Amos’s Prophecies and Their Fulfillment

Amos began his prophecies with the consistent phrase “Thus says the LORD,” declaring God’s judgment upon Israel and seven of its neighboring nations for their repeated transgressions, stating, “for three transgressions and for four, I will not revoke the punishment.”

Damascus: [Amos 1:3-5] “Thus says the LORD: ‘For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they have threshed Gilead with threshing sledges of iron. So I will send a fire upon the house of Hazael, and it shall devour the strongholds of Ben-hadad. I will break the gate bar of Damascus, and cut off the inhabitant from the Valley of Aven, and him who holds the scepter from Beth-eden; and the people of Aram shall go into exile to Kir,’ says the LORD.”

 In 733-732 BC, Assyrian King Tiglath-Pileser III launched his second western campaign, capturing Damascus and exiling the Arameans to Kir (2 Kings 16:9), thus fulfilling Amos’s prophecy.

Gaza:[Amos 1:6-8] “Thus says the LORD: ‘For three transgressions of Gaza, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they carried into exile a whole captivity to deliver them up to Edom. So I will send a fire upon the wall of Gaza, and it shall devour her strongholds. I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod, and him who holds the scepter from Ashkelon; I will turn my hand against Ekron, and the remnant of the Philistines shall perish,’ says the Lord GOD.”

In 733-732 BC, Assyrian King Tiglath-Pileser III launched his second western campaign, occupying the Philistine cities along the Mediterranean coast and conquering Gaza, thus fulfilling Amos’s prophecy.

Tyre:[Amos 1:9-10] “Thus says the LORD: ‘For three transgressions of Tyre, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they delivered up a whole captivity to Edom, and did not remember the covenant of brotherhood. So I will send a fire upon the wall of Tyre, and it shall devour her strongholds.'”

 From 727-722 BC, Tyre was besieged for five years by Assyrian King Shalmaneser V (reigned 727-722 BC). Subsequently, it was successively conquered by Babylon, Persia, and the Macedonian Greek Empire, thus fulfilling Amos’s prophecy.

Edom:[Amos 1:11-12] “Thus says the LORD: ‘For three transgressions of Edom, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because he pursued his brother with the sword and cast off all pity, and his anger tore perpetually, and he kept his wrath forever. So I will send a fire upon Teman, and it shall devour the strongholds of Bozrah.'”

After Jerusalem was destroyed, Edomite cities were also destroyed by the Babylonians in the 6th century BC, thus fulfilling Amos’s prophecy.

Ammon:[Amos 1:13-15] “Thus says the LORD: ‘For three transgressions of the Ammonites, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they have ripped open pregnant women in Gilead, that they might enlarge their border. So I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah, and it shall devour her strongholds, with shouting on the day of battle, with a tempest in the day of the whirlwind; and their king shall go into exile, he and his officials together,’ says the LORD.”

In 733-732 BC, Assyrian King Tiglath-Pileser III launched his second western campaign and conquered Ammon, thus fulfilling Amos’s prophecy.

Moab:[Amos 2:1-3] “Thus says the LORD: ‘For three transgressions of Moab, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because he burned to ashes the bones of the king of Edom. So I will send a fire upon Moab, and it shall devour the strongholds of Kerioth, and Moab shall die amid uproar, amid shouting and the sound of the trumpet; I will cut off the judge from its midst, and will kill all its officials with him,’ says the LORD.”

In 733-732 BC, Assyrian King Tiglath-Pileser III launched his second western campaign and conquered Moab, thus fulfilling Amos’s prophecy.

Judah:[Amos 2:4-5] “Thus says the LORD: ‘For three transgressions of Judah, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they have rejected the law of the LORD and have not kept his statutes, but their lies have led them astray, those after which their fathers walked. So I will send a fire upon Judah, and it shall devour the strongholds of Jerusalem.'”

In 586 BC, King Nebuchadnezzar’s army destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple, thus fulfilling Amos’s prophecy.

Israel:[Amos 2:6a, 13-16] “Thus says the LORD: ‘For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment… Behold, I will press you down in your place, as a cart full of sheaves presses down. Flight shall perish from the swift; the strong shall not retain his strength, nor shall the mighty deliver himself. He who handles the bow shall not stand, nor shall he who is swift of foot escape, nor shall he who rides the horse save his life; and he who is stout of heart among the mighty shall flee away naked in that day,’ declares the LORD.”

Two years after Amos delivered his prophecy, a great earthquake struck Israel, from which no one could escape or resist. In 722 BC, the Northern Kingdom of Israel fell and was taken captive by Assyria, completely fulfilling Amos’s prophecy.