Amos "Lamentations on the House of Israel" This Bible Study is written by Roger Christopherson, and made available with written permission by http://www.theseason.org Amos 5:1 "Hear ye this word which I take up against you, a lamentation, O house of Israel." "Listen up now as I speak up against you." This lamentation is a song of mourning at a funeral for the "House of Israel". That's the Christian nations, including the United States, England, Canada and others. Amos 5:2 "The virgin of Israel is fallen; she shall no more rise: she is forsaken upon her land; there is none to raise her up." This is the chapter of the weeping and the crying for those who turn their backs on Our Lord. The virgin is the bride of Christ. This virgin in the spiritual sense is the church of Christ that has gone whoring after Satan in his role as Antichrist. The time that this is addressed to is the tribulation period, where Antichrist has been kicked out of heaven and reigns as the false messiah for five month here on earth. When the church is led into Antichrist's camp, that is it. God will turn them over to Satan. For we are told that only those with the truth sealed in their minds will be saved. Those are the "elect" of God. If you understand that you will not see Christ in your flesh body, then don't worship anyone appearing as, or claiming to be Christ while you're in this flesh body. It's just that simple. Forget the tricks, promises, and wondrous acts. It's a deception, for Satan will come first. Amos 5:3 "For thus saith the Lord God; The city that went out by an hundred shall leave ten, to the house of Israel." We see here that only one-tenth of those claiming Christ will know the difference between Satan (the false Christ) and Our Lord Jesus Christ. Most will have been following doctrines of rapture, love, brotherhood, prosperity, self-will worship, and you can go on and on. Satan will satisfy every one of them. For he is such a counterfeit he will look like the real thing. Do you have to worry? No. For you know Satan comes first, he looks and acts like you think Christ looks, and when he commits the abomination of claiming he is God (abomination of desolation), his five months of deception is over. The seventh trump sounds and our real, loving Lord and Savior comes. Amos 5:4 "For thus saith the Lord unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live:" Is that difficult? Seek God Almighty, not a building, not traditions, but God. How long have you gone to the church you're attending? Five years? Ten years? Twenty-five years? Jesus said if you don't know the "parable of the fig tree", you cannot understand the Word of God. Do you know the "parable of the fig tree"? Do you know who the Kenites are? What about the armor to use in the tribulation? Or even which Christ comes first? These should be the first lessons of your Bible study. How can you understand any of the Word of God if you don't understand the most basic building blocks of God's holy Word? What has your pastor been teaching? How to collect your money? Or is it music or sports? You probably know all about his family, but nothing of God's family. This isn't to put him down, only to wake you up. Get into God's Word. Amos 5:5 "But seek not Beth'-el, nor enter into Gil'-gal, and pass not O Be'-er-she'-ba: for Gil'-gal shall surely go into captivity, and Beth'-el shall come to nought." "Bethel" is the "House of God". God says, seek me, not a church building. "Gilgal" is a house that teaches nothing but doctrines of people. Where "Beersheba" was Israel's idol worship of oaths. Does your church require oaths for membership? What are you seeking? A good, stylish building? A place of doctrines (but not of God, such as rapture)? Or idolatry, where the steeple, or cross, or paintings, or any object is given a religious importance? God is saying, if you seek any of these, you're not seeking Him. To find out about God, you go to the book He wrote at the hand of His prophets. There you'll find Him. Seek Him, talk to Him and He will reveal Himself to you through His Word. Amos 5:6 "Seek the Lord, and ye shall live; lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and devour it, and there be none to quench it in beth'-el." This is what both the Book of Joel and the Book of Amos are about. They are telling you that as it happened before, it will happen again, and the same way. God is saying, as it happened to them in the Old Testament, so will it happen to our generation in the end. God has forewarned us through the prophets, and He shall do nothing unless it be written before hand. Search for God and He will give you eternal life. The warning is to watch out for those that would charge you emotionally for one hour; And yet you learn nothing. The House of Joseph is all Christian nations, and in their churches (Bethels) they play games with God's Word in their doctrines, and the desire to seek God. In the end, you're as ignorant and defenseless as when you started. Amos 5:7 "Ye who turn judgment to wormwood, and leave off righteousness in the earth," Your pastors make the Word of God bitter. What should be sweet and comforting is left with fear and confusion (Babylon). Orders given by denominationalism can, and do, wreck lives and families. The damnable lies told by pastors who do not know the truth of God's Word, turns bitter in the ears of God's children sitting under their care. God will judge those lying pastors, and hold every lie accountable. Do Christians have a chance in most churches today? Not at all. The sorry part is that in their ignorant, and they don't know it. Amos 5:8 "Seek him that maketh the seven stars and O-ri'-on, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with night: that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The Lord is his name:" The "seven stars" are called by the modern name, "The pleiades", and the bright star is "Orion" of Lepus, in the constellation Gemini, and they were made by the hand of God. Through the destruction and overthrow of that first earth age, death was reborn into a new earth age by the hand of God. He made the sun, moon, and stars, and separated day from night. He separated the waters from the dry land (earth). He created all things in His time and for His good will. The one who could do all this created you and me, and He is Our Lord, and He only deserves our praise. Revelation 4:11 "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created." Amos 5:9 "That strengtheneth the spoiled against the strong, so that the spoiled shall come against the fortress." Those