Remembrance / Exhortation / Benediction (Jude 17-25)

(Class Notes)

• Remembrance of prophetic words (Jude 17-19)
  • Jude exhorts his TRIBULATION audience concerning "the WORDS which were SPOKEN before of the APOSTLES of our LORD JESUS CHRIST" (Jude 17)
    • The APOSTLE Peter encouraged his audience to look for "the SALVATION ready to be REVEALED in THE LAST TIME" (I Peter 1:5) AFTER their being "TRIED WITH FIRE" (I Peter 1:7 cf. Zechariah 13:9)
    • The APOSTLE John told his audience that "it is THE LAST TIME", when "ANTICHRIST shall come" (I John 2:18)
    • James, "the Lord's brother" (Galatians 1:19) - although NOT AN APOSTLE, BUT nevertheless ONE OF THE "PILLARS" of the Jerusalem church along with Peter (Cephas) and John (Galatians 2:9 cf.
      Acts 15:13,19) - addressed dispersed Israel (James 1:1) and admonished them:
      • "Be PATIENT brethren unto the COMING OF THE LORD" (James 5:7)
      • "the COMING OF THE LORD DRAWETH NIGH" (James 5:8)
      • "behold, the JUDGE STANDETH BEFORE THE DOOR (James 5:9)
      • "the PROPHETS ... an EXAMPLE of SUFFERING AFFLICTION, and of PATIENCE" (James 5:10)
  • Jude recalls the APOSTOLIC WORDS concerning "THE LAST TIME", i.e. that there will be "MOCKERS" who will "walk after their own UNGODLY LUSTS" (Jude 18) and who will be "SENSUAL, HAVING NOT THE SPIRIT" (Jude 19)
    • The WORDS of the APOSTLE Peter (II Peter 3:3-4)
    • The WORDS of the APOSTLE John as a "TRIBULATION" eye witness in "THE LORD'S DAY" to the SEVEN churches with SIX problems (Revelation 1:1-3,9-11):

      Ephesus	FALSE LOVE (Revelation 2:4 cf. Deuteronomy 7:7-8; Jeremiah 2:1-2)
      Smyrna	FALSE JEWS (Revelation 2:9 cf. Isaiah 66:5)
      Pergamos	FALSE DOCTRINE (Revelation 2:14 cf. Numbers 25:1-3; Numbers 31:16)
      Thyatira	FALSE PROPHETS (Revelation 2:20 cf. I Kings 16:30-34; I Kings 21:25)
      Sardis	FALSE WORKS (Revelation 3:2 cf. Matthew 7:21-23)
      Philadelphia	FALSE JEWS (Revelation 3:9 cf. Isaiah 66:5)
      Laodicea	FALSE RICHES (Revelation 3:17-18 cf. Isaiah 61:10; Isaiah 64:6; Revelation 7:13-14)

  • These APOSTLES (Peter and John) who SPOKE PROPHETIC WORDS concerning Israel - BOTH testified to being EYE WITNESSES of the Lord in His EARTHLY KINGDOM GLORY (II Peter 1:16; John 1:14 cf.
    Matthew 17:1-2) and together with the other APOSTLES were promised by the Lord to "SIT upon 12 THRONES JUDGING (RULING) the 12 TRIBES of ISRAEL" (Matthew 19:28) when "the Son of Man shall come in His GLORY" and "SIT upon the THRONE of His GLORY" (Matthew 25:31)
    • By way of contrast, under the prsesent GENTILE "dispensation of GRACE" (Ephesians 3:1-2):
      • The believer's "CONVERSATION (CITIZENSHIP) is in HEAVEN" (Philippians 3:20)
      • The believer is "BLESSED ... with ALL SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS in HEAVENLY PLACES in Christ" (Ephesians 1:3)
      • The believer has been made to "SIT together in HEAVENLY PLACES in Christ" (Ephesians 2:6)
      • The believer is exhorted to "SEEK those THINGS which are ABOVE, where Christ SITTETH on the RIGHT HAND OF GOD" (Colossians 3:1) and WHERE the believer shall "also APPEAR with Him in GLORY (Colossians 3:4 cf. Philippians 3:20-21)

