Amos 7:8-9
(8) And the LORD said to me, "Amos, what do you see?" And I said, "A plumb line."Then the Lord said:
" Behold, I am setting a plumb line
In the midst of My people Israel;
I will not pass by them anymore”.
(9) The high places of Isaac shall be desolate,
and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste.
I will rise with the sword against the house of Jeroboam."
This is a prophesy that was given to ancient Israel, and it applies first of all to the physical people of Israel {the Israelites}. However, it contains a spiritual side that we can apply to the end time. Israel’s Religious History shows that the Law and Commandments were known, though not kept, but where despised. Israel was suffering from oppressive, impure, luxurious and idolatrous kings, and much was forced on them, much as in our present time. Israel also knew that Yahweh was the true GOD, again God’s true name {Yahweh} is being taught in our present age. Now when the Father says, "Look, this is what you have to be like. You have to be able to stand here next to this plumb line and measure yourself to the vertical to see how upright you really are." Metaphorically, when God draws near with the plumb line, He is looking for those people who are living and abiding in His grace and His law. Anyone who has used a plumb knows how hard it is to hold the line steady, The least little movement of your hand and the plumb will move, sometimes side to side or around in a circle. To hold a plumb still you must also be still. The plumb line tests whether what was erected is perpendicular to the square, that is, if it is straight up and down.
We need to brush up on our history here so we can get a better understanding of what is happening.
In 922bc, the empire of King David and King Solomon divided into two kingdoms. The northern portion retained the name Israel. The southern portion took the name of its largest tribe, Judah. After two hundred years, the ten tribes of the north {Israel} where taken into captivity by the Assyrians. These people for the most part have been forgotten [but not lost] and are no longer in the country of Israel. The southern tribe of Judah on the other hand was taken over by the armies of Nebuchadnezzar and was taken into Babylonian captivity in 586bc. To help us identify Kings from each kingdom, when the king is a king of Judah, he is compared to “David his father”, or the faithful king. When a king of Israel is talked of he is censured for the fact that “he did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh, and walked in the way of king Jeroboam, which he made Israel to be in sin.
In this we can get somewhat of a better understanding of the prophesy. Yahweh had promised Abraham that his children would inherit the land of Canaan. Instead Abraham’s descendants had been driven from the land by pagan invaders. Why? Yahweh would have supported his people forever if they had not persistently forsaken the covenant. Because of their repeated sins of idolatrous, oppressive, impure behavior both by the people in general as well as the kings over them, it was necessary to punish them. Compare this with today’s people. Churches don’t teach the Bible. They are more of a social club, a who’s who of church members. Those who make gain their godliness, and are governed by the hopes of wealth and preferment, are ready to think these the most powerful motives with others also.
Isaac’s centers of worship will become desolate; Israel’s holy places will be in ruins. Church membership is down all across the country, and many a church structure stands empty or has been torn down. Many have been remodeled and used for other purposes.
He also says, "I will not pass by them anymore." This means that judgment is coming, and however this judgment falls, that is it! The first six verses of chapter 7 record two other visions. In those visions, the prophet had said, "Please God, Israel is such a small people. Will you please pass us by this time?" He means, "Will you please have mercy and not punish us?" and both times Yah replied, "Okay, Amos. Because you have asked Me for this, I will pass by." Now, in this vision of the plumb line, He says, "This time I am going to exact My judgment. I will pass sentence and execute the penalty."
What does He pass sentence on? The "high places of Isaac" Isaac here is used as a synonym for Israel, indicates the pagan religious shrines of your ancestor’s idolatry {unjust government, banking {money changers}, abortion {human sacrifice, false or pagan holidays [Christmas, Halloween, Easter, Valentine’s day, etc.]}, as do the "sanctuaries of Israel." In the Hebrew here "Isaac" is written Yitschaq instead of Yischaq; both forms mean "laughter"; the change of spelling perhaps expresses that their "high places of Isaac" may be well so called, but not as they meant by the name; for they are only fit to be laughed at in scorn. Probably, however, the mention of "Isaac" and "Israel" simply expresses that these names, which their degenerate posterity boasted in as if ensuring their safety, will not save them and their idolatrous "sanctuaries" on which they depended from ruin. He says He will "rise with the sword against the house of Jeroboam," meaning that He will wreak a great deal of vengeance upon the leadership of the nation for leading the people away from God and into disaster as they have.
This is very serious. At the time of the end, when Yahweh appears with the plumb line, the end is at hand. His judgment will come soon. He is about to react violently, exacting the sentence that He thinks is fair and necessary.
