times.
Amos 3
Amo 3:2 You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities. The Lord is saying: That among all the families of the world, I have know you and warned you the most. That is why I must punish you for all your sins. (Deuteronomy 7:6, Psalm 147, I Peter 4:17), Judgment is near, and it begins with God's household. (We are all equal in God's eyes when doing His word). But, just think what lies for those who ignore the Word of God.
Amo 3:3 Can two walk together, except they be agreed? Two people can't walk together unless they agree on the direction. The deeper meaning here is: If your a believer, watch who you hang with. (II Corinthians 6:14-15), Don’t team up with or yoke yourself to unbelievers, they will bring you down. However, you can be around them to plant a truth. (That is your purpose, when it is possible). In other words: There is no harmony between Christ and the devil.
Amo 3:4 Will a lion roar in the forest, when he hath no prey? will a young lion cry out of his den, if he have taken nothing? Will a lion roar in the bushes without first finding a victim? Back to the vision of Amos 1:2, (The Lord's voice will roar "rumbling thunder," from Zion and thunder from Jerusalem). Does a young lion growl in its den without first catching its prey? (Psalm 104:21), Even the lions roar in the field for food, but they are dependent on the Lord. (Just as the lion, we are also dependent on the Lord).
Amo 3:5 Can a bird fall in a snare upon the earth, where no gin is for him? shall one take up a snare from the earth, and have taken nothing at all? Does a bird get caught in a trap that has no bait, or does a trap spring shut when there's nothing to catch? (Ecclesiastes 9:12), In other words: A man never knows when he is going to run into bad luck.
Amo 3:6 Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it? When the warning alarm sounds, shouldn't the people be aware? Does disaster come to a city unless the Lord has planed it?
Amo 3:7 Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets. The Lord never does anything without revealing it to His servants first! (Revelation 1:1, 1:19, 4:1), God always warns His people. Do you remember what they told the prophets in Amos 2:12? They told them to "shut up," and not to prophecy. When it come to God's judgment, there are always plenty of warnings. (Pay attention to the warnings).
Amo 3:8 The lion hath roared, who will not fear? the Lord GOD hath spoken, who can but prophesy? The Lord has spoken and warned us. Don't refuse to proclaim His message. The coming judgment is right in from of us too understand. Amos couldn't keep quiet. (Acts 4:20), The apostles could not stop telling about the wonderful things they saw Jesus do and heard Him say. We should follow their footsteps, plant a seed, and talk about the Lord when it is possible. But don't become a fanatic when planting seed (the Word), it drives people away. Learn how to fish when planting seeds of truth, then leave it up to God if they will take the bait or not.
Amo 3:9 Publish in the palaces at Ashdod, and in the palaces in the land of Egypt, and say, Assemble yourselves upon the mountains of Samaria, and behold the great tumults in the midst thereof, and the oppressed in the midst thereof. Announce this to the leaders of Philistia and to Egypt. Take your seats around the hills of Samaria, and witness the chaos and oppression in Israel. (Ecclesiastes 4:1). (The heathen "Ashdod of the Philistines, and Egypt are called to witness the judgment on the northern kingdom, Samaria).
Amo 3:10 For they know not to do right, saith the LORD, who store up violence and robbery in their palaces. My people have forgotten how to do what is right. (Jeremiah 4:22), They are kind of stubborn and stupid! Their wealth was taken by theft and violence. (Zephaniah 1:9, James 5:3-4), The value of your assets is dropping fast and will stand evidence against you come judgment day. Hear the cries of the hard workers that you have cheated of their pay because of your greed. Their cries have reached the ears of the Lord of Host.
Amo 3:11 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; An adversary there shall be even round about the land; and he shall bring down thy strength from thee, and thy palaces shall be spoiled. Listen to the Lord... "The enemy is coming." "He will surround them and shatter their defenses and He will plunder all their fortresses." (Isaiah 10:5-6).
Amo 3:12 Thus saith the LORD; As the shepherd taketh out of the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of an ear; so shall the children of Israel be taken out that dwell in Samaria in the corner of a bed, and in Damascus in a couch. What the Lord is saying here is: If a shepherd try's to rescue a sheep from the lion's mouth, he will only recover a piece of it. The same will be for the Israelites in Samaria and the people of Damascus, as they lie around in luxury.
Amo 3:13 Hear ye, and testify in the house of Jacob, saith the Lord GOD, the God of hosts. Listen to the Lord and announce it throughout all Israel. (The whole house of Jacob).
