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Jude Pt. 4

by Don Costello  
6/12/2008 / Bible Studies


Jude 7

Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like manner, giving them over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

1. "Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them,"

a. There were four cities destroyed:

1). Deuteronomy 29:23 "And that the whole land thereof is brimstone, and salt, and burning, that it is not sown, nor beareth, nor any grass growth therein, like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim, which the LORD overthrew in his anger, and in his wrath:

b. The words "Even as" in this verse link the fornication of the angels with the fornication of Sodom and the other cities of the plain.

2. "in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh,"

a. giving themselves over to fornication [1608 * ekporneuo; ek-out or from; porneuo-to commit fornication] