‘The End …’ Amos 8

Introduction

How do you know when something is at the end? What does the end look like?

Books and movies used to have the words ‘The End’, that told you it was the end

2dy, ‘th end’ is someX’susd, btmorlklynt, end thbk, lv sequel option open

In rllifsitns, ‘the end’ usually marked by something major: death, judg gavel, diploma

In 8th c BC Israel the prophet Amos spoke to natn Israel abt ‘the end’ for them

~30 to 40 years B4 722BC, outwardly no indictns of ‘the end’, peace& prosperity

But inwardly deep spiritual problems

This AM look at ‘the end’ of Israel, also see that foreshadow of ‘the end’ of our age

  1. ‘The End …’ of Israel
  1. Vision of the end 1-3

The 4th vision, vision of a summer fruit basket 1. 2a

Chapter 7 first three visions

Summer fruit – ripe, overripe, beyond what it should be

The end has come upon My people Israel 2b

Hebrew pun qayits [summer fruit] andqets [end]

I will not pass by them anymore 2c

Songs of wailing in the temple … many dead bodies 3

  1. Summary of what Israel did that led to the end 4-6

Swallowed up the needy, make the poor of the land fail 4

Life revolvd around business making of a shekel, 5,6 – at expense of God

  1. Seven ‘I will’s …’ of the end 7-12
  1. I will never forget any of their works 7
  2. ‘.…’ maket eh sun go down at noon 9a
  3. ‘.…’ Darken the earth in broad daylight 9b
  4. ‘.…’ Turn your feasts into mourn ing 10a
  5. ‘.…’ bring sackcloth on every waste 10b
  6. ‘.…’ make it like mourning for an only son 10c
  7. ‘.…’ send a famine of hearing the words of the Lord 11,12
  1. At the end … 13, 14

Youths thirst 13

Those who swear by sin of Samaria shall fall 14a

They will never rise again 14b

Pretty bleak picture of ‘the end’ of Israel

  1. ‘The End …’ of This Age
  1. The end of Israel foreshadows the end of the age in which we live
  2. ‘The end’ of this age Mt 13:39, 40; 24:3, 14; 28:20; 1Co10:11, 15:24;

Hb 3:14, 6:11; 1Pt 4:7, 17; Rv 2:26, 21:6, 22:13

  1. ‘The end’ of Israel and of our age similar death and judgment

Mt 24:7,8,29, 30; Mt 25:30ff; Rv 20

Chart of major end time characteristics…

  1. Applications
  1. There is a limit to the patience of God with any nation. ‘The end’ will come. If you knew th end ws coming of this age, wld you do anything different today? Get ready?
  2. The Lord’s concerns w Israel in v4-6 are legitimate concerns for any nation. We must not see everything w a $ sign in front of it. Our attitude is vital. Our priority must be the Lord as indicated by the Sabbath, new moon festival.
  3. The Lord never forgets EXCEPT when it comes to the covered sin of believers. Jesus’ blood covers a multitude of sins. For believers it means don’t sin. For unbelievers it means you need Jesus. Q 4U, God never forgets, what about your sin?
  4. Famine of hearing the word of God. In the US today – you can hear: radio, TV, church anywhere in the country. Our problem is not availability but of doing. Mt 7, Lk 6 James 1