• Exhortation to be built up in the faith (Jude 20-23)
  • Jude exhorts his Jewish brethren concerning FOUR SPIRITUAL ACTIVITIES:
    • To be "BUILDING UP" themselves in their "most HOLY FAITH" (Jude 20)
      • Peter encouraged his Jewish brethren to "desire the sincere milk of THE WORD, that ye may GROW THEREBY" (I Peter 2:2), i.e. "THE WORD OF PROPHECY" (II Peter 1:19) which is a "MORE SURE" (II Peter 1:19) testimony THAN Peter's OWN PERSONAL EYE WITNESS concerning the "POWER and COMING of the Lord Jesus Christ" (II Peter 1:16)
      • Paul exhorted his Gentile hearers concerning "THE DISPENSATION OF GRACE" entrusted to him for them (Ephesians 3:1-2) and, thus, directed them to "THE WORD OF HIS GRACE, which is ABLE TO BUILD YOU UP" (Acts 20:32)
    • To be "PRAYING in the HOLY SPIRIT" (Jude 20)
      • The PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL Tribulation remnant (Isaiah 64) will echo very much the SAME REPENTANT THEME of Daniel's prayer while in captivity (Daniel 9:1-19)
      • In BOTH CASES, the Lord PROMISED A FAVORABLE ANSWER - restoration from Babylonian captivity (Jeremiah 29:10-14) and passage "through the fire" (Zechariah 13:8-9) when "in that day ... the Lord shall defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem" (Zechariah 12:8-9)
      • Today believers are exhorted to vigilant INTERCESSORY PRAYER for one another
        (Ephesians 6:18), which is called "THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT" (Ephesians 6:17)
    • To "KEEP" themselves in "THE LOVE OF GOD" (Jude 21)
      • John reminds his audience of THE LOVE OF GOD to them and to REFLECT THAT SAME LOVE to others in need (I John 3:16-17)
      • UNDER GRACE, Pauls says "NOTHING CAN SEPARATE US FROM THE LOVE GOD" (Romans 8:38-39)
    • To be "LOOKING" for the "LORD JESUS CHRIST unto ETERNAL LIFE" (Jude 21)
      • The Lord promised His hearers "in the WORLD (AGE)" TO COME ETERNAL LIFE" (Mark 10:30)
      • UNDER GRACE, Pauls exhorts us to "LAY HOLD ON ETERNAL LIFE" (I Timothy 6:12)
  • Jude exhorts his faithful brethren concerning THREE GROUPS OF PEOPLE:
    • "Some HAVING compassion (CONVICTION), MAKING a DIFFERENCE" (Jude 22)
      • This FIRST GROUP OF PEOPLE are to be REASONED WITH so as to BRING CONVICTION and, thus, MAKING a DIFFERENCE - though their "SINS be as SCARLET, they shall be WHITE as SNOW" (Isaiah 1:18)
    • "Others SAVE with (IN) FEAR, PULLING them OUT OF the FIRE" (Jude 23)
      • This SECOND GROUP OF PEOPLE are to be "MOVED WITH FEAR" as was Noah (Hebrews 11:7 cf. Hebrews 4:1), so that just as it resulted for Noah in "the SAVING of his HOUSE" (Hebrews 11:7), - it will also result for Israel's Tribulation remnant in "RECEIVING a KINGDOM" (Hebrews 12:28)
      • "Behold, the Day cometh, that shall BURN as an OVEN, and ALL the PROUD ... shall be STUBBLE ... but unto you that FEAR MY NAME shall the SUN of RIGHTEOUSNESS arise with HEALING in His wings" (Malachi 4:1-2)
      • "They that FEARED THE LORD ... shall be MINE ... in that Day when I make up MY JEWELS" (Malachi 3:16-17)
    • The rest as "HATING even the GARMENT SPOTTED by the FLESH" (Jude 23)
      • This THIRD GROUP OF PEOPLE are BEYOND HELP and need to be viewed as a SPOTTED GARMENT that is to be DISCARDED
      • They "which have NOT DEFILED their GARMENTS ... shall walk with Me IN WHITE" (Revelation 3:4) are "they which came out of GREAT TRIBULATION, and have WASHED their ROBES, and MADE them WHITE in the BLOOD of the LAMB" (Revelation 7:14; Revelation 12:11)
      • "There is a SIN UNTO DEATH ... DO NOT ... PRAY FOR IT" (I John 5:16), i.e. they "which had the MARK of the BEAST" and "which WORSHIPPED his IMAGE" (Revelation 16:2)
      • Those that "RECEIVED his MARK ... the same shall DRINK of the WINE of the WRATH of GOD ... and the SMOKE of their TORMENT shall ascend up FOR EVER AND EVER" (Revelation 14:9-11)

• Benediction (Jude 24-25)
  • The beginning of this verse (Jude 24) should read "BUT (not NOW) unto Him" to emphasize the CONTRAST BETWEEN the UNGODLY who are to be HATED ~ SEPARATED FROM (Jude 23) and THE SAVIOR Who is to be LOVED ~ CLEAVED TO (Jude 25)
    • The Lord HATED (REJECTED) Esau, but LOVED (CHOSE) Jacob (Romans 9:13 cf. Malachi 1:2-3; Deuteronomy 7:7-8; Hebrews 12:16-17)
  • The Lord is able to KEEP His own "FROM FALLING" and to PRESENT them FAULTLESS "in the PRESENCE of His GLORY with EXCEEDING JOY" (Jude 24 cf. I Peter 1:5-9)
    • God will KEEP Israel's FAITHFUL REMNANT during their "FIERY TRIAL" (I Peter 4:12 cf. Zechariah 13:8-9; Malachi 4:1-2) by DIVINELY EMPOWERING them to "CONTINUE" (I John 2:19-20), i.e. to "ABIDE (ENDURE)"
      (I John 2:27) and will credit HIS WORKS as being THEIR WORKS (John 3:20-21), i.e. HIS WORKS (Revelation 2:26) will also be the Tribulation OVERCOMER'S WORKS (Revelation 14:13 cf. Revelation 12:11)
    • By way of CONTRAST, during this Gentile "dispensation of GRACE" (Ephesians 3:1-2) when GOD is AT PEACE WITH THE WORLD, He sends forth His ambassadors with "the WORD OF RECONCILIATION" that SINNERS should MAKE THEIR PEACE WITH HIM by TRUSTING IN HIS WORK CONCERNING CHRIST (II Corinthians 5:17-21 cf. Romans 4:21-25)
  • Jude end his letter with this DOXOLOGY (PRAISE) - "To ... GOD OUR SAVIOR ... GLORY and MAJESTY, DOMINION and POWER ... NOW and FOR EVER" (Jude 25 cf. Revelation 1:5-6)
    • Israel's FAITHFUL REMNANT will look to the "... SURE WORD OF PROPHECY ... as unto a LIGHT that SHINETH in a DARK PLACE" until the appearing of their MESSIAH, i.e. "the DAY DAWN, and the DAY STAR" (II Peter 1:19 cf. Daniel 2:44-45)

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