Amo 3:14 That in the day that I shall visit the transgressions of Israel upon him I will also visit the altars of Bethel: and the horns of the altar shall be cut off, and fall to the ground. On the very day I punish Israel for its sins. (Exodus 32:34). I will destroy the pagan alters at Bethel (the center of idol worship for the northern kingdom). The horns of the alter (a place where the people would run when they were seeking mercy from God), shall be cut off, and fall to the ground.
Amo 3:15 And I will smite the winter house with the summer house; and the houses of ivory shall perish, and the great houses shall have an end, saith the LORD. I will destroy the beautiful homes of the wealthy and their winter mansions and summer homes. "Says the Lord." All the luxury will be taken away. It is coming soon my friend in the end times. Be ready, judgment day is near.
Amos 4
Amo 4:2 The Lord GOD hath sworn by his holiness, that, lo, the days shall come upon you, that he will take you away with hooks, and your posterity with fishhooks. The Lord has sworn, the time is coming when you will be dragged away like a fish on a hook.
Amo 4:3 And ye shall go out at the breaches, every cow at that which is before her; and ye shall cast them into the palace, saith the LORD. You will be led through the ruins of the wall and thrown from your fortresses.
Amo 4:4 Come to Bethel, and transgress; at Gilgal multiply transgression; and bring your sacrifices every morning, and your tithes after three years. Keep on sacrificing to the idols at Bethel and transgress. (Bethel is suppose to be a house of God, but instead they worship idols). Gilgal was the place where Israel first camped when they came into the promised land. A place where pilgrims came to worship, but by this time it was worshipping other gods. Playing church! They dressed and looked so holy like believers, but their lives and hearts were like that of unbelievers.
Amo 4:5 And offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving with leaven, and proclaim and publish the free offerings: for this liketh you, O ye children of Israel, saith the Lord GOD. In other words: You make your regular offering of thanksgiving, then you give a little extra voluntary offering so you can brag about it everywhere. "This is the kind of thing you Israelites love to do."
Amo 4:6 And I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and want of bread in all your places: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD. This cleanness of teeth has nothing to do with hygiene by going to the dentist, but because of want of food, from the famine brought on by the Lord to every town. "They still would not return to the Lord."
Amo 4:7 And also I have withholden the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the harvest: and I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another city: one piece was rained upon, and the piece whereupon it rained not withered. I held the rain from your crops when they needed it the most. Rain fell on one town, but I the Lord withheld it from another. Rain fell on one field, while the other one withered away.
Amo 4:8 So two or three cities wandered unto one city, to drink water; but they were not satisfied: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD. People went from town to town because they were looking for water, but there was never enough. "They still would not return to the Lord." (Hosea 7:10).
Amo 4:9 I have smitten you with blasting and mildew: when your gardens and your vineyards and your fig trees and your olive trees increased, the palmerworm devoured them: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD. I struck your farms with blight and mildew. Locust devoured all your vineyards, fig and olive trees. But, "still you would not return to Me, says the Lord."
Amo 4:10 I have sent among you the pestilence after the manner of Egypt: your young men have I slain with the sword, and have taken away your horses; and I have made the stink of your camps to come up unto your nostrils: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD. I sent plagues just as the ones I sent on Egypt long ago. I killed your young men in war and led your horses away. Death filled the air.
Amo 4:11 I have overthrown some of you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and ye were as a firebrand plucked out of the burning: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD. I destroyed some of your cities, as I destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. (Judges 1:7). Those who survived were like charred sticks pulled from a fire. But, "still you would not return to Me, says the Lord."
Amo 4:12 Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel. Because you have rejected Me, I will bring upon you all the disasters I have announced. Prepare to meet your God of Judgment, you people of Israel. (Revelation 3:3), He is warning them to repent and turn back to Him again. Talking about being ready for God in their coming judgment, but the principle applies just as much to us today. Are you ready? Judgment day to many may be scary, but to the true believer we can't wait. It is our reward day for serving the Lord.
Amo 4:13 For, lo, he that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought, that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, The LORD, The God of hosts, is his name. The Lord is the One who shaped the mountains and stirs up the winds. He reveals His thoughts to mankind. He turns the light of dawn into darkness and treads on the heights of the earth. The LORD God of "Heaven's Armies is His name."
