Commentary on Jude
By Craig Paardekooper

Jude is a short book consisting of a single chapter. It is found at the end of the Bible, immediately
before the book of Revelations.
Jude and EnochA curious fact about the Book of Jude is that it is the only place in the New Testament that quotes
from the Book of Enoch. Enoch was a prophet who lived before the Flood of Noah – the Flood is
described as a global cataclysm brought on by God for the sinfulness of mankind. Enoch prophesied
about this Flood, and his prophecies were recorded in the Book of Enoch from which Jude quotes.
Considering that Revelations is the New Testament apocalypse, it is therefore significant that theBook of Jude immediately precedes Revelations, and talks about the previous global apocalypse.
And the reality of the previous apocalypse suggests the certainty of the future one. More information
about Enoch and the Flood can be found here - Enoch
Jude not only reminds us of this previous apocalypse, but draws our attention to features that link itwith the apocalypse in Revelations.
Jude’s Message
The message of Jude can be broken down into 2 parts –1. Past judgements
2. Coming judgement

Past Judgements
Jude is all about judgement – and gives 3 previous examples –1. The Exodus
2. Sodom and Gomorrah
3. Enoch and the flood
5

Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord[c] at one time delivered his people
out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe.
6

And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day.
7

In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual
immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.

Coming Judgement
Then Jude quotes from the Book of Enoch about a prophecy of the coming of the lord –14

Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about them: “See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon
thousands of his holy ones 15 to judge everyone, and to convict all of them of all the ungodly acts they

have committed in their ungodliness, and of all the defiant words ungodly sinners have spoken againsthim.”[e]Characteristics of the Judged
Jude describes the characteristics of those who were judged ••
••••
••••
•
•••

Unbelief
Abandoning duty- rejecting authority
Sexual immorality and perversion, pollution of the bodySlander and condemning others
Lack of understanding – irrationality – instinct based cognition
Not being your brothers’ keeper
Rushing for profit
Grumblers and fault finders
Following their own evil desires
Boasting about themselves
Flattering others for their own advantage
Scoffers
Creating division amongst God’s people
They follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit

Enoch and the Flood
Enoch lived during the seventh generation from Adam. So from the Creation Week until Enoch were 7generations. Enoch prophesied about the Flood that God would bring upon that world, and this Floodoccurred 1656 years after the Creation Week. So just as the world was created in 7 days, so it wasdestroyed after 1656 years = 777.77 x 777.7 days. (taking each year as 365.256 days)
This destruction was followed by an exponential decrease in lifespan over the subsequent 1000 years,
evidenced in the king lists of ancient China, India, Mesopotamia, Greece and Egypt.
Ussher chronology dates the Flood to 2348 B.C. Immediately after the Flood, God made a covenantwith Noah – the NOACHIC COVENANT.

Abraham and the Destruction of Sodom
God called Abraham out of Mesopotamia to go to Canaan, and promised that his descendants would
inherit the land. Usher chronology dates this event to 1921 B.C. God made a covenant with Abraham,
the ABRAMIC COVENANT, and at that time God sent angels to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, toprepare the land ready for His holy people.
So the covenant with Abraham was 427 years after the covenant with Noah

Moses and the Exodus
We are told that the Exodus occurred 430 years, to the day, from the time that Abraham entered Canaan.
At this time, God judged the Egyptians - sending 10 plagues upon them until they allowed the Hebrews
to go free. Ussher chronology dates the Exodus to 1491 B.C. At this time, God made a covenant withthe Israelites – the MOSAIC COVENANT.

Periodic Judgements
The Exodus occurred 430 years after Abraham entered Canaan. Similarly, Abraham entered Canaan 430years after the Flood.
So these three events, and the covenants associated with them, were each separated by a period of 430years.

Kingdom of God
Following the Exodus, the Israelites did not gain complete control of the land of Canaan until the reignof David, which began 437 years after the Exodus. At this time God made a Covenant with thedescendants of David – the DAVIDIC COVENANT - promising that his descendants would have an
eternal kingdom IF they maintained God’s laws. In the Bible, the Davidic kingdom is regarded assynonymous with the kingdom of God, since it was a time when God’s will was enacted and Israel
prospered.

Divided Kingdom
However, after David’s reign, his son Solomon and the subsequent kings of Israel turned away from theworship of YHWH, and Israel became divided between a Northern Kingdom with a capital at Samaria,
and a Southern Kingdom with a capital at Jerusalem. This idolatry persisted through out the 40 years ofSolomon’s reign, and throughout the 390 years of the subsequent kings until the Babylonian Captivity,
when kingship ended in Israel….a period of 430 years !!
In 590 B.C., 4 years before the siege of Jerusalem by the Babylonians, Ezekiel prophesied the comingsiege and was instructed to lay on his side and eat rations for 430 days, representing the 430 years ofIsraels idolatry.

The Coming Judgement
So you can see that the judgements/covenants are each separated by 430 years – which brings us to a
discussion of the coming judgement spoken of by Enoch. Jude quotes from the Book of Enoch - where
it says that at those angels who rebelled before the Flood would be imprisoned for 70 generations until
their judgement.
The Gospel of Luke provides a list of all the generations from Adam to Christ. Enoch was the seventh
generation after Adam – Christ was the 77th generation – so there were 70 generations between Enochand Christ – so the judgement upon the angels was expected to occur in Christ’s generation. The numberof days from Enoch to Christ is (3012 + 30) * 365.256 = 1,111,111 (seven ones). Curiously, the Exodus
falls exactly half way – (3012 – 1491) * 365.256 = 555,555 days.

Revelations
When we turn to the next book, Revelations, we find a record of that final judgement. Curiously, it toodepicts a period of tribulation lasting 430 + 430 + 430 days = 1290 days, to be followed by a series ofJudgements before the establishment of the Kingdom of God.
1290 days is a day for each year from Noah to David.

Summary
Jude talks about 3 previous judgements, each separated by 430 years and each associated with aCovenant.
He then refers to the Flood, in Enoch’s time, and to the prophecy of Enoch that a judgement upon theangels would occur 70 generations after his time. This happens to fall in the generation of Christ.
Finally, when we look at Revelations, we find that the time of Tribulation is 430 x 3 days.

References
1. Enoch
2. Covenants
3. Davidic Covenant