Living in Light of What is to Come

There is a habit that now has a name. This habit I have known about, but the name I just learned. You can now find the name on Dictionary.com. I will share with you the definition of the word, then reveal the name given to it: The practice of obsessively checking online news for updates, especially on social media feeds, with the expectation that the news will be bad, such that the feeling of dread from this negative expectation fuels a compulsion to continue looking for updates in a self-perpetuating cycle. The name given for this habit is Doomscrolling, and it is a word that was created because of the Coronavirus pandemic, and according to the etymology of the word, The act of doomscrolling, then, is to roll toward annihilation. Taken biblically, it has a Revelation tone. Simultaneously, each person watches the demise of so much, while also slowly destroying themselves.[1] The reason for doomscrolling has more to do with the fact that messages like the one from The Lion King do not sit well, even after our best efforts to prove otherwise. What do I mean? Well, the big message and song to match it, is that death is natural, it is a part of life, it is part of the cycle of life. According to Mufasa, When we die, our bodies become the grass, and the antelope eat the grass. And so, we are all connected in the great Circle of Life So, in the end, your body returns to the earth, and that is it kind of like a long peaceful sleep with the possibility of a blissful afterlife. I have heard people say that death is natural and that it is just a part of life. I recently listened to a sermon by Timothy Keller where he commented on the idea that death is natural, here is what he said: When you say, Oh, death is just natural, you are actually killing a part of your heart, something quintessentially human, because you know deep in your heart that youre not like a tree. Youre not like grass. You want to last. The deepest desires of your heart are for love that lasts. You dont want to be ephemeral. You dont want to be inconsequential. You dont want to just be a wave upon the sand. To say that you are means youre demoting the human race and youre killing hope. Youre killing something within you![2] Death is not natural, because it is not the way things are supposed to be. Death is part of a curse we all find ourselves under. One of the gifts COVID gave us is the reminder that life is fragile; because we all want to last, doomscrolling has become a legitimate problem and for some, even an addiction because nobody wants to die. The reality is that death comes for us all. Few are prepared for it, most do all they can to delay it, and many live as though there is no judgment that will follow it. The false teachers who have crept into the church, whom Jude describes as ungodly people who pervert the grace of God and deny Jesus as Master and Lord, live in a dream world as though they will not have to account for their teaching and behavior before the One they so terribly misrepresent. That seems to be the way of things does it not? People live their entire lives with little thought that the decisions and actions of their lives will have consequence after death. Throughout Judes epistle, he warns that these false teachers are destined for condemnation (v. 4), will one day perish (v. 11), and that there is a gloom reserved for such people that will last forever (v. 13). In verses 14-16, Jude again warns that the judgment that is coming is imminent. A Word about the Book of Enoch There are multiple books that are attributed as having been written by the Enoch of Genesis 5, but the oldest one that was discovered with the Dead Sea Scrolls is known as 1 Enoch. This is the book Jude may have quoted from and is an ancient book that some really believe should be in our Bibles. The problem with 1 Enoch, and the reason why it was never included in the category of holy and inspired Scripture as are the 66 books that make up the Bible, is because a large part of the book was written in 300-200 BC and the parables that make up the last part of the book were written sometime in 100 BC. The Old Testament was accepted as scripture by the time Jesus was born and the New Testament was canonized by the fourth century, even though the New Testament in our Bible was largely accepted by the second century. The criteria that each book had to fit to be included in the canon of Scripture was the following: 1. Were their divine qualities consistent with other accepted sacred scripture? 2. Was it true and authoritative teaching? 3. Was it consistently accepted as scripture by Jews and Christians? 4. Did the early Church consistently accept it as scripture? 5. Regarding the books written before his birth, was there any indication that Jesus accepted it as Scripture? 6. Regarding the New Testament, was it composed by an apostle or someone who had close links to the original apostles? The book of Enoch did not meet any of the above criteria even though there have been, and continue to be, some fringe groups that regard it as scripture. Here are some of the reasons why the book of Enoch is pseudepigraphal: 1. It is ascribed to the Enoch of Genesis 5:18 falsely as it was written in parts and not fully composed until sometime between 300-200 BC. 2. It was never accepted into Jewish canon. 