Amos 5
Amo 5:1 Hear ye this word which I take up against you, even a lamentation, O house of Israel. This word "lamentation" here is "qiynah" Strong's H7015 meaning "dirge" or grief. We got a song of grief coming up here by Amos.
Amo 5:2 The virgin of Israel is fallen; she shall no more rise: she is forsaken upon her land; there is none to raise her up. The virgin Israel has fallen, never to rise again. Lies abandoned with no one to help her. (Isaiah 37:22, Jeremiah 14:17).
Amo 5:3 For thus saith the Lord GOD; The city that went out by a thousand shall leave an hundred, and that which went forth by an hundred shall leave ten, to the house of Israel. The Lord says: When a city sends out a thousand to battle, only a hundred will return. When a town sends out a hundred, only ten will return. Referring to the remnant of Israel that will return in the later days. (Isaiah 10:22, Romans 9:27), Concerning Israel, Isaiah the prophet spoke: "Though the people of Israel are as numerous as the sands of the sea, a remnant shall be saved." (Isaiah 10:20-22, 11:11), Not that only the remnant will be saved, but rather return. Many will be saved in the end times.
Amo 5:4 For thus saith the LORD unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live. The Lord says to Israel: Come back to Me and live.
Amo 5:5 But seek not Bethel, nor enter into Gilgal, and pass not to Beersheba: for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Bethel shall come to nought. Don't worship the pagan altars at Bethel, or go to the shrines at Gilgal or Beersheba. Gilgal will be dragged off into exile, and the people of Bethel will be reduced to nothing. Why? Because these were the seats of Israel's idolatrous worship. (Hosea 4:15, 10:8), They will be ashamed for worshipping the wrong God. "Just like in the end times when many fall for the anti-Christ." (Luke 23:30, Revelation 6:16, 9:6).
Amo 5:6 Seek the LORD, and ye shall live; lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and devour it, and there be none to quench it in Bethel. Again, come back to the Lord and live! If you don't, God will roar through Israel (the whole northern kingdom), like a fire, devouring you completely. Your false gods in bethel won't be able to quench the flames. (Isaiah 1:31, Jeremiah 7:20)
Amo 5:7 Ye who turn judgment to wormwood, and leave off righteousness in the earth. They twist justice for the oppressed and treat the righteous like dirt.
Amo 5:8 Seek him that maketh the seven stars and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with night: that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The LORD is his name. It is God who created the stars and the planets. He turns darkness into morning and day to night. He draws water from the oceans and causes it to rain on the earth. This "shadow of death into morning" refers to: (Luke 1:79), To give light to those who sit in darkness and death's shadow.
Amo 5:9 That strengtheneth the spoiled against the strong, so that the spoiled shall come against the fortress. With His power, He destroys the strong, crushing their defenses.
Amo 5:10 They hate him that rebuketh in the gate, and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly. You hate honest judges and despise people who tell the truth! (Isaiah 29:21).
Amo 5:11 Forasmuch therefore as your treading is upon the poor, and ye take from him burdens of wheat: ye have built houses of hewn stone, but ye shall not dwell in them; ye have planted pleasant vineyards, but ye shall not drink wine of them. You trample on the poor charging them unfair taxes and unfair rent. You build your beautiful stone houses, but you will never live in them. You plant lush vineyards, but you will never drink wine from them. Sound familiar? We see it today around the world! "Take a look at the taxes you pay and the rise in prices of everything you buy." Only the wealthy can survive in today's world. But not for long. (Proverbs 6:11-19), there time is coming. You know, you always hear wealthy preachers say that there is no sin in being wealthy. Well, maybe not. But, in today's world, it is hard to be wealthy without gains through some type of corruption. Take the stock market for example: When they invest their money, it is pooled together with corrupt money. It is like a MLM or pyramid scam. Only the ones on top make the money, and the people on the bottom always get hurt. "God gives people what they need, not what they want."
Amo 5:12 For I know your manifold transgressions and your mighty sins: they afflict the just, they take a bribe, and they turn aside the poor in the gate from their right. God knows all their sins and rebellions. They oppress good people by taking bribes and deprive the poor of justice in the courts. "If you don't think judges lean towards the wealthy or take bribes once in a while, you are blind to the truth." I have seen it happen several times in my lifetime.
Amo 5:13 Therefore the prudent shall keep silence in that time; for it is an evil time. In that time, the smart keep their mouths shut, because it is a time of calamity. (Ephesians 5:15-16, II Timothy 3:1), It will be very difficult in the end times. Entering into the great apostasy. We are living in the pre-tribulation now.
