Amos 8:3

Vision of the Summer Fruit

1 Thus the Lord God showed me: Behold, a basket of summer fruit.

2 And He said, “Amos, what do you see?” So I said, “A basket of summer fruit.” Then the Lord said to me:
^a“The end has come upon My people Israel;
^bI will not pass by them anymore.

3 And ^athe songs of the temple
Shall be wailing in that day,”
Says the Lord God—
“Many dead bodies everywhere,
^bThey shall be thrown out in silence.”

4 Hear this, you who¹ swallow up the needy,
And make the poor of the land fail,

5 Saying:
“When will the New Moon be past,
That we may¹ sell grain?
And ^athe Sabbath,
That we may trade wheat?
^bMaking the ephah small and the shekel large,
Falsifying the scales by ^cdeceit,

6 That we may buy the poor for ^asilver,
And the needy for a pair of sandals—
Even sell the bad wheat?”

7 The Lord has sworn by ^athe pride of Jacob:
“Surely ^bI will never forget any of their works.

8 ^aShall the land not tremble for this,
And everyone mourn who dwells in it?
All of it shall swell like¹ the River,
Heave and subside
^bLike the River of Egypt.

Commentaries:

Forerunner Commentary
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What Does Amos 8:3 Mean?

Amos 8:3

Now that He has announced Israel's imminent calamity, God begins to show how His punishment would alter the lives of the people. “And the songs of the temple shall be wailing in that day . . .. Many dead bodies everywhere, they shall be thrown out in silence” (Amos 8:3). Notice the dramatic change of the people's attitude. The songs of His Temple would ordinarily be happy and joyous songs of praise to God, but He will turn the songs of their temple—sung to Baal in the name of the Lord—to wailing, for the numbers of the dead will be unimaginable.

Because of their self-absorption, God's “sudden” punishment will stun the people of the United States, Canada, Britain, Australia, and the other nations of modern Israel, including some members of the true church. In their spiritually unaware state, they will be incredulous at God's punishment for “such a little bit of sin.” But God has a different perspective; He says they are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked (Revelation 3:17).

Because of their self-procured wealth and affluence, they think they are being blessed with material things. They see themselves as following the way of God, but their religion has deceived them by failing to teach them His truth. They think that what they are doing is right, but they are deceived. However, God still holds them responsible because the truth is available. He views them as personally rejecting Him and His Word.

Today, some evangelicals attempt to prepare the people for what is to come, but their teaching is a mixture of right and wrong. Jesus says, “They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch” (Matthew 15:14). In their ignorance, the people do not realize the terrible calamity coming soon upon modern Israel. It will be far more terrible than anything ever seen on this earth!

John W. Ritenbaugh and Richard T. Ritenbaugh
Prepare to Meet Your God! (Part Seven): The Prophesied Blow Falls

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Vision of the Summer Fruit

What Does Amos 8:3 Mean?

A Verse and a Thought,Every Morning

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