Jude 7-The Declarative Statement in Jude 7
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Thursday May 26, 2022
Jude Series: Jude 7-The Declarative Statement in Jude 7
Lesson # 28
Jude 5 Now, I am prompted to desire to cause each and every one of you to be reminded (even though each of you are possessing a thorough knowledge about each of these examples) that Jesus, sometime after having delivered the people out from the land that is Egypt, destroyed those who would not believe. 6 Correspondingly, He is keeping by means of eternal chains under the control of total supernatural darkness for the purpose of executing the judgment during the great day of those who entered into the state of not keeping their own sphere of activity but in fact abandoned their own place of habitation. 7 Similarly, in a manner like these angels, the citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah as well as the citizens of the cities around them caused themselves to be publicly set forth as an example. Namely, because they are experiencing a righteous punishment, which is experiencing eternal fire because they committed immorality, specifically, because they pursued after homosexual activity. (Lecturer’s translation)
Jude 7 is composed of three assertions.
The first asserts that the citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah as well as the citizens of the cities around them in a manner like the fallen angels mentioned in Jude 6 caused themselves to be publicly set forth as an example.
The second presents the reason for the first and asserts that the citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah as well as the citizens of the cities around them are experiencing a righteous punishment, namely, they are experiencing eternal fire.
The third also presents the reason for the first and asserts that the citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah as well as the citizens of the cities around them committed immorality and specifically, they pursued after homosexual activity.
Jude 7 is built around the first assertion.
This declarative statement is modified by two causal participial clauses, which present two assertions.
Two of these causal participles form the figure of hendiadys, which means that they are expressing one idea, with one advancing upon and intensifying the other.
Thus, two of these causal participial clauses are expressing one idea and thus one assertion and one reason.
The first states that the citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah as well as the citizens of the cities around them are experiencing a righteous punishment, namely, they are experiencing eternal fire.
The second expressed by two of these causal participial clauses asserts that the citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah as well as the citizens of the cities around them committed immorality and specifically, they pursued after homosexual activity.
These three causal participial clauses also present two reasons why that the citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah as well as the citizens of the cities around them in a manner like the fallen angels mentioned in Jude 6 caused themselves to be publicly set forth as an example.
Therefore, the first reason is that the citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah as well as the citizens of the cities around them are experiencing a righteous punishment, namely, they are experiencing eternal fire.
The second reason is that the citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah as well as the citizens of the cities around them committed immorality and specifically, they pursued after homosexual activity.
Now, these three causal participial clauses are also presenting two reasons why the rebellion of the citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah as well as the citizens of the cities around them is similar to the rebellion of the fallen angels during the antediluvian period.
The first reason is that both groups are experiencing eternal condemnation in Hades, which of course the consequence of their rebellions.
The fallen angels are experiencing it in Tartarus while the citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah and the citizens of the cities around them are experiencing it in Torments.
Eventually, both will experience eternal condemnation in the eternal lake of fire (cf. Rev. 20:10-15).
The second reason is that both groups committed gross sexual immorality.
The fallen angels possessed the bodies of unregenerate men in order to have sex and procreate with unregenerate women in order to prevent the incarnation of the Son of God.
On the other hand, the citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah and the citizens of the cities around them were pursuing homosexual relations with each other.
Jude 7 is a comparative clause because it is presenting a comparison with the previous assertion in Jude 6, which speaks of the fallen angels who rebelled against God by possessing the bodies of unregenerate men in order to have sex and procreate with unregenerate women during the antediluvian period.
Therefore, the comparison is between the rebellion of these fallen angels during the antediluvian period and the rebellion of citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah during the days of Abraham because both groups rebelled against God by committing sexual immorality.
Consequently, both groups are presently experiencing eternal condemnation in Hades and eventually, they will both experience it in the eternal lake of fire.
Now, as we noted, the declarative statement in Jude 7 asserts that the citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them caused themselves to be publicly set forth as an example.
The three causal participial clauses modifying it present two reasons that this is the case.
The first we noted is that they are experiencing a righteous punishment, which Jude describes as experiencing eternal fire.
The second is that they committed sexual immorality and specifically, they pursued after homosexual relations with each other.
The verb prokeimai (πρόκειμαι) in this declarative statement pertains to existing in an evident manner.
In our context, this word speaks of the citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah and the citizens of the cities around them being set before the entire human race by God as an example not to follow.
Specifically, this word is expressing the idea that the citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah and the citizens of the cities around them being set before the entire human race by God as an example of those who will suffer eternal condemnation for being engaged in homosexual activity if they do not repent and trust in Jesus Christ as their Savior.
The noun deigma (δεῖγμα) speaks of the means by which the nature of something is made known, particularly as an example of what is to be avoided.
Specifically, this word speaks of the citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah and the citizens of the cities around them as being set before the entire human race as an example of those who will suffer eternal condemnation if they do not repent and trust in Jesus Christ as their Savior.
The middle voice of this verb is a causative middle, emphasizing the volitional responsibility of these individuals since it means that the subject has something done for or to himself or herself.
Therefore, this indicates that the citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah and the citizens of the cities, which surrounded them “caused themselves” to exist in the state of being publicly set before the entire human race as an example of those who suffer eternal condemnation if they do not repent and trust in Jesus Christ as their Savior.
Therefore, the causative middle indicates that these individuals are “volitionally” responsible for the fact that they are experiencing and will experience eternal condemnation.
Jude 7 asserts that the citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them were set forth by God as an example not to follow because they are experiencing a righteous punishment, which is described in this verse as experiencing eternal fire.
Warren Wiersbe writes “These cities were set forth by God as an example and warning to ungodly people today. The verb set forth means ‘to expose openly to public view.’ (Interestingly enough, the word was used to describe a corpse lying in state!) But the cities of the plain are not today in public view. It is generally agreed among archeologists that Sodom and Gomorrah are buried under the southern end of the Dead Sea. How, then, do they serve as an example? In the pages of the Word of God. No one can read Genesis 18–19 without clearly seeing God’s hatred for sin and, at the same time, His patience and willingness to postpone judgment. This certainly ties in with Peter’s explanation for God’s seeming delay in fulfilling the promise of Christ’s return (2 Peter 3:8ff).”