ignorant of God's Word will take the wrong side at Satan's coming, and it will be instant. The warning is to be ready for it. Paul told us exactly what will happen at the end of this flesh age in I Corinthains 15:50-53 I Corinthians 15:50 "Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption." Paul is telling you to get it straight from the start, there will be no flesh and blood [corruptible] bodies in the His kingdom in the Millennium age. Not one. Where will that kingdom be? That's right, here on earth. I Corinthians 15:51 "Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed." This wasn't revealed before in the Old Testament but God revealed it to Paul. It is a mystery that Paul is telling each of us. There is a time coming when all the people on the face of the earth living in their flesh bodies, will not die, but will be changed into a different body. I Corinthians 15:52 "In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." This change will be instant, faster than you can wink your eye. Then Paul lets us know that this change will take place at the sounding of the seventh and last trump. Even the spiritually dead in Christ, will be changed from their flesh and blood body, into their spiritual body that they will have for the next thousand years. Why? Flesh and blood cannot live and exist in that Millennium age kingdom. It will be a thousand years of teaching and testing before the great white throne judgment, spoken of in Revelation 20:11-15. I Corinthians 15:53 "For this corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortal must put on immortality." This must happen for each soul to be properly taught, and tested and given the opportunity that most of them do not have in this age of flesh man. Very few men and women are being taught the Word, as Amos points out, for we are seeing a famine in the world for the truths of God's Word. We are in the last generation that Amos is writing about, and our generation will be the ones spoken of here. Amos 5:10 "The hate him that rebuketh in the gate, and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly." This is in the latter days, and it says then they will hate an honest judge (in the gate). They will hate him who speaks out the truth. We see even the church world despises one who dares to expose sodomites, for that one exposes the perversion and filth that has crept into their sleeping congregation and seduced the members into the same deception and sin that caused the flood of Noah's day, and the cities around Sodom to burn. How can God bless them? He can't. Amos 5:11 "Forasmuch therefore as your treading is upon the poor, and ye take from him burdens of wheat: ye have built houses of hewn stone, but ye shall not dwell in them; ye have planted pleasant vineyards, but ye shall not drink wine of them." God is now directing His attention to the government. They're "treading on the poor" through taxation, licensing, and other extractions from the poor. Their "burdens of wheat" are what they pay those taxes with. Money! This is talking of that time when the one world system comes into being; when vineyards are planted, and the prosperity hits allowing you to build fine homes; but you will not taste of the vine (wine) or live long in those fine homes. Why? God will not let it go one season. That's how quick it will be. Amos 5:12 "For I know your manifold transgressions and your mighty sins: they afflict the just, they take a bribe, and they turn aside the poor in the gate from their right." God is saying, I see how you take bribes in your dealings; you turn against the poor to line your pockets. Even at the gate (courts) bribes are taken to put down the poor. Your every dealing in government is settled in bribery. "From their right" is an expression, meaning "from their work". All work is made through payoffs, and God says He is angry over it. He is against the lobbying by a group to gain advantage through payoffs. Sounds like our government! Amos 5:13 "Therefore the prudent shall keep silence in that time; for it is an evil time." The wise in the ways of the Lord keep quiet, for they know this time of wickedness is very short. They know the minds of many are closed for their own good. Amos 5:14 "Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so the Lord, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as ye have spoken." There is only one God; God has three offices within His Godhead. So seek Him and you won't have time for evil. As you seek Him, He will make Himself known to you. Can you name some verses that tell us of God's love for us. Like John 3:16-18? Name them and claim them! Amos 5:15 "Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate: it may be that the Lord God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph." This is not aimed at the courts on a national scale; but to the areas where you serve. As judge or jury, when you set a standard of justice by God's Word, He will reward you for it, individually. Amos 5:16 "Therefore the Lord, the God of hosts, the Lord, saith thus; Wailing shall be in all streets; and they shall say in all the highways, Alas! alas! and they shall call the husbandman to mourning, and such as are skilful of lamentation to wailing." This time will be a time coming in all the streets and homes, and in the fields, and in the shops; for this is the day of the Lord, and they now mourn (cry) because they all see and know they have been deceived. This mourning is the meaning of lamentation. Amos 5:17 "And in all vineyards shall be wailing: for I will pass through thee, saith the Lord." Even in the vineyard the crying will be loud. They followed Satan. Amos 5:18 "Woe unto you that desire the day of the Lord! to what end is it for you? the day of the Lord is darkness, and not light." "Woe," God says. Pay attention. God says, what do you think you'll get out of "the Day of the Lord" when you brought "wormwood" (Satan) into my house? The Day of the Lord is a time of shame to all who do not know the Word and follow Him. They follow false teachers who pick and choose to suit their own pleasures, and don't study for placing God's armor on to stand in that "Day of the Lord". Amos 5:19 "As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him." The long trail to hell starts with one's ignorance to God's Word. This is called, there's no way to win when your luck runs out. You flee the lion to meet the bear, then flee the bear, only to get bit by the snake. There will be no hiding from God's wrath if you think your ignorance is running out. These