Jude Series: Jude 12b-The Second and Third Metaphors to Describe Jewish Zealots

Jude 12 These are 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 waterless clouds, which are carried away by winds. These are autumnal trees, which are without fruit, which have died twice, which have been uprooted. (Lecturer’s translation)

Like Jude 4, 8, 10 and 11, Jude 12 is describing the unregenerate Jewish Zealots in Jude’s day and age in the first century A.D. who were rebelling against Rome in order to bring in the kingdom of God on earth.

This seventh triad is composed of three metaphors, which describe these unregenerate Jewish Zealots.

The first describes these individuals as “dangerous reefs” and the second describes these Jewish Zealots as “waterless clouds,” and the third and final metaphor describes these individuals as “autumnal trees.”

Each of these three metaphors and nine descriptions of these unregenerate Jewish Zealots serve as a solemn warning to the Christian community in Judaea regarding these people.

Specifically, each is a solemn warning to the Christian community in Judaea to avoid these individuals who were attempting to persuade them into joining their revolt, which is against the will of God.

Their rebellion against Rome was against the will of the Father because by rebelling against Satan’s authority over human governmental authority, they were rebelling against the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Lord temporarily delegated authority to the devil and his angels to rule over unregenerate humanity with the exception of Israel until He establishes His sovereign authority over all the nations of the earth at His Second Advent.

Furthermore, their rebellion was against the will of the Father because they were attempting to establish the kingdom of God on earth apart from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Also, they were bringing judgment upon themselves because both the Old and New Testament teaches that the nation of Israel is to be subjugated to Gentile nations until the Second Advent of Jesus Christ.

As we noted, the first description of these unregenerate Jewish Zealots in Jude 12 presents the first of three metaphors which describe them in greater detail.

It asserts that these individuals are like dangerous reefs who attend the love feasts of the Christian community in Judaea.

As we noted, the fourth description of these unregenerate Jewish Zealots in Jude 12 presents the second metaphor and describes these individuals as waterless clouds.

This description indicates that these rebellious individuals appeared to be Christians who worshipped Jesus Christ but did not just like waterless clouds, which appear to have water droplets in them but do not.

They appear to be Christians but do not possess the Spirit of God who pours the love of God in the hearts of a believer through the communication of the Word of God (cf. Rom. 5:5), which is needed in order to worship the Lord Jesus Christ.

As we noted, the fifth description of these unregenerate Jewish Zealots in Jude 12 further develops the fourth metaphor and describes these unregenerate Jewish Zealots as being carried away by winds.

It is figuratively describing these individuals as being carried away by the lies of Satan and his kingdom so as not to worship Jesus Christ as their Savior and King.

It is describing these unregenerate Jewish Zealots as being carried away from worshipping Jesus Christ as their Savior and King by the lies of Satan and his cosmic system just like clouds which are carried by the wind.

The sixth description presents the third and final metaphor and describes these unregenerate Jewish Zealots as being like autumnal trees.

The seventh description develops the sixth and makes explicit what is implied by the sixth.

Together, they teach that like autumnal trees, which are longer bearing fruit, these individuals were not bearing fruit, which is a metaphorical reference to the fact that unregenerate Jewish Zealots did not bear fruit to God.

In the gospels, unregenerate Israel is described as being like a fig tree that does not bear fruit (cf. Matt. 21:19; Luke 13:6-9).

Thus, the parable of the barren fig tree in Luke 13:6-8 and Jesus cursing a barren fig tree in Matthew 21:18-22 would serve as a condemnation to these unregenerate Jewish Zealots who did not bear fruit to God because of their rejection of Jesus of Nazareth as their Savior and King.

As we also noted, the eighth description develops the third metaphor further and describes these Jewish Zealots as having died twice, which is an idiom for being dead spiritually twice.

This means that these Jewish Zealots were dead spiritually and will experience after their physical death the perpetuation of this spiritual death in the eternal lake of fire which is described in Revelation 20:5 as “the second death.”

Thus, this description of these individuals prophesying that they will suffer eternal condemnation since these individuals were still physically alive when Jude wrote this epistle.

However, if they repent by changing their attitude toward Jesus Christ and trust in Him as their Savior and King, they will be delivered from eternal condemnation in the lake of fire.

The implication of this eighth description is that the Christian community in Judaea was unaware or ignorant of the fact that these Zealots who were attending their love feasts were also unregenerate who will suffer after their physical death the second death, which is eternal condemnation in the lake of fire if they don’t repent by trusting in Jesus Christ as their Savior and King.

Lastly, as we noted, the ninth and final description of these unregenerate Jewish Zealots further develops the third metaphor and describes them as having been uprooted.

It is describing them as being uprooted like a tree uprooted from the ground including its roots.

This is another figurative reference to these individuals being spiritually dead who will eventually suffer after their physical death the second death in the lake of fire if they don’t repent by trusting in Jesus Christ as their Savior.

The passive voice of this verb ekrizoō (ἐκριζόω) is a divine passive which emphasizes that these Jewish Zealots have been uprooted “by God” because they are spiritually dead and will suffer after their physical death the second death in the lake of fire if they don’t repent by trusting in His Son Jesus Christ as their Savior.

The last six descriptions and last two metaphors, which appear in Jude 12, make clear that these Jewish Zealots were unregenerate or in other words, they were not saved and not declared justified by the Father through faith in His one and only Son Jesus Christ.

As we noted Jude 4 describes these individuals as “ungodly,” which also means they were unregenerate.

Also, further indicating that these Zealots were unregenerate is Jude 13, which asserts that eternal darkness has been reserved for these individuals.

Further indicating that these Zealots mentioned in the epistle of Jude are unregenerate is Jude 19, which asserts that these individuals are devoid of the Spirit.

That these Jewish Zealots were unregenerate is also indicated by the fact that Jude 14-15 asserts that these individuals will be judged just like those who will rebel against the Lord under Antichrist during the seventieth week of Daniel will be judged by the Lord at His Second Advent since the Lord only judges the unregenerate at His Second Advent.

Lastly, that these Zealots in the epistle of Jude are unregenerate is indicated by the fact that Jude does not instruct the recipients of this letter to practice church discipline with regards to them by avoiding these individuals.

The Lord Jesus Christ taught His disciples that they were to avoid an unrepentant child of God by not experiencing fellowship with them if they refuse to repent after going through the three stages of church discipline which are mapped out by the Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew 18:15-17.

Also, in 1 Corinthians 5 and 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15, Paul instructs the church to practice church discipline with regards to apostate Christians by refusing to fellowship with them if they refuse to repent after going through the three stages of church discipline which are mapped out by the Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew 18:15-17.