Amo 9:11-12 | KingComments | STEP | Also here the expression “in that day” points forward to the future ( ). It indicates the time when the Lord Jesus will publicly appear in favor of the believing remnant in ungodly Israel to deliver them from their enemies. This remnant will be poor and miserable, but it is they who are connected to the house of David. Of the once so glorious house of David, which under Solomon knew the peak of its glory, not much is left but a “booth”, which conjures up a picture of weakness and bewilderment. This picture is reinforced by the word “fallen”. In connection with the “shoot … from the stem of Jesse” in Isaiah 11 ( ), where we find the same thought, the “fallen booth” of Amos refers to the kingdom of David, while the shoot of which Isaiah speaks, refers to the lineage of David. How much the house of David has declined is also made clear by the genealogy of the Lord Jesus in Matthew 1 ( ), as well as the circumstances under which the Entitled to the throne ( ) is born. Amos speaks here about the Messianic promise of salvation and this is there for the twelve tribes of which David was king. It is remarkable that also in a Jewish writing (‘Sanhedrin 96b’) in view of this verse of the Messiah it is said: ‘After all, the Messiah is the restorer of the fallen booth.’ The restoration for the house of David mentioned by Amos corresponds to what Paul mentions in a speech, the “SURE [blessings] OF DAVID” ( ). These blessings can be fulfilled because the Lord Jesus has risen from the dead. His resurrection is the guarantee that all the blessings promised to David will be fulfilled. He is the Son of David in Whom and to Whom God will fulfill all His promises. That fulfillment takes place in the raising up in glory and splendor of what is still here called “the fallen booth of David”. The raising up of that fallen booth of David refers to the restoration of the whole realm, in which the great tear between the two and the ten tribes will also be closed ( ). Also the many other tears, caused by internal divisions as well as external attacks, will be closed. Then the promise to David will be fulfilled ( ; ).

‏ Amos 9:11-12

Raising up the Fallen Booth

Also here the expression “in that day” points forward to the future (Amos 8:9). It indicates the time when the Lord Jesus will publicly appear in favor of the believing remnant in ungodly Israel to deliver them from their enemies. This remnant will be poor and miserable, but it is they who are connected to the house of David.

Of the once so glorious house of David, which under Solomon knew the peak of its glory, not much is left but a “booth”, which conjures up a picture of weakness and bewilderment. This picture is reinforced by the word “fallen”. In connection with the “shoot … from the stem of Jesse” in Isaiah 11 (Isa 11:1), where we find the same thought, the “fallen booth” of Amos refers to the kingdom of David, while the shoot of which Isaiah speaks, refers to the lineage of David.

How much the house of David has declined is also made clear by the genealogy of the Lord Jesus in Matthew 1 (Mt 1:1-17), as well as the circumstances under which the Entitled to the throne (Lk 1:32-33) is born. Amos speaks here about the Messianic promise of salvation and this is there for the twelve tribes of which David was king. It is remarkable that also in a Jewish writing (‘Sanhedrin 96b’) in view of this verse of the Messiah it is said: ‘After all, the Messiah is the restorer of the fallen booth.’

The restoration for the house of David mentioned by Amos corresponds to what Paul mentions in a speech, the “SURE [blessings] OF DAVID” (Acts 13:34). These blessings can be fulfilled because the Lord Jesus has risen from the dead. His resurrection is the guarantee that all the blessings promised to David will be fulfilled. He is the Son of David in Whom and to Whom God will fulfill all His promises. That fulfillment takes place in the raising up in glory and splendor of what is still here called “the fallen booth of David”.

The raising up of that fallen booth of David refers to the restoration of the whole realm, in which the great tear between the two and the ten tribes will also be closed (Eze 37:22). Also the many other tears, caused by internal divisions as well as external attacks, will be closed. Then the promise to David will be fulfilled (2Sam 7:11-12 ; 16; 1Chr 17:10-14).

The Remnant of Edom and the Nations

It seems as if there will be something left of Edom after all, but it will be of no significance and will belong entirely to Israel. What is left of Edom is his territory and that will be hereditary to Israel because God has reserved it for his people. How that will happen, Obadiah, the next prophet, tells us. In his prophecy the fate of Edom is described in detail (cf. Num 24:18).

Amos uses Edom as an example of the restoration of God’s authority. God exercises His authority through His people over all peoples who were once subject to Israel, but who had withdrawn from its authority because of the decay of the house of David.

The proclamation of the name over something or someone indicates ownership (2Sam 12:28; Isa 4:1; Jer 7:14; Deu 28:10). The whole restoration of Israel into the land of blessing and the restoration of his authority over the nations is only the result of the LORD’s actions. Although He uses His people, it is He who puts His people in that position and gives them strength to subdue past enemies. He is “the LORD who does this”.

This verse and the previous one are quoted by the apostle James in Acts 15:16-18. In that chapter the question is discussed whether believers from the Gentiles can be included in the church without becoming Jews, i.e. without being circumcised. In the fierce battle of words that ignites about this, James speaks healthy words. He shows that it has already been said in the Old Testament that the Gentiles will be blessed without joining Judaism.

To confirm that his statement is in agreement with the prophets, he quotes these verses from Amos 9 (Amos 9:11-12). He does not speak at all about the fulfillment of the prophecy. He only says that the prophets are in agreement with what Peter said earlier during the discussion on this issue. Amos makes it clear that people from the nations will bear the Name of the LORD, independent of Judaism.

What James does not say with his quotation is that with the birth of Christendom the fallen booth of David was erected. As has been shown before, the erection of the fallen booth refers to the time when the Lord Jesus will reign on earth on the throne of His father David. But just as it will be in that future time – that there will then be blessing for the Gentiles as a separate company – so does James apply the quotation from Amos to the present time. Also in this day and age happens what God will do in the future and that is blessing the Gentiles. God blesses them, not by allowing the Gentiles to join Judaism, but by forming Jew and Gentile into one body, the church.

An important difference is that the believing Gentiles in this time are blessed by Christ in heaven. This also applies to the believing Jews nowadays. Soon the nations will be blessed through the restored Jewish people, the once fallen booth.

James does not speak about the blessed position of the church. The truth of the church in which Jew and Gentile together form something totally new will be taught and explained by Paul, especially in the letter to the Ephesians. James only quotes the words of Amos because they correspond to what is happening at that moment and not to say that the prophecy of Amos is now being fulfilled.

The correspondence between what Amos says and the problem in Acts 15 is that there is blessing for the Gentiles as such. The difference is that Amos speaks prophetically about a time when there is blessing for the Gentiles in the future when they submit to Israel; he does not speak about the present time. Acts 15 is about the time of the church in which we still live today and is about the fact that blessing for the Gentiles comes through repentance to God and not through becoming a Jew. Amos speaks about the time of the realm of peace in which the whole earth will be blessed through Israel.