Topical Bible: Vision of Amos of Grasshoppers

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Topical Encyclopedia

The Vision of Amos of Grasshoppers is one of the prophetic visions recorded in the Book of Amos, a minor prophet in the Old Testament. This vision is found in Amos 7:1-3 and is the first of a series of visions that God reveals to Amos, illustrating His impending judgment upon Israel due to their persistent sin and rebellion.

Context and Background

Amos, a shepherd from Tekoa, was called by God to prophesy to the Northern Kingdom of Israel during the reign of Jeroboam II. This period was marked by economic prosperity but also significant moral and spiritual decay. The Israelites had turned away from the covenantal laws, engaging in idolatry, social injustice, and neglect of the poor. Amos's prophecies serve as a divine warning and call to repentance.

The Vision

In the vision of the grasshoppers, or locusts, Amos sees God preparing a swarm of locusts to devour the land. The timing of this event is significant, as it occurs after the king's mowing and just as the second crop is beginning to grow. This suggests a period of vulnerability for the agricultural society, as the first harvest had been taken by the king, leaving the people dependent on the second growth for sustenance.

Amos 7:1-3 states:

"This is what the Lord GOD showed me: He was preparing swarms of locusts just after the king’s harvest, as the late spring crop was coming up. And when the locusts had finished devouring the land, I said, 'Lord GOD, please forgive! How will Jacob survive, since he is so small?' So the LORD relented from this plan. 'It will not happen,' said the LORD."

Interpretation and Significance

The vision symbolizes the imminent and devastating judgment that God intends to bring upon Israel due to their unfaithfulness. The locusts represent a natural disaster that would lead to famine and economic ruin, underscoring the severity of divine judgment.

Amos's intercession on behalf of Israel is a critical element of the vision. His plea, "Lord GOD, please forgive! How will Jacob survive, since he is so small?" reflects his compassion and concern for the people, despite their sinfulness. It also highlights the power of intercessory prayer and God's willingness to relent from sending calamity in response to genuine repentance and supplication.

God's response, "It will not happen," demonstrates His mercy and readiness to forgive when His people turn back to Him. This interaction between Amos and God emphasizes the balance between divine justice and mercy, a recurring theme throughout the prophetic literature.

Theological Implications

The Vision of Amos of Grasshoppers serves as a reminder of God's sovereignty over creation and His authority to use natural events as instruments of judgment. It also illustrates the role of the prophet as an intercessor, standing in the gap between God and His people. The vision calls believers to recognize the seriousness of sin and the necessity of repentance, while also offering hope in God's mercy and willingness to forgive.

This vision, along with the others in the Book of Amos, challenges the faithful to examine their own lives, ensuring that they align with God's standards of justice, righteousness, and compassion.

Nave's Topical Index

Amos 7:1,2
Thus has the Lord GOD showed to me; and, behold, he formed grasshoppers in the beginning of the shooting up of the latter growth; and, see, it was the latter growth after the king's mowings.
Nave's Topical Index

Library

The Figurative Language of Scripture.
... The prophet Amos has a vision of grasshoppers, and afterwards of a devouring fire,
with only a general intimation that they denote heavy calamities, which the ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter xxxv the figurative language.htm

The Prophet Joel.
... equally lively colours before the mind of Amos (chap ... the standing-point of his inward
vision, here speaks ... thy captains are as a host of grasshoppers, which camp ...
/.../hengstenberg/christology of the old testament/the prophet joel.htm

Of the Three Woe Trumpets.
... Schaked, an almond; Schoked, I watch; Amos, c. viii ... x. from v.8 to the end.) and
carried forward the first vision of it, having ... 29] In our version grasshoppers. ...
/.../mede/a key to the apocalypse/of the three woe trumpets.htm

The Desire of the Righteous Granted;
The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3. <. ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/the desire of the righteous.htm