3. The book(s) of Enoch contradict both the Old and New Testaments (there are many examples of this that have been documented, but for an example see Enoch 10:15 where it is promised that the flood will restore righteousness forevermore and 2 Timothy 3:1-9 or 2 Peter 3:1-13). There are three categories of writings that you should be aware of: 1) Holy Scripture, 2) the apocrypha (non-canonical books), and 3) pseudepigrapha (which means false books). The apocrypha have been considered valuable, but not scripture (this is why you can buy Bibles that include the apocrypha). The Pseudepigrapha comes from the Greek word pseudo meaning false, and epigraphein, meaning to inscribe or write falsely; literally the word pseudepigrapha means false inscriptions. The book of Enoch has been classified for centuries as pseudepigrapha. One more point I would like to make concerning the book of Enoch: just because a piece of literature is quoted by a biblical author does not mean that everything else included in that work is, or should be considered, scripture. For example, in Titus 1:12, the apostle Paul quoted a pagan Greek poet by the name of Epimenides, but just because he quoted him, does not mean that the poem itself is also scripture. In Acts 17:28, Paul is cited as doing the same not just from Epimenides, but also from another Greek poet by the name of Aratus. The fact that Jude quoted Enoch and that Jude is recognized as Scripture means that Jude 14-16 is Holy Scripture. God Receives Those Who Walk with Him (v. 14) So, who was Enoch? I believe this is the reason why Jude mentions him. All that we know about Enoch is found in six short verses in Genesis. Permit me to share those scripture verses with you: Genesis 5:1819. When Jared had lived 162 years, he fathered Enoch. 19Jared lived after he fathered Enoch 800 years and had other sons and daughters. Genesis 5:2124. When Enoch had lived 65 years, he fathered Methuselah. 22Enoch walked with God after he fathered Methuselah 300 years and had other sons and daughters. 23Thus all the days of Enoch were 365 years. 24Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him. The two facts we know about Enoch is that he, walked with God and God took him. Now, think about all that Jude has mentioned so far in his little letter. For starters, we were reminded that Cain was a violent and immoral man who did not walk by faith (v. 11a). Secondly, Jude points out that the generations that followed Cain, grew increasingly violent, introduced polygamy and gross sexual immorality, and were evil to the core (v. 6). Now, there are many other illustrations from the Old Testament Jude uses in his epistle, but do not miss the significance of where the story of Enoch is placed. Between the story of Cain in Genesis 4 and the story of the wickedness in Genesis 6 (where angels committed sexual immorality with humans), is Genesis 5, where we are introduced for the first time to Enoch, who walked with God in the midst of an increasingly wicked world. In the midst of an increasingly wicked and evil culture, Enoch walked with God. Remember that walking in the Bible is a metaphor for the way a person lives his/her life. What does it look like to walk with God? It looks like Psalm 1:1-2, Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. It looks like what the apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:1-3, I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Walking with God looks like Hebrews 12:1-2, Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:12) Jude uses Enoch as an example to remind his readers that the way you avoid the trap of the false teachers is the same way you resist sin and the devil: keep your eyes on Jesus who is keeping and guarding you by following him as Master and Lord over your life. The treasure in Enochs life was not power, fame, or what others thought about him, his treasure was the God of Adam, Eve, Abel, and Seth. You see, the reason Jude quotes Enoch is because here was a man who walked with God. For Jude, Jesus is Master and Lord, and it is through Him that we are called, and by Him that we are beloved in God the Father, and for Him that we are kept. For the Christian, the Judgment for our sin fell upon the Father so that our sins against our Holy Creator would be pardoned and because of that, even the worst of death is but a sting. God Condemns Those Who Follow After Their Sinful Desires (vv. 15-16) Apart from Jesus, death is much more than a stingdeath is an executioner. I have not thought of death in that way until I listened to a sermon by Timothy Keller titled, Death and the Christian Hope. Think about it though the Bible teaches that physical death is only a gateway to something greater. For the Christian, death is only a sting, but for the person who knows not Christ, then death is an executioner who delivers us to God as judge instead of Him as a Father. For the Christian, we have confidence that we are beloved in God the Father and