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Jude 65-80 AD

@2011 The book of Jude is very unusual book with a timely message. The main admonition is to contend earnestly for the faith. We can contend for the faith through direct witness, or supporting those who support the whole counsel of God. The book of Jude can be subtitled as the Acts of the Apostates. The book of Acts, or the Acts of the Apostles are the beginning of the church, the acts of the apostates are the end of the church. It is written for the end times- for the end of the church era. The book of Jude sets the stage for the book of Revelation. Jude wrote to warn his readers against false teachers who said that God's grace gave them a license to sin. In his short letter to combat this heresy, Jude touches on such fascinating subjects as sinning angels, Sodom and Gomorrah, and end times prophecy of the ancient prophet Enoch. Judes specific and prophetic sense is for the end of the age. Jude is important because it affects our day. Its a contrast to his brothers epistle. James deals with works evidencing faith. Jude speaks of works dealing with apostasy, or falling away. Apostasy is a major topic in Jude. 2 Thessalonians 2 speaks on apostasy. Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction- 2 Thessalonians 2:3. Apostasy precedes the endtimes and sets the stage for this leader to emerge. Paul also writes to his buddy in 1 Timothy 4: Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons 1 Timothy 4: 1. Peter also gets into apostasy. But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. 2 Peter 2:1. Apostasy is all over the Bible and these are just a few verses that that touch on it. Apostates will also try to deny the Second Coming of the Lord. Peter adds, They will say, "Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation." 2 Peter 3:4. There is a disparagement of the idea that there is a God, when on the one hand he created the universe in the first place and secondly will again intervene in its history by returning and involving himself. A faith in the creation is linked to a faith in prophecy. It has to do with the 1 | Page

recognition that there is a creator who has a purpose who is involved in your life as well as mine. Jude and James are Jesus half-brothers who were not believers until after the resurrection and both wrote New Testament epistles. Jesus brothers are listed in Matthew: Is not this the carpenters son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? Matthew 13:55. Mark tells us in his gospel: Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joseph and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him. Mark 6:3. These same brothers that were not believers are mentioned in Johns gospel that demonstrates at the time they were not spiritual believers in their brother Jesus: Now the Jews Feast of Booths was at hand. So his brothers said to him, "Leave here and go to Judea, that your disciples also may see the works you are doing. For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world." For not even his brothers believed in him. John 7:2-5. If the word brothers just meant those who are following it, it is contradictory in meaning that here in John 5, John writes that his brothers did not believe in him. Therefore it means Jesus had real brothers. Jude is written to believers. The epistle will have very little meaning to you unless you are born again and abide in Jesus Christ.

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Jude Table of Contents


Jude 1Greeting, Judgment on False Teachers, A Call to Preserve, Doxology

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Jude 1 Greeting, Judgment on False Teachers, A Call to Preserve, Doxology

Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, to those who are called, beloved God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ: may mercy, peace and love be multiplied to you. Here Jude identifies himself as the brother of James, both of which were brothers of the Lord. Jude does not use that link as an identity and he is not that presumptuous. James and Jude were linked to the family of Jesus Christ and were actual brothers. Jude continues, beloved, although I was very eager to write you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once delivered to the saints. Jude mentions beloved, which means the book was written to believers. Jude started to write one idea, and was divinely forced to write something else. The word necessary in this sense in Greek is to force something. The key concept given to us by the Holy Spirit is that we should contend for the faith. To contend means to be strenuously in defense of the faith. We can contend for the faith in a number of ways: by supporting those who are faithful, be an unflinching witness, withhold support from those who deny the whole counsel of God, and speak out against the teaching of another gospel. Jude continues, for certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our master and Lord, Jesus Christ. Here we see apostasy being discussed. Its because of this verse that the book had to be written. Its because of that verse 4 that the Holy Spirit admonishes us. And contend earnestly for the faith. Apostasy is not indifference to God, but a rejection of the truth of God. False brothers had been brought into the church. Next we will see in verses 5, 6, and 7 three examples of apostasy. First Jude talks about Israel sinning, then the fallen angels, and finally Sodom and Gomorrah. Jude continues, now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. Jude refers to back to Exodus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. An eleven day journey took 38 years. Only two of those over twenty ever entered the promised land. Jude continues, and the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day. Jude talks about the angels leaving their habitation. Peter talks about these angels as well: For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment- 2 Peter 2:4. Jude also makes an illusion to an event they presume we know. Jude is referring here to fallen angels from Genesis 6. When man began to multiply on the face of the 4 | Page

