Amazed, astonished (Greek)

There are three very expressive Greek words which are very difficult to differentiate.

Ekplesso seems to carry the idea of bewilderment (“foolish”: Ecc 7:17).

Existemi suggests wits paralyzed. It is the word used by the family of Jesus to describe his eccentric behavior: “he is beside himself” (Mar 3:21).

Ekstasis (related to the preceding) is a trance (Acts 10:10; 11:5; 22:17). Thus it pictures those who are “pop-eyed” with astonishment.

All of these are used with ref to the amazement provoked by Jesus. It is, of course, to be expected that people’s surprise at witnessing his miracles should call for vigorous dramatic description. But it is itself surprising that the teaching of Jesus should have created as big a sensation as his wonderful works.

His parents were amazed to find their twelve-year-old boy talking without embarrassment with learned doctors of the law (Luk 2:48). The multitude who heard the Sermon on the Mount, the crowd in the synagogue at Capernaum, and his townsfolk in the synagogue at Nazareth (Mar 1:22; 6:2), the Passover pilgrims hearing his disputation with scribes and Pharisees (Mat 22:33) — all of these listened and stared with astonishment. There is one special example of shock to the Twelve by what the Lord taught — “how hardly shall they that have riches enter the kingdom of heaven… easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle” (Luk 18:24,25).

When it is considered how sensational so many of the Lord’s miracles were, one is left wondering why the astonishment of the beholders is mentioned in certain particular instances: the healing of the demoniac in the synagogue at Capernaum (Mar 1:27: these people at Capernaum were always being surprised, but not converted); the palsied man let down through the roof (Luk 5:26: the same synagogue); the raising of Jairus’ daughter (Mar 5:42: Capernaum again); the blind and dumb man (Mat 12:22: Capernaum!). The fisher apostles were just as flabbergasted by the miraculous draught of fishes (Luk 5:9: at Bethsaida-Capernaum), as they were later at their Lord’s walking on the water and stilling the storm (Mar 6:51). Two other miracles creating outstanding bewilderment were the healing of the epileptic boy (Luk 9:43) and that of the deaf and dumb man (Mar 7:37). Last of all there was the final cleansing of the temple — or was it the Lord’s unabashed proclamation of a temple thrown open to all nations (Mar 11:18)?

The resurrection of Jesus was the supreme occasion for astonishment, yet this is mentioned only twice. The women encountering the angels “trembled and were amazed” (Mar 16:8). And the two on the way to Emmaus told how infectious this amazement was: “Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre….” (Luk 24:22).

Another group of correlated words still has to be considered: thambos, thambeomai, ekthambeomai. The last of these, more emphatic than the others, very often implies fear — the women at sight of angels at the tomb (Mar 16:5,6), and, probably, the people beholding the glory in the face of Jesus (Mar 9:15); cp also Dan 7:7, LXX. Then what of Mar 14:33: Jesus “sore amazed” in Gethsemane? This cannot be fear. The use of ekthambos to describe the amazement of the crowd seeing the lame man leaping and cavorting in the temple court (Acts 3:11) shows that fright is not a necessary ingredient of this word. But what was it which made Jesus “sore amazed”? This is one of the lesser unexplained mysteries of the gospels. Thambos and its verb are always associated with fear in LXX, and also, certainly, in the account of Saul’s conversion: “he trembling and astonished” (Acts 9:6), but there is nothing of this in any of the other examples. Indeed in several instances the synoptists take their choice between these and the words considered earlier.

Amos, overview

The Man: Amos was a native of the little village of Tekoa, a few miles south of Bethlehem in Judah. He is described as a herdsman (Amos 1:1; 7:14: in two different words which probably mean, respectively, a keeper of sheep and a keeper of oxen), as well as a gatherer of sycamore fruit (Amos 7:14: probably figs); this sounds very much like a lowly farm worker. Many of the metaphors used by Amos in his prophecy reflect this humble background, and the natural surroundings which apparently had a profound effect on him (Amos 1:2; 2:9; 3:4-5; 5:19,20,24; 6:12; 7:1-6; 8:1; 9:3-15). [It is possible that, instead of a humble herdsman, Amos was a cattle-driver or “trader” of livestock, an occupation which might explain his traveling between Judah in the south and Israel in the north.]

