Mockers in the Last Time
But, beloved,
remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord
Jesus Christ; How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time,
who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.
These be they who separate
themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit (Jude 17-19).
Verses seventeen through nineteen conclude Jude’s remarks on the apostasy
prophesied to prevail throughout Christendom in the latter days. In this passage we are introduced to “mockers,” who are
specifically associated with “the last
time.” The apostles had
previously spoken of their appearance (cf.
1Tim.4: 1-3; 2 Tim. 4: 1-4; 2 Thess.2: 2, 3), and their appearance near the close of the age results from the terminal
corrupting process of the leaven (“... till the whole was leavened”) placed in the three measures of meal by the woman in Matt. 13: 33.
From the place which these mockers occupy in Jude, it seems evident that
Satan has reserved his most corrupt work for that period of time when the
Church will have reached its most corrupt state.
The spiritually destitute condition of the Church in the end-time is not a
state into which the Church is yet to move, except for the fact that the leaven
is still working, producing further corruption.
We are living during the time prophesied in Scripture when the leavening
process has already worked into the entire mass. We’re living during the time immediately
preceding Christ’s return when the prophesied apostasy of Scripture is rapidly,
nearing its pinnacle. We’re living
during the Laodicean period of Revelation, chapters two and three; and the
present spiritual condition of the Church, typified by the spiritual condition
of the Laodicean Church, is described by the words, “wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and
naked” (Rev. 3: 14ff). It is in these days, in the very
time during which we live, that the “mockers” from Jude appear.
Mockers
Jude’s point of termination for his discourse on apostasy is
the same point of termination which Peter records in the parallel section of
his second epistle. This, of course, is
easy to understand, for the Holy Spirit moved both of these men to write about
the same thing, revealing the end of the matter through both men. These are the words of Peter and Jude only
insofar as they were the human instruments used to record the words. These passages are, as all Scripture, the
very Word of God. God Himself, near the
beginning of the Church Age, revealed through Peter and Jude exactly how
conditions would be at the end of the Church Age, immediately preceding His
Son’s return.
2 Peter 3:1-13 forms the parallel section to Jude 17-19.
In the Authorized Version of Scripture, the word, “scoffers” appears in 2 Peter (v. 3) rather than the word “mockers” as in Jude. However,
the same word (empaiktes) appears in
both passages in the Greek text; and there should be no difference in the way
it is understood, for both passages refer to the same individuals, etc. Empaiktes
means to “mock,” “ridicule,”
“make fun of,” “scoff
at.” The only other appearance of
this word in the New Testament is in its verb form (empaizo) in the gospel accounts.
With two exceptions (Matt.
2: 16; Luke 14: 29), empaizo is used in these
accounts only in passages describing the degradation which Christ endured at
the hands of both the Roman soldiers and the religious leaders in Israel during
His trial and crucifixion (cf.
Matt. 20: 19; 27:
29, 31, 41; Mark 10: 34; 15: 20, 31; Luke 18: 32; 22: 63; 23: 11, 36). The same basic thought is in view throughout all these references,
including 2 Peter 3: 3 and Jude 18. Mockers, in the Word of God, are those who “belittle,” “ridicule,”
“scorn,” “make light
of” both the living Word and the written Word.
A cognate form of empaiktes is
the word paizo used in 1 Cor. 10: 7 (the only, appearance of this word
in the N.T.). This word means “amuse” or “play” and
is itself closely, related to the word pais,
meaning “child.” Thus, the thought behind paizo has to do with “acting as a child,”
“child-like,” etc. Moving the thought of “acting as a child” into the rationale of the mockers
in 2 Peter 3: 3 and Jude 18 will illustrate one facet of their actions.
Another facet of their actions can be derived from the way paizo is used in 1 Cor. 10: 7.
Events in this passage have to do with the time in the wilderness of
Sinai when the Israelites reveled in pagan idolatry (Ex. 32;
1ff). They “sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play” (a direct quotation from Ex. 32: 6). This occurred after Moses had
been away from the camp, in the Mount, for many days. The people “saw that Moses delayed
to come down out of the mount,” and their thoughts
turned toward new leadership. They
desired to make a god (Elohim [cf, vv. 1, 4,
8, 23, 31], same Hebrew word used for the one True and Living God throughout the O.T.) who would “go before” them, for they
didn’t know what had become of
Moses. A “molten calf” was formed to serve as
their god (their Elohim), sacrifices
were offered to this calf, and within the festivities surrounding these
sacrifices there were times of eating and drinking. The people rising up to play was associated
with the gay times of dancing, etc. attending such festivities. All of these were performed after the manner,
customs, and idolatrous practices of the Egyptians.
Moses in the Mount, away
from the camp of
Thus, putting these
things together, the “mockers” in 2 Peter and Jude are seen as individuals who have not only stood
away from “the faith” but their
actions are associated with both those of a child and those of the world.
They, in their ofttimes pretence of exhibiting a spiritually mature,
superior knowledge, in reality exhibit a carnally immature, inferior knowledge (cf. 2
Peter 2:18; Jude 16).
They, as their counterparts in the wilderness of Sinai during Moses’ day, revel, not in the things of God, but in the things of the world. They have rejected the wisdom that comes from
above and resorted to that which is base, from below.
Divisive, Sensual
The mockers who appear in “the last time” are said to “separate themselves [lit. ‘cause divisions’]” (Jude 19a). They, through their false doctrines, cause schisms among Christians,
seeking to overthrow the faith of
those whom Jude is warning. They
themselves are no longer earnestly striving with reference to
“the faith”; and their efforts are directed toward, not those in the arena which they
now occupy, but those in the arena which they left.
