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.