Locusts

During Amos' day, people were busy making money, being entertained, and practicing their religion. But God was also busy—sending famines, droughts, and epidemics.

It is easy to misunderstand the literal meaning of the prophecy of Joel 2, in which God's army sweeps across the countryside and into the city.

God, through His prophets, warns that He will chasten His people with increasing severity until they repent and begin to reflect His characteristics.

Every Christian longs for the return of Jesus Christ, and we search for fulfillments of the signs signaling that wonderful prophetic event. The seemingly rapid increase in natural disasters and heavenly spectacles can excite us to a fever pitch. Richard Ri. . .

The book of Amos is an astounding prophecy, closely paralleling the conditions in the Western world today. Amos reveals how unrighteousness undermines society.

Martin Collins, reflecting on the devastating locust plagues described in Joel, marvels that the prophet, instead of promising a silver lining on a very black cloud, affirmed that things were going to get intensely worse before they got better. Nevertheles. . .

The twelve small books at the end of the Old Testament are often overlooked in the shadow of the much longer prophetic books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel. However, Richard Ritenbaugh argues that the Minor Prophets contain vital messages for today's Chr. . .

After Christ's return, famine will be the penalty for not keeping His Feast of Tabernacles. God will establish conditions in which famine will never occur again.

As a nation, we have rejected wisdom in favor of foolishness, bringing about major calamities: famines, pestilence, earthquakes, cosmic disturbances.

John Ritenbaugh warns that the pride of Jacob (or his offspring) coupled with the incredible ability to make tremendous technological advances, blinds Israel to its devastating moral deficit. Amos begins with a description or cataloging of the sins of Isra. . .

Israel had every opportunity that the Gentiles did not have. God gave the Israelites gifts to live a better way, but they completely failed to reflect Him.

Martin Collins, continuing the exposition of the Book of Joel, reiterates that the locust plague serves as a vivid precursor to the impending Day of the Lord. Joel assures the victims of the devastating plague that, if they would repent of their sins, retu. . .

Although by no means a wild man, John the Baptist experienced alienation from people, especially the entrenched religious and political leaders.

Martin Collins examines an article by Emily Main in the August16, 2016 number Rodale's Organic Life, entitled "8 Gross Bugs You Don't Know You're Eating." Main alleges that, due to lax FDA standards regarding processed foods, nearly everyone has . . .