The Ancient Prophecies of Amos: Applicable to the 21st Century?

Does what we see happening to our Western world today relate to Bible prophecy? Will we eventually exhaust God’s longsuffering and patience if we persist in our transgressions of His laws? What are some of the main principles we should learn from the Old Testament book of Amos?

by John Ross Schroeder

Nearly three millennia ago in the eighth century B.C., the Hebrew prophet Amos wrote a highly significant book indicting the amoral and immoral behavior of Israel and Judah along with that of some surrounding Mideastern nations. Seldom read or heeded today, how do the warning words of Amos impact our world of the 21st century?

Amos begins his prophecy by articulating God’s anger against Syria, Gaza, Ammon and Moab—Mideastern nations that anciently bordered Israel and Judah—and whose descendants remain in that general area even today. Several times he uses the phraseology, "For three sins (transgressions of God’s law, 1 John 3:4)...even for four" in establishing the basic reasons for the divine displeasure with them.

Amos out of step?

But the focus of this prophetic book soon shifts primarily to the 10-tribe northern nation of Israel and secondarily to the southern country of Judah. At the general time of his prophecy, Amos appeared to be out of step with the times in prophesying disaster for the house of Israel. Both nations were enjoying relative prosperity and power under the governments of the time. One scholarly book observed: "Seldom was a prophet so out of step with his times." But was he really?

Historical hindsight shows us that roughly 30 years after Amos’ prophecy the Assyrians took the northern tribes into captivity (721 to 718 B.C.). At that time Israel ceased to function as a sovereign nation. Clearly Amos had been a great patriot in warning the house of Israel to cease and desist from its ungodly lifestyle and to begin a serious campaign of commandment-keeping.

"But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream," was the way God eloquently expressed His divine wishes (Amos 5:24, New International Version throughout). But subsequent events sadly proved that the house of Israel paid little attention either to Amos or to the contemporary Hebrew prophet Hosea, also divinely sent to warn the country.

Read the full article at www.ucg.org/news-and-prophecy/ancient-prophecies-amos-applicable-21st-century

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