9:1 I saw the sovereign One standing by the altar and he said, “Strike the tops of the support pillars, so the thresholds shake! Knock them down on the heads of all the people, and I will kill the survivors with the sword. No one will be able to run away; no one will be able to escape.
In this vision, Amos saw the King of Israel standing to make an offering at the calf-worship temple in Bethel. The temple collapsed and killed many of the Israelites who were at the temple to offer their sacrifices.
9:2 Even if they could dig down into the netherworld, my hand would pull them up from there. Even if they could climb up to heaven, I would drag them down from there.
Even if the elitists in Samaria could dig themselves into hell or climb up to heaven, God would chase them down and allow the Assyrians to torture and kill them.
9:3 Even if they were to hide on the top of Mount Carmel, I would hunt them down and take them from there. Even if they tried to hide from me at the bottom of the sea, from there I would command the Sea Serpent to bite them.
Even if the elitists could hide at the top of Mount Carmel, God would hunt them down and allow the Assyrians to torture and kill them. Even if the elitists could swim down to the bottom of the sea, God would command a sea serpent to bite them. The elitists of Samaria have no chance of escape against God’s wrath.
9:4 Even when their enemies drive them into captivity, from there I will command the sword to kill them. I will not let them out of my sight; they will experience disaster, not prosperity.”
Even if the elitists from Samaria are taken into captivity, God will command that they be killed. These elitists have led Israel astray and persecuted the poor, so God Himself will avenge them.
9:5 The sovereign Lord who commands armies will do this. He touches the earth and it dissolves; all who live on it mourn. The whole earth rises like the River Nile, and then grows calm like the Nile in Egypt.
Jehovah is sovereign over all of creation and history. He commands the angelic army. He will cause all of these terrible things to happen to Israel, because He is God.
9:6 He builds the upper rooms of his palace in heaven and sets its foundation supports on the earth. He summons the water of the sea and pours it out on the earth’s surface. The Lord is his name.
God created the heavens and the earth. Since He created all things, He can do what He wants.
9:7 “You Israelites are just like the Ethiopians in my sight,” says the Lord. “Certainly I brought Israel up from the land of Egypt, but I also brought the Philistines from Caphtor and the Arameans from Kir.
God is in control of all nations. He brought Israel out of Egypt. He caused the Ethiopians to migrate into their living area. He caused them to migrate from Capthor. He caused the Arameans to migrate from Kir. God caused all national migrations in history.
9:8 Look, the sovereign Lord is watching the sinful nation, and I will destroy it from the face of the earth. But I will not completely destroy the family of Jacob,” says the Lord.
Jehovah is watching Israel sin every day. God is going to eliminate the northern kingdom as a nation. However, He will not completely destroy the house of Israel, because of the Abrahamic Covenant.
9:9 “For look, I am giving a command and I will shake the family of Israel together with all the nations. It will resemble a sieve being shaken, when not even a pebble falls to the ground.
After the temple destruction of 70 A.D., God will scatter the Jews into “all” nations of the world.
9:10 All the sinners among my people will die by the sword— the ones who say, ‘Disaster will not come near, it will not confront us.’
“All of the sinners” will not die until the end of the Great Tribulation. The disaster that will come upon them is the seal, trumpet, and bowl judgments of the Great Tribulation.
9:11 “In that day I will rebuild the collapsing hut of David. I will seal its gaps, repair its ruins, and restore it to what it was like in days gone by.
Amos has been giving negative revelation for the first 8 chapters. He will end on a positive note. At the end of the Great Tribulation, the house of David will have collapsed. However, God will repair the house of David. He will restore the house of David similar to what it had been in the past.
9:12 As a result they will conquer those left in Edom and all the nations subject to my rule.” The Lord, who is about to do this, is speaking!
During the Millennial Kingdom, Israel will rule over Edom and all of the Gentile nations. Edom will become a continuous burning prison for demons.
9:13 “Be sure of this, the time is coming,” says the Lord, “when the plowman will catch up to the reaper and the one who stomps the grapes will overtake the planter. Juice will run down the slopes, it will flow down all the hillsides.
During the Millennial Kingdom, Israel will experience increased productivity.
9:14 I will bring back my people, Israel; they will rebuild the cities lying in rubble and settle down. They will plant vineyards and drink the wine they produce; they will grow orchards and eat the fruit they produce.
During the Millennial Kingdom, God will return all of the surviving Jews to Israel. The Millennial Jews will rebuild the cities, because many of them will become destroyed during the Great Tribulation. There will be increased agricultural production.
9:15 I will plant them on their land and they will never again be uprooted from the land I have given them,” says the Lord your God.
During the Millennial Kingdom, God will plant the surviving Jews into the land of Israel. They will never be uprooted, as this will be a permanent return and settlement.