The Book of Amos is deeply woven into the fabric of Scripture. Amos draws on Israel's foundational stories—Exodus, Sinai, the covenant traditions—to indict his audience. His words, in turn, echo forward into the New Testament, where early Christians found in Amos's vision of restored David and included nations a prophetic blueprint for the church.
Tracing these connections reveals how Amos stands at a crucial point in the biblical storyline, looking backward to Israel's origins and forward to God's ultimate purposes.
Amos's most devastating rhetorical move is invoking the Exodus. Israel's founding story of liberation from slavery becomes their indictment—they have become the oppressors they were rescued from.
Amos employs the prophetic covenant lawsuit—a legal proceeding where God prosecutes His people for covenant violation. This form draws on Deuteronomy's covenant structure.
Amos 3:2 invokes the language of divine election—but inverts Israel's assumptions about what election means.
Amos opens with God "roaring from Zion" (1:2). In 1 Kings 13, a lion kills the disobedient prophet who visited Bethel—the very sanctuary Amos condemns.
The lion imagery connects judgment on false worship at Bethel across both texts.
Amos 1:2 1 Kings 13:24Jeroboam I established golden calves at Bethel and Dan to prevent Israel from returning to Jerusalem. Amos prophesies against "the house of Jeroboam" (7:9)—Jeroboam II perpetuates the same idolatry.
The original sin continues; so does the judgment.
1 Kings 12:28-33 Amos 7:9-11"You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great" (Lev 19:15). Amos accuses Israel of violating this command—"they turn aside the needy in the gate" (5:12).
Leviticus 19:15 Amos 5:10-12God promised David an eternal dynasty (2 Sam 7:12-16). Amos 9:11 promises to restore "the booth of David that is fallen"—the humble remnant of that once-great house will be raised again.
2 Samuel 7:12-16 Amos 9:11When Nebuchadnezzar exalts himself, God humbles him by making him live like an animal—eating grass like cattle, with hair like eagles' feathers and nails like bird claws. This isn't random punishment; it's revelation.
Nebuchadnezzar thought he was the ultimate ruler. God shows him what he really became: a beast. The phrase "he ate the grass of the field" echoes Genesis 3:18—the diet assigned to Adam after the fall. Amos's indictment of Israel's leaders operates on the same logic: those who think they're ruling are actually acting like predatory animals.
Genesis 3:18 Daniel 4:32-33 Amos 4:1Genesis 10 introduces Nimrod, grandson of Ham, as "a mighty warrior" and "a mighty hunter"—the first beast-slayer and man-slayer in Scripture. Significantly, he founded Babylon and Assyria.
When Amos announces judgment on the nations and threatens Israel with exile "beyond Damascus" (5:27), he's pointing toward these very empires. The beast-kingdoms aren't just political enemies—they're the fruit of a spiritual trajectory that began with humans acting like animals.
Genesis 10:8-12 Amos 5:27 Amos 6:14At the pivotal Jerusalem Council, James quotes Amos 9:11-12 to argue that Gentiles should be included in God's people without becoming Jews first. This is one of the most significant uses of Old Testament prophecy in the New Testament.
In his defense before the Sanhedrin, Stephen quotes Amos 5:25-27 to show that Israel's history of idolatry goes back to the wilderness period—and that exile was God's response.
Jesus echoes Amos's priorities: "Woe to you... you have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness."
Like Amos, Jesus confronts religious leaders who maintain ritual while neglecting justice.
Amos 5:21-24 Matthew 23:23Jesus announces his mission in terms that align with Amos's concerns: "good news to the poor... liberty to the captives... to set at liberty those who are oppressed."
The justice Amos demanded, Jesus enacts.
Amos 2:6-7 Luke 4:18-19Amos 8:9 describes the Day of the LORD: "I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight." Similar cosmic upheaval appears in Revelation's judgment scenes.
Amos 8:9 Revelation 6:12James's warning to wealthy oppressors echoes Amos's "cows of Bashan" oracle: "You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter."
Amos 4:1; 6:1-7 James 5:1-6God promises David an eternal dynasty: "Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever" (7:16).
After Solomon, the kingdom splits. The Northern Kingdom (Israel) breaks from David's line entirely. David's "house" begins to fall.
Amos announces judgment on Israel but concludes with hope: "I will raise up the booth of David that is fallen" (9:11). The humble word "booth" (sukkah) acknowledges how low David's house has fallen—yet God will raise even this.
Assyria conquers Samaria. The Northern Kingdom ceases to exist. Amos's judgment prophecy is fulfilled.
Babylon destroys Jerusalem and the temple. David's dynasty appears completely ended. The "booth" has collapsed.
"The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David" (Matt 1:1). In Jesus, David's line continues—the fallen booth begins to rise.
Jesus is raised; the Spirit is poured out on "all flesh" (Acts 2:17). The restoration has begun. Nations begin streaming in.
James quotes Amos 9:11-12 to explain Gentile inclusion: this is what Amos prophesied. The booth of David is being rebuilt—and all nations are being gathered in.
Amos's oracles against the nations (chapters 1-2) and Daniel's vision of beast-kingdoms (chapter 7) share the same theological DNA. Both depict human empires that have forfeited their humanity through violence.