land and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose. Then the LORD said, "My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years." The Nephilim (giants) were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown. Genesis 6:1-4. The Septuagint translation doesnt say sons of God, but angels of God. These sons of God are generally referred to as angels. These angels saw women as attractive and took them as wives and reproduced. In the early church throughout the 4th century, Justin Martyr, Athenagoras, and later Josephus, the Apocrypha all viewed these as angels having this unnatural offspring. These angels didnt do what they were supposed to do. The King James Version says they were giants in place in those days. In Hebrew, Nephilim means to fall. Translating Nephilim into Greek, doesnt mean Giants but the earthborn. It was misunderstood as giants, and thats where we get the word giants in the English. When the sons of God, and the daughters of men when they come together, their offspring are weird. They are the fallen ones. These Nephilim bore children with the daughters of men, and then God then sets the stage for the flood. The Nephilim appear before and after the flood as they also appear in Numbers 13 and they happen to be 13 feet long. Goliath was one of the Nephilim from Deuteronomy 3:11. Angels can appear in human form. Later in Genesis 19, three guys show up to see Abraham and Sarah- two of them are angels and the third was Jesus Christ. These angels took human form. Sodom and Gomorrah was only 450 years after the flood. Noahs son Shem still walked the earth during those events at Sodom and Gomorrah. Angels can also appear in human form as they did in Genesis 19 when two of them and Jesus Christ came to rescue Lot. Jude continues, just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire. Jude is writing to believers here, not a secular group. Jude has selected Sodom and Gomorrah as a warning to you and I. The event from Sodom and Gomorrah from Genesis 19 was roughly only 450 years after the flood. Shem, one of the sons of Noah, was still alive. Next Jude in verse 8 will highlight 3 basic remarks on apostasy- defiling the flesh, rejecting authority and blaspheming the glorious one. Jude continues, yet in like manner these people also, relying on their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones. But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, The Lord will rebuke you. We have a dispute between the archangel Michael and Satan himself over the body of Moses. There are two mighty angels in conflict here. There is only one (singular) archangel and it is Michael. Michael is first referenced in 5 | Page

Daniel 10. Michaels mission is to fight for Gods people collectively for the nation of Israel. Michael also shows up in Revelation 12. There are over 500 Old Testament references to Moses, but only one reference to his body. Deuteronomy 34:5-6 is this reference and it is at the end of Moses life. So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD, and he buried him in the valley in the land of Moab opposite Bethpeor; but no one knows the place of his burial to this day. Deuteronomy 34:5-6. God personally buries Moses at the base of the mountain and no man knew the place of his burial until this day. The question is why did God personally bury Moses body? Why is this place a secret? Why is Satan interested in it? Why is Michael dispatched to oppose? There are two ideas. If the location of Moses body would have been known, it is likely the place would have been a place of worship. Josephus points out that Moses was so venerated by Israel and as a result if they would have known the place he was buried it would become a fetish. This would be encouraged by Satan because its a form of false worship. A second theory is that there is a future role for Moses body. In John 1 when John the Baptist was on the scene, the Jewish leadership asked him if he was The Messiah, Elijah or that Prophet, which is Moses. John the Baptist said he was none of those three. The Jews are expecting all three of them at some point. Malachi 4 speaks to Elijahs coming before the Second Coming. Both Moses and Elijah were essentially put in the penalty box by God (Numbers 20 and 1 Kings 19). Moses screwed up by striking the rock versus to communicate to the rock as Moses by his actions gave the message that God was mad at the Israelites. Elijah believed everyone in Israel had abandoned the Lord and he was the only one left. In verse 18 we learn there was 7,000 believers. Joshua and Elisha replaced Moses and Elijah. Elijah was later raptured into heaven from 2 Kings 2:11. Moses and Elijah may be the two witnesses from Revelation 11. Jude continues, but these people blaspheme all that they do not understand, and they are destroyed by all that they, like unreasoning animals, understand instinctively. Woe to them! For they walked in the way of Cain and abandoned themselves for the sake of gain to Balaams error and perished in Korahs rebellion. Jude has been talking about now corporate examples of apostasy. He switches to personal examples. Jude mentions Cain, Balaam and Korah. Cain was a farmer, Balaam was a prophet, and Korah was one of the princes of Israel. All three of them made serious errors in judgment. Each of these guys portray a certain aspect of falling away from the truth. Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground. We need to get some insight on what was Cains mistake? Cain didnt deny the existence of God. Cains offering wasnt accepted and became upset. Cain did not rebel against God. He recognized Gods existence and he moved so as to worship him with an offering of the fruit of his labor. We go through our own little rituals. 6 | Page

