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| 1 Thus the Lord Jehovah showed me: and, behold, he formed locusts in the beginning of the shooting up of the latter growth; and, lo, it was the latter growth after the king’s mowings. |
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| 2 And it came to pass that, when they made an end of eating the grass of the land, then I said, O Lord Jehovah, forgive, I beseech thee: how shall Jacob stand? for he is small. |
Shall Jacob – Natural Israel. A300
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| 3 Jehovah repented concerning this: It shall not be, saith Jehovah. |
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| 4 Thus the Lord Jehovah showed me: and, behold, the Lord Jehovah called to contend by fire; and it devoured the great deep, and would have eaten up the land. |
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| 5 Then said I, O Lord Jehovah, cease, I beseech thee: how shall Jacob stand? for he is small. |
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| 6 Jehovah repented concerning this: This also shall not be, saith the Lord Jehovah. |
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| 7 Thus he showed me: and, behold, Jehovah stood beside a wall made by a plumbline, with a plumbline in his hand. |
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| 8 And Jehovah said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A plumbline. Then said Jehovah, Behold, I will set a plumbline in the midst of my people Israel; I will not again pass by them any more; |
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| 9 and the high places of Isaac shall be desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste; and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword. |
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| 10 Then Amaziah the priest of Beth-el sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, Amos hath conspired against thee in the midst of the house of Israel: the land is not able to bear all his words. |
Then Amaziah – Representing those who are at ease in nominal spiritual Zion. R2357:4
The priest – Prince. R3423:6
Amos' opponents were the professedly religious, and it was so also with our Lord. We must expect the same in our day. R3424:2
Amos – Representing those who are faithfully declaring the Harvest Message at the present time. R2357:4
Not able to bear – He is disturbing the peace of those who are at ease in Zion. R2357:4
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| 11 For thus Amos saith, Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel shall surely be led away captive out of his land. |
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| 12 Also Amaziah said unto Amos, O thou seer, go, flee thou away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and prophesy there: |
Flee thee away – Because the prophet had gone so far as to tell openly of the fall of the reigning dynasty. R3423:6
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| 13 but prophesy not again any more at Beth-el; for it is the king’s sanctuary, and it is a royal house. |
Prophesy not again – The announcement today to nominal spiritual Zion of the "Day of Vengeance" is as unacceptable and disbelieved as was the message of Amos. R2357:3,4
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| 14 Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet’s son; but I was a herdsman, and a dresser of sycomore-trees: |
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| 15 and Jehovah took me from following the flock, and Jehovah said unto me, Go, prophesy upon my people Israel. |
Go, prophesy – The Lord's people today, as Amos, are not to be deterred into silence from prudential reasons, but are to speak the truth in love. R2357:4
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| 16 Now therefore hear thou the word of Jehovah: Thou sayest, Prophesy not against Israel, and drop not thy word against the house of Isaac; |
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| 17 therefore thus saith Jehovah: Thy wife shall be a harlot in the city, and thy sons and thy daughters shall fall by the sword, and thy land shall be divided by line; and thou thyself shalt die in a land that is unclean, and Israel shall surely be led away captive out of his land. |
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