Amo 5:14 Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so the LORD, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as ye have spoken. Hate the calamity and try your best to do good. God will always try to help you then. (Psalm 34:12-16, Proverbs 11:27).
Amo 5:15 Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate: it may be that the LORD God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph. Make sure that your courts are true halls of justice and not corrupt.
Amo 5:16 Therefore the LORD, the God of hosts, the Lord, saith thus; Wailing shall be in all streets; and they shall say in all the highways, Alas! alas! and they shall call the husbandman to mourning, and such as are skilful of lamentation to wailing. There will be crying in all the public squares and morning in every street. Even the farmers and professionals will wail. (Revelation 18:10, 15-16, 18:19), Sister Babylon in the end times. She made us (those who were deceived), all rich with her great wealth and false teachings and in one hour, it will all be gone.
Amo 5:17 And in all vineyards shall be wailing: for I will pass through thee, saith the LORD. Wailing in every vineyard because the Lord says: I will destroy them all.
Amo 5:18 Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! to what end is it for you? the day of the LORD is darkness, and not light. Those who are quick to say: Only if the day of the Lord were here! They have no idea what they are wishing for. That day will bring darkness to the non-believers and the deceived. If you are a true Christian and believer, you don't need to worry. (Malachi 4:1, II Peter 3:10), Be on guard and know the season for His return, when all evil (all the wicked & rudiments) will be burned up. Judgment Day!
Amo 5:19 As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him. In other words, there will be no escape for the wicked.
Amo 5:20 Shall not the day of the LORD be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it? The day of the Lord will be dark and hopeless, with no joy for the wicked.
Amo 5:21 I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies. God does not like those who play church. Christ warned them. (Matthew 23:14), Those who hold long public prayers in the streets looking so holy while they evict widows from their homes. Just plain hypocrites who will receive the greater damnation.
Amo 5:22 Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them: neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts. God will not accept their burnt offerings and won't even notice their peace offerings. "Many churches still doing it today with their burning of incense and long ceremonial rituals." (Just a bunch of hypocrites playing church).
Amo 5:23 Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols. Take away your fancy hymns of praise! I will not listen to the music of your harps.
Amo 5:24 But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream. Instead, I want to see a mighty flood of justice, and a constant flowing river of righteous living. (Matthew 12:7), Christ explains it in the new testament. "I want you to be merciful more than I want your offerings" quoting from (Hosea 6:6). God does not want your burnt offerings. He wants your love.
Amo 5:25 Have ye offered unto me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel? Did you bring Me offerings when you were in the wilderness for forty years Israel?
Amo 5:26 But ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun your images, the star of your god, which ye made to yourselves. No, you served your pagan gods that you made yourself.
Amo 5:27 Therefore will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus, saith the LORD, whose name is The God of hosts. Now I will send you into exile, to the land of the east of Damascus, "says the Lord." (Acts 7:43), Their real interest was in heathen gods and gods of the stars. They worshipped things God had made instead of God Himself. "Because of this, God would send them into captivity far away beyond Babylon."
Amos 6
Amo 6:2 Pass ye unto Calneh, and see; and from thence go ye to Hamath the great: then go down to Gath of the Philistines: be they better than these kingdoms? or their border greater than your border? You are no better than the cities of Calneh, Hamath, and Gath and they were destroyed.
Amo 6:3 Ye that put far away the evil day, and cause the seat of violence to come near. You just scoff at the coming disaster (day of calamity), but your actions only bring the day of judgment closer. (II Peter 3:4), Where is the promise of His return, all things are the same since the beginning. They are just willingly ignorant.
Amo 6:4 That lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the midst of the stall. Those who lounge around eating and partying living high on the hog. (Isaiah 5:11-12).
Amo 6:5 That chant to the sound of the viol, and invent to themselves instruments of musick, like David. You sing trivial songs, playing the harp, and think you are great musicians like David. (Isaiah 5:12).
Amo 6:6 That drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief ointments: but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph. You drink your wine out of sacred bowls, and anoint themselves with fragrant lotions. You care nothing about the ruin of your nation. "The breach of the two kingdoms." (I Kings 12, Jeremiah 6:14).
Amo 6:7 Therefore now shall they go captive with the first that go captive, and the banquet of them that stretched themselves shall be removed. The party is over. Soon you will be the first to be led away as captives. (Luke 21:24).
