Jude 13-16

Jude 13

(Jude 1:13 KJV) Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.

 

Here Jude continues with two more analogies concerning the false teachers.

 

The first one he compares these false teachers to is the raging waves of the sea which spew out foam. I live in a state where there is shore from Dan to Beersheba. Whenever we get some kind of coastal storm, afterwards, you can see that not only did the sea belch forth a raging foam, but also within that foam was a lot of garbage that the restless sea purged out on land. After any type of coastal storm you can normally see the beaches littered with junk. While the false teachers are spewing their false venom, they leave behind a lot of junk. They leave behind a quagmire of false teachings which, unfortunately, some of the hearers will cling to and support. Also as the sea seems to be wild and restless, the false teachers were also bold in their teachings and seemed as uncontrollable as the ocean is when it is being churned up by a storm. Their passions and evil deeds are also bold. Anytime water is stirred up by a storm it becomes dirty and you are unable to see through it since it is loaded with silt. Initially it is sometimes hard to see through the false teachings of the false teachers until you do a real in depth study of them and then you will find out the danger of them. Remember boldness in preaching or teaching does not equal truth.

 

The second analogy that Jude uses is that of the simple shooting star. The meteor comes in from space and because of the atmosphere burns up but it emits a light for a short amount of time. This is what the false teachers do. They shine for a very short time but their ultimate pulpit is going to be in the blackness of darkness forever. In other words, they will be gone on judgment day along with their false works. As the shooting star fades into darkness once it burns out, we are unable to see anything that is left of it. All we see is the darkness. It is the same with the false teachers. When we analyze their teachings, all we see is darkness. This is why we must know the Scriptures so we can see false teachings for what they really are, the blackness of darkness.

 

Jude 14

(Jude 1:14 KJV) And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,

 

We remember Enoch as being translated into heaven without seeing death. Elijah was the only other human who went to Heaven without dying.

 

(Heb 11:5 KJV) By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.

 

Now what are the “these” that this verse has in view. Well we find that in verse 15 which we will look at next week. However, Enoch was only the seventh generation from Adam and he already had knowledge of the events of the last day. On the last day, the Lord will return with all His saints and then Judgment day will begin. It is interesting that Enoch prophesied the judgment with the Lord and the saints.

 

(1 Cor 6:2-3 KJV) Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? {3} Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?

 

The believers are going to have a part in the final judgment but as to what extent, we will have to wait until we enter the courtroom. It is also interesting to note that at the time of Enoch there probably wasn’t 500 people on the earth or maybe there was, but he prophesied that “ten thousands” of the Lord’s Saints would be coming back with Him. Notice those words are plural and not singular. Enoch is prophesying a great multitude will become saved.

 

(Rev 5:11 KJV) And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;

 

Now for those who don’t think that salvation is an Old Testament term need to rethink their position on this. Grace was alive and well throughout the entire Old and New Testament period. There is no salvation outside of Grace. As we read the prophecy of Enoch we must also be aware of another fact. This prophecy was made by Enoch and is not associated with the Apocryphal book of Enoch which has questionable origins and is not a canonical book. Enoch’s prophecy was no doubt a direct revelation from God.

 

Jude 15

(Jude 1:15 KJV) To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

 

Here we read that Enoch was prophesying the last day when the Lord was going to return from heaven with all His Saints. We see that the rapture of the Saints will be on the last day and as soon as the Saints are in glory, they follow the Lord Jesus back to earth and the judgment of the ungodly will begin. Whether the judgment will take place on earth or in heaven, is not clear, but what is clear is that there is going to be a mighty judgment of the ungodly.

 

(2 Th 1:7-10 KJV) And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, {8} In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: {9} Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; {10} When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.

 

Jude is teaching that all the ungodly will be convicted of their sins. The word used is “convince” but it carries with it the meaning of “conviction.” On earth, they may have seemed to get away with things but not one unbeliever is ever going to escape the punishment. This verse is also telling us that even all the speech they used will be punished.

 

(Mat 12:36 KJV) But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.

 

The word idle carries with it the meaning of “unemployed.” Have you ever seen a bunch of unemployed people hanging around a bar or some other place like that? They are normally up to no good. This is what that word means. It means speech which is not employed unto edification. We can classify dirty jokes, swearing, double meaning phrases, and speech used in that manner. Even thoughts in the mind are going to be judged, because all evil words and thoughts are against God and His holiness will be vindicated on the last day.

 

Jude 15 is not just speaking concerning the false teachers but God makes it clear that every unredeemed, unsaved person is going to face the judgment and it will be a complete judgment, judging the actions and thoughts and motivations of a person. There is a Chick Tract out that I like called, “This Was Your Life.“ If you have not seen it, then the next time you are in a religious bookstore with their endless cacophony of man’s teachings, pick up a copy and read it. It gives a good indication of what is going to happen on the last day when the unbeliever will be judged for secret as well as open sins.

