Let us now ask an important question:
In Jude 5-7, we find another triad:
- The first generation of Israel’s failure to enter the land
- The fall of angels
- The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah
Why did Jude choose these three examples from among so many available in the history of humanity and of Israel? Furthermore, how do these three events relate to the false teachers who had secretly crept into the congregation?
Now, to begin with, notice something remarkable here: In all three examples, there appears to be a common thread, namely the involvement of angels, whether fallen or holy! In the first example, the reason ten of the twelve spies, along with many from that generation of Israelites, did not believe was the giants in the land, whom they called Nephilim, whose origins are from fallen angels or demons.
Listen to what ten of the twelve spies reported when they returned from exploring the land. Numbers 13:33, “There also we saw the Nephilim; and we became like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.”
This is what terrified the Israelites! For immediately following, we read in Numbers 14:1: “Then all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night.” Then they sought another leader to take them back to Egypt because they did not believe.
Where did the Nephilim come from? Did they have demonic origins? To answer these questions, we turn to one of the most mysterious yet revealing passages in Scripture on their origin: Genesis 6.
In this chapter, we read about the sons of God, a term that designates those directly created by God, such as the angels. Jude tells us that they did not keep their own domain, and Genesis 6:2 explains how they left their original abode: they “saw that the daughters of men were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose.” This unholy union produced the giants, the Nephilim. And here is where the connection becomes particularly striking! Jude brings these two events together in verses 5 and 6. At the heart of Jude’s first two examples, we find what appears to be the same underlying cause: fallen angels who came down to earth and sought to disrupt God’s plans!
But why would fallen angels do that? What was their aim? Do you remember the first messianic prophecy? It is found in Genesis 3:15, where a woman is mentioned, through whom the Messiah was to come. Speaking to the serpent, who is Satan, the Lord says,“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise Him on the heel.”
The Messiah was to come through a woman, as He did through Miriam or Mary. But the forces of evil understood this and, in an attempt to nullify the prophecy of the coming Seed of the woman, descended to corrupt women’s ability to bear children. This is why the Lord sent the flood.
Throughout Israel’s history, we find many attempts to prevent the coming Seed. The nation of Israel, especially the line of Judah from which the Messiah was to come, was always in danger of annihilation. We also see this in Jude’s third example.
The third example also includes an angelic presence, but this time it speaks of good angels who came to save Lot from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, just as the Lord will do before the last judgment falls on earth and before the Tribulation.
And while there are demons roaming around, the Bible also tells us that there are good angels who are here to minister, to help, and to assist believers, to the point that the Book of Hebrews tells us that we have even met some and did not recognize them.
This verse is found in Hebrews 13:2, “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.”
The word entertained does not only mean to receive as a guest but also to be surprised and astonished, as in 1 Peter 4:12, where we are told, “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you.” Therefore, do not be surprised by angels around you. Because we are in the end times, we can expect more of these manifestations.
As there are demons on the earth, so there are good angels. But as far as we are concerned, and while this information is given to us, our dependence is on Yeshua and Him only. The geographic location of Sodom and Gomorrah is particularly close to Jerusalem, and it would seem this event occurred there to discourage any future building of Jerusalem. When travelling to Jerusalem, I was surprised to see the Dead Sea so close. This could also have hindered the Messiah’s coming to Jerusalem.
Jude’s word choice in verse 5 is fascinating. When he says that God saved Israel from Egypt and subsequently destroyed those who did not believe, he uses the Greek expression deuteron. That word catches our attention because it shares its root with the Greek name Deuteronomy. When we turn to the first four chapters of Deuteronomy, what do we find? The very same account Jude presents to us!
In the first three chapters, Moses recounts the sending of the twelve spies and the Israelites’ refusal to enter the land because they feared the Anakim and the fortified cities. In fact, these opening chapters devote considerable attention to giants. One of them, King Og, is mentioned eight times in these chapters.
It was their fear of these giants that kept an entire generation of Israelites from entering the land, and that generation was subsequently destroyed, as Jude tells us. The number of people involved is staggering. The judgment fell upon that generation of Israelites who were twenty years old or older.
What we find remarkable is the comparison between the number of soldiers who left Egypt and the number counted just before Israel entered the Promised Land. These numbers are almost identical! When they left Egypt, there were 603,550 men of military age. Forty years later, there were 601,730. These figures exclude women, children, and the Levites. Yet they give us an idea of the staggering number of people who perished in the wilderness.
Go to the video – Jude Part 4 : The Hidden World of Angels and Demons in the Book of Jude