Amo 6:8 The Lord GOD hath sworn by himself, saith the LORD the God of hosts, I abhor the excellency of Jacob, and hate his palaces: therefore will I deliver up the city with all that is therein. The Lord says: I despise the arrogance of Israel, and I hate their fortresses. I will give this city away into the hands of their enemies. (Ezekiel 24:21).
Amo 6:9 And it shall come to pass, if there remain ten men in one house, that they shall die. If ten men are left, they will all die.
Amo 6:10 And a man's uncle shall take him up, and he that burneth him, to bring out the bones out of the house, and shall say unto him that is by the sides of the house, Is there yet any with thee? and he shall say, No. Then shall he say, Hold thy tongue: for we may not make mention of the name of the LORD. When they burn and dispose of the bodies (mentioned in I Samuel 31:12), they will ask survivors; "Is there anyone else with you?" "They will say, don't even mention the name of the Lord."
Amo 6:11 For, behold, the LORD commandeth, and he will smite the great house with breaches, and the little house with clefts. At the Lords command, both great homes and small homes will be destroyed.
Amo 6:12 Shall horses run upon the rock? will one plow there with oxen? for ye have turned judgment into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock. Can horses gallop over boulders? Can oxen be used to plow them? You are a bunch of fools, who turn justice into poison and righteousness into bitterness. (Hosea 10:4, 10:13, Acts 7:51-52), Guilty of persecuting and killing the prophets who predicted the coming of Messiah, and you also betrayed and killed Him. Speaking of the kenites; the generation of vipers, offspring of the serpent. (Matthew 23:29-39).
Amo 6:13 Ye which rejoice in a thing of nought, which say, Have we not taken to us horns by our own strength? Always boasting on what they did with their own strength.
Amo 6:14 But, behold, I will raise up against you a nation, O house of Israel, saith the LORD the God of hosts; and they shall afflict you from the entering in of Hemath unto the river of the wilderness. The Lord says: I will raise up a enemy nation against you. They will oppress you throughout your land from Hemath in the north to the Arabah Valley in the south. (Ezekiel 47:15-17).
Amos 7
Amo 7:2 And it came to pass, that when they had made an end of eating the grass of the land, then I said, O Lord GOD, forgive, I beseech thee: by whom shall Jacob arise? for he is small. In his vision, the locusts ate every green plant in sight. Then he said, forgive us Lord, please forgive us or we will not survive, for Israel is so small.
Amo 7:3 The LORD repented for this: It shall not be, saith the LORD. So the Lord relented from this plan. (Jonah 3:10).
Amo 7:4 Thus hath the Lord GOD shewed unto me: and, behold, the Lord GOD called to contend by fire, and it devoured the great deep, and did eat up a part. Then the Lord showed Amos another vision. He saw Him preparing to punish His people with great fire. The fire burned the sea and devoured the entire land. (This is supposed to denote the invasion of Tiglathpileser, which threatened entire destruction. (Micah 1:4). Also another warning for the end times. (Isaiah 66:15-16).
Amo 7:5 Then said I, O Lord GOD, cease, I beseech thee: by whom shall Jacob arise? for he is small. Again, pleading for mercy from the Lord. (Will we be pleading in the end times)?
Amo 7:6 The LORD repented for this: This also shall not be, saith the Lord GOD. In the vision, the Lord relented from this too.
Amo 7:7 Thus he shewed me: and, behold, the Lord stood upon a wall made by a plumbline, with a plumbline in his hand. In another vision, Amos saw the Lord standing beside a wall that had been built using a plumb line. (A plumb line is used to see if something is straight).
Amo 7:8 And the LORD said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A plumbline. Then said the Lord, Behold, I will set a plumbline in the midst of my people Israel: I will not again pass by them any more. The Lord asked Amos "what do you see?" "He answered, a plumb line." The Lord replied, "I will test My people with this plumb line." I will no longer ignore all their sins. Again, what is a plumb line used for? To see if something is straight. (This was an emblem of strict justice; and intimated that God would now visit them according to their iniquities). "Simply put; Israel was crooked and did not match God's standards."
Amo 7:9 And the high places of Isaac shall be desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste; and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword. The pagan shrines of your ancestors will be ruined, and the temples of Israel will be destroyed. Fulfilled in (II Kings 15:8-10), Jeroboam, like the other kings of the northern kingdom was evil. However, he was a great military strategist and brought the nation great military and economic success.
Amo 7:10 Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, Amos hath conspired against thee in the midst of the house of Israel: the land is not able to bear all his words. Here comes trouble. Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, sent a message to Jeroboam, king of Israel: Amos is plotting against you, and what he is saying is intolerable. (Amaziah was lying and there was not one word of truth in his message to Jeroboam).
Amo 7:11 For thus Amos saith, Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel shall surely be led away captive out of their own land. He is saying that Jeroboam will soon be killed, and the people of Israel will be sent away into exile. (This sounded like treason to the people of the northern kingdom).
Amo 7:12 Also Amaziah said unto Amos, O thou seer, go, flee thee away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and prophesy there. Amaziah sent orders to Amos and told him to get out of here. Go back to Judah and prophesy there.
Amo 7:13 But prophesy not again any more at Bethel: for it is the king's chapel, and it is the king's court. Amaziah told Amos not to bother them with his prophesies in Bethel. (This was there national place of worship).
Amo 7:14 Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet's son; but I was an herdman, and a gatherer of sycomore fruit. But Amos told Amaziah, "I am not a professional prophet, and was never trained to be one. I am just a shepherd, and take care of the sycamore trees. (Sycamore fruit are wild figs). He was tending to the wild figs. This should bring our attention to the "parable of the fig tree" in (Matthew 24:32-35). The last generation before the return of Christ.
Amo 7:15 And the LORD took me as I followed the flock, and the LORD said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel. Amos told Amaziah that it was the Lord who called him from the flock and told him to prophecy to Israel.
Amo 7:16 Now therefore hear thou the word of the LORD: Thou sayest, Prophesy not against Israel, and drop not thy word against the house of Isaac. Now listen to this message from the Lord: You say, don't prophesy against Israel and stop preaching against my people.
Amo 7:17 Therefore thus saith the LORD; Thy wife shall be an harlot in the city, and thy sons and thy daughters shall fall by the sword, and thy land shall be divided by line; and thou shalt die in a polluted land: and Israel shall surely go into captivity forth of his land. However, this is what the Lord says: Your wife will become a prostitute in this city, and your sons and daughters will be killed. Your land will be divided up, and you will die in a foreign land. The people of Israel will become captives in exile, far from their homeland. Could this be another end time prophecy? (Zechariah 14:2, Hosea 4:13-14), Your daughters turn to prostitution. "Look around today." They are also sacrificing and burning their incense, turning to idolatry. (Romans 1:23-28). Why should I punish your daughters for prostitution and adultery? Your men are doing the same thing, sinning with whores and sacrifice with prostitutes. (I Corinthians 6:16), "You refuse to understand, so you will be punished." Why? Because they are alienated from God through ignorance that is in them. (Ephesians 4:18)
Amos 8
Amo 8:2 And he said, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A basket of summer fruit. Then said the LORD unto me, The end is come upon my people of Israel; I will not again pass by them any more. The Lord asked. What do you see Amos? "A basket of ripe fruit." Then the Lord said: Just like this fruit, Israel is ripe for punishment. Amos was starting to realize that the end was near for Israel.
Amo 8:3 And the songs of the temple shall be howlings in that day, saith the Lord GOD: there shall be many dead bodies in every place; they shall cast them forth with silence. In that day... What day? "The day of the Lord." The singing in the temple will turn to wailing and dead bodies will be scattered everywhere.
Amo 8:4 Hear this, O ye that swallow up the needy, even to make the poor of the land to fail. Listen all you rip offs and scammers who take advantage of the needy. (Proverbs 30:14, Isaiah 32:6-7, Matthew 23:14).
Amo 8:5 Saying, When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? and the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and falsifying the balances by deceit? You can't wait for the Sabbath day to be over and your religious festivals to end, so you can get back to ripping off the people again. "The people looked and acted so holy by going to church and going through the motions, but couldn't wait to get back to their worldly lives." Sound familiar? "Bunch of hypocrites."
Amo 8:6 That we may buy the poor for silver, and the needy for a pair of shoes; yea, and sell the refuse of the wheat? You cut the goods that you sell and cheat the people. Then you enslave the poor people for a small price. (Joel 3:3). Do we see this going on in the world today? Of course we do... Lets take heroin or cocaine pushers. They rip off people with garbage product, then they enslave them to the drug without any regard for that person. They turn young girls into prostitutes and young men into thieves and small time dealers. These cartel king-pins and drug pushers are nothing but monsters and scumbags. "There payback time is coming!"
