Jude 5-8
Jude 5
(Jude 1:5 KJV) I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.
 
In verse 5 of this little but powerful book, Jude starts out by doing something that some of the writers in the Bible did also, and that was to call something to remembrance. This is very important since, as humans, we tend to have short memories. How many times when we are sick, we will tell God that if He allows us to become well, that we will dedicate our lives to Him much more. Well, as soon as we do become better, one of the first things we do is forget our increased commitment to the Lord and continue in life at our own pace.
 
Peter used the same principle of reminding his hearers. (2 Pet 1:13 KJV) Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance; While Peter was alive he tried to stir the memories of the people as long as he was alive. He knew that he would soon be promoted to glory, so he wanted to keep the gospel fresh in the minds of his hearers, so he stirred up their minds. Jude does this except he is bringing the remembrance of the people to a different era. In fact verses 5-7, are basically historical evidence that Jude is reminding the people that God will judge those who are disobedient. Remember that Jude is dealing with false teachers and unbelievers who are coming into the churches in a subversive manner with satanic agendas. This is being done to try and divert the believers into a false gospel.
 
Jude reminded them that they did know about these judgments but may have forgotten about them. There were many Jews at that time who remembered the exodus from Egypt and how God delivered them from 430 years in Egypt. Unfortunately, their eclectic memories fell way short. How many times, even today, do we hear of the exodus from Egypt, yet we hear nothing of the severe disobedience which caused God to judge them in that only Joshua and Caleb, of the original group that left Egypt, saw the Promised Land.
 
In reference to the unbelievers in the time of ancient Israel, Jude is saying that God will also judge those who are coming against the church with false gospels and foreign agendas to lead astray the believers. We read how God destroyed thousands of unbelieving Israelites in the wilderness trek because their unbelief lead to rebellion against God. False gospels and teachings are also rebellion against God because they try to replace the true Gospel that God has given us in the Scriptures. Remember Jude said that the true Gospel was once and for all delivered to the Saints. Any attempted adulteration of that pure gospel is pure rebellion. The Israelites saw the great wonders of God in their deliverance yet when they went on the other side of the Red Sea, rebellion and unbelief had begun to rear its ugly head and it cost them 40 years when they could have been in the Promised Land in 11 days. Unbelief always has its substantial price tag.
 
Verse 5-7 is an analogy of the disobedience of the Israelites and their judgment which will be the type of the judgment that the false teachers and unbelievers will face. Earthly judgments are always a very small-scale figure of what the final judgment of these people will be. Jude wants to impart the fact that a judgment will be coming and he uses the fact that God judged Israel only a few days out of Egypt because of their unbelief.
 
(Heb 3:15-19 KJV) While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. {16} For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses. {17} But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness? {18} And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? {19} So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.
 
Jude 6
(Jude 1:6 KJV) And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.
 
The second major illustration that Jude uses is the fact that angels will also be judged. We do not know how many angels left Heaven with Lucifer when he rebelled against God, but God makes it well-known that they will not escape the judgment of the last day. In fact, Hell was originally prepared only for Satan and his followers. (Mat 25:41 KJV) Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: Since man had now followed the angels in Satan’s rebellion, now all those who are not redeemed must be sent to hell for eternity.
 
The word “estate” in this verse is the Greek Word “arche” which carries with it the meaning of “authority, rule, and even origin and beginning.” This shows that the angels that God created had a place of prominence in Heaven. Everyone blames Satan alone for the rebellion against God by the angels but we must ask the question, “What mindset were these fallen angels acting on?” They obviously were thinking like Satan was and it didn’t take too much to coax them to follow Satan in his rebellion. If they had places of prominence in the kingdom of God in Heaven, then they may have looked at their own beauty also and figured they were something more than created beings.
 
(2 Pet 2:4 KJV) For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;
 
These angels which left Heaven with Satan are now being kept in some type of bonds until they will be let out for the Great Judgment Day, when they will give an account for their rebellion. The darkness is a great picture of what separation from God is. We see this principle taught throughout the Scriptures that those separated from God are already walking in darkness and Judgment Day will be the fulfillment of that darkness.
 
(Zep 1:14-15 KJV) The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. {15} That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness,
 
God had created those angels holy and the fact that they chose to sin and go with Satan has brought about their sure doom. Let us keep in mind that Jude is using this example in reference to those who are false teachers. They will spend an eternity in darkness in hell for their rebellion against God as they try to subvert the true teaching of Scripture and lead the Elect of God astray. In verse 5 we see that God destroyed the unbelieving Israelites. In this verse we see that God will destroy the unbelieving angels. What we are being taught, is that no matter who you are, if you rebel against God you will pay the eternal consequences.
 
Jude 7
(Jude 1:7 KJV) Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
 
In the first two examples Jude gave, we read that God destroyed the unbelieving Israelites and then He will destroy the angels who fell with Satan. Now in this passage, we see that God is going to destroy the entire world as we see represented by Sodom and Gomorrha. When God judged them, He also destroyed two other cities with them.
 