The method which they
use to produce divisions among Christians, according to 2 Peter 3: 4, is questioning the Word of
God. Through their “great swelling words” they make light of what God has promised in His Word; and Peter,
introducing his message on apostates, stated that many would follow the “pernicious ways” of men such as these, “by reason
of whom the way of truth” would be “evil spoken of.” These apostates have defiled their
own garments; and, through “damnable
heresies,” they seek to lead other Christians to do the same (2 Peter 2: 1, 2, 18).
These mockers are further
described as being “sensual, having not the Spirit”
(Jude 19b). The word “sensual” is a translation of the
Greek word psuchikos, meaning “soulical,” “natural.” The soul is that part of man associated with
the natural life. The soul is the seat
of a person’s emotions, feelings, and desires pertaining to his man-conscious
existence. Christians possess an
unredeemed soul, and Christians resorting to the soulical nature are following
the man of flesh rather than the man of spirit. […]
These are “apostates” - believers who
have stood
away from “the faith.” The thought centers around the fact
that here are individuals who, within their apostasy, now “mock” the things of God, they
follow the ways of the man of flesh, and the Spirit of God has nothing to do
with the entire matter. The leaven has
done its work, everything is alien to the Spirit’s control, and these apostates are completely estranged
from the Spirit’s work in their lives.*
[* See G. H. Lang’s ‘The Personal Indwelling of the Holy Spirit’.]
Their Message
1. Where is the Promise of His Coming?
The pseudo message
proclaimed by the mockers who appear during the latter days is given in 2 Peter 3: 4.
This message involves a
naturalistic, uniformitarian outlook which smacks at the very heart of all
prophetic Scripture: “Where is the promise of his coming?
for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the
beginning of the creation.”
This message sequentially appears immediately following Enoch’s
prophecy. Enoch prophesied during the
days before the Flood - five millenniums ago - concerning the very return which
the mockers of the end-time deny.
Enoch’s prophecy pertained to a judgment which would come upon the
mockers, other apostates, and all other Christians - faithful and unfaithful
alike - at the time of Christ’s return.
The Lord is going to “judge his
people”; and Scripture states, concerning
Christians in relation to this
judgment, “It is a fearful thing to fall into
the hands of the living God” (Heb. 10: 30, 31; cf. 1 Cor. 3: 11-15; 2 Cor. 5: 10, 11). Many Christians deny that such judgment will occur, but the mockers
carry this one step further and deny the very return of Christ to bring about
this judgment. They deny Enoch’s
prophecy in toto.
God, in His Word, is very specific and clear concerning the fact of His
Son’s return. Jesus will return; and insofar as Scripture is concerned,
that’s the end of the matter. The
subject is not open for discussion. Jesus’ words, “And if I go ... I
will come again” (John 14: 3), mean exactly what they say. He has gone away to prepare a place for
Christians, fulfilling the first part of this verse; and He will come again to receive Christians unto Himself,
fulfilling the latter part of this verse.
His departure, as Moses’ departure into the mount, was fulfilled in a
literal manner; and His return, as Moses’ return back to the camp, will,
likewise, be fulfilled in a literal
manner. Moses, prior to his
departure, promised that he would return, and he did (Ex. 24: 15; 32: 15ff); Christ, prior to His
departure, promised that He would return, and He will (John 14: 3; 1 Thess. 4: 16, 17).*
[* Note the time of Christ’s return and what
must take place beforehand: Matt. 24: 29;
Mark 13: 24-26; Luke 21: 27.]
The mockers, however, in
spite of all the great prophecies of Scripture, ridicule and belittle the
doctrine of Christ’s return. Their
reasoning is built around a naturalistic, uniformitarian premise that nothing
has changed since the creation of the heavens and the earth, and nothing is
going to change. Time, as we know it,
will continue on and on uninterrupted.
God is not going to intervene in the affairs of man. He has not so done in the past, nor will He
so do in the future. This is their
reasoning, but this is not at all in accord with what the Word of God has to
say about the matter.
2. Willingly Ignorant
The interesting point
which Scripture reveals concerning these mockers and their message is the fact
that they are willingly ignorant concerning
their false claims of uniformitarian theology.
The word “ignorant” in the Greek text is lanthano, which
means to “escape notice,” or “be hidden.”
They have willingly allowed what Scripture has to say about the matter to
escape their notice, be hidden from them. They are in a position to understand
God’s Word. They possess a saved human
spirit into which the Word of God can be received ... but
they have resorted to the soulical man, rejecting the leadership of the Holy
Spirit in their lives (Jude 19). Through this means, they have
willingly allowed a veil to be placed over their eyes (cf. 2 Cor. 4: 3-5).*
[* This condition finally comes to pass upon those who are
continually disobedient to the Word of God.
See, 2 Pet. 2: 21. cf. Heb. 12:
14, 15; Num. 13: 31, etc,. When this happens, “the
last state of that man becometh worse than the first:” (Luke 11: 26, R.V.). “And the Spirit of the Lord departed
from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him:” (1 Kings 16: 14, LXX.). “We must OBEY God rather than men!” … “We are witnesses of these things,” said Peter, “and so is the Holy
Spirit, whom God has given to THOSE
WHO OBEY HIM:” (Acts 5: 29, 32, N.I.V.). See also
David’s prayer after his restoration: “Create in
me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take
your Holy Spirit from me:” Psalm 51: 10, 11, N.I.V.). And
again, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and
renew a right spirit in my inward parts.
