Is “Prepare to Meet Thy God” in the Bible?

“Prepare to meet thy God” could be harrowing or comforting words, depending on whether the audience has trusted Jesus for their salvation.

For both groups, these words of warning are intended to turn us from this world’s entwining evil and toward something else: to serve God with zeal, love, and peace.

God wants the best for all people—He wants His salvation to reach the world. And that is why He has come in the Person of Jesus Christ to create a way for the repentant to draw near to the throne of grace.

Is There a “Prepare to Meet Thy God” Bible Verse?

The “prepare to meet thy God” verse appears in the writings of the prophet Amos, who ministered as a messenger of God to the northern kingdom of Israel.

God says that after all the warnings He had given Israel, Israel still would not return. Amos records, “Therefore thus I will do to you, O Israel; because I will do this to you, prepare to meet your God, O Israel!” (Amos 4:12).

These words sound ominous and truly are for those who do not believe in Christ. God is holy and hates sin; this is the everlasting truth about God’s nature. He has sent Jesus Christ to be the just and the justifier in His great compassion.

Because God is both merciful and just, there is always judgment for sin. Either Christ has carried the judgment for the believer, or eternal judgment is waiting for the unbeliever.

Why Did God Warn Israel, “Prepare to Meet Thy God”?

Amos warns of a dire situation in which God has prepared the people for repentance, but they refuse, clinging to their idolatrous ways.

Amos describes a time when God was done with warnings. He is done trying to get the attention of the people. And He is ready to proclaim the conclusion of His message of judgment. Charles Spurgeon writes:

“He had wasted them with famine and sword; he had withheld the rain; he had sent forth the pestilence after the manner of Egypt; he had smitten their fields and gardens with blast and mildew, and he had overthrown some of them, as Sodom and Gomorrah; but they still persevered in their rebellion, and therefore he declares that he will send them no more of his messengers, and shoot no more of his far-reaching arrows, but will come himself, in his own person, to deal with them.”

Spurgeon outlines God’s help for those who have turned away from Him. First, God speaks to the unrepentant with tender words, wooing them back to Himself. He interweaves words of warnings and threats when that does not produce results. Why will they subject themselves to judgment when He is ready to save? When those words do not produce repentance, God gives increasing warnings, promising death and destruction will come upon the rebellious. Even so, His sobering words of warning contain compassion. He wants us to know the truth.

Second, God establishes He is the righteous Judge. Unbelievers must prepare to meet this God. Even here, the warnings have words of hope: if good preparations are made, repentance will be reached, and the people will be truly ready for His coming.

He never leaves His own without ultimate hope of restoration—for those who turn from sin and follow Him. In Amos 9:11-15, the prophet records words of hope for Israel, that there will be a remnant and a restoration of the peoples. Verses 14-15 declare:

I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel, and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine, and they shall make gardens and eat their fruit. I will plant them on their land, and they shall never again be uprooted out of the land that I have given them.

Reading Amos’ words today may be challenging, but they still tune our hearts to the Lord’s message. It can make us consider whether He has any words of warning for us, any ways we are straying into sin, any lies are believing. We consider his ways of cautionary outreach, knowing that the believer is not exempted from thinking about where they need to reform. However, believers respond to God’s warnings properly. They turn from evil to the true and living God and receive peace in Him.

Where Does the Book of Amos Fit into Israel’s History?

The book of Amos was written during the eighth century BC, during the reign of Uzziah, the king of Judah, and Jeroboam II, the king of Israel.

Israel needs the warning of the Lord of hosts that He will deal personally with His people’s rebellion. He will set all things right—all people will bow their knees before Jesus Christ, the just Judge of all the earth. The warning of “prepare to meet thy God” comes at such a time in Israel’s history when nothing is sparing them from judgment to come. Who would want to stand against the Ruler of all the earth, the Lord of creation? What other words would jar a soul awake to the spiritual realities around them?

Does the “Prepare to Meet Thy God” Warning Apply to Us Today?

“Prepare to meet thy God” is a sobering reminder today. We will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ for all that we have done.

As 2 Corinthians 5:10 states: “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.” This verse does not negate the gospel. For the believer, every sin has been paid in full through the cross of Christ. There is no longer condemnation for the soul who has put their faith in Christ. However, believers will be evaluated before God at the end.

The believer is not exempt from standing before God to bear witness to their earthly actions. However, this truth should not scare the believer away from God. Rather, it should inform the believer’s actions on this earth. The one who believes in Christ longs for the final day when they will hear Him say that their race of the faith has been well done. This desire motivates believers to live lives full of good works and good fruits. Christ becomes so dear that His opinion alone matters.

So, for the believer, the moment they meet their God is when the blessed hope in the believer’s heart gets fulfilled. It is then—at the blessed appearing of Christ—that the believer will recognize the sweet, dear, and incredible extent of God’s mercy. Then, they will fully and completely mourn their sins. Then, the believer will stand before the judgment seat of Christ fully justified—not because of their works, but because of Jesus Christ’s precious blood. It is then that the believer will see the depths of the gift of salvation.

As believers, let us prepare to meet our God—not fearing His judgment, but recognizing His hope: we are not lost in sin. We are raised to a new life where we can be zealous for good works until His return.

Photo Credit: © Getty Images/Ig0rZh

Lianna Davis is author of Keeping the Faith: A Study in Jude and Made for a Different Land: Eternal Hope for Baby Loss. She is also a contributor to We Evangelicals and Our Mission with Cascade Books. Lianna is a graduate of Moody Bible Institute and a student at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. She lives in Illinois with her husband and daughter. You can learn more about her writing at her website.

This article is part of our larger resource library of popular Bible verse phrases and quotes. We want to provide easy to read articles that answer your questions about the meaning, origin, and history of specific verses within Scripture's context. It is our hope that these will help you better understand the meaning and purpose of God's Word in relation to your life today.

No Rest for the Wicked
Fight the Good Fight
Wait on the Lord
With Contrite Heart and Spirit
Faith Can Move Mountains