In Acts, James speaks at the council in Jerusalem to determine what to preach to the Gentile converts on what Jewish law they should observe and be taught. James quotes from Amos, Amos' prophecy is for New Testament, New Covenant times and not sometime, somewhere off in the future.
Amos 9:11, 12
“In that day
“I will restore David’s fallen shelter—
I will repair its broken walls
and restore its ruins—
and will rebuild it as it used to be,
so that they may possess the remnant of Edom
and all the nations that bear my name,”
declares the Lord, who will do these things.
Acts 15:15-18, The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written:
“‘After this I will return
and rebuild David’s fallen tent.
Its ruins I will rebuild,
and I will restore it,
that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord,
even all the Gentiles who bear my name,
says the Lord, who does these things’
things known from long ago.
When was there a tabernacle of David? The Ark of the Covenant, 1 Chronicles 15.
David places the Ark in a tabernacle that he pitches for it, 2 Samuel 6:17.
Why would James talk about this prophecy? Under the Old Covenant, God was feared and David looked forward to a better Covenant. We worship a living God, God living in us and in David's tabernacle the blessings are on the Ark, not the tent and so the blessings we get are not from us but from Jesus in us. James says that Jesus and His death on the cross brought back the tabernacle of David. There is not going to be a church built with human hands ever.
Erase Edit Printable version