Cast not away from thy presence; and remove not thy holy Spirit from me.
Restore me to the joy of thy salvation: establish me with thy directing Spirit:” (LXX). The Holy
Spirit does not indwell or empower any disobedient Christian!]
That which the mockers have willingly allowed to be hidden from them is
something which would expose the entire pseudo uniformitarian claim upon which
their pseudo message rests. They seek to
substantiate their question concerning Christ’s return by that which is itself
false. And the Holy Spirit, through
Peter, showing the utter futility of their ways, exposes their pseudo message
by destroying the false premise upon which it is built. The Holy Spirit draws from Biblical history
to show that all things have not continued “as they were from the beginning of the creation.” God has intervened in the history of this earth in the past (vv. 5, 6). The Holy Spirit then advances this
same thought into the future to show
that all things will not continue indefinitely
as they presently are. God will intervene once again in the
history of this earth (v.7).
3. The World That Then Was
2 Peter 3:
6 has to do with a destruction of the world following its
creation, referred to in verse four. There is some controversy in theological
circles concerning whether this pertains to the pre-Adamic destruction in Gen. 1: 2a or to the post-Adamic destruction
produced by the Flood during Noah’s day. Either of these destructions would
serve to expose the mockers’ false uniformitarian theology in verse four. However, even though this is true, it must be
kept in mind that Scripture at this point is only dealing with one of these
destructions; and it is necessary that the correct destruction be ascertained
in order to properly understand this section of the Word of God. As will be shown, “the world that then was,” refers to the pre-Adamic world, not to the post-Adamic world of Noah’s
day. Peter dealt with the Noachian Flood
in chapter two (v. 5), but in chapter three
he is dealing with something entirely different.
First of all, the text
has to do with a destruction of the earth following its creation, not a
destruction of the earth following its restoration. This destruction came upon a creation which, “by the word of God,” was “of old” (v. 5). These words are a direct allusion to the
creation of the heavens and the earth in verse four, referring to Gen. 1: 1.
The world of Gen. 1: 1 (a kosmos, an orderly arrangement) is the world which was destroyed
(became a chaos) in 2 Peter 3: 6. Gen. 1: 2a, revealing this destruction, forms the Old Testament commentary for 2 Peter 3: 6, not the Flood during Noah’s day.
Second, the parallel
drawn between past and future destructions in 2
Peter 3: 5-7 will show that only the destruction of Gen. 1: 2a can possibly be under consideration
in verse six. The pre-Adamic destruction
was quite different than the post-Adamic destruction during Noah’s day. The destruction of Gen. 1: 2a involved not only the earth but the
heavens also. The light of the sun,
moon, and stars was blotted out (cf. Gen. 1: 2a, 3, 14-19). Nothing comparable to this
occurred during the Noachian Flood. 2 Peter 3: 7, paralleling the past destruction
reveals a future destruction of the earth which will also include the
heavens. Thus, in the sense of parallel
counterparts - past and future - only the destruction of Gen. 1: 2a can be considered in past time.
Further, the emphasis,
and really only matter under consideration in the pre-Adamic destruction was
upon the material creation, as in the future destruction. However, the emphasis or main thrust of the
matter under consideration in the destruction during Noah’s day was upon a
people inhabiting a portion of this material creation - upon the people of the
earth. The pre-Adamic destruction was of
such a nature that God had to restore the heavens and the earth. This He did over the six-day period of Gen. 1: 2b-25. God brought into existence order
out of disorder. He brought into
existence a kosmos out of a chaos. The destruction during Noah’s
day, however, was quite different. The
heavens were untouched, and the earth itself was not destroyed in the same
sense as the destruction in Gen. 1: 2a. No restoration of the earth
followed the Flood during Noah’s day, as in the pre-Adamic destruction, simply
because no restoration was necessary.
4. The Heavens and the Earth, Which Are Now
The expression, “the heavens and the earth, which are
now,” refers to the heavens and the earth existing since the
restoration of Gen. 1: 2b-25. Both the heavens and the earth were destroyed
in the previous destruction, and both will be destroyed in the future
destruction. This future destruction will
occur at the end of the coming Day of the Lord.
The Day of the Lord covers the last three and one-half years of the
Tribulation and the entirety of the Millennium which follows. At the close of the millennial reign of
Christ the present heavens and earth will, through a destructive process, pass
out of existence; and a new heavens and earth will, through a creative process,
be brought into existence (2 Peter
3: 7, 10-13; cf. Isa. 65: 17).
Following the Day of the
Lord, following the time of the destruction and earth and the creation of a new
heavens and earth. - the “day of God” will be ushered in (2 Peter 3: 12). At this time, the Son will deliver
up the “
Mockers in the last days have willingly allowed both Biblical history and
Biblical prophecy to escape their notice.
The leaven in the meal has accomplished its deteriorating work, and this
leaven will be allowed to continue working - the mockers will be allowed to
continue their pseudo message - until Christ Himself returns and puts a stop to
the entire matter. That is, the mockers will be allowed to
continue their pseudo message until the time when the very event which they
have been speaking against occurs. They
will then be brought into judgment, as unfaithful servants, to render an
account.
God has intervened in the affairs of man in the past, and God will
intervene in the affairs of man yet future.
Make no mistake about these matters set forth in Biblical history and
Biblical prophecy.
This One Thing
“But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing,
that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one
day” (2 Peter 3: 8).
