Jude Series: Jude 15b-The Lord Jesus Christ Will Return at His Second Advent In Order To Convict 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.

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.

It 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.

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.

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.

In the second purpose clause, the verb elegchō (ἐλέγχω), “for the purpose of convicting” refers to the Lord Jesus Christ bringing each and every unrepentant, unregenerate person living on the earth at the time of His Second Advent to the point of recognizing that they have committed sin against Him.

It speaks of the Lord proving or demonstrating to each of these individuals that they are guilty of sinning against Him.

As we noted, there are two causal clauses, which appear in the second purpose clause and are expressed by a prepositional phrase, which correspond to each other.

The first asserts that the Lord Jesus Christ will judge every unrepentant, unregenerate at His Second Advent because of each and every one of their ungodly actions, which they committed in an ungodly manner.

The second asserts that He will also judge them because of each and every one of their harsh words, they have spoken against Him.

These two prepositional phrases correspond to each other because together they constitute the reason why the Lord Jesus Christ will execute judgment against each and every unrepentant, unregenerate human being living on the earth at the time of His Second Advent.

Not only will they be judged by the Lord because of their ungodly actions but also because of their ungodly words they have spoken against Him during the course of their lives.

The noun ergon (ἒργον), “actions” speaks in a collective sense of the actions of every unrepentant, unregenerate person living on the earth at the time of Jesus Christ’s Second Advent, which they committed during the course of their entire lives.

It is modified by the genitive neuter plural form of the adjective pas (πᾶς), “each and every one” and thus both words speak of “each and every action” committed by every unrepentant, unregenerate person on the earth during the course of their entire lives.

Also, in this second purpose clause, 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.

Also, in this purpose clause, the verb asebeō (ἀσεβέω), “they committed in an ungodly manner” pertains to not giving proper respect for Jesus Christ and His commands and prohibitions.

In other words, it speaks of not giving the Lord proper respect because of rejecting Him as one’s Lord and Savior, which results in ungodly behavior.

Therefore, this verb speaks of these individuals committing ungodly actions in an ungodly manner, which are in disobedience to the Lord Jesus Christ’s command to trust in Him as Savior and to love Him with one’s entire being and strength and one’s neighbor as oneself.

Now, in the second causal clause which appears in the second purpose clause, we noted that the adjective sklēros (σκληρός), “harsh” pertains to being harsh or possibly cruel in one’s behavior towards Jesus Christ.

The adjective hamartolos (ἁμαρτωλός), “sinners” in this second causal clause pertains to a person who has disobeyed any one of God’s commands or any duty He requires of them.

Thus, it speaks of a person who does not love God with one’s entire being and strength and also one’s neighbor as oneself.

It is used here of every unrepentant, unregenerate people living at the time of Jesus Christ’s Second Advent and describes their actions or conduct as violating God’s laws and describes their conduct as not meeting God’s perfect, holy standards.

The word describes them as those who have missed the mark of the absolute perfection of God’s character, which is His holiness that was perfectly manifested by His Son Jesus Christ during His First Advent.

Since the unregenerate person does not measure up to the perfect standards of a holy God, he is an enemy of God.

This word indicates they are enslaved to the indwelling Adamic sin nature and thus totally and completely governed by the old Adamic sin nature, which results in spiritual death.

This means that they have no capacity whatsoever to have a relationship and fellowship with a holy God.

This word is also related to the first three of the Ten Commandments since it is used in relation to God’s one and only Son, Jesus Christ.

Thus, unrepentant, unregenerate humanity living at the time of Jesus Christ’s Second Advent are sinful toward Him because they worshipped other gods, like the Antichrist and were thus involved in idolatry.

The adjective hamartolos (ἁμαρτωλός) is modified by the adjective asebēs (ἀσεβής), “ungodly” pertains to lacking proper veneration and respect and practice toward the Lord Jesus Christ.

It used of every unrepentant, unregenerate human being living on the earth at the time of His Second Advent and describes them as being “irreverent” or having no reverence for Him at all and also emphasizes the attitude of the unregenerate toward Him.

This word is also a sin against God and thus corresponds also to the first three of the Ten Commandments and thus, those who are irreverent toward the Lord do so by worshipping other gods, and are thus involved in idolatry.