READING FOR DECEMBER 30, 2025: AMOS 7, REVELATION 20, PSALM 132:11-18 AMOS 7 We’ve just past Christmas, so maybe this chapter will bring back some recent memories. It’s a cross between Abraham’s repeated bargaining with God in Genesis 18:22-33 and Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol. Up until now, Amos has been a conveyer of God’s prophetic message against Israel. It isn’t a pleasant role, but doesn’t require any creative personal input other than the courage to obey tough commands.
Now we see God showing Amos a vision of the future, much the same as the “Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come” shows Ebenezer Scrooge a vision of a Christmas in the future. In this case, God shows Amos a vision of a swarm of locust wiping out Israel’s spring crop. We don’t know why God gave Amos this vision, but we see Amos pleading for pardon for Israel. God, amazingly, relents from administering this punishment. Next, God shows Amos a vision of God calling down fire to consume the land. Again, Amos asks God to not follow through, and again God grants this request. This might give us a window into how God interacts with his people. In both cases we see God giving his servant knowledge about His intentions, intentions that are truly fair because God is just. We also see that the prayers of God’s servant had a real impact in God’s subsequent actions, in these cases non-actions. God maintains total sovereignty while taking into account prayers of his servant Amos. It seems fair to ask, what might God choose to do or not do in response to our prayers on behalf of others? Might the prayers of a faithful believer in Yorktown affect the future of a loved one, a church, or even a nation? YES!
In the third vision given to Amos, God asks Amos to tell Him what he perceives. Amos saw the Lord standing by a vertical wall holding up a plumb line. Those who took industrial arts long ago may know that this is a way of judging if the wall is completely straight. In this case, God was evaluating whether Israel has really been straight or correct as measured against the perfect laws He gave them. This appears to be God’s way of explaining to Amos why some judgment against Israel is necessary. It’s not for some trivial reason. God then states He will not spare Israel any longer. Amos, having greater understanding for why God needs to act, no longer pleads for God to relent.
Amos apparently conveyed to Israel the result of this third vision: the violent death of King Jeroboam II and exile of the northern kingdom. Amaziah, the priest of the false god at Bethel, sent the King this information and asked Amos to leave to do his prophesying in Judah, as if this would make God’s judgment go away. Seeing that Amaziah and Israel had no inclination to repent, Amos gave one final prophecy about the exile. Many today respond to God’s warnings in the Bible as Amaziah did. We think if we just don’t read certain passages or if our pastor just stays positive, these biblical warnings won’t impact us. Scrooge made a big change for the better. Let’s see if Israel does, too, or continues as before.
Revelation 20: Three significant things are described in this chapter.
A Thousand Year Reign (20:1-6): Satan is bound for 1000 years during which Jesus reigns on the earth with the faithful saints who had patiently endured the tribulations described in the previous chapters of Revelation. The rest of those who have died in Christ are not resurrected in body until after these 1000 years. (20:5) Scholars have long debated the meaning and details of this millennium reign. Some suggest it is just figurative language while others insist it will be a real 1000 years. For our purpose today, we read it and thank God that he has a plan
READING FOR DECEMBER 30, 2025 CONTINUED: REVELATION 20, PSALM 132:11-18 for the future and will bring it about as he chooses.
Satan’s Doom (20:7-10): At the end of the 1000 years, Satan is released for a short time, and he quickly deceives the nations into one last battle against God. He is quickly defeated and is thrown into the lake of fire where he will be tormented forever. (20:10) Jesus made it clear that the lake of fire was created for this very purpose. “the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” (Matt. 25:41) Often we picture Satan as ruler of hell who enjoys tormenting poor souls in the heat, but that is far from the picture painted here. Satan is tormented not the tormenter.
The Dead are Judged (20:11-15): This is the final judgment, and everyone will appear before the great white throne. Paul said, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” (2 Corinthians 5:10) Note we are judged for things done not just things believed. That is why the judgement depicted in Revelation 20 says each one is judged “according to what they had done as recorded in the books.” (20:12) This tells us that our lives are being recorded, and we will be judged based on what we have said and done. Jesus said, “…men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken.” (Matt. 12:36)
But there is another book that is opened called the Book of Life. This book is about “things believed” and determines our eternal destiny. Our belief in Christ has placed our name in that book and has secured our place at the wedding banquet. In the next chapter our eternal home is described, “Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life” (Rev. 21:27). Billy Graham said, “The believer has his foundation in Jesus Christ. Now we are to build upon this foundation and the work we have done must stand the ultimate test; final exams come at the Judgment Seat of Christ when we receive our reward.” In summary: The Book of Life determines WHERE we spend eternity. Books of Records determine HOW we spend eternity.
PSALM 133:11-18 Verse 11 refers to one son on the throne, while verse 12 mentions several generations of sons to be taught by God. Even if this was not the conscious intent of the Psalmist, the singular son of verse 11 is best represented by Jesus, who self-identified as the Son of David. The latter seems to refer to the purely human line of kings descending from King David. The use of the word “Zion” also might have a duel meaning. It is described here as God’s desired dwelling place. Certainly, the immediate reference to Jerusalem is in- tended by the Psalmist, given that it was the location of God’s Temple and the ark, which was kept in the Temple’s Holy of Holies. Yet, the New Testament adds to this meaning of Zion the unending presence of Lord in Heaven: “But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem” (Heb. 12:22). Some in our congregation have been blessed to visit the earthly Jerusalem. Let’s pray that all of our families will be ready to live with God in the heavenly Jerusalem by receiving Jesus by as Savior and Lord.