Peter’s summation of the
matter concerning “the world that then was” and “the heavens and the earth which are
now” involves a period of time referred to by the expressions “day” and “one thousand years”; and he does not want Christians to be ignorant concerning this time. The
word “ignorant” is a translation of the Greek word lanthano,
the same as in verse five; and the manner in which the prohibition appears
in the Greek text of verse eight indicates that those addressed were, as the
mockers in verse five, allowing something to escape their notice. Literally Peter states, “But, beloved, stop allowing this one thing to escape your notice, that one day is
with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.”
1. One Day, One Thousand Years
The time in verse eight
is to be ascertained by reference to the preceding verses. These preceding verses set forth Biblical
history, as it relates to Biblical prophecy.
This section covers the complete scope of revealed events pertaining to
the heavens and the earth - from the point of their creation, through the time
of their first destruction, to the time of their second and final
destruction. Time, however, does
not come into view until the restoration
of the ruined creation following its first destruction. Behind this is a dateless past, wherein time,
insofar as the revealed scope of time in Scripture is concerned, is not
reckoned. Thus, time in verse eight, within its context, must be recognized to begin at
the point of the restoration of the heavens and the earth (“the heavens and the earth, which are no”) in verse seven.
2 Peter 3:
5-8 can be outlined under four headings: Creation, Ruin, Restoration, and Time. a)
Creation (v. 5b): Parallel 2 Peter 3: 5b with Gen. 1: 1.
“ … by the word of God the heavens
were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water [‘the earth having been placed together out of water and by
water’].”
“In the beginning God created the heaven [‘heavens’]
and the earth.” b) Ruin
(v. 6): Parallel 2 Peter 3: 6 with Gen. 1: 2a.
“Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished.” “And the earth was [became] without form, and
void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep [‘upon the face of the raging waters’].” c) Restoration (v. 7): Parallel 2 Peter 3: 7 with Gen.
1:2b-25. “But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by
the same word” [ref. v. 5].
“And the Spirit of God
moved upon the face of the waters [beginning the restoration process for ‘the heavens and the earth, which are now’] ...” d) Time
(v. 8): Parallel 2 Peter 3: 8 with the septenary arrangement of
time set forth in Gen. 1: 2b-2: 3.
God worked six days and
rested the seventh in the past restoration; and, following man’s sin, bringing
both himself and the material creation under “the bondage of corruption,” God began working to bring about another restoration - that of the
creature and the creation. The latter
restoration and rest is patterned after the former. God will, once again, work six days and rest
the seventh. In the latter restoration
and rest, each day is one thousand years in length. This is the teaching set forth in 2 Peter 3: 8.
(Note that within the
septenary arrangement of time in 2 Peter 3:
8 attention can be directed only to the restoration of the
heavens and the earth destroyed in Gen. 1: 2a. Thus, the destructions of Gen. 1: 2a and He looked upon as synonymous,
for the septenary arrangement of time in verse
eight is drawn from its context [vv. 5-7])
2. The Sabbath
According to Ex. 31: 13-17, the Sabbath was given to Israel to
keep the thought ever before them that the present six - and seven-day (six and seven thousand-year pattern of
restoration and rest is based on the original pattern of restoration and rest
in Genesis, chapters one and two; and, just as God rested on the seventh day
following six days of work in the Genesis account, He is going to rest for one
day following the present six days of restoration work. The Sabbath was a “sign” established between God
and the children of
The present-day counterpart to the Israelites failing to keep the Sabbath,
and thereby rejecting what God had to say concerning a day of rest following
six days of work, is Christians who
reject what Scripture has to say, concerning the coming Sabbath of rest. These individuals in Christendom today
are called “amillennialists”
a word designating their belief that there will be no Millennium or Sabbath
rest following the present six days of work. And it should come as not
surprise that amillennial teaching has become far more prevalent in Christendom
than millennial teaching. Why? Simply because of the corrupting process of
the leaven over a period of nineteen hundred years. God judged the Israelites
in the Old Testament for their failure to recognize the sign of the Sabbath, and God will judge Christians for
exhibiting this same attitude today.
A Sabbath rest is coming. Heb. 4: 9 states, “There remaineth therefore a rest [‘Sabbath keeping,’ ‘Sabbath
rest’] for the people of God.” The word translated “rest” is sabbatismos in the Greek text. This is a form of
the word for “Sabbath,” referring to a “Sabbath keeping,” which is a seventh-day rest. The allusion is by no means to a present rest
into which Christians enter, for such has nothing to do with the seventh
day. The sabbatismos can only be
millennial in its scope of fulfilment.
This is in keeping with the context (vv. 5-11). The septenary arrangement of the pattern
established in the Book of Genesis, the reason the Sabbath was given to
God answers the mockers
in 2 Peter 3: 3, 4 by calling
attention to a panorama of events which encompass the entire scope of God’s
Revelation to man, written particularly around the septenary arrangement of
time established in the Book of Genesis.
All the Scriptures are
about Christ (Luke 24: 27), and His first coming is incomplete without His second coming. “Where is the promise of his coming?” It’s in Genesis ... Psalms ... Malachi ... Matthew ... Acts ... Revelation. The enlightened Christian might well ask, “Where isn’t the promise of His coming?”
Conclusion
As prophesied in Jude 17-19 and 2
Peter 3: 3ff, “mockers” will appear “in the last time” with a pseudo message concerning Christ’s return. They will follow a uniformitarian theology
that nothing has changed in the past, and nothing is going to change in the
future. God has not intervened in the
affairs of man in the past, and He is not going to intervene in the affairs of
man in the future. Through this form of
reasoning, originating from man’s wisdom during Man’s Day, mockers appearing in
Christendom during the latter days will scoff at, make light of, belittle
the great doctrines surrounding the return of Christ.