are kept for Jesus. This is the way Jude begins his epistle and assures us at the conclusion of his epistle that the Christian stands blameless before the presence of God not because of religious activity, but solely because of what Jesus has done and is doing. However, there is a judgment coming. In the days of Enoch, there was a looming judgment that would destroy the earth with water. Jesus spoke of that day and the day Jude refers to; listen to the words of our Savior: But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. (Matthew 24:36-39, 44) What is amazing about verses 14-16 is that the prophesy was passed down from generation to generation, from before the days of Noah concerning what would come of all false teachers: Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousand of his holy ones (v. 14). In other words, the coming of the Lord to judge is certain and settled, and the One who will come is Yahweh. Just as Jude attributed the liberation of the Hebrew slaves from Egypt in verse 5, he attributes the coming of Yahweh with Jesus in verses 14-16. What Enoch prophesied was not something new, but something repeated both in the Old Testament and New Testament. In Zechariah 14:3-5, we are told the same thing we read in Jude: Then the Lord [Yahweh] will go out and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle. On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward. And you shall flee to the valley of my mountains, for the valley of the mountains shall reach to Azal. And you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the Lord [Yahweh] my God will come, and all the holy ones with him. (Zechariah 14:35) The judgment that Enoch and Zechariah prophesied about is the one Jesus as Master and Lord will execute, for of that day Jesus said: When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats (Matthew 25:3132). This is why after Caiaphas the high priest asked Jesus, I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God? and heard the answer Jesus gave, which was: You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven. - Jesus answer was all that Caiaphas needed to condemn him of blasphemy (see Matt. 26:57-68). It was not because Jesus claimed to be the Messiah (there were others before Jesus who did the same), but because he claimed to be the same Lord that Enoch, Zachariah, and Daniel spoke of (see Daniel 7:9-14). What kind of judgment will Jesus bring? A judgment that will lead to another death much greater than a physical death, for it will be a judgment based on both things done and things said, for we are told that it is Jesus who will execute, judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him (v. 15; see also Rev. 20:11-15). Who are those who have spoken against him? The false teachers who deny Jesus with their deeds and their words that He is Master and Lord (v. 4). It is these people, Jude calls out as, grumblers, malcontents, following their own sinful desires; they are loud-mouthed boasters, showing favoritism to gain advantage (v. 16). Conclusion There is a coming day, when the Day we are warned of throughout the Bible will become a reality. For many, that Day will result in another kind of death that will never come to an end: Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyones name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. (Rev. 20:1115) According to Jesus (and Isaiah), the second death will have no end: For their worm shall not die, their fire shall not be quenched, and they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh (Isaiah 66:24; Mark 9:48). For all those who will face judgment only to experience the lake of fire, the death we all must face on this side of eternity is an executioner. But consider what it is that the Christian has because of Jesus. If you are a Christianthat is that you have placed your faith and trust in Him as your Savior, Master, and Lordyou are called by God, beloved by God the Father, and kept for Jesus (v. 1). If you are a Christian, then it is Jesus who brought you out of your Egypt (v. 5). If you are a Christian, Jesus sought you as His people (vv. 20-21). If you are a Christian, Jesus has saved you from your sin (vv. 2, 24). If you are a Christian, you were once a slave to sin, but Jesus has made you free (v. 25)! If you are a Christian, Jesus is coming to make your redemption complete (vv. 24-25). If you are a Christian, you are called, beloved, and kept so that instead of a second death mercy, peace, and love will never crest or abate, but will for all eternity be a never-ending climax of Gods mercy, peace, and love where you will never know him as Judge, but only as Father! If you are a Christian, death has been defeated! If you are a Christian, instead of death being your executioner, the Lamb of God, who is Master and Lord, has made death a gardener![3] Amen! [1] Doomscrolling Is Slowly Eroding Your Mental Health (Preachingtoday.com).[2] Keller, T. J. (2013). The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive. Redeemer Presbyterian Church.[3] Keller, T. J. (2013). The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive. Redeemer Presbyterian Church.