Today's Journal

ONE MORE AMOS I

I just wanted to mentioned one more thing from The Book of Amos. I have spent several days on The Fruit Basket vision from Amos 8. Chapter nine is a vision about the Altar. It is a continuation of the destruction that will come on the Israelites because they would not repent and change their ways.

The main contents in the message of Amos came true in around 720 BC when Assyria conquered and took many captives into exile. At the end of Amos, there is the promise of restoration for Israel... but with a twist:
“On that day I will raise up
The tabernacle of David, which has fallen down,
And repair its damages;
I will raise up its ruins,
And rebuild it as in the days of old;
That they may possess the remnant of Edom (mankind),
And all the Gentiles who are called by My name,”
Says the Lord who does this thing” (Amos 9:11-12).

Here's the twist and a major twist indeed: The restoration includes all of mankind and the Gentiles… not just Israel!
We know this is true from the Councill at Jerusalem in Acts 15. After much discussion on Gentiles needing to perform Jewish laws to become Christians. (For example: “And certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved” Acts 15:1) Then Peter, an apostle, stood and reminded the Council: “Men and brethren, you know that a good while ago God chose among us, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. So God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us, and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they” (Acts 15:7-11).
(continued)
“If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” Jesus