The Old Testament
counterpart to that which Scripture has foretold will occur in Christendom
during the latter days is the experiences of the children of
Moses in the type, before departing the camp of Israel and ascending the
Mount, left specific instructions for his people:- “Tarry ye here for us [Joshua accompanied Moses], until we come again unto you
…” The people of Israel
were to tarry in the wilderness of Sinai, awaiting Moses’ (and Joshua’s)
return. But after a lengthy period of
time, seeing that “Moses delayed to come down out of the mount,” the people grew weary and sought after new leadership. They went to Aaron (who, along with Hur, had
been left in charge) and said, “Up, make us
gods, which shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man that brought us up
out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.” Aaron, acceding to their demand,
collected gold from the people, melted the gold and formed a “molten calf.” The people then offered sacrifices unto the
calf, worshipped the calf, and engaged in times of festivities surrounding the
sacrifices and worship. In this manner
the people of
Because of this lapse
into idolatry, God’s thoughts turned toward the destruction of the entire
nation. God revealed both the idolatry and His intentions to Moses while he was
still in the Mount, and Moses then interceded and fasted for “forty days and forty nights” on behalf of the nation. As a
result, God stayed His hand (cf.
Ex. 32: 10-14; Deut. 9: 13, 14, 18-20, 25-29). But upon Moses’ return from the Mount,
even though the nation itself had been spared, God’s judgment still fell upon
His people. The molten calf was burned
and ground to powder. The powder was
then cast “into the brook that descended out of
the mount,” and the children of
Had the Israelites
believed Moses and followed his instructions - tarrying in the
wilderness of Sinai, awaiting his return – they would not
have fallen into idolatry incurring God’s judgment. Thus, carrying this over into the antitype,
one can immediately see the importance of Christians understanding and
following exact Biblical guidelines concerning activity during Christ’s absence
while awaiting His return. Christ, as
Moses, is away from the camp today. He
is in heaven, interceding on our behalf; and He has been there for an extensive
period of time. Before His departure into
heaven, He, as Moses before his departure into the Mount, left specific
instructions for His people: “Occupy
till I come” (Luke 19: 13). Christians are to be engaged
in the Lord's business, awaiting
His return. However, Christians, as the
Israelites, have taken their eyes off
this command. They have grown weary, ceased to be engaged in the Lord’s
business, and ceased to await His return.
They, as the Israelites, have become involved in other things, namely
idolatry.
The “molten calf,” formed by Aaron during Moses’ stay in the Mount, was an idol apparently
derived from the Israelites’ former as association
with
Nakedness, Shame
Scripture reveals three very significant points concerning
Nakedness and shame
are subjects which have their roots in the second and third chapters of
Genesis, in Scriptures surrounding the creation and fall of man. Adam and Eve, in an un-fallen state,
following their creation, were both “naked” and “were not ashamed.” However, in a fallen state, following the
entrance of sin, they “knew that they were naked” and were “afraid.” They attempted to hide their
nakedness by constructing fig-leaf aprons; and, apparently realizing the
inadequacy of the fig-leaf aprons, they then “hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the
trees of the garden” (Gen. 2: 25; 3: 6-10).
God, rejecting their
fig-leaf aprons as completely unsuitable for covering their nakedness, provided
His Own covering made from animal skins (Gen. 3: 21).
This provision was from God, He performed the work to bring about the
covering, a vicarious sacrifice was involved, and blood was shed. This is the method which God used at the very
beginning to cover fallen man’s nakedness, i.e.,
to effect fallen man’s redemption; and this method, originally set forth by
God in Genesis, establishes a pattern which can never change throughout
Scripture. The promised Redeemer in Gen. 3: 15 MUST, at some following point in time, effect man’s redemption
after the established pattern in Gen. 3: 21. That is, first of all the
Redeemer must be God, for only God can perform the work of redemption;
second, the Redeemer must provide a vicarious sacrifice; and third, blood must be shed.
Christians today,
because of Christ’s vicarious sacrifice and shed blood are clothed in the
righteousness of Christ - the antitype of Adam and Eve clothed with the
provided animal skins in Gen. 3: 21. They, in this respect, now possess a right
relationship with God, for this relationship is based entirely on the
righteousness of Christ and His finished work. Nothing which man does -
typified by the fig-leaf aprons - can have anything to do with either
establishing or adding to this right relationship. Man’s reception of imputed righteousness is entirely
of God.
Man can bring nothing
whatsoever into a work - either before or after his salvation - which God
Himself, in the person of His Son, has finished. Consequently, Christians MUST remain clothed in the righteousness of Christ forever, else the
completeness, sufficiency, etc. of the very redemptive work of God Himself
would be brought into question. Hence,
in this respect, Christians can NEVER be found naked.
Thus far the subject under discussion has been “nakedness” relative to the righteousness
of Christ and eternal
salvation. However, there is another type of “nakedness” in
Scripture. The Israelites had
appropriated the blood of the paschal lambs in
Two Justifications
Understanding the matter
surrounding more than one type nakedness is contingent on understanding there
is more than one type of justification.
This is dealt with in James, chapter two (vv. 14-26). There is a justification by faith, and there is also a justification
by works. Accordingly, there is a covering for
one’s nakedness associated with each.
