Notes on Amos
koot
van wyk (DLitt et Phil; ThD)
Visiting
Professor
Department
of Liberal Education
Kyungpook
National University
Sangju
Campus
South
Korea
Conjoint
lecturer of Avondale College
Australia
1. SDA’s
are historicists who value the role of the Remnant in the Old Testament very
high since their vision were always sideways as well and not only fixed on the
Exodus event. Presentists of other denominations are only Exodus fixed or past
time event fixed or immediate surrounding history fixed. 2. Notice
the eschatology in Amos: God roars out of Jerusalem or Zion (Amos 1:2). Notice
the fires successively in Damascus (1:4); Gaza (1:7); Tyre (1:10); Edom (1:12);
Ammon (1:14); Moab (2:2); Judah (2:5) and Israel will be reckoned with “on that
day” beyom hahu. Very specific. The hell is going to be a fire and a fire
against all that represents evil. These cities in history were not destroyed
only with a fire but in Amos God’s fire is noteworthy. 3. Notice
the eschatological setting of the Executive Judgment in Amos 5:18-20 “Woe to
those who desire the day of the Lord. Why would you have the day of the Lord?
It is darkness,and not light.” For the wicked it will be a day of darkness in
their lives. It will be a gloomy day for the wicked. 4. Gerhard
Hasel wrote his dissertation on Remnant
and for the Remnant, other than historical Israel, events like the Fall, Flood,
Exodus, Exile, Crucifixion, 538, 1798, 1844, Latter Rain, Time of Jacob’s
Trouble, Second Coming, Millennium, Hell, heaven are all important. It is the
way prophecies were given and the way prophets wrote, including Amos. 5. Am I
unfairly prejudiced or is the author of the Sabbath School quarterly on purpose
overlooking cardinal Adventist eschatology like the Remnant (Amos 4:11
also Redak), Day of the Lord (Amos 2:16; 1:2; 5:17 wicked lament when
God passed in their midst; 5:18 day of darkness not light for the wicked;
eschatological fire at second advent Amos 7:4), Investigative Judgment,
Executive Judgment (Amos 5:6 God as consuming fire; Amos
7:4); Future Apostacy (Amos 5:3); End Time scenario (Amos
5:13 “in that time” baeth hahu); Latter Rain (Amos 7:1
latter rain Holy Spirit, Harvest or remnant increase = latter rain growth,
locust eat grass of the earth means remnant in trouble “Jacob is small”,
forgive Amos 7:2)? The locust were raised up by the Lord [but] after the
harvest of the King of Kings. It this the Latter Rain and the period after the
Latter Rain? 6. Preteristic
is probably Amos 7:7ff. until 9. 7. Historical
is 7:10-17. King personally 7:17; series of killings; divided land; die; Israel
exiled probably in 723 BCE. 8. Fig
vision of Amos 8 has the Door of Mercy closing in 8:3; Basket of late figs
(8:1); End of the remnant came (8:2); no more forgiveness (8:2). It is followed
by music that is the same as wailings and also with corpses. Death increase. 9. Before
the Time of Trouble there will be corrupt economic practices by the First World
(Amos 8:4-6). God reacts eschatological (Amos 8:7-9). Darkness predicted (Amos
8:9). Is there a prediction of Tsunamis in Amos 8:8 “it shall cast up and sink
like the river of Egypt”? See also Amos 9:5. 10. Famine
for the word of God (Amos 8:11) “behold days are coming” when? 1260 years
between 538-1798. Bible hungry. Migrations Amos 8:12. The finality of Amos 8:14
“shall fall and no longer arise” means that it is eschatological. 11. Lord
next to the altar in 31 CE Amos 9:1. Jesus blew out His breath at 3 o clock
Friday afternoon and the Father stood up and walked to the altar and the
curtain was torn. 12. Christ
went to prepare a place for His remnant (Amos 9:6). 13. There
is chronological fastforwarding and replay in Amos: Amos 9:6 talks about Jesus’
words that His father built skyscrapers in Heaven (31 CE) in John 14:1-3. Amos
9:6b is a reference back to the Flood in 2523 BCE; Amos 9:7 is a reference back
to Cain who was cursed to Cush; Amos 9:7b is a reference to the Exodus out of
Egypt; Amos 9:7c is a reference to the Philistines 1180-1094 BCE; Amos 9:7d is
a reference to Aram in 853 BCE. 14. House
of Jacob are faithful with a faith relationship (Amos 9:8) but the house of
Israel is a sinful kingdom (Amos 9:9). 15. A
prooftext for the rebuilding of the temple in Ezra 4 and 7 in 457 BCE is Amos
9:11 “I will raise up the fallen Tabernacle of David”. 16. After
the backtracking to 457 BCE there is an eschatological fastforwarding again in
Amos 9:12 “My name is called upon them” which is universalism and an Utopia. Also
the Jewish commentator Malbim sees Amos 9:13-15 as eschatological. See the
eschatological term “no longer be uprooted” [welo . . .od] in Amos 9:15.