Amo 8:7 The LORD hath sworn by the excellency of Jacob, Surely I will never forget any of their works. The Lord has sworn, He will never forget the wicked things they have done.
Amo 8:8 Shall not the land tremble for this, and every one mourn that dwelleth therein? and it shall rise up wholly as a flood; and it shall be cast out and drowned, as by the flood of Egypt. The earth will tremble and everyone will mourn. The ground will rise like the Nile river at flood time; it will heave up, then sink again. (Perhaps looking towards an earthquake in the end times with the rising and falling of the ground, with a wave-like motion).
Amo 8:9 And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord GOD, that I will cause the sun to go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in the clear day. In that day! What day? The Lord's day. I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth while it is still day. (Isaiah 13:10, Joel 2:2, Micah 3:6), An eclipse had occurred in 784 BC, another in 763 BC. It would be a picture of God’s coming judgment. The sky also darkened during the crucifixion of Christ, which is another picture of God's judgment coming. "The day of the Lord is coming soon, so you better be ready."
Amo 8:10 And I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation; and I will bring up sackcloth upon all loins, and baldness upon every head; and I will make it as the mourning of an only son, and the end thereof as a bitter day. On that day, I will turn your celebrations into mourning and your singing into weeping. You will cry as if your only son has just died. A very bitter day that will be.
Amo 8:11 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD. That famine for hearing the Word of the Lord is upon us now. People are starving for the truth in the Word, not a bunch of fairy tales, false teachings and traditions of men that are taught in most churches today.
Amo 8:12 And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it. People will stagger from sea to sea and border to border, even church to church, searching for the Word of the Lord, but will not find it. (Romans 9:31-33, 11:7-10, II Timothy 3:6-7), Lets take Romans 11:7-10, for example: What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded. (Romans 11:7), In other words, most people have not found the favor of God that they are looking for. A few of His chosen have, but the majority of peoples hearts are hardened. (II Corinthians 4:4, II Thessalonians 2:9-12), We are speaking of one of Satan's roles as anti-Christ.
He will trick everyone with strange demonstrations, great miracles, and lies, because he is the father of lies. (John 8:44). He will completely fool those who refused the truth of the Word that they might be saved. Those who follow Satan will perish. Once saved always saved? I don't think so. If you want to be ignorant of God's Word and follow lies, deception, and traditions of men; God will send you strong delusion to believe those lies. He will close your eyes to the truth. (Isaiah 29:10). Look at how people are so comfortable with their teachings. If you want to be like that, get comfortable with the spirit of slumber. According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear; unto this day. (Romans 11:8), Here it is, the spirit of slumber written here and in the old testament. (Isaiah 29:10), "To this day He has shut their eyes so they do not see, and closed their ears so they do not hear." And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them. (Romans 11:9). Spoken by David, "Let their bountiful table become a snare, a trap that makes them think all is well. Let their blessings cause them to stumble, and get what they deserve." (Psalm 69:22-23). In other words, your material and monetary possessions can become a trap and make you think all is well. (People who cherish their physical money over spiritual wealth). It's all about the money!
Your spiritual blessings can also cause you to stumble, thinking you are on the right track when your not. This is what happened to Israel: their spiritual blessings should have led them to Christ, but became a snare to them and kept them from Christ. Why? Their religious practices became substitutes for the real experience of salvation. This goes on today when people depend on certain churches religious rituals and practices instead of trusting in Christ, without all the fluff. Playing church! It looks so holy, but it is far from the truth. Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway. (Romans 11:10). Let their eyes be blind to the truth so they cannot see and let their backs be bent forever. (Psalm 69:23).
Amo 8:13 In that day shall the fair virgins and young men faint for thirst. Beautiful girls and young men will grow faint in that day, thirsting for the Word of the Lord.
Amo 8:14 They that swear by the sin of Samaria, and say, Thy god, O Dan, liveth; and, The manner of Beersheba liveth; even they shall fall, and never rise up again. In other words: Pertaining to us in the last days, those who follow their idol worship, false teachings, and traditions of men will fall. (Psalm 36:12, 140:10, Jeremiah 25:27, 51:64).
Amos 9
Amo 9:2 Though they dig into hell, thence shall mine hand take them; though they climb up to heaven, thence will I bring them down. If they dig down to hide, I will reach down and pull them up. If they climb up to the heavens, I will bring them down. "This is to show there will be no escape."
