Jude Series: Jude 10-The Jewish Zealots Were Destroying Themselves Because They Disrespected Angelic Authority Like Irrational Animals

Jude 10 Yet these people slander whatever they do not understand, and the very things they do understand by instinct—as irrational animals do—will destroy them. (NIV)

Jude 10 is composed of a correlative clause which is the followed by a declarative statement.

The correlative clause is composed of two declarative statements and a comparative clause, which modifies the second declarative statement.

The first declarative statement asserts that these unregenerate Jewish Zealots were totally ignorant of the authority of Satan and his angels, and which authority they exercise over all human governmental authority with the exception of the nation of Israel.

The second declarative statement asserts that these individuals for their own selfish interests were comprehending instinctive animal behavior instinctively like irrational animals.

The third and final declarative statement presents the result of or the implication of these two statements.

The third declarative statement asserts that these unregenerate Jewish Zealots were destroying themselves because they were totally ignorant of Satan’s authority over human governmental authority and because they were comprehending instinctive animal behavior instinctively like irrational animals.

The referent of the dative neuter plural form of the demonstrative pronoun houtos (οὗτος), “these things” is two-fold.

First, it refers to these Jewish Zealots being totally ignorant of the fact that Satan and the fallen angels exercise their authority over the human governments of planet earth.

Secondly, it refers to these individuals comprehending irrational animal instincts instinctively like irrational animals.

The prepositional phrase, en toutois (ἐν τούτοις), “these things” presents two reasons why these unregenerate Jewish Zealots in the first century A.D. are in the state of destroying themselves.

The first reason is that these Jewish Zealots being totally ignorant of the fact that Satan and the fallen angels exercise their authority over the human governments of planet earth.

The second reason is that they are comprehending irrational animal instincts instinctively like irrational animals.

The middle voice of the verb phtheirō (φθείρω), “destroy” is a direct middle, which is expressing the volitional responsibility of these unregenerate Jewish Zealots in the first century A.D. who were inciting the citizens of Judaea to rebel against Rome, which they did in 66-70 A.D.

The implication is that they are responsible for their own destruction or in other words, unless, they repent by trusting in Jesus Christ as their Savior, these Jewish Zealots would suffer eternal condemnation because of their own bad decisions.

This revolt led by these unregenerate Jewish Zealots resulted in the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem as well as the city of Jerusalem which was in fulfillment of the prophecy of Daniel 9:26 and the Lord Jesus Christ’s prophecy in Matthew 24:1-2 and Luke 19:41-44.

These unregenerate Jewish Zealots were destroying themselves in the sense that they were bringing the judgment of the Lord Jesus Christ upon themselves for rebelling against Him.

By rebelling against Satan’s authority over human governmental authority, they were rebelling against the Lord Jesus Christ because He temporarily delegated authority to the devil and his angels to rule over unregenerate humanity until He establishes His sovereign authority over the nations at His Second Advent.

Furthermore, they were bringing judgement upon themselves 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 subjugated to Gentile nations until the Second Advent of Jesus Christ.