It is profitable to think of this verse in two ways: despise not prophecy and despise not teachings. Especially here in this epistle, which contains a lot about prophecy, that thought should be included in the admonition. “Despise not instruction” is another way of expressing this verse, and the instruction includes heeding times and things in season for the end time. We should be particularly interested in prophecy about the end of the age because of the day in which we are living.

We should not neglect study or hearing the thoughts of elders. Since those who are given to works might neglect study, there is a danger in putting too much emphasis on works.

The day of the LORD would be “darkness, and not light.” Some Christians and brethren feel that we will just glide into the Kingdom, that the Kingdom will be established gradually. They generalize Jacob’s Trouble as either having taken place or taking place. Such will be very surprised when some prophecies are fulfilled. It was the same situation in the prophet’s day, when some looked forward to the judgment day as a liberation to better conditions. But on whom was the judgment to fall primarily? The wicked: the rich, the wealthy, the proud. And in Amos’s day, as well as today, the false prophets prophesied good things all the time and contradicted the true prophets, who prophesied hard things. We must be careful we do not make restitution the gospel. The gospel is making our calling and election sure. As a general message, the gospel is a mixture of bitter and sweet.