How do we know that Gods attitude toward our meager moves is no different than Gods reaction to Cains? Paul elaborates on Cains problem in Hebrews 11. By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts Hebrews 11:4. Abels offering was in response to a commandment, which is giving an offering by faith. Balaam can be found in Numbers 22 and on. He was a true prophet, however he is best known for his screw ups. Then Jude mentions Korah. Korah was a Levite who was a cousin to Moses and is found in Exodus 6, Numbers 16, etc. Korah rebelled against Moses. Jude continues, it was also about these that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied saying, Behold the Lord comes with ten thousand of his holy ones, to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all of the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him. This is a prophecy and the earliest recorded prophecy by a prophet. The Lord gives the first prophecy in Genesis 3:15 when the Lord declares war on Satan, but the earliest prophecy recorded by a prophet occurs here with Enoch. When Enoch talks about the Lord coming with 10,000 of his holy ones. This is not the same Enoch from Genesis 4. Enochs son is Methuselah and he is Noahs grandfather. The year that Methuselah dies is when the flood came. Enochs prophecy deals with the Lords Second Coming, not his first. Other places in the scripture that the Lord is coming back with his holy myriads (Zechariah 14:5, Revelation 19:14 and Daniel 7:10). Moses describes 10,000 of his holy ones in Deuteronomy 33:2. We know from Acts 7:53 and Galatians 3:19 that those references include angels. We know that the Lord is coming with myriads of something and those include his holy angels. Matthew 25:31 describes that Jesus returning with all of the holy angels. Colossians 3:4 and 1 Thessalonians 3:13 are the two main authorities that point out that we are with him. Its going to be quite a group. The Lord will come to bring judgment. Jude continues, these are the grumblers, malcontents, following their own sinful desires; they are loud mouthed boasters, showing favoritism to gain advantage. This is how you recognize an apostate. The church will be without excuse if it fails to recognize the apostate because of the epistle of Jude. Murmuring, complaining and walking after their own lusts are three key components of apostates. People who have big mouths might be apostates. Our refuge is the Word, and our whole issue is the word of God is that it is Gods wisdom not mans. Paul adds: And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. - 1 Corinthians 2:13. Peter confirms that the Word is Gods wisdom: For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. 2 Peter 2:1:21. Chuck Misslers primary mission is to install in me an excitement, an 7 | Page

interest, an enthusiasm, a passion for Gods word. Peter uses this same phrase in one of his epistles: This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, "Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation." For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God -2 Peter 3:1-5. The apostolic people or scoffers are mocking the idea of Gods creation so Darwins idea is not an original. The idea of creation and a Second Coming are linked. They both are based on the premise that there is a God who intervenes in history. A disbelief in one leads to a disbelief in the other. We either accept what God says or we dont. Jude continues, but you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They said to you, in the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions. It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit. But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. Jude has exhortations here for us to grow. The four things here are the building, the praying, the keeping, and the looking. Our sacred duty is to be a witness and we need to have compassion. We bear the responsibility for our self development. We should be constantly growing in our walk. The main challenge is that we have to be ready to give every man an answer. However reason may not cause a person to believe, but on the other hand we still have an obligation to defend. Peter adds: but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect 1 Peter 3:15. We need to be ready to give every man an answer. Jude continues, and have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh. Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and present yourself blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

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Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. Jude 1:3-4 Just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire. Jude 1:7 It was also about these that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, "Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy ones, to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him." Jude 1:14-15 But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They said to you, "In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions." It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit. But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit Jude 1:17-21

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