Jude Series: Jude 18-Mockers Will Conduct Themselves According to Their Ungodly Desires During the Last Days

Jude 17 But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. 18 They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” (NIV)

Now, as we noted Jude 18 presents the content of the prophetic words, which were communicated to and for the benefit of the recipients of this epistle by the apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ.

It asserts that during the last period of history, mockers will, as a certainty, live for their own selfish interests because they will, as a certainty, for their own selfish interests, conduct their lives according to their own desires, which are ungodly.

Jude 18 also presents the reason for the command in Jude 17 which we noted required that all of the recipients of this epistle bring into remembrance the prophetic words, which have been communicate for the benefit of them by the apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, this indicates that they must bring into remembrance these prophetic words “because” during the last period of time, mockers will as a certainty live for their own selfish interests because they will, as a certainty, for their own selfish interests conduct their lives according to their own desires, which are ungodly.

The noun chronos(χρόνος), “times” pertains to a period of time marked by specific attributes or activities and here it is referring to the period of human history which is between the First and Second Advents of Jesus Christ.

Jude 18 asserts that this period will be marked by people who will mock the apostolic teaching that the Lord Jesus Christ will personally establish the kingdom of God on the earth at His Second Advent.

It also asserts that they will live for their own selfish interests because they will for their own selfish interests conduct their lives according to their own desires, which are ungodly.

This word chronos(χρόνος), “times” is modified by the adjective eschatos (ἔσχατος), “last” which is describing the period of human history, which is between the First and Second Advents of Jesus Christ in that it is describing this period as the “last” period in human history.

This period is “last” in a two-fold sense.

First, it is the “last” because it is the last period of history in which Satan is ruling this world along with his angels.

Secondly, it is “last” because it is the last period of history before the kingdom of God is established on the earth by the Lord Jesus Christ at His Second Advent.

The noun empaiktēs(ἐμπαίκτης), “mockers” pertains to someone who jeers, mocks or treats something with contempt and thus, the word speaks of one who makes fun of something by mocking it.

The noun empaiktēs(ἐμπαίκτης) appears in 2 Peter 3:3 in relation to those who will mock the apostolic teaching that the Lord Jesus Christ will Himself establish the kingdom of God on the earth at His Second Advent.

In fact, 2 Peter 3:2-4 echoes Jude 17-18 and actually identifies for the reader of the latter exactly what unrepentant, unregenerate people will be mocking during the last days, namely, the apostolic teaching that the Lord Jesus Christ at His Second Advent will establish the kingdom of God on the earth.

As was the case in Jude 16, the verb poreuomai (πορεύομαι), “who will follow” here in Jude 18 means “to conduct one’s life in a particular manner.”

In Jude 16, it was used to describe the unregenerate Jewish Zealots in the first century A.D. who were attempting to persuade the Jewish Christian community in Judaea to join them in rebelling against Rome in order to usher in the kingdom of God on the earth.

In Jude 18, it is used of those individuals living during the last days who will mock the apostolic teaching that the Lord Jesus Christ Himself will personally establish the kingdom of God on the earth at His Second Advent.

This word functions as a causal participle, which indicates that it is presenting the reason why these mockers will live for their own selfish interests during the last days.

They will do so “because” they will as a certainty for their own selfish interests conduct their lives according to their own desires, which are ungodly.

Furthermore, the present tense of this verb is a futuristic present tense, which is expressing “the certainty” that these these mockers who will live for their own selfish interests during the last days will conduct their lives according to their own desires, which are ungodly.

The noun asebeia (ἀσέβεια), “ungodly” pertains to living in a manner which dishonors God and is irreverent towards Him and pertains to unrighteousness by virtue of not giving proper respect for God and His laws.

Specifically, it speaks of not giving God proper respect for Him by not practicing the command to love God with one’s entire being and strength and the command to love one’s neighbor as oneself.

The description of these Jewish Zealots as conducting their lives for their own selfish interests according to their own desires, which are ungodly echoes the third description of these individuals in Jude 16.

Jude 16 These people are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage. (NIV)

So therefore, the contents of Jude 17 are commanding the recipients of this letter to bring into remembrance the prophetic words, which had been communicating to the Christian community in Judaea orally by the apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jude 18 presents the content of this prophecy and the reason for the command in Jude 17.

It asserts that during the last period of history, mockers will as a certainty live for their own selfish interests because they will as a certainty for their own selfish interests conduct their lives according to their own desires, which are ungodly.

A comparison of Jude 17-18 with Jude 14-15 as well as 2 Peter 2:3 reveals that the prophecy asserts that during the last days there will be people who will reject the apostolic teaching that the Lord Jesus Christ Himself will personally establish the kingdom of God on the earth at His Second Advent.

These Zealots were just like these people who will be judged by the Lord at His Second Advent for two reasons.

First they rejected the apostolic teaching that He Himself will personally establish the kingdom of God on the earth at His Second Advent.

Secondly, they were attempting to lead a rebellion of the Jewish people against Rome with pretext of ushering in the kingdom of God on the earth.

Now, when Jude commands the Jewish Christian community in Judaea in verse 17 to bring into remembrance this prophecy in this verse, he does not want them to simply recall this prophecy but rather he also wants them to make an application to this situation which they were facing with these unregenerate Jewish Zealots.

The application would clearly be that they reject these attempts of the Jewish Zealots to get them to join their rebellion because it is totally opposed to the teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ and His apostles.

Thus, it would be against the will of God for their lives to join this rebellion since the teaching of the Lord and His apostles reveals the will of the Father, which was to establish His kingdom on the earth through His one and only Son, Jesus Christ alone.