Jude 6a-The Interpretation of the Actions of the Sons of God in Genesis 6.2 and 4
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Sunday May 15, 2022
Jude Series: Jude 6a-The Interpretation of the Actions of the Sons of God in Genesis 6:2 and 4
Lesson # 23
Jude 5 Now, I am prompted to desire to cause each and every one of you to be reminded (even though each of you are possessing a thorough knowledge about each of these examples) that Jesus, sometime after having delivered the people out from the land that is Egypt, destroyed those who would not believe. 6 Correspondingly, He is keeping by means of eternal chains under the control of total supernatural darkness for the purpose of executing the judgment during the great day of those who entered into the state of not keeping their own sphere of activity but in fact abandoned their own place of habitation. (Lecturer’s translation)
Now, Jude 6 is properly interpreted by comparing its contents with the contents of Genesis 6:1-8, 2 Peter 2:4-5 as well as 1 Peter 3:18-20, which is indicated by the fact that each of these three passages discuss the actions of fallen angels in relation to the judgment of the world-wide flood during the days of Noah.
The period from the fall of Adam to the flood of Noah is called by theologians, “the antediluvian” period.
Secondly, there is a connection between Jude 6 and Genesis 6:1-8 as well as connection between Jude 6 and 2 Peter 2:4-5.
This is indicated by the fact that the condemnation of the angels described in Jude 6 is fitting in light the actions of “the sons of God” and the Nephilim in Genesis 6:1-8.
Thirdly, like 2 Peter 2:4, Jude 6 describes these angels as presently chained under the control of total supernatural darkness and kept incarcerated until the day that their sentence of experiencing eternal condemnation is executed at the Great White Throne Judgment (Rev. 20:10-15).
Therefore, Genesis 6:1-8, 1 Peter 3:18-20, 2 Peter 2:4-5 and Jude 6 are all speaking about a rebellion of some of Satan’s fallen angels during the antediluvian period.
Altogether, these four passages give us the identity of these angels and when in history they rebelled against the Lord and their present place of incarceration as well as the execution of their sentence of eternal condemnation at the Great White Throne Judgment.
Now, as we noted there is a connection between Jude 6 and Genesis 6:1-8 because the condemnation of the angels described in the former is fitting in light the actions of “the sons of God” and the Nephilim in the latter.
Therefore, like Genesis 6:1-8, Jude 6 describes the rebellious actions of these fallen angels.
In fact, Jude 6 interprets the contents of Genesis 6:2, which asserts that “the sons of God saw that the daughters of humans were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose.” (NET)
Jude 6 describes that these actions of “the sons of God” as that of “entering into the state of not keeping their own sphere of activity but rather in fact they abandoned their own place of habitation” (Lecturer’s translation)
Now, as we noted, Jude 6 describes the actions of these fallen angels of Satan as “entering into the state of not keeping their own sphere of activity but rather in fact abandoned their own place of habitation.” (Lecturer’s translation)
There is an emphatic contrast between these two descriptions of these fallen angels who possessed the bodies of unregenerate men during antediluvian period and procreated with women.
Namely, it is between these angels residing in their own sphere of activity and abandoning this sphere of activity or dimension of their habitation which was ordained by God for the angels.
The noun archē pertains to the sphere of activity of a particular species which has been ordained by God.
The referent of this word is the angelic race.
Thus, this word speaks of the sphere of angelic activity, which some of the angels of Satan left during the antediluvian period by possessing the bodies of unregenerate men in order to have sex with unregenerate women.
This we noted was an attempt by Satan to prevent the incarnation of the Son of God by corrupting the behavior of the human race so much so that God would have to destroy the entire human race and thus prevent the Son of God from becoming a human being.
This word archē does not pertain to the sphere of authority of these angels since Satan and the fallen angels do have authority over all of sinful humanity as a result of the fall Adam and the Women in the Garden of Eden.
This is also supported by the fact that Satan is the god of this world according to 2 Corinthians 4:4 and the leader of this rebellion against God by a third of His angels according to Revelation 12:4.
Furthermore, Satan and his angels have power over all of unregenerate humanity according to 1 John 5:19.
Thus, these fallen angels who possessed the bodies of men in order to have sex with unregenerate women during the antediluvian period were not departing from their sphere of authority over these women but were in fact departing from their sphere of activity which prohibited them from possessing the bodies of men in order to experience sex with these women.
The articular construction of this noun archē is employed with the genitive masculine plural form of the reflexive pronoun heautou in order to denote possession emphasizing the idea that this sphere of this activity is the ‘possession” of these fallen angels.
The reflexive pronoun heautou is emphasizing the voluntary action of these fallen angels leaving the sphere of angelic activity in order to prevent the incarnation of the Son of God by possessing the bodies of unregenerate men in order to have sex with unregenerate women so as to produce evil offspring to corrupt the antediluvian culture.
The noun oikētērion (οἰκητήριον), “place of habitation” pertains to a particular level of existence and thus speaks of the dimension in which these angels and all angels for that matter conduct their activities.
Therefore, since the word is used of angels it speaks of the dimension in which the angels conduct their activities and which dimension cannot be seen by human beings unless God permits.
Also, this noun is modified by the adjective idios (ἴδιος), “their own” which pertains to being the exclusive property of someone.
Therefore, this word is expressing the idea that this dimension or place in which the angels conduct their activities is their “exclusive property.”
Furthermore, the verb apoleipō (ἀπολείπω) pertains to giving up something with the intent of never claiming it again.
It pertains to departing from a point definitively, with the possible implication of abandoning or deserting.
This word speaks of departing from a place, with a suggestion of finality.
Therefore, this verb apoleipō is expressing the idea that some of the fallen angels led by Satan during the antediluvian period “abandoned” their place of habitation or dimension of habitation in the sense that they departed from it with no intention of returning.
So therefore, a comparison of Genesis 6:2 and 4 with 1 Peter 3:18-20 and 2 Peter 2:4-5 indicates that Jude 6 is describing some of the fallen angels of Satan rebelling against God during the antediluvian period by possessing the bodies of unregenerate men in order to have sex with women.
The purpose of which was to corrupt the behavior of the human race through this offspring of the sexual union between these demon possessed men and unregenerate women, and which offspring were called “the Nephilim.”
The purpose of corrupting the behavior of the human race was to cause God to judge the entire human race.
Thus, this would prevent God from fulfilling His promise to Adam and Eve to provide them an offspring who would deliver them from sin and Satan.
In other words, it would prevent the incarnation of the Son of God who would destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8).