Jude 15-The Lord Jesus Christ Will Return at His Second Advent In Order To Judge and Convict Every Unregenerate Person (Doctrinal Bible Church in Huntsville, Alabama)

Doctrinal Bible Church

Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom

Sunday October 9, 2022

Jude Series: Jude 15-The Lord Jesus Christ Will Return at His Second Advent In Order To Judge and Convict Every Unregenerate Person

Lesson # 27

Jude 14 Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about them: “See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones 15 to judge everyone, and to convict all of them of all the ungodly acts they have committed in their ungodliness, and of all the defiant words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” (NIV)

Jude 14-15 contain a quotation from 1 Enoch 1:9 and a prophecy concerning the Second Advent of Jesus Christ.

These verses are composed of declarative statement which appears in Jude 14 and is followed by two purpose clauses, which appear in Jude 15 and the second purpose clause explains in greater detail the first.

The declarative statement in Jude 14 asserts that Enoch, who is the seventh in genealogical descent from Adam, prophesied against individuals like these unregenerate Jewish Zealots living in the first century A.D.

As we noted, Jude 12 and 13 contain five similes and Jude 14 contains one as well.

Human beings are not dangerous reefs, waterless clouds, autumnal trees, violent waves or wandering stars.

Thus, Jude is making a comparison between these various phenomena of nature and these unregenerate Jewish Zealots in the first century A.D.

In Jude 14, the writer continues his use of the figure of simile in that he is comparing every unrepentant, unregenerate person living on the earth at the time of Jesus Christ’s Second Advent with these unregenerate Jewish Zealots since both will be judged by Jesus Christ because of their ungodly words and actions.

Further supporting this interpretation is that the Holy Spirit who inspired Jude to quote 1 Enoch 1:9 would know from His omniscience that these unregenerate Jewish Zealots living in the first century A.D. would not be living when the Second Advent of Jesus Christ took place.

Therefore, Jude 14-15 are asserting that “In fact, Enoch, who is the seventh from Adam in descent, prophesied against individuals like these, namely, by asserting, “Look! The Lord is coming with a countless number of His holy ones in order to execute judgment against each and every person. Specifically, for the purpose of convicting each and every person because of each and every one of their ungodly actions, which they committed in an ungodly manner. Correspondingly, because of each and every one of their harsh words which they have spoken against Him.”

Jude 15 contains two infinitival purpose clauses, which present the purpose of the Lord Jesus Christ returning to planet earth at His Second Advent.

The first asserts that He will return to earth in order to execute judgment against each and every unrepentant, unregenerate person living on the earth at that time.

The second explains the first and contains two causal clauses.

This second purpose clause asserts that He will return at His Second Advent in order to convict each and every unrepentant, unregenerate person living on the earth at that time.

The first causal clause asserts that He will do this because of each and every one of their ungodly actions, which they committed in an ungodly manner during the course of their entire lives.

The second causal clause corresponds to the first causal clause and asserts that the Lord will convict each and every unrepentant, unregenerate person living on the earth at His Second Advent because of each and every one of their harsh words, which they have spoken against Him during the course of their entire lives.

Therefore, Jude 14-15 emphatically assert that Enoch prophesied against individuals like the Jewish Zealots by stating that the Lord Jesus will return at His Second Advent with a countless number of His elect angels in order to judge each and every unrepentant, unregenerate human being living on the earth.

Specifically, He will return in order to convict each and every one of them because of each and every one of their ungodly actions, which they committed in an ungodly manner during the course of their entire lives.

Correspondingly, He will convict them because of each and every one of their harsh words, which they have spoken against Him during the course of their entire lives.

Consequently, these verses serve to emphasize with the Christian community in Judaea that these Zealots, like every unrepentant, unregenerate person living on the earth at Jesus Christ’s Second Advent, will be judged by Jesus Christ if they do not repent by trusting in Him as their Lord and Savior.

The repetition of this concept of ungodliness with regards to these unrepentant, unregenerate people living on the earth at the time of Jesus Christ’s Second Advent in Jude 15 emphasizes that they are unregenerate and totally in opposition to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Also notice the four-fold repetition of the adjective pas (πᾶς), which emphasizes the total depravity of these individuals in that the ungodliness encompasses both their words and actions.

It also emphasizes that this judgment will be universal or in other words, it emphasizes that each and every unrepentant, unregenerate person will experience eternal condemnation in the lake of fire.

Now, we must remember that in Jude 14, the writer is using the figure of simile, which occurs 5 times in Jude 12-13.

As we noted, in Jude 14, Enoch prophesied against these unrepentant, unregenerate people living on the earth at the time of Jesus Christ’s Second advent who are “like” these unregenerate Jewish Zealots living in the first century A.D. whose character is described in Jude 12-13.

Therefore, Jude 14-15 quotes 1 Enoch 1:9 and asserts that the Lord Jesus Christ will return to planet earth at His Second Advent with myriads of His angels in order to judge each and every unrepentant, unregenerate human being living on the earth because of each and every one of their ungodly actions and words.

These verses are comparing the judgment of these individuals with the judgment of the unregenerate Jewish Zealots living during the first century A.D. who were attempting to persuade the Jewish Christian community in Judaea to join them in their revolt against Rome in order to usher in the kingdom of God on the earth.

They are asserting that the Lord Jesus Christ will judge every unrepentant, unregenerate human being on the earth at His Second Advent by convicting each and every one of them because of their ungodly actions and words.