The Times: The historical period covered by the reigns of Uzziah of Judah and Jeroboam II of Israel is very significant. Jeroboam II (who reigned c 783-743 BC) led a great revival of Israel’s political power, casting off the Syrian yoke from Israel and extending her borders even beyond those achieved by Solomon (2Ki 14:25,28). Simultaneously in the south Judah was “benefiting” from a similar political revival. Uzziah conquered the Philistines and the Arabians, took tribute from Ammon, fortified Jerusalem, and built walled cities for defense of his borders (2Ch 26:6-15). Of course, political developments in a wider field, under the hand of God, were the real explanation. The period 800 to 750 BC was marked by Assyrian involvements to its north and internal struggles in Egypt. This left Israel and Judah with more or less free hands to become, for a short while at least, dominant powers in the land of Canaan. The effects of these “successes” were disastrous in both civil and religious life. Owing to increased control of important trade routes, wealthy classes emerged in the people of Israel. The poor were increasingly oppressed, and the rich lived lives of immoral self-indulgence. Civil justice was corrupted; the spirit of the Law of Moses was abandoned, even while nominal worship of Jehovah flourished. Their God was with them! or so it seemed: had He not given them wonderful prosperity? But it was all a delusion. The “sepulchre” was whitewashed on the outside, but inside were “dead men’s bones”: greed, dishonesty, licentiousness.

Outline

1.	Judgments against the nations: Amos 1:1-2:16
	a)	Introduction: Amos 1:1-2
	b)	Judgment of neighboring nations: Amos 1:3 – 2:3
	c)	Judgment of Judah and Israel: Amos 2:4-16

2.	Three oracles of judgment against Israel: Amos 3:1 – 5:17
	a)	A declaration of judgment: Amos 3:1-15
	b)	The depravity of Israel: Amos 4:1-13
	c)	A lamentation for Israel’s sin and doom: Amos 5:1-17

3.	Two oracles of woe against Israel: Amos 5:18 – 6:14
	a)	Woe against Israel’s perverted religion: Amos 5:18-27
	b)	Woe against Israel’s complacent pride: Amos 6:1-14

4.	Five visions of judgement against Israel: Amos 7:1 – 9:10
	a)	The devouring locusts: Amos 7:1-3
	b)	The flaming fire: Amos 7:4-6
	c)	The plumb line: Amos 7:7-17
	d)	The basket of ripe fruit: Amos 8:1-14
	e)	The judgment of the Lord: Amos 9:1-10

5.	The promise of Israel’s restoration: Amos 9:11-15

“For Three Sins, and for Four”: The most distinctive feature of Amos’ prophecy is the eight-fold repetition of: “This is what the LORD says: ‘For three sins of ______ , even for four, I will not turn back my wrath.’ ” (“Three… and four” does not necessarily mean “seven”! In Hebrew, a three-fold repetition suggests finality: ie “I will overturn, overturn, overturn…” in Eze 21:27. So “three sins” would be the fullness of transgression, and “four sins” would be a wretched excess — implying the God had waited far too long to exercise His wrath!) This formula introduces divine statements of judgment about Israel (the northern kingdom) in Amos 2:6-8, and Judah (the southern kingdom) in Amos 2:4,5, as well as six Gentile nations surrounding God’s people:

Damascus, or Syria (Amos 1:3-5);
Gaza, or Philistia (Amos 1:6-8);
Tyre, in Lebanon (Amos 1:9,10);
Edom (Amos 1:11,12);
Ammon (Amos 1:13-15); and
Moab (Amos 2:1-3).