 

In our Sunday School at Church we are going through a thirteen part series with R.C. Sproul on philosophy. It is called “The Consequence of Ideas.” It covers the ancient philosophers of Greece and goes up to modern day philosophy which has adopted a hostility toward the God of the Bible. It is these kinds of teachings and speech that will also be judged. A person does not have to swear to speak against God, just believe and cling to evolution. Scientists who postulate the Big Bang Theory and teach others that this world is 4 billion years old, or that man came from Monkeys is speaking against God. Now I have a question for the evolutionists that I have never found an answer for.

 

Where did women come from? We always see these charts showing the evolution of man from the ape but we never see the evolution of women. What are the odds that men evolved from the ape? (no comments wives!) Now how would those odds increase if you are to believe that a perfect companion to the male evolved simultaneously out of the same slime on the ocean floor? What faith these blind teachers have! It is teachings like this that will be brought into account on the last day and those who proliferate these kinds of teachings will give an account to the Creator. In the next verse in Jude we will see other types of sinfully motivated speech will be brought into account.

 

Jude 16

(Jude 1:16 KJV) These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage.

 

Jude continues his description of these false teachers. It is very important to know that false teachers have alternative agendas than just the teaching of their doctrines. Jude is really giving us an insight into the motives of these teachers. So whenever we see or hear of a false teacher, by studying the book of Jude we are instantly warned that these people have a different and deeper agenda than “just being in error.” This is something we must keep in mind.

 

Here are four more grim descriptions of these false teachers in this verse and let us look at each one individually.

 

Murmurers - (1 Cor 10:10 KJV) Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. A murmurer is someone who is showing discontent in a very low but intense manner. Have you ever had someone on the job almost foster a rebellion of employees by murmuring against the company but yet is too cowardly to bring their grievances out in the open? This is what Israel did in the wilderness and God judged them for this act. Murmuring against something is really an act of rebellion. This is what these false teachers were doing, they were fostering a rebellion among God’s people in the local churches. Today, murmurers destroy reputations and churches because there is nothing new under the sun. If there is something that you disagree with in your church, speak to your church leaders about it, maybe you might head off an impending disaster in your church.

 

Complainers - These are the kind of people that would find a twenty dollar bill on the street and complain that it wasn’t two tens. The word “complainers” in this verse carries with it the meaning of “faultfinding or discontentment.” Have you ever met them? The false teachers are always promoting discontentment so they can fill the void that they intentionally make. Not only are the false teachers promoting discontentment, what about the perfectionists that come into the congregation? These people find fault with the brand of liquid soap in the bathroom. They can’t settle into a church because no church is good enough for them, so instead of seeing themselves as fallen creatures too, they view themselves as the standard by which all others should be judged. The false teachers also do this. They create absurd standards by which they themselves cannot even live but yet they expect the whole church to follow their pernicious ways. False teachers and perfectionists are two of the most useful tools of Satan to try and undermine the stability of a church. All they need to do is convince a nucleus of people of all the problems they see in the church and then the rebellion starts. This is because Christians are too eager to join the gossip bandwagon.

 

Walking after their lusts - The word “lusts” in this verse carries with it the meaning of “longing or craving.” When we see them walking after their lusts in this verse it means they are pursuing their desires. What are the desires and cravings of false teachers? It is the power to command! These false teachers are very jealous about being the boss in the church that their lust blinds them to the destruction they are causing. They don’t care who they wreck or who they destroy but they will do what they can to gain power and notoriety. There are Christians that I personally know who will not go to church, simply because they can’t be under anyone’s authority, they have to be the boss. The word “walking” carries with it the meaning of ordering one’s life. These false teachers and perfectionists order their life according to their own desires to rule. They fail to realize that being in a position of leadership and being responsible for others is a very serious task. Their concern is not for those they rule but their concern is that they are ruling.

 

Men’s persons in admiration - Here is one of the ways that these false teachers worm their way into the congregation. They will seek out and find the wealthy and influential in the congregation and then begin to play the bootlicker until they get on their good side. The verse tells us that they are doing this because of “advantage.” In other words, they are doing this to promote themselves without promoting their true agenda. The word “advantage” also carries with it the sense of “profit.” They really care nothing for the people they are using to get their way but they pretend to be very concerned and play the role well. They will do and say whatever needs to be done and said to position themselves in line for leadership. If you are wealthy or influential in your church, watch out you may be set up for usage by a false teacher. Be discerning!

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