Justification by faith has to do with the salvation which we presently
possess, the salvation of the spirit; and justification by works has to do with the salvation to be
revealed at the time of our Lord’s return,
the salvation of the soul. The
covering for nakedness which we presently possess, associated with eternal
salvation, is the righteousness of Christ; and
the covering for nakedness, associated with the hope set before Christians, is
the righteous
acts of the saint - the wedding garment.
Justification is NEVER by faith and works (i.e., a single
justification where faith and works are both involved). It is always by one or the other, NEVER a combination of the two; and justification
by faith MUST always precede
any mention of justification by works.
Justification by works emanates out of a person’s faithfulness following his justification by faith, and works
of this nature bring faith to its proper goal (James 2: 22; 1 Peter 1: 9). Thus, a person MUST first be in a position to exercise
faith before works can enter. That is to
say, he MUST first be
justified by faith before he can be justified by works.
The wedding garment (“fine linen”) in Rev. 19: 8 is specifically said to
be composed of the “righteous acts of the saints” (ASV). The word translated “righteous acts” (“righteousness,” KJV) is plural in the Greek text (dikaiomata) and cannot refer to the imputed righteousness of Christ. Dikaiomata
in this verse has to do with “righteous acts” producing justification. In this respect, these are “justifying acts” of the saints (the same word, appearing in the
singular, is translated “justification” and “righteousness” [referring to justification by faith, made
possible through Christ’s righteous, justifying act] in Rom. 5:
16, 18; and the cognate verb [from dikaioo] is translated “justified” [referring to
both justification
by faith and justification
by works] in James 2: 24).
Works emanating out of faithfulness resulting in one’s justification by
works, provide the Christian with a wedding garment.
Apart from the wedding,
garment, a Christian will be found naked at the time of Christ’s return. Having been justified by faith and
clothed in the righteousness of Christ he can never be separated from the love
of Christ. He can never be found naked
relative to his justification by faith; but failing to be justified by
works following his justification by faith, resulting in no wedding
garment (nakedness relative to justification by works),
will meet with dire consequences at the time of Christ’s return (note: “judgment” on the basis of works [1 Cor. 3: 12-15; cf. Matt. 16: 24-27; Luke 19: 15-26.]).
Appearing in the presence of Christ without a wedding garment
is portrayed in Matt. 22: 11-14 by the man (from
among the “guests,” Gr. anakeimenon, “reclining ones”) appearing at the marriage festivities
without a wedding garment. This man
would not have been at these festivities in the first place had he not
previously been justified by faith. This
section of Scripture is prophetic in its scope of fulfilment. The festivities
portrayed here have to do with
events surrounding the marriage of the Lamb; and this marriage, with its
festivities will occur … at the end of the present age.
The man without a wedding garment was questioned concerning both his presence at the festivities and the manner in which he appeared. The subtle
distinction between two different negatives in the Greek text of verses eleven
and twelve (ou and me) show that the man knew he was
supposed to have a wedding garment, but he knowingly, defiantly appeared
without the necessary attire. Because he
was not proper clothed, he was denied
admittance bound, and cast into the darkness outside. That is, he was found naked, denied admittance, bound, and cast into a place comparable to a
darkened courtyard outside a brilliantly lighted banqueting hall. This man sets forth the fate awaiting, not
unsaved individuals, but certain saved individuals. The wedding garment (righteous acts of the
saints) is in view, not the imputed righteousness of Christ. This man typifies those Christians who, in
that coming day …
seek admittance to the festivities surrounding the marriage of God’s Son
without being clothed in the proper attire - the wedding garment.
Apostasy in the camp of
The shepherds in
Christendom, the ones who are supposed to keep the great truths surrounding
Christ’s return ever before the people, have become engaged in other activities;
and they have led their flocks into these other activities. The end result, foretold thirty-five hundred
years ago during the days of Moses, has been apostasy. The
mockers are present, and the great
Building Oneself Up, Praying ...
“But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on [by means of] your most holy faith, praying
in the Holy Spirit” (Jude 20).
Immediately preceding
Jude’s discourse on apostasy (vv.
4-19), he exhorted Christians to “earnestly contend for [‘earnestly
strive with reference to’] the faith.” Then, immediately following Jude’s
discourse on apostasy, he again refers to the proper relationship of Christians
to faith: “But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on
[by means of] your most holy faith ...” (v. 20). Rather than an exhortation though, as in
verse three, verse twenty simply refers to Christians being built
up in the faith. The thought
from the Greek text has to do with building upon an existing foundation. Verse twenty is actually a continuation of
verse three, with the intervening section on apostasy separating the verses.
Jude exhorted Christians concerning “the faith” prior to his discourse on apostasy; and now, having completed
this discourse, he picks up with the Christians’ relationship to faith exactly
where his discourse left off.
How does a person “earnestly contend for [earnestly strive with reference to] the faith”? Jude’s response to the manner in which this
exhortation is to be carried out is given in the continuation of the subject in
verse twenty. A person earnestly
strives with reference to “the faith” through building himself up by
means of his “faith.” This is in perfect agreement with
the parallel section to Jude 3 in 2 Peter 1: 5-8 (ref.
Chapter I). In this parallel section
Christians are exhorted to “add to [‘abundantly supply in’] your faith …” 2 Pet. 1: 5-8 and Jude
3, 20 refer to the same thing.
