Amos received five visions which may be linked with his call to be a prophet. The five visions describe communication between God and the prophet and form a sequence.

7: 1-3. In the first vision Amos sees God sending a swarm of locusts on the land. Everything is eaten up by the locusts. The vision refers to disaster which is coming and which is understood by the prophet to be punishment sent by God on Israel's sin. Amos implores God to forgive the people because the punishment is so severe, and God agrees.

7: 4-6. In the second vision Amos sees a great fire sent by God and beginning to bum up the land. The prophet again implores forgiveness, and it is granted by God. Punishment is again held back.

7: 7-9. In the third vision Amos sees a crooked wall being checked with a measuring line which emphasizes how out of line the wall is. The wall represents Israel, God's people. This time Amos does not implore God to forgive the sin of Israel because the crookedness of the wall is so clear. There is only one thing to do with such a crooked wall and that is to let it fall down. So Amos remains silent while God's judgement on Israel's sin is pronounced (v. 9). The temples where the Israelites offer sacrifice will be destroyed and the dynasty of Jeroboam II will be ended.

8: 1-3. In the fourth vision Amos sees a basket of ripe fruit at the end of the fruit harvest. As the harvest marks the end of the fruit season, so the basket of fruit indicates that the 'season' of waiting for Israel to repent of her sin and turn again to her God, is ended. Israel has not repented; therefore God's judgement will not be delayed any longer. This vision reinforces what has been shown to Amos in the third vision.

9: 1-4. In the fifth and last vision Amos sees the destruction of the temple to which the Israelites went to offer worship; it may be identified with the temple at Bethel. Following the vision described in verse 1, the message of God comes to Amos that there will be no escape at all for the people of Israel; wherever they try to hide they will be destroyed. Chapter 9: 5-6 is a short hymn extolling the power and might of God.

The last three visions confirm what Amos was shown in the first two; that the sin of Israel is too deep and determined for any further reprieve. God had given Israel many opportunities to repent but there had been no repentance. In the last three visions we should note the first-person singular form of utterance in which the prophet is the direct spokesman of God; 'I will not change my mind ... I will search for them and catch them ... ‘ Many examples of this kind of utterance will be found in the book of Amos.

These five visions prepare us for the prophetic utterances of Amos.