Topical Encyclopedia The prophet Amos, a shepherd from Tekoa, was called by God to deliver a message of judgment to the Northern Kingdom of Israel during the reign of Jeroboam II. His prophetic ministry is marked by a series of visions that convey the impending divine judgment due to Israel's social injustices, idolatry, and moral decay. These visions are recorded in the Book of Amos, providing a vivid portrayal of God's communication with His prophet.1. The Vision of Locusts (Amos 7:1-3): The first vision given to Amos is that of a swarm of locusts. "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" (Amos 7:1-3). This vision symbolizes a devastating judgment that would consume the land, yet Amos's intercession leads to God's mercy and the withholding of this calamity. 2. The Vision of Fire (Amos 7:4-6): In the second vision, Amos sees a consuming fire. "This is what the Lord GOD showed me: The Lord GOD was calling for judgment by fire. It consumed the great deep and devoured the land. Then I said, 'Lord GOD, please stop! How will Jacob survive, since he is so small?' So the LORD relented from this plan. 'It will not happen either,' said the Lord GOD" (Amos 7:4-6). The fire represents a purifying judgment, yet again, Amos's plea results in God relenting from executing this judgment. 3. The Vision of the Plumb Line (Amos 7:7-9): The third vision involves a plumb line, a tool used for measuring straightness. "This is what He showed me: The Lord was standing by a wall true to plumb, with a plumb line in His hand. 'Amos, what do you see?' asked the LORD. 'A plumb line,' I replied. 'Behold,' said the Lord, 'I am setting a plumb line among My people Israel; I will no longer spare them: the high places of Isaac will be deserted, and the sanctuaries of Israel will be laid waste; I will rise up against the house of Jeroboam with My sword'" (Amos 7:7-9). This vision signifies God's standard of righteousness and the inevitable judgment due to Israel's failure to align with His standards. 4. The Vision of Ripe Fruit (Amos 8:1-3): Amos's fourth vision is of a basket of ripe fruit. "This is what the Lord GOD showed me: I saw a basket of ripe summer fruit. 'Amos, what do you see?' He asked. 'A basket of ripe fruit,' I replied. Then the LORD said to me, 'The time is ripe for My people Israel; I will no longer spare them. In that day,' declares the Lord GOD, 'the songs of the temple will turn to wailing. Many, many bodies will be flung everywhere! Silence!'" (Amos 8:1-3). The ripe fruit symbolizes the imminent judgment, indicating that Israel's time for repentance has passed, and the nation is ripe for punishment. 5. The Vision of the Lord by the Altar (Amos 9:1-4): The final vision depicts the Lord standing by the altar, commanding destruction. "I saw the Lord standing by the altar, and He said: 'Strike the tops of the pillars so that the thresholds shake. Bring them down on the heads of all the people; those who are left I will kill with the sword. Not one will get away; none will escape. Though they dig down to the depths below, from there My hand will take them; though they climb up to the heavens above, from there I will bring them down'" (Amos 9:1-2). This vision underscores the inescapability of God's judgment, emphasizing His sovereignty and the certainty of His justice. Amos's visions serve as a powerful reminder of God's holiness and the serious consequences of sin. They highlight the role of the prophet as an intercessor and the possibility of divine mercy, yet they also affirm the certainty of judgment when a nation persists in unrighteousness. Through these visions, Amos calls Israel to repentance and a return to covenant faithfulness. Torrey's Topical Textbook Amos 7:1-9Thus 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. Torrey's Topical Textbook Amos 8:1-6 Amos 9:1 Library Amos The Release of Hope. (xxiv, xxix. ) The Twelve Minor Prophets. The Prophet Amos. Amos and Obadiah. Ripe for Gathering Ezekiel The Title of the Book. The History of the Prophetic Sermons, Epistles, and Apocalypses The Prophet Jonah. Resources Who was Ellen G. White? | GotQuestions.orgAre books such as 90 Minutes in Heaven, Heaven is for Real, and 23 Minutes in Hell biblically sound? | GotQuestions.org Who was Hildegard of Bingen? | GotQuestions.org Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus Subtopics Visions: False Prophets Pretended to Have Seen Visions: Frequently Difficult and Perplexing to Those Who Received Visions: God Especially Made Himself Known to Prophets By Visions: God often Made Known his Will By Visions: Often Accompanied: A Representative of the Divine Person and Glory Visions: Often Accompanied: An Appearance of Angels Visions: Often Accompanied: An Appearance of Human Beings Visions: Often Accompanied: An Audible Voice from Heaven Visions: Often Communicated in a Trance Visions: Often Communicated in the Night Season Visions: Often Multiplied for the Benefit of the People Visions: Often Recorded for the Benefit of the People Visions: Sometimes Withheld for a Long Season Visions: The Prophets of God Skilled in Interpreting Visions: The Withholding of a Great Calamity Visions: To Daniel (See Chapters 7, 8, and 10 of Daniel) Visions: To Ezekiel (See Chapters 10, 40-48 of Ezekiel) Visions: To John (See Also Rev Chapters 4 - 22) Related Terms |
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