Amo 9:3 And though they hide themselves in the top of Carmel, I will search and take them out thence; and though they be hid from my sight in the bottom of the sea, thence will I command the serpent, and he shall bite them. Even if they try to hide on the mountain tops, I will capture them. If they try to hide at the bottom of the ocean, I will send the sea serpent after them. (Jeremiah 16:16, Isaiah 27:1).
Amo 9:4 And though they go into captivity before their enemies, thence will I command the sword, and it shall slay them: and I will set mine eyes upon them for evil, and not for good. Even if their enemies drive them into exile, I will command the sword to kill them there. Disaster will come upon them and I will not help them. (Deuteronomy 28:64-65, Ezekiel 5:12, Jeremiah 44:11), "They will not be able to escape God's judgment." You can't run from God.
Amo 9:5 And the Lord GOD of hosts is he that toucheth the land, and it shall melt, and all that dwell therein shall mourn: and it shall rise up wholly like a flood; and shall be drowned, as by the flood of Egypt. The Lord of Heaven's Armies, touches the land and it melts, and all the people mourn. (Remember that God is a consuming fire). (Psalm 46:6). The ground rises like the Nile river when it floods. The ground will rise and sink again. "Sounds like the making of great earthquakes."
Amo 9:6 It is he that buildeth his stories in the heaven, and hath founded his troop in the earth; he that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The LORD is his name. The Lord's home reaches to the heavens, while the foundation is upon the earth. He draws the waters from the oceans and lets it pour down as rain on the land. (Psalm 104:3, 104:13).
Amo 9:7 Are ye not as children of the Ethiopians unto me, O children of Israel? saith the LORD. Have not I brought up Israel out of the land of Egypt? and the Philistines from Caphtor, and the Syrians from Kir? Are you Israelites more important to Me than the Ethiopians? I brought Israel out of Egypt, but I also brought the Philistines from Crete and led the Arameans out of Kir. (Showing that the Israelites are nothing special, and are just like every other nation to God). "You need to watch out when you are puffed-up and think you are something special in the eyes of the Lord.
Amo 9:8 Behold, the eyes of the Lord GOD are upon the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from off the face of the earth; saving that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob, saith the LORD. The Lord is watching this sinful nation of Israel. He will destroy it from the face of the earth, but He will not completely destroy the family of Israel. We are talking of the sinful kingdom that will be destroyed.
Amo 9:9 For, lo, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth. The Lord will shake Israel along with the other nations as grain is shaken in a sieve. (The righteous will be caught in the sieve and won't fall to the ground).
Amo 9:10 All the sinners of my people shall die by the sword, which say, The evil shall not overtake nor prevent us. However, the sinners will die by the sword. Those who always say, "nothing bad will ever happen to us." (Isaiah 33:14, Malachi 3:2-5, 3:15, Matthew 13:49-50), Separation of the wicked from the Godly. Because people have been deceived, they never new the working plan of salvation from God. (The minute they hear a little truth, or need to study God's Word, they are turned off).
Amo 9:11 In 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. In that day (the Lord's day), I will restore the fallen house of David. "I will rebuild and restore it to its former glory." (Isaiah 9:6-7, 11:1-10, Jeremiah 23:5-6, 33:14-16, Hosea 3:5, Luke 1:31-33, 1:69-70, Acts 15:15-17), the tabernacle of David (the throne), the kingship that comes from David. The kings of the southern kingdom were all descendants of David. "Christ will be given the throne of His Father David." (Luke 1:32).
Amo 9:12 That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen, which are called by my name, saith the LORD that doeth this. Israel will possess what is left of Edom and all the nations that the Lord has called to be His.
Amo 9:13 Behold, 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. The time will come when the grain and grapes will grow faster than they can be harvested. (Joel 3:18), a time of prosperity.
Amo 9:14 And 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. I will bring back the exiled people of Israel from distant lands. They will rebuild their ruined cities. They will plant vineyards and gardens and eat from their crops. (Jeremiah 30:3, Joel 3:1-2).
Amo 9:15 And 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. I will give them back their own land and they will not be pulled out of the land again. Says the Lord thy God! (Jeremiah 24:26, 32:41, Joel 3:20, Micah 4:4), We are speaking of the complete restoration of the "kingdom of God" here on earth under Jesus Christ, "the Messiah."
Barton