At the time that Jude wrote his epistle to those who are sanctified or set apart by God the Father, preserved in Jesus Christ, and called. He exhorts them to contend earnestly for the Faith, and warns them of the coming judgment.
The incidents he records are historical incidents that transpired in the history of God’s dealings with mankind. Speaking first of how the Lord having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroying them that believed not. v5
In verse 6, we read of the angels who kept not their first estate. Angels are messengers or ministers, and this verse explains what happened in Numbers, chapter 16, in the case of Korah, Dathan and Abiram. They were not satisfied to continue the work to which, they were appointed, but desired the priesthood, which was not theirs but was given to the Levites. The Judgment of God fell upon them when the earth opened and swallowed them, consequently they are reserved in the chains of darkness mentioned by Jude, awaiting the judgment of the Great Day. Another proof that it is a historical fact that Jude refers to, is fully illustrated by verse 7, for direct mention is, made of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.
In verse 8, he gives warning to those who are disobedient and defile themselves and are in danger of coming under similar judgment.
There is a very striking illustration in verse 9, of how the servants of God should re-act to matters of evil report and false rumours brought against them, because Moses acted the part of an humble servant of God in not taking vengeance in his own hands, but leaving it to God to judge their cause, as God did in this instance, by destroying the adversary.
In verse 14, Enoch is mentioned. Here we have an illustration of the fact that Enoch was a prophet and his prophecy extended into the far distant future. He saw the Lord coming with ten thousands of his saints, and it required this long interval of time to develop this great multitude of saints which he mentions. It is. clearly evident there could not have been ten thousand, perfected from the Adamic creation until the time of Enoch’s prophecy, as Enoch was the seventh generation from Adam. So we must conclude that the judgment mentioned here by Jude, is the judgment of the household at the coming of Christ.
The next part of the chapter is a warning to us, to keep ourselves unspotted from the world, building ourselves up in our most holy faith and praying for God’s help to keep us in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
Now unto Him that is able to keep us from falling and to present us faultless before the presence o f His glory with exceeding joy. To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One