JUDE 14-15: ENOCH'S PROPHESY

Verses 14-15: It was also about these men that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones, to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.”

Jude supports his characterizing of these men with a quotation from Enoch, a notable Old Testament figure.1 At the outset, two things need to be clarified concerning this quote. First, as mentioned in the introductory material, the apocryphal Book of Enoch was not included in the canon of Scripture. A.R. Faussett rightly states that Jude’s “quotation of a passage from it gives an inspired sanction only to the truth of that passage, not to the whole book” [his emphasis].2

Secondly, Scripture states that Enoch was indeed seventh in line from Adam and the father of Methuselah and that “Enoch walked with God” for three hundred and sixty-five years (Genesis 5:18-24). The amazing detail about Enoch is that he did not die, but was taken by God directly to heaven. The writer to the Hebrews stated the reason for this: that “he was pleasing to God” (Hebrews 11:5). Dr. Ryrie surmises that “the original prophecy was uttered by the Enoch of the Bible and was later expanded and incorporated in the book of Enoch.”3

 The Prophesy

Enoch foretold that “the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones.” The word ‘came’ seems to convey that the event had already occurred. However, this is a rare usage in the Greek, employing a tense that stresses the certainty of a future event as if it had already occurred.4 This event refers to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ (Revelation 19:11-16). The Apostle Paul relates it to His promised return when He avenges His believers and judges those who had troubled them.

For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. (2 Thessalonians 1:6–8)

These holy ones, His mighty angels are referring to what John saw in Revelation 19:14, “the armies which are in heaven” that followed Him as He descended from heaven on a white horse (19:11; cf. Daniel 7:9-10). Jesus Christ will come as Jude established its certainty with the phrase “the Lord came.” His purpose for coming is to judge and convict all the ungodly and to end the rule of evil upon His creation.

Note the word ‘ungodly’ used four times in verse 15. The cognates of this Greek word are variously used, but they have the same meaning: “‘without reverence for God,’ not merely irreligious, but acting in contravention [violation] of God’s demands.”5 God’s demands are His universal laws intended for all mankind to safeguard freedom and restrain evil. These sinners are ungodly not only because they are violators of God’s laws but their deeds and the manner in which they performed their evil deeds are ungodly. Jude has already indicated the specific deeds of these men, ungodly persons (v. 4): false teachings, licentiousness and denial of the deity of Jesus Christ.

However, the Apostle Paul further reveals the intended purpose of God’s law:

But we know that the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully, realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous person, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers and immoral men and homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted. (1 Timothy 1:8–11)

I’m certain this may step on the toes of some progressive thinking Christians, but this is the authoritative Word of God. To think and proclaim otherwise is exactly what these ungodly sinners were guilty of doing.

Jude concludes that they have spoken harsh things against the Lord. The word harsh expresses unkind speech—words that convey reproach and are indicative of inhumane and uncivil characteristics.6 The underlying cause of their words is a disposition that is inflexible, obstinate and fiercely reluctant to respond to God.7 These harsh things are tantamount to blasphemous speech against God. There are examples of such in Scripture:

During Our Lord’s Passion, Luke wrote of those who beat and mocked Him:

And they were saying many other things against Him, blaspheming. (Luke 22:65)

And also while He hung on the cross:

One of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, “Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!” (Luke 23:39)

Of the impending judgement of all the ungodly to which Jude refers, the Apostle John saw this in his vision:

And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds...And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:12, 15)

These are possibly the saddest verses in the New Testament. To think that all those who were not found written in the book of life had rejected the free gift of eternal life. We believers in Jesus Christ must do our part, individually and collectively, to maintain the truth of God’s Word and to live our lives in such a persuasive manner that those about us will see Christ in us and believe in Him for eternal life (Acts 16:31).

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[1] The quote is virtually word for word from the Book of Enoch 1:9.

[2] Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2.541.

[3] Ryrie, C. C. (1995). Ryrie Study Bible: New American Standard Bible, 1995 update (Expanded ed.). Chicago: Moody Press, p. 2007 note.

[4] Wallace, D. B. (1996). Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics—Exegetical Syntax of the New Testament. Zondervan Publishing House and Galaxie Software, pp. 563-564.

[5] Vine, W. E., Unger, M. F., & White, W., Jr. (1996). Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words. Nashville, TN: T. Nelson, 2.651.

[6] Trench, Richard (1975). Synonyms of the New Testament, Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, p. 48.

[7] Beetham, Christopher A. (Ed.) (2021). Concise New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology and Exegesis, Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic, p. 840-841.

 

© 2023 David M. Rossi