Christians are presently engaged in a battle. This battle is spiritual. It is not against “flesh and blood,” but “against principalities, against powers, against
the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high
places [‘against the spirit forces of wickedness
in heavenly places’].” In this battle Christians are to
properly equip themselves with an armour, and among the pieces of this armour
is “the shield of faith.” A Christian holding forth this
shield in the warfare against the spirit forces of wickedness will be able “to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked [‘wicked
one’]” (Eph. 6: 11-17). According to Rom. 10: 17, “faith cometh by [‘out of’]
hearing, and hearing by [‘through’] the word of God.” A person equips himself with the
shield of faith by being built up in “the faith.” In this manner, and in this manner
alone, he is able to protect himself from the wiles of Satan – “fiery darts” in the form of
apostasy as in Jude, etc.
Immediately following
the statement concerning individuals being built up by means of their “most holy faith,” Jude refers to “praying in the Holy Spirit.” The Divine commentary on this verse
is Rom. 8: 26, 27: “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know
not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself [‘Himself’] maketh intercession
for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts
knoweth the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints
according to the will of God.” Praying in the Holy Spirit is prayer
motivated by the Holy Spirit which emanates from the man of spirit. It is praying by means of and dependence upon
the indwelling Holy Spirit. Prayer of
this nature lays an integral part in Christians being built up in the
faith. The Word of God is “spiritually discerned,” and Christians receiving this Word into their saved human spirits MUST
rely upon the indwelling Holy Spirit to lead them “into all truth” (1 Cor. 2: 14; John 16: 13). Christians MUST ever combine their study with prayer after this fashion.
Concluding Exhortation
“Keep yourselves in the love of God,
looking for [‘awaiting’] the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life [‘unto life for the age’]” (Jude
21).
Jude, in his discourse
on faith and apostasy, has been building toward a climactic exhortation. He previously exhorted Christians to earnestly
strive with reference to “the faith” (v. 3); he warned Christians concerning standing away from “the faith” (vv. 4-19); and he then came back to the positive side of the Christians’ relationship to faith (v. 20), continuing from verse three.
All things in the first twenty verses point to what Jude states in verse
twenty-one: “Keep yourselves in ... looking [‘awaiting’] …”
The “love of God” in which
Christians are to keep themselves is the same love previously mentioned in
verse two. The word “love” in both instances is agape in the Greek text, the same as
in 2 Peter 1: 7. Agape refers to “Divine love” which God
is in His character and nature. “God is love,” i.e.,”God, is agape” (1 John 4: 8). This is the highest type love
attainable. It is love produced in the
life of faithful believers by the indwelling Holy Spirit, and Christians are to
keep themselves within the sphere of this love.
Agape appears at the
conclusion of the list of things to be “abundantly
supplied in” a Christian’s faith in 2 Peter 1:
5-8. It is placed last, as
also in Jude 20, 21, because it is the height
of Christian experience, and nothing can be added therein.
Christians - being
brought unto maturity through being built up in the faith (v. 20; cf. “knowledge,” Gr. epignosis [2 Peter 1: 8]), keeping themselves in the
love of God (v. 21a) are to await “the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life
[‘unto life for the age’]” (v. 21b). This, of course, is the goal upon which all
things in the present pilgrim walk focus.
The goal of faith is the
salvation of the soul (life), which has to do with life in the coming age. The
entire concept concerning faith in relation to one’s calling and life in the coming age set forth by Jude is identical to that
set forth by Paul in 1 Tim. 6: 12:- “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life [lit. ‘Strive in
the good contest of the faith; lay hold on life for the age’*], whereunto thou art also called...” Jude directs his entire epistle
toward exhorting and warning Christians,
with one thing in view. Jude looked out toward
that day when Christians would be called to an accounting and, at that time,
either realize or be denied the goal of their calling.
[* See FOOTNOTES]
Jude’s concluding
exhortation centers around Christians awaiting Christ’s return in a prepared, ready
manner. The failure of innumerable
Christians to so do has resulted in the present apostasy throughout Christendom
- as
Concluding Remarks:
“And of some have compassion, making a
difference [lit. ‘And you show mercy to the ones who are wavering (or “doubting,” “contentious”)’]:
And others save with fear, pulling them out of the
fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh” (Jude 22, 23).
As Christians are to
await “the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ,” they are, themselves, to show mercy, compassion to other Christians. The words “making a difference” (KJV) in verse twenty -
two are the translation of the Greek word diakrino,
which is often used in other portions of the New Testament in the sense of “wavering,” “doubting,” or “being contentious” (cf. Matt. 21: 21; Acts 10: 20; 11: 2, 12; Rom. 14: 23; James
1: 6; Jude 9). This would appear to
be the way it should be understood in Jude 22. Those Christians who are wavering,
doubting, or even being contentious concerning the great truths set forth in verses
twenty and twenty-one are to receive mercy at the hands of Christians who
understand these truths, not a contentious, doubting, or wavering spirit in return. Such responses will only serve to further
alienate them. Mercy is the quality
which must be exhibited to win them.
The salvation in verse twenty-three has nothing to do with eternal life. That’s not the issue being dealt with at
all. The text is dealing with Christians
awaiting “the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ” unto life for the age (v. 21) and, during this
time of waiting, showing mercy to
other Christians who are wavering, doubting, or being contentious relative to life
for the age (vv. 22, 23). The same basic thought is set
forth in James 5: 19, 20: “Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one
convert him [turns him back to the truth]; let
him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall
save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.” Turning Christians either to the
truth or back to the truth, as in James
5:19, 20 and Jude 22, 23, has to do with the salvation of the soul alone. The entire matter of the unique relationship
which Christians have with one another occurs on the basis of the fact that
both are new creations “in Christ”; but, within
this relationship Christians MUST look
from the present forward, not from the present back. Christians MUST keep their eyes fixed on the goal of
their calling the goal of faith, the
salvation of their souls.
