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

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.” (Lecturer’s translation)

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, he continues his use of the figure of simile.

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 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, as we noted, Jude 15 contains two infinitival purpose clauses.

Both, the infinitive conjugation of the verb poieō (ποιέω), “in order to execute” in the first infinitival clause and the infinitive conjugation of the verb elegchō (ἐλέγχω), “for the purpose of convicting” in the second infinitival clause indicate the purpose or the goal of the action of its controlling verb, which appears in Jude 14.

The latter is the third person singular aorist active indicative conjugation of the verb erchomai (ἒρχομαι), which speaks of Jesus Christ “returning” to planet earth from the throne room of God in the third heaven at His Second Advent.

Therefore, the first infinitival purpose clause indicates that the purpose of the Lord Jesus Christ returning to planet earth at His Second Advent is to execute judgment against each and every unrepentant, unregenerate person living on the earth at the time of His Second Advent of sinning against Him.

The second infinitival purpose clause explains in greater detail the first.

Therefore, the second is describing specifically exactly what Jude means when he asserts that the Lord will return to planet earth in order to execute judgment against each and every person living on the earth at His Second Advent.

Consequently, it is describing this judgment as the Lord convicting each and every one of these individuals of sin because of each and every one of their ungodly actions, which they committed in an ungodly manner.

Secondly, it is describing this judgment as the Lord convicting each and every one of these individuals of sin because of each and every one of their harsh words, which they have spoken against Him during the course of their lives.

Now, the noun krisis (κρίσις), “judgment” which appears in the first purpose clause, pertains to the act of judging a person which results in a legal or moral determination.

In context, this word speaks of the judgment of every unrepentant, unregenerate human being living on the earth at the time of Jesus Christ’s Second Advent.

This will result in the elect angels removing these individuals from the earth where they will be placed temporarily in torments (cf. Lk. 16:19-31).

Eventually, they will appear at the Great White Throne Judgment at the end of human history where they will receive the execution of their sentence to experience eternal condemnation in the lake of fire (cf. Rev. 20:11-15).

They receive this judgment because of their rejection of Jesus Christ as their Savior since sinners cannot under any circumstances enter into a relationship or fellowship with a holy God without a mediator, who is Jesus Christ (cf. 1 Tim. 2:5).

They need a mediator and a Savior because every person in the human race-past, present and future, is a sinner by nature and practice (cf. Rom. 1-3).

The sinner who trusts in Jesus Christ as their Savior is declared justified by God the Father and simultaneously, receives the forgiveness of sins, eternal life and has been entered into an eternal relationship with the Trinity.

Furthermore, at the moment of justification, they are identified with Jesus Christ in His crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and session at the right hand of the Father through the baptism of the Spirit.

In the first purpose clause the verb poieō (ποιέω), “in order to execute” pertains to carrying out or performing an action which is in compliance with a legal sentence.

In context, it refers to the Lord Jesus Christ executing the sentence of eternal condemnation against every unrepentant, unregenerate human being living on the earth at the time of His Second Advent.

Furthermore, the referent of the genitive masculine plural form of the adjective pas (πᾶς), “each and every person” are unrepentant, unregenerate members of the human race who are living on the earth at the time of Jesus Christ’s Second Advent and it is used in a distributive sense emphasizing no exceptions.

This word is the object of the preposition kata (κατά), which is functioning here as a marker of opposition.

Therefore, this prepositional phrase is expressing the idea that the Lord Jesus Christ will return to planet earth at His Second Advent in order to execute judgment “against” each and every unrepentant, unregenerate person living on the earth at that time.

Now, in Jude 15, the noun psychē (ψυχή), “person” pertains to a human being as a living soul or being or in other words, it pertains to an entity with personhood.

Specifically, it refers to an unrepentant, unregenerate person living on the earth at the time of Jesus Christ’s Second Advent.

This word is modified by the accusative feminine singular form of the adjective pas (πᾶς), which means “each and every” since the word pertains to any one of a totality and is used in a distributive sense emphasizing no exceptions.

Therefore, it is expressing the idea that “each and every” unrepentant, unregenerate person will be judged by the Lord Jesus Christ at His Second Advent “without exception.”