WE closed the last sermon with the quotation by James in Acts 15: 15-18 where James interprets these two verses as referring to what God was doing in raising up the New Testament Church and in extending the promise of salvation to the Gentiles as well as to the Jews. We argued in the last sermon that this was the true understanding of the prophecy of Amos contained in these two verses, and that Amos was given a glimpse of the blessing of the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, and the raising up of a true Israel, saved by faith in Jesus their sin bearer and Saviour.

It may be argued that the words that Amos was inspired to use interpreted literally speak in terms of Israel in temporal state, and so the prophecy would seem to imply a physical and historical restoration of the ten Northern tribes sometime in the future. We argued against such a literal translation in the last sermon, and now I would present some further thoughts to re-enforce this meaning.

In the first place Amos could not have had any idea of the future when he was given this prophecy, and so the Holy Spirit would have necessarily be giving him thoughts and words which made sense to him. There was no other way of giving this prophecy, unless Amos had been put in a transe and dictated words which would have had little or no meaning for him or to the faithful of his day.

Following this argument, when we look more closely at the words used in these two verses before us, we can't fail to notice that the name Israel is not used, but the restoration is referred to David's fallen tent. This is a physical picture which shows a wider and fuller meaning than just the nation of Israel, or even the nation of Judah. The only way a true meaning can be given to the phrase 'David's fallen tent' is that of David's true people, and this can only mean the people who were faithful to the faith and living seen in King David, who in spite of his many failings and sins, remained faithful to the Jehovah, and trusted in his mercy and grace promised in the coming Messiah. David showed in his life the faith of the true children of God. So we can see that James, when he interprets this prophecy to the establishing of the Christian church, which included both Jew and Gentile who believed in Jesus, makes sense.

The third thought is utterly convincing and sure. James when he referred to these two verse as referring to the Church of Christ, was speaking under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, so he is pointing us to the right interpretation of these verses.

THE MEANING IN THE VERSES.

Having established that these two verses refers to the restoration of the true Israel, the Church of God, brought into being by the Holy Spirit, through faith in Christ, now let us seek to understand the prophecy.

The prophecy commences with the words "In that day". This tells us that this was a certain time, appointed by God for this blessing. It is an expression which the Old Testament uses to foretell the coming of the promised Messiah. For this reason to see it fulfilled when Christ came and established the Church through the operation of the Holy Spirit is entirely reasonable.

Then when we look at the various phrases of the prophecy we can see how their meaning is entirely consistent with the establishment of the Christian Church through the operation of the Holy Spirit.

God promises to restore David's fallen tent. The reference is not to Israel or even to Judah, but to David's fallen tent. The idea here is that the true faith of Jehovah which was established by David when he had reigned over the whole nation of Israel had fallen and the true faith of God, first given to Abraham, had been corrupted and broken. In the light of this the term 'David's fallen tent' is seen to refer to the true faith of God, having been broken, was now to be raised up and restored through the finished work of redemption through Christ, the Messiah, and the outpouring of the Spirit of God at Pentecost. The true faith was restored, and a people, both Jew and Gentile, raised up faithful to the Lord and seeking to glorify his Holy Name.

The tent of David had fallen because corruption had entered the life of the people of God, together with the following of idols and false doctrine, and expressed in heathen and immoral living. The repair of the broken places therefore can only mean that, in the New Testament Church, God would reform his church on the basis of true doctrine and practice. God would lay the only foundation that is true, which is founded on the doctrine of the Law and the Prophets, which Christ fulfilled completely in his life and sacrificial death, and established in the true evangelical faith taught by Christ and his Apostles.

The foundation of the church is the doctrine revealed and inspired by the Holy Spirit, found in the doctrine of the prophets in the Old Testament, and the Apostles of the New Testament. The church becomes broken when the doctrine of Scripture is destroyed in any way. It is destroyed by human wisdom adding or subtracting from the Word of God, given in God's Word the Bible by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The basis of this foundation is Jesus Christ and him crucified, whereby through faith in Christ's death, sinners are justified freely by God's grace, accepted as righteous for Christ's sake, forgiven all their sins, and adopted as God's children. The foundation is based on the grace of God seen in Christ, and received by faith alone, to the glory of God alone. Any edition of human wisdom, or human works of any kind, causes the tent of David to become broken.

The repairing of the broken places must be seen as the rooting out of all teaching which is contrary to the plain meaning of the Word of God, and removing all inappropriate practice, whether in worship, liturgy, ministerial duties, or personal life. When the Holy Spirit was poured out at Pentecost, the blessing was based on the true preaching of Christ crucified and risen from the dead, and because of this was blessed mightily by the Holy Spirit. The church which was founded was founded on the basis of the Apostles doctrine and practice. Whenever the church departs from this foundation it becomes broken, as we see it is so throughout the church today.

When the church is built on the sure foundation of Christ and his cross, then the ruins are restored. Whenever the church is brought back to the cross, and the truth of Christ dying to take the punishment for our sins, then the ruins of the church are restored. In the past history of Great Britain we have seen this at the Reformation, by the Puritans, and at the evangelical revival. There will be no restoring of the ruins until there is a return in the church to the sure foundation of Christ.

When the prophet says that the tent of David will be restored as it used to be, he has been brought back to view the reign of David when God's blessing was on the reign of David over a untied Israel, and the ways of Jeshovah being established in the whole nation. This was seen in the worship and living of the nation being ordered by the ways of Jehovah. For this reason we can interpret the meaning here as it refers to the pouring out of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, as Jesus Christ building a church according to the precepts and ways of the Lord, and its life exhibiting the character of those way, and so showing forth the glory of God in his people.

In verse 12 we come to the fulfilment in Christ of the promise to Abraham that all the nations would be blessed when the Messiah came. Edom here must refer to the heathen nations around, in which there were a remnant of faithful people true to the faith of Jehovah, the God of Israel; and all the nations that bear my name must refer to the spread of the Gospel throughout the world. When James quoted from these two verses in Acts 15, it was to approve the ministry of Paul to the Gentiles and the blessing amongst the Gentiles which that ministry achieved. The remnant is always the ones that God calls to faith and salvation. The Gospel goes throughtout the world, and the elect of God throughout the world are claimed by the Lord as his own, and so the Gospel spreads throughout the world according to the direction of the Christ for the church to preach the Gospel throughout the world.

Having begun to understand the prophecy, there is still the question as to how this is to be achieved. Every preacher knows, that however faithful the preaching is, and however excellent the preaching quality is, it can achieve nothing, unless God intervenes. On the day of Pentecost, an antagonistic people were suddenly made to listen and take note. The effect of Peter's sermon on the day of Pentecost was that over 3000 people were convicted of their sin before God, and called out 'what must we do to be saved'. As they were told that the way was by repentance and faith, so they believed and were saved, and the Church was established. So it must always be, and has always been. This is asserted in the prophecy before us. Who is it that declares this prophecy of blessing and restoration? It is the Lord who will do these things. Men and women are sent out to preach and teach, but it is the Lord who is the power for the blessing, and the salvation of the lost.