We learn about the wicked in greater detail in the Letter of Jude. We are reminded that these individuals scoff at the idea that King Jesus Christ is returning any time soon because they are in love with the world and what the world has to offer. They are oppressing and persecuting the righteous and do not want the King of kings to arrive. We see the description of this given in the Letter of Jude:
“But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our LORD Jesus Christ. They said to you, 'In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.' It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit.”- Jude 1: 17-19
We are reminded that these individuals sound like the individuals in 2 Timothy 3 whom Paul tells to avoid. These individuals do not have the Spirit of Truth in them and only want to cause division and talk about controversies. We learn that where there is the Spirit of Truth is the peace of King Jesus Christ. True Christians do not look to divide but rather to unite in truth. This does not mean that we go along with the lies and falsehoods either. This means that we speak truth and work in growing and being at peace instead of quarreling and arguing. Where there is the Spirit of Truth, there is peace and harmony.
We see this with King David when he is able to unify the people. When there were quarrels concerning petty events or controversies, King David wanted to be fair and attempted to be equal with everyone. He did not look to gain favoritism with anyone, only to accomplish the purpose of GOD Almighty. For this, the people of Israel have peace under the kingship of King David. As individuals, we are to look for peace and harmony while speaking truth. This does not mean we go along with lies and falsehoods in order to keep the peace. It means we speak truth, but with the intention of unifying under the peace and harmony of GOD Almighty.
The people that are devoid of the Spirit means the people that work in the flesh. These individuals who only apply a worldly perspective to spiritual truths that are only seen from the Spirit of Truth. We are able to be at peace knowing that GOD Almighty provides the Spirit of Truth through faith in King Jesus Christ. Therefore, we are reminded that the people of the world are not going to understand the things of the Spirit of Truth or the Scriptures. For this they are destined to their scoffing and ungodly passions that lead to destruction. Peter tells us that sin “wages war against our soul”, and Paul tells us that the “wages of sin is death”. This tells us that it is only through repentance of sin and working with the Spirit of Truth through faith in King Jesus Christ are we allowed to obtain peace and seek peace.
Only those that have the Spirit of Truth are able to understand true peace that is given by GOD Almighty. We learn that the angels of Heaven and the true believers in the Scriptures give peace and blessings to individuals spoken to. This reminds us that GOD Almighty is a GOD of Peace and Harmony, but being able to be a GOD of Vengeance and Judgment when wicked individuals want to oppress and persecute. We learn that the individuals of GOD Almighty are known for their peaceful demeanor characterized by a contrite and meek spirit. We learn that this is the description of Moses, David, and King Jesus Christ. We are able to see that they sought to inspire peace and bring about peace within Israel. We learn that true peace only resides in true Christian believers that acknowledge King Jesus Christ as LORD and Savior and have the Spirit of Truth.
Those that are in the workings of the flesh are not able to comprehend true peace because they have forsaken GOD Almighty and sought sin and oppression as their choices. They have abandoned the Scriptures, the Ten Commandments, and the faith in King Jesus Christ and for this they do not have peace. Naturally, without any peace they seek to cause conflict, strife, and controversy. What is stated initially in Jude makes sense.
“But these people blaspheme all that they do not understand, and they are destroyed by all that they, like unreasoning animals, understand instinctively. Woe to them! For they walked in the way of Cain and abandoned themselves for the sake of gain to Balaam's error and perished in Korah's rebellion. These are hidden reefs at your love feasts, as they feast with you without fear, shepherds feeding themselves; waterless clouds, swept along by winds; fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, uprooted; wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved forever.”- Jude 1: 10-12
We learn that these people are not at peace because they forsake the presence of GOD Almighty. GOD Almighty describes the Scriptures as the word of GOD. Meaning the Scriptures unite us and bring us close to GOD Almighty. Only righteous individuals who read the Scriptures, understand the Scriptures, and want to know about GOD Almighty from the love that they have for GOD Almighty and honoring the First Commandment know that they choose GOD Almighty over everything that this world has to offer. Those that are wicked do not understand this and choose to forsake GOD Almighty's presence. They go after other things that are “broken cisterns” described by Jeremiah that are not “able to contain water.” This reminds us that GOD Almighty is able to provide examples of how GOD Almighty provides throughout Scripture for those that are righteous and choose the path of righteous.
In contrast, we see that the wicked are named from the start of history through Cain, who struck down his own brother out of jealousy and envy, further elaborated through Balaam's error, who wanted to make wealth from wrongdoing afflicting the people of Israel, and those in Korah's rebellion who rebelled against the leadership and authority that Moses was given by GOD Almighty. This tells us that wicked individuals will have jealousy, envy, and strife, want to make wealth from wrongdoing, and rebelling against the authority that GOD Almighty has given to the righteous. For this, there will be judgment in the time that GOD Almighty has decided.
They are further described as individuals that have nothing to offer because they cause division and subtract rather than add and multiply. They are described as waterless clouds because they cannot produce water like the clouds that produce water. They are also described as fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, and uprooted, meaning that they cannot bear fruit. King Jesus Christ pronounced judgment against a fig tree to show that those that are wicked are like the fig tree that withered. Those that follow the path of the wicked will not produce fruit. They divide, subtract, cause division, strife, and do not prosper in the long term because the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved for them.
These descriptions are specific to the point of describing the differences between those that are righteous from those that are wicked. While it may appear that the wicked get quick gains and have an easier life, we learn that they are destined for destruction and judgment by GOD Almighty. The righteous may have difficulties but GOD Almighty spares them from those difficulties. We learn in the case of David that while there were difficulties, David was protected and spared by GOD Almighty from the difficulties. We learn that GOD Almighty is able to protect those that are His, while the wicked are destined for destruction when GOD Almighty decides to judge in the case of Saul, Cain, and Balaam among the examples of the wicked.
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