Does the Book of Amos relate to us in the twenty-first century?

A:Amos wrote at a time of prosperity but also social inequality, resulting in hardship and suffering for the underprivileged. Amos urged social reform. We can certainly relate to the same problems in 2012, in a world where the rich grow ever richer, while the poor struggle to get by. Where the rich refuse to pay a fair share of taxes and claim that universal health care is inequitable. Amos did not, of course, have 2012 in mind, but we can learn from history and urge all political parties to correct the excessive inequalities in society.

Another Answer:

The Bible is primarily a book about Israel and those countries which interact with it. Israel was all 12 tribes and not just Judah. Inspired Scripture from God does not necessitate the writer comprehending its full intent - consider Daniel.

With that said, Amos, like many other books of prophecy, have duality - meaning a warning for the general timeframe and then a warning for an end-time revelation (God says He never brings something about without letting mankind know it will come first). Amos gave a warning to Israel - 10 Northern Tribes about 30 years before their captivity by Assyria and their loss of national identity. Yet, they are not gone as Jesus sent His Apostles to the Lost Tribes of Israel and several historians noted these peoples - beginning with Josephus.

Knowing who they are today would bridge this Old Testament prophet to the 21st Century. In Ezekiel, God speaks of bringing His lost people Israel back to their brother Judah and uniting them once again in the Land of Canaan for ever. With the threads of other prophecies, it seems quite apparent that Amos' prophecies will fall again upon the modern peoples of the Lost Tribes of Israel and those nations that interact with them.