(Deu 29:23 KJV) And that the whole land thereof is brimstone, and salt, and burning, that it is not sown, nor beareth, nor any grass groweth therein, like the overthrow of Sodom, and Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim, which the LORD overthrew in his anger, and in his wrath:
 
Now the reason that we can safely say that that this great destruction represents the world destruction on the last day is because of the number of cities. The number four could very well represent the universality of something.
 
(Gen 2:10 KJV) And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads.
 
Here we see that four rivers went out of Eden. Eden was a pure place. We can look at this as a type of Heaven. Now in Heaven the Lord Jesus Christ sends the river of the Gospel to the entire world. In the above verse we see that there is one river which divides into four parts. There is only one true Gospel and that Gospel must be preached to the uttermost parts of the Earth before the Lord returns. This river goes forth before man was placed in the Garden. The Gospel of Christ was prophesied to go forth from the foundation of the world, before mankind was even created. So we see a great parallel between the two.
 
This is why when we look at the destruction of these four cities, we can see what the end of the world will be like. Notice in the passage we see the phrase, “suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.” Whenever God brings in the word “eternal,” look either for the Gospel or the eternal judgment on the last day. God is typing the destruction of the four cities as the forerunner of the last day. As the Gospel goes universal, so will the final judgment of the human race
 
(2 Pet 3:10 KJV) But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
 
We must never look at Sodom and Gomorrha and feel that their sin was worse than others. Sin is sin and it is all going to be judged by God on the last day, whether the sin is large or small, public or private. Unless a person is saved, they will stand and give an account for their life. A saved person has already been tried, judged, and found not guilty because of the substitutionary atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ on behalf of the Elect.
 
So let us summarize the three categories of people which cover the entirety of Judgment.
 
Verse 5 - The religious crowd
Verse 6 - The spiritual crowd (Those who play with evil spirits like psychics, new Age, and Horoscopes, etc.
Verse 7 - Every unsaved person in the world-regardless of social standing
 
Jude 8
(Jude 1:8 KJV) Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.
 
Now that Jude has given us an analogy of the fact that God is going to judge unbelief in all realms, he goes on to make a comparison between the false teachers who are trying to seduce the church. Jude is basically saying there is no difference in unbelief. The only difference is the method employed to get people to embrace unbelief. One of the first aspects of these false teachers is that they have defiled the flesh. Sodom and Gomorrah was a hotbed of homosexuality. I think it is so apropos that God uses the comparison of Sodom and Gomorrah in relating to these false teachers. In the modern false church, there is a great move to ordain homosexuals and lesbians to the ministry. I have read articles that 40% of Roman Catholic priests are sodomites and in Rome there is a large contingency of sodomites at the Vatican making sure their own get chosen for the priesthood. Many main line denominations like the United Methodist Church, the United Church of Christ, the Presbyterian Church in the USA and others are ordaining sodomites to the ministry. In the verses below we see God’s condemnation of unbelievers of any kind in the ministry.
 
(Psa 50:16-19 KJV) But unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth? {17} Seeing thou hatest instruction, and castest my words behind thee. {18} When thou sawest a thief, then thou consentedst with him, and hast been partaker with adulterers. {19} Thou givest thy mouth to evil, and thy tongue frameth deceit.
 
The next thing these false teachers are accused of is that they “despise dominion.” The term “despise dominion” carries with it the meaning of setting aside lordship.” It basically means that these false teachers, in order to set themselves up as authorities to the people, must attack the established authority in the church. These false teachers come against God’s order in the church namely the Pastor, the Deacons, and Elders. False teachers must make a case against them so they can set them aside and begin to rule in the congregation. We see a great example of this in 2003. In the “Depart Out Teachings” of Harold Camping of Family Radio, he is setting aside the ecclesiastical order in the church and claiming that they no longer exist. A false teacher must attack and simultaneously fill the void they are creating in their assault on truth. Normally that void is filled by the false teacher making the attack.
 
The third indictment against these false teachers is that they speak evil of dignities. In the Greek it means they are “blaspheming glories.” This may carry with it the meaning of blaspheming those who are full of glory. It may possibly refer to the angels but the false teachers would not gain anything by speaking against angels. Since the false teachers would be assailing the Kingdom of God, their definite targets would be the Gospel and the believers. Since these people are unbelievers, their focus is on destroying the Gospel and bringing in their own gospel. This is what would destroy a church by bringing in a false teaching to supplant the true Gospel. Christians carry the glory of God in them in the finished work of Christ. False teachers want to divert people from the true gospel and create their own brand of false glory. Whenever the glory of God’s Gospel is attacked, it is normally replaced with the glory of man’s gospel and normally carries with it works or something that man has to do thus diverting glory from the cross of Christ. (Gal 6:14 KJV) But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.

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