(8) And the LORD said to me, "Amos, what do you see?" And I said, "A plumb line."Then the Lord said:
" Behold, I am setting a plumb line
In the midst of My people Israel;
I will not pass by them anymore”.
(9) The high places of Isaac shall be desolate,
and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste.
I will rise with the sword against the house of Jeroboam."
This is a prophesy that was given to ancient Israel, and it applies first of all to the physical people of Israel {the Israelites}. However, it contains a spiritual side that we can apply to the end time. Israel’s Religious History shows that the Law and Commandments were known, though not kept, but where despised. Israel was suffering from oppressive, impure, luxurious and idolatrous kings, and much was forced on them, much as in our present time. Israel also knew that Yahweh was the true GOD, again God’s true name {Yahweh} is being taught in our present age. Now when the Father says, "Look, this is what you have to be like. You have to be able to stand here next to this plumb line and measure yourself to the vertical to see how upright you really are." Metaphorically, when God draws near with the plumb line, He is looking for those people who are living and abiding in His grace and His law. Anyone who has used a plumb knows how hard it is to hold the line steady, The least little movement of your hand and the plumb will move, sometimes side to side or around in a circle. To hold a plumb still you must also be still. The plumb line tests whether what was erected is perpendicular to the square, that is, if it is straight up and down.
We need to brush up on our history here so we can get a better understanding of what is happening.
In 922bc, the empire of King David and King Solomon divided into two kingdoms. The northern portion retained the name Israel. The southern portion took the name of its largest tribe, Judah. After two hundred years, the ten tribes of the north {Israel} where taken into captivity by the Assyrians. These people for the most part have been forgotten [but not lost] and are no longer in the country of Israel. The southern tribe of Judah on the other hand was taken over by the armies of Nebuchadnezzar and was taken into Babylonian captivity in 586bc. To help us identify Kings from each kingdom, when the king is a king of Judah, he is compared to “David his father”, or the faithful king. When a king of Israel is talked of he is censured for the fact that “he did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh, and walked in the way of king Jeroboam, which he made Israel to be in sin.
In this we can get somewhat of a better understanding of the prophesy. Yahweh had promised Abraham that his children would inherit the land of Canaan. Instead Abraham’s descendants had been driven from the land by pagan invaders. Why? Yahweh would have supported his people forever if they had not persistently forsaken the covenant. Because of their repeated sins of idolatrous, oppressive, impure behavior both by the people in general as well as the kings over them, it was necessary to punish them. Compare this with today’s people. Churches don’t teach the Bible. They are more of a social club, a who’s who of church members. Those who make gain their godliness, and are governed by the hopes of wealth and preferment, are ready to think these the most powerful motives with others also.
Isaac’s centers of worship will become desolate; Israel’s holy places will be in ruins. Church membership is down all across the country, and many a church structure stands empty or has been torn down. Many have been remodeled and used for other purposes.
He also says, "I will not pass by them anymore." This means that judgment is coming, and however this judgment falls, that is it! The first six verses of chapter 7 record two other visions. In those visions, the prophet had said, "Please God, Israel is such a small people. Will you please pass us by this time?" He means, "Will you please have mercy and not punish us?" and both times Yah replied, "Okay, Amos. Because you have asked Me for this, I will pass by." Now, in this vision of the plumb line, He says, "This time I am going to exact My judgment. I will pass sentence and execute the penalty."
What does He pass sentence on? The "high places of Isaac" Isaac here is used as a synonym for Israel, indicates the pagan religious shrines of your ancestor’s idolatry {unjust government, banking {money changers}, abortion {human sacrifice, false or pagan holidays [Christmas, Halloween, Easter, Valentine’s day, etc.]}, as do the "sanctuaries of Israel." In the Hebrew here "Isaac" is written Yitschaq instead of Yischaq; both forms mean "laughter"; the change of spelling perhaps expresses that their "high places of Isaac" may be well so called, but not as they meant by the name; for they are only fit to be laughed at in scorn. Probably, however, the mention of "Isaac" and "Israel" simply expresses that these names, which their degenerate posterity boasted in as if ensuring their safety, will not save them and their idolatrous "sanctuaries" on which they depended from ruin. He says He will "rise with the sword against the house of Jeroboam," meaning that He will wreak a great deal of vengeance upon the leadership of the nation for leading the people away from God and into disaster as they have.
This is very serious. At the time of the end, when Yahweh appears with the plumb line, the end is at hand. His judgment will come soon. He is about to react violently, exacting the sentence that He thinks is fair and necessary.