Why these nations? Because, during the general period of Israel’s (and Judah’s) expansion and prosperity, the Jews had allowed themselves to become very much like the idolatrous, immoral nations around them (Amos 3:14-4:2; 6:1-6; 8:11-13). And so the time of God’s judgments upon the Gentile nations would also see severe chastening of Israel and Judah. But there would be this difference: God’s people, or rather a remnant of God’s people, would survive the severe judgments and emerge stronger, their faith having been tested so that they learn once again to trust in the Lord their God (Amos 3:1,2; 9:9).

Coming Judgments: The judgments Amos had in mind were probably those to be brought upon Israel and Judah by the Assyrians, and then the Babylonians. These soon-to-be-powerful nations are not mentioned by Amos at all, but their approaching shadow looms over his message. When they finally came, then the smaller nations, whom Israel had thought they need not fear, rose up against Israel — Syria, Philistia, Edom, Moab, and Ammon joining themselves with first the Assyrian and later the Babylonian against their ancient enemy Israel. The result of God’s judgments was the carrying away into captivity (Amos 5:18-20,27).

The Return: But the promise of Amos was that, after the captivity had run its course, the tested and chastened remnant of Abraham’s seed would be brought back to the Land. The almost unrelieved burden of Amos’ earlier message gives way, in his very last utterance, to a message of hope and renewal (Amos 9:11-15).

Multiple Fulfillments

Israel’s return from captivity in the days of Ezra and Zerubbabel, Haggai and Zechariah, was a near-term fulfillment of this prophecy.
Amos 9:11,12 is quoted by James in Acts 15:16-18 to support the argument that God intended to include Gentiles among His people. So there was a first-century fulfillment of Amos’ prophecy.
The chastening judgments of God, followed by the restoration of a humbled people, provide us a pattern by which we might discern developing events in our own day. How might this be? This outline is suggested:

Israel prospering in their own land in the Last Days,
but surrounded by Arab nations,
and practically indistinguishable from them in character and conduct,
is subjected to attack by Assyria/Babylon….
…and also by Edom, Moab, Ammon, Syria, and the Philistines,
loses all it has worked for and accumulated,
and is carried away in another captivity,
out of which a remnant turns to God and is saved (by calling upon the Messiah!),
so that God will bring them back once again to their own Land,
this time in righteousness as well as prosperity!

And so, in the near future, for the first time, will Amos’ very last words be truly and completely fulfilled: ” ‘I will plant Israel in their own land, NEVER AGAIN TO BE UPROOTED FROM THE LAND I HAVE GIVEN THEM,’ says the LORD your God” (Amos 9:15).

AN, Conditional deferment

“In harmony with this [ie, the conditional deferment of the return of Christ] is the significant occurrence of the Greek particle ‘AN’ (Greek ‘alpha nu’) in practically every NT passage which speaks of the time of the Lord’s return. This small and practically untranslatable particle always imports an element of contingency or doubt into any statement where it is included, ‘giving to a proposition or sentence a stamp of uncertainty, and mere possibility, and indicating a dependence on circumstances’ (Edward Robinson — Lexicon).

“For instance, all the Synoptists include it in connection with the statement, ‘There be some of them which stand here which shall not taste of death till (‘AN’, it may be) they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.’ [Mat 16:28; Mark 9:1; Luke 9:27; John 8:52] So also every NT quotation of Psa 110:1 ‘until (‘AN’, ever) I make thy foes thy footstool’. [Mat 22:44; Mark 12:36; Acts 2:35; 1Co 15:25; Heb 1:13; 10:13] Specially forceful is the following: ‘Ye shall not see my henceforth, till (‘AN’, the time whenever that may be) ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord’ (Mat 23:39).

“Other passages which by the use of the same word suggest that the time of the Lord’s return would be dependent upon some unspecified contingency are: Mat 10:23; 12:20; Luke 19:23; 1Co 4:5; 11:26; Jam 5:7; Rev 2:25” (WRev 269).

Along these same lines, BDAG has: “AN [alpha nu] is a particle peculiar to Greek… denoting an ASPECT OF CONTINGENCY, incapable of translation by a single English word; it denotes that the action of the verb is dependent on some circumstance or condition; the effect of AN upon the meaning of its clause depends on the mood and tense/aspect of the verb with which it is used.”