are days of lamentations and of sorrow. This chapter is directed to churches of compromise, governments, of bribes and barter lobbyists, courts of corruption, and businessmen who cheat the poor. So, why is there sorrow at the "Day of the Lord"? Because He will make all things right. In verses 20 through 27, God tells of His disgust for them, their offerings and sacrifices, even their prayers. God will rain judgment upon them, and they will all be ashamed. What is the greatest disgust of all? To follow the false Christ (Antichrist). Now is the time of preparation for that day. Amos 5:21 "I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies." How many times have you heard it stated, "God doesn't hate, he is a God of love"? God is letting you know in this entire chapter what He hates, and we had better listen. God has emotions. How do you think He is feeling? Look at yourself, for you're made in His very image. Just as you have hated for immorality, rape, etc., and those feelings exist when we go whoring after other religious forms, and things God says to get out of. You can give all the offerings and prayers in your feast houses [churches], but God will not accept them when you teach the doctrines of demons. God said He doesn't want any part of your playing church. You bring His children to the House of God, then teach them false teachings. Amos 5:22 "Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them: neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts." "The burnt offerings and the meat offerings" are your tithes, your works and words that you offer to God. Do you expect God to accept and bless you when you promote a church or work that God says he hates? When that church doesn't prepare you for your fight with Antichrist, God said He will not accept them. Amos 5:23 "Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols." Your songs of flying away (rapture) are not songs of God, but of demons. They teach you to accept the first Christ (Antichrist) and they will positively prepare you for the Antichrist's sting of a scorpion (see Revelation 9) that will leave you defenseless. Revelation 9:4 "And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads." When Satan the Antichrist arrives on earth with his fallen angels, they will not damage any part of the earth and it's environment, for they are out to deceive and destroy the souls of all mankind. God is going to allow the deception to take place, and only those with the "seal of God", which is the Word of God in their minds [foreheads], will see right through the deception and lies of Satan. Revelation 9:5 "And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man." When a scorpion strikes a man, it comes through deception, and the venom and digestive juices to the scorpion leave the man completely unable to use it mental capacity for it become paralyzed. When Satan and his fallen angels are here on earth, God will allow the deception to take place to all those that have not prepared themselves, by studying to know the events of the end times already in their mind. At satan's arrival you either know the first christ is a fake, or you do not. If you are looking for a rapture, you will assume the first to be Jesus Christ, and you are taken by the false christ, Satan. All of the revivals that take place after Satan and his angels are on earth are to the false Christ. Revelation 9:6 "And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them." Many of the people that have sat in their church houses all their lives looking for the rapture will be taken instantly by this false Christ. When the see what they have done later, they will wish that they had never been born, and that they could die. However that is not possible for once they have bowed to Satan, they forfeit their rewards; they throw their crown at the feet of Satan, so to speak. These people have been listening to the "noise of the song" that Amos spoke of. Those noises are the traditions and doctrines that are not written in God's Word No, God says, "Take thou away from me the noise of the song". Songs that are not as the prophets wrote are noise, disgusting noise, to God. Amos 5:24 "But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream." When you give your offerings and offer your feast and your songs that do not the things that God says, He will be great in His judgments. God will also bless you greatly when you do it His way and teach His ways, chapter by chapter and verse by verse. "One verse teachers" just don't get it. They grab a verse, then build their own personal distortions of their sermon from their own imaginations. Study and seek understanding from the Word. Amos 5:25 "Have ye offered unto me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel?" God is playing with Israel in disgust. When Israel left Egypt, they were wealthy people. Did they offer their riches to God? No. They melted them into idols. Now, bring this to current times. God gives us riches through our jobs. How do we offer them to God? The tenth for His work? No. The idols get covered first; the payments on all those things you place before God. Amos 5:26 "But ye have borne the tabernacle of your Mo'-lock and Chi'-un your images, the star of your god, which ye made to yourselves." Do you know what "Mo'-loch" worship is? It's burning of your children for sacrifices. Today, it's telling your children they will burn in hell if they don't mind you. Teaching your children with Godless threats instead of the ways of the Lord. What about "Chi'-un your images"? These are idols of Saturn made for worship. They were used in Egypt and Syria, and were not to be mixed with any form of worship to God. It is Satan's planet. In today's world, and in these end times, "Chiun" is the making of anything that you place before God. It could be clothing, a car, a boat, or even a cross you bow to, that diverts you from going directly to Him. People can create diversions and reasons very easily to avoid studying His word and spending time with Him (God). Amos 5:27 "Therefore will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus, saith the Lord, whose name is The God of hosts." This is prophecy pertaining to the end generation. Where then is Damascus? Damascus in Hebrew means tamed heifer. What is beyond Damascus from Jerusalem? Babylon (confusion)! And that is exactly what the world will be in when Antichrist (Satan) arrives for his five month period. God is telling you to prepare yourself or you will be deceived.
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