The thought of pulling
Christians “out of the fire; hating even the
garment spotted by the flesh” (v. 23) is similar to Joshua the high priest in Zech.
3: 1-7 being clothed in filthy garments and plucked as a brand “out of the fire.” The thought in Jude though would
have to be brought over into the context of Christians being clothed in the
wedding garment rather than unsaved individuals, as portrayed by Joshua, being
clothed in the righteousness of Christ.
The thought in Jude extends into the area with which Joshua found
himself confronted following his being plucked as a brand from the fire and being
clothed with a change of raiment. He was
then told, “If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if
thou wilt keep my charge, then thou shalt also judge my house” (v.
7). Just as there are two
different justifications and two different garments in connection with these
justifications, there are also dual truths on being removed as a brand from the
fire. Zech.
3: 2-4 sets forth one, and Jude 23 sets forth the other.
How are Christians able
to so live as Jude has previously exhorted?
How are Christians able to govern their lives in such a manner that an abundant
entrance “into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ” will be their portion? They are able so to live and govern their lives in a manner only because of the
One who loved them and gave Himself for them continues to love them and is “able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that
we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us” (Eph. 3: 20). The concluding words of Jude sum up his
entire epistle after this fashion:
“Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you
faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy. To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory
and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.”
- Jude
24, 25
-
A.
L. CHITWOOD. (From: ‘JUDE The Acts of the Apostates’,
pp. 95-114.)
-------
FOOTNOTES ON
ENGLISH TRANSLATIONS OF THE GREEK WORD ‘AIONIOS’.
1
ETERNAL
The Greek language, from which our
English versions have been translated, does not contain a word for “eternal.” A
person using the Greek language thinks in the sense of “ages”; and the way this language is normally used in the New
Testament to express “eternal,” apart from
textual considerations, is through the use of the Greek words eis
tous aionas ton aionon,
meaning, “unto [or, ‘with respect to’] the ages of the ages” (ref. Heb. 13: 21; 1 Pet. 4: 11; Rev. 1:
6; 4: 9, 10 for several examples of places where these words are used,
translated “forever and ever” in most versions.
Another less frequent used way to
express “eternal” in the Greek New Testament,
apart from textual considerations, is through the use of the shortened form of
the preceding - eis tous aionas, meaning “unto
[or, ‘with respect to’] the ages” (ref. Rom. 9:
5; 11: 36; 2Cor. 11: 31; Heb. 13: 8 for several examples of places where
these words are used, translated “forever” in
most versions.
The word from the Greek text translated
“eternal” in Heb. 5:
9 is aionios. This is the
adjective equivalent of the noun aion, referred to in the preceding
paragraph in its plural form to express “eternal.” Aion means “an
aeon [ the word ‘aeon’ is derived from aion]”
or “an era,” usually understood throughout the
Greek New Testament as “an age.”
Aionios, the adjective
equivalent of aion, is used
seventy-one times in the Greek New Testament and has been indiscriminately translated “eternal”
or “everlasting”
in almost every instance in the
various English versions. This word though should be understood about thirty
of these seventy-one times in the sense of “age-lasting”
rather than “eternal”; and the occurrence in Heb. 5: 9 forms a case in point.
Several good examples of other places
where aionios should be translated and understood as “age-lasting”
are Gal. 6: 8; 1Tim. 6: 12; Titus 1: 2; 3: 7. These passages have to do with running the
present race of the faith in view of one day realizing an inheritance
in the[millennial]
kingdom, which is the hope set before Christians.
On the other hand, aionios can be
understood in the sense of “eternal” if
the text so indicates. Several
good examples of places where aionios should be translated and
understood are John 3: 15, 16, 36. These passages have to do with the life derived through faith in Christ because
of His finished work at
Textual considerations must always be
taken into account when properly translating and understanding aionios,
for this is a word which can be used to imply either “age-lasting” or “eternal”;
and it is used both ways numerous times
in the New Testament. Textual
considerations in Heb. 5: 9 leave no room to
question exactly how aionios should be understood and
translated in this verse. Life during the coming age, occupying a
position as co-heir with Christ in that coming day, is what the Book of
Hebrews is about.
2.
SUFFERING, REIGNING.
Suffering with or on behalf of Christ
must precede reigning with Christ. The
latter cannot be realized apart from the former. Such suffering is inseparably linked with
obedience; and the text clearly states that Christ is the source of that future
salvation “unto all them that [presently] obey him,” in
the same respect that Christ is the source of presently Possessed eternal
salvation for all those who have (in the past) “believed”
on Him.
1 Peter 1: 11, relative to
the saving of the soul (vv. 9, 10),
states, “Searching what, or what manner of time the
Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify when it [‘He’] testified beforehand the
sufferings of Christ [lit., ‘the sufferings with respect to Christ’], and the glory that should follow.”
The thought, contextually, is not at all
that of Christ suffering. Rather, the
thought has to do with Christians suffering with respect to Christ’s
sufferings, subsequently realizing the salvation of their souls through having
part in the glory which is to follow the sufferings.
This is the underlying thought behind
the whole book of 1 Peter, expressed in so
many words by the writer in 4: 12, 13: “Beloved, think it
not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some
strange thing happened to you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of
Christ’s sufferings; that, when his
glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.”
This is the “eternal
[‘age-lasting’ ] glory”
to which Christians have been called and in which [overcoming]* Christians will be established
after they “have suffered a while,” with obedience to Christ emanating from the
sufferings (1 Peter 5: 10). “
* See
Rev. 3: 21.
- A. L. Chitwood.