Andrewism

ADAMIC CONDEMNATION AND THE LORD’S INVOLVEMENT IN HIS OWN SACRIFICE

The following outlines the beliefs of JJ Andrew concerning the state of man after the fall, our Lord’s involvement in his own sacrifice and being in Adam and in Christ. Quotations are from “The Blood of the Covenant”.

I.	Adamic Condemnation — two aspects of Sin.
	(a)	Physical — transferred to all Adam’s descendants because they were in his loins when he was condemned. JJA says that we are not guilty of this offense, but we must be justified from it. “Just as Adam’s descendants were in his loins when he partook of the tree, so they were in his loins when he was judged and condemned… The descendants of Adam were condemned before they were born… Owing to this fact, all men are liable as soon as they are born to be cut off by death” (BOC 5). JJA said that the apostle Paul calls this condemnation (that all men are born under) “the Law of Sin and Death”. Adam, because of his sin, had incurred a violent death. Since all his descendants sinned in him, they deserve, whether actual transgressors or not, a violent death in execution of the “Edenic Law” (BOC 24). “All under it are, by birth, ‘children of wrath’ and as long as they continue under it they are ‘dead in trespasses and sins’; everything that they do is the offspring of sin, and is itself sin, for ‘the plowing of the wicked is sin’ (Pro 21:4); God is angry with them ‘every day’ (Psa 7:11) ; and if they died under the Law of Sin and Death, they die under the wrath of God from which there is no escape” (BOC 29). Sacrifice (shedding of blood) is necessary to take away sin in its physical and moral aspect. If this sin is not removed then the gates of the grave are closed. (This is the key step in reaching the point that only the baptized will be raised.) “Sacrifice is as essential to take away sin in its physical, as in its moral aspect; a violent death is the punishment due to the one as well as to the other; physical sin is as powerful to keep closed the gates of the grave as is actual transgression” (BOC 7).
	(b)	Moral sin — acts of transgression which deserve punishment. These acts incur the same wrath and punishment from the Father as the physical sin that we are born with. See quote above.
II.	How did this affect Christ and his involvement in his own sacrifice?
	(a)	Because Christ was a descendant of Adam he was born with the same physical sin (sin-in-the-flesh) that all Adam’s descendants are born with. Christ therefore suffered the same consequences. See the quote above from BOC 29. He possessed sin physically but not morally. His death was required to take away / cover this physical sin that he was born with.
	(b)	Christ’s death justified him from this condemnation. Had he not shed his blood, the Law of Sin and Death would have kept him in the grave. “Christ was, by his shed blood, justified from the condemnation under which he was born, therefore those who are sprinkled with his blood at baptism are then justified from the same condemnation. That is, the divine disfavor under which they were born and which continued until the time entering water is then taken away” (BOC 27). “It was not possible, according to the ‘Law of Sin and Death’, for Christ to be freed from Adamic Condemnation without the shedding of his blood, and after this event ‘it was not possible’ according to the ‘law of the spirit of life’ for the grave to retain him… when he came out of the grave he was ‘justified from sin’, though still flesh and blood, and he was immortalized as a result of that justification” (BOC 26).
	(c)	The sacrifice of Christ was the payment of a penalty. This penalty was the violent death that Adam deserved but did not pay. “Adam was threatened with death on the day that he sinned, but God by an exercise of mercy, provided an animal on which was inflicted the literal death incurred by Adam. But to be of any service in the ablution of death, it had to be substituted by a sacrifice of a higher order” (BOC 7). “If Adam had obeyed he would have fulfilled the righteousness of God, and would have experienced the blessing implied in the Law by not dying. But having disobeyed the penalty of the Law must be inflicted. If it had been carried out on Adam there would have been no human race, and as a consequence no sinners to save. But God in his mercy provided a descendant of Adam on whom to execute the penalty” (BOC 24). That violent death was inflicted on Christ, and was the result of the Father’s anger. “As all his descendants ‘sinned’ in him (Rom 5:12), they deserve, whether they be actual transgressors or not, a violent death in execution of the Edenic Law” (BOC 24). “(Christ), though free from personal transgression, submitted to that which was the inevitable result of his Father’s anger against sin, physically and morally, thereby exhibiting the perfection of righteousness. After passing through the ordeal he was able to say from experience, ‘the Lord’s anger endureth but a moment: in his favor is life; weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning’ (Psa 30:5)” (BOC 25).
III.	In Adam/ In Christ
		JJA believed that one came out of Adam and into Christ at baptism. He saw the terms as identifying a change in legal relationship (not necessarily in moral relationship). He saw this legal change as having the power to bring one out of the grave for judgment. “When does this take place? At Baptism. In what sense do believers pass out of Adam? In the same sense that they pass into Christ. Is it accompanied by a physical change? No; the change is one of relationship. What is the immediate effect of this? They are imputed with the righteousness of Christ rather than the disobedience of Adam. What is the effect in relation to the future? That death as a result of Adam’s disobedience cannot prevail over them. When, therefore, the relationship of any toward that offense is altered their relationship toward its consequence is altered. In what way? By keeping them from entering the grave? Not necessarily; but, should they enter, by bringing them out” (BOC 30,31). ” ‘In Adam all die.’ Who are they? Those who have not been transferred out of Adam and into Christ. ‘In Christ shall all be made alive.’ This is a totally different class. Although they die due to Adam’s sin they do not die in Adam. Having been washed and justified they die in Christ, and while in the grave they are ‘dead in Christ’ and because Christ rose, they will rise. He rose through the ‘blood of the covenant’ and they will rise through the same” (BOC 32). “The Ecclesia, or called out assembly, is composed not only of the few chosen but of the many called. Against none of these will the ‘gates of Hades prevail’; for Christ will use the ‘keys of Hades’ to release them from the grave, because as the church of God he hath purchased them with his own blood. But, against those who, since the establishment of his ‘church’, have not entered therein, ‘the gates of Hades’ will prevail” (BOC 31).

