The Second Advent of Jesus Christ in Jude 14-15 (Doctrinal Bible Church in Huntsville, Alabama)

Doctrinal Bible Church

Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom

Wednesday October 20, 2024

The Day of the Lord Series: The Second Advent of Jesus Christ in Jude 14-15

Lesson # 44

The final passage in the New Testament epistles, which we will note that mentions the Second Advent of Jesus Christ is Jude 14-15.

Jude 14 Now, in fact, Enoch, who is the seventh in descent from Adam, prophesied against individuals like these, namely, by asserting, “Look! The Lord is returning with a countless number of His holy ones 15 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.” (Pastor’s translation)

Jude 14-15 contain a quotation from 1 Enoch 1:9 and a prophecy concerning the Second Advent of Jesus Christ and they also compose a single sentence and thought.

These verses are composed of declarative statement followed by a purpose clause with the former asserting 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.

The latter presents the purpose of the former and asserts that the Lord will judge every unrepentant, unregenerate human being living on the earth at the time of His Second Advent.

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

Consequently, these verses serve to emphasize with the Christian community in Judaea that these unregenerate Jewish Zealots will be judged if they do not repent by trusting in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

The fact that Jude 14-15 quotes from 1 Enoch 1:9 simply verifies that the event recorded by the latter is prophetic and by no means indicates that the church was verifying the inspiration of this pseudepigraphic work.

Jude wrote this epistle under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and thus, the Holy Spirit moved him to quote from 1 Enoch 1:9, which speaks of the Second Advent of Jesus Christ.

This verifies that 1 Enoch 1:9 and this event is prophetic and not that 1 Enoch as a whole is prophetic and inspired by God.

Now, one can see that Jude in Jude 14 inserted kyrios (κύριος,), “Lord” when he was quoting 1 Enoch 1:9 because this word does not appear in the latter but rather God is the subject of this prophecy, thus, the insertion of this word would catch the attention of the reader.

Consequently, by recontextualizing 1 Enoch 1:9, Jude is emphasizing that the Lord Jesus Christ will not only execute this judgement described in this prophecy but also implies that He is in fact God.

In Jude 14, the accusative masculine plural singular form of the demonstrative pronoun houtos (οὗτος), “them” refers to the nearest antecedent in the context.

The referent of this word would be the unregenerate Jewish Zealots in Jude’s day and age whose ungodly character is described in Jude 8-13 and who were rebelling against the Roman Empire which occupied Judaea in the first century A.D.

Jude 14 also asserts that accompanying the Lord to the earth at His Second Advent will be a countless number of His holy ones.

The referent of the dative feminine plural form of the adjective hagios (ἅγιος) is the elect angels of Jesus Christ who will return with Him at His Second Advent.

It does not refer to church age believers since the church age was a mystery, which means that it was not known to Old Testament saints like Enoch whose prophecy Jude quotes here in Jude 14-15 (cf. Rom. 16:25; Eph. 5:32).

The teaching of the New Testament makes clear that elect angels will accompany the Lord Jesus Christ to planet earth at His Second Advent (cf. Matt. 13:41; 25:31; Mk. 8:38; 13:27).

It is interesting that the writer in Jude 14-15 quotes this prophecy which appears in 1 Enoch 1:9 regarding the Second Advent of Jesus Christ in order to support his contention that the Lord will judge these unregenerate Jewish Zealots in his day and age in the first century A.D.

This would appear to indicate that Jude believed that the Second Advent was in fact imminent.

Of course, he would also have to have believed that the rapture was imminent as well as since the New Testament writers and in particular Paul, make clear that the rapture, which is the resurrection of the church, precedes the seventieth week of Daniel, which ends with the Second Advent.

However, it is more likely that Jude 14 could be continuing to use similes, which was the case in Jude 12 and 13 where they are clearly implied.

Jude 12 These are like dangerous reefs at your love feasts. Those who for their own selfish interests regularly feast together with all of you without reverence. Those who care only for themselves. These are like waterless clouds, which are carried away by winds. These are like autumnal trees, which are without fruit, which have died twice, which have been uprooted. 13 These are like violent waves, which are produced by the sea, which are foaming out their own selfish shameful actions. These are like wandering stars. The gloom produced by the darkness, which is unique to that which is experienced throughout eternity, is kept for the judgment of these individuals. (Author’s translation)

Human beings are not dangerous reefs, waterless clouds, autumnal trees, violent waves or wandering stars and thus, Jude is making a comparison between these various phenomena of nature and these unregenerate Jewish Zealots in the first century A.D.

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.

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 and 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, who is the seventh in descent from Adam, prophesied against individuals like the Jewish Zealots in the first century A.D. by stating that the Lord Jesus Christ will return at His Second Advent with a countless number of His elect angels in order to execute judgment against 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 unregenerate Jewish 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.

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, the repetition of this concept of ungodliness is also with regards to these unregenerate Jewish Zealots.

It emphasizes that they are unregenerate and totally in opposition to the Lord Jesus Christ like the ungodly people who will be judged by Jesus Christ at His Second Advent.

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

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 elect angels in order to execute judgment against 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.