Summary

All men are born deserving a violent death because of Physical Sin (sin-in-the-flesh) inherited from Adam.
Not only do they deserve death, but God is literally angry with them. Everything that they do is sin.
This Physical Sin is as powerful to keep the gates of the grave closed as moral sin.
Because Christ was born with physical sin he was alienated in like manner from his Father. Christ’s death provided a justification from the sin he inherited from Adam.
A violent death was the penalty incurred by Adam for disobedience. That penalty could not be carried out or the human race would have ceased to exist. Therefore God slew animals instead, and Adam and Eve lived. The animal sacrifice had to be supplemented by one of a higher order. This was accomplished in the sacrifice of Christ, who paid the penalty Adam rightfully should have paid.
In Adam and In Christ describes a legal relationship that changes at Baptism (one passes out of Adam and into Christ). When one comes into Christ the consequence of Adam’s sin is changed, so that if they die they will be brought out of the grave.

(Adapted from Gary Burns)

Angels

“Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?” (Heb 1:14).

From Genesis to Revelation, the Scriptures are full of the work of the angels. The first and last books of the Bible, in particular, show us angels dealing with individuals and nations; but they are featured throughout the whole of Scripture because this is the way God has chosen to work with His creation and to fulfil His purpose. This world is under the direction of the angels, who now receive their authority and power from Christ; and this will remain so until the Kingdom is established, when Christ and the saints will rule.

The work of the angels can be divided into three sections:

Representing God (Exo 3:1-6);
Directing the nations (Dan 4:35); and
Ministering to the saints (Heb 1:14).

These have been their responsibilities since the Garden of Eden.

The Hebrew word (“malak”) and the Greek word (“aggelos”) for ‘angel’ both mean ‘messenger’, ‘one sent’, and relate to the function and not the nature of the one involved. The context and event will identify whether Scripture is describing a messenger who is a Divine being or a human being. For example, Mal 2:7; 3:1 and Jam 2:25 clearly use these words of human beings, and Jdg 13:20 and Act 12:7 clearly use them of Divine beings. Hence in the first case the translation ‘messenger’ is used, and in the second, ‘angel’.

Angels that excel in strength

These Divine beings that come from the presence of God and Christ have been involved with this earth since they created it on the instructions of God. They are immortal, not influenced by evil, and carry out the commands of God and Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit which has been given to them. They have the ability to appear and disappear at will, and can manifest themselves as human beings or glorious beings, as a burning bush or a hand that writes on a wall, or a pillar of cloud or fire. The Scripture shows us that they have names, for angels called Gabriel and Michael are mentioned, and that they have different ranks, for some are called archangels (Dan 10:13,21; 12:1; 1Th 4:16; Jud 1:9; Exo 3:2; Jdg 13).

Representing God

In the Old Testament there is the Name-bearing angel that represents God. On occasions the angel is referred to as LORD (Yahweh), on other occasions as God. The word ‘God’ is often used of the angels; the plural Hebrew word “elohim” means ‘mighty ones’. It was the angels (‘God’; elohim) that said: “Let us make man in our image” (Gen 1:26). It was an angel that spoke to Moses at the burning bush and said: “I am the God of thy father…”; and in the same passage we read: “And when the LORD [Yahweh] saw that he [Moses] turned aside…”, which teaches us that God was being represented by this angel. Jesus has now become the one who represents his Father, and the angels go forth under his command and in his power (Exo 3:1-6; 23:20-23; Heb 1:1-5; 1Pe 3:22; Rev 1:1).

Directing the affairs of the nations

It is very clear from Scripture that the angels had a direct influence on the events concerning the nation of Israel, and in so doing affected lives and events in many other nations. This was done by both direct and indirect action, such as slaying an army as it slept in tents around Jerusalem, or changing weather patterns to bring about droughts, famines or floods. Rulers and governments are removed or installed, or influenced to react in certain ways, to the end that ultimately God’s will is fulfilled. This has been the case since the beginning of time, and the book of Revelation emphasizes that it will continue until God’s Kingdom is established. The example of the scattering of Israel and then the regathering and subsequent establishment in the land is a clear witness to the work of the angels in this present day. Bible prophecy is dependent on angelic involvement (Isa 37:36; Job 37:12,13; Psa 148:7,8; Dan 4:25,35; 10:13,21; Rev 7:1-3; 8:2-6; 16:1).

Ministering to the saints

The care of the believer, and the molding of the believer’s character through the experiences and events of his or her life, are important parts of the work of the angels. To them is given the responsibility, under the direction of Christ and his heavenly Father, of preparing the saints for the Kingdom. The psalmist came to understand that all his thoughts, words and actions were observed by the angels, communicated to God, and the events in his life influenced by them. The same was true for men such as Jacob, Daniel and Paul. Angels are acting on behalf of heaven with those called to be saints. Their function is to “minister” to us, to “encamp… round about” us, and to “keep [us] in all [our] ways”. They do not remove our free will, but strive to influence us in the ways of God. They are involved with our prayers, while remaining unseen, so that our faith might be developed as required by our heavenly Father. They will chasten and prove us as necessary. In this present life the believer is brought into the presence of “an innumerable company of angels” (Gen 28:12; 45:7; 48:15,16; Psa 34:6,7; 91:11; Dan 6:22; Acts 10:1-8; 27:23; Heb 1:14; 12:22).

Summary of the angels’ work

This world is under the direction of the angels, and they are overseeing the work of drawing all nations to Jerusalem. Often in the New Testament their activities are described as the work of the Spirit — as in the case of Philip (Acts 8:26,29) and in the imparting of the Holy Spirit to the apostles (Psa 104:4; Acts 2:2-4). They are involved in the lives of believers, exercising care over them. They will be involved in the judgement, with the raising of the dead and the gathering of the living saints to Christ. They rejoice in the purpose of God and in the fulfillment of His will, and joyfully praise His great and holy Name. They obey the Creator, and it will be the privilege of the faithful to be like them in the Kingdom age (Psa 103:20; Mat 16:27; 24:31; 25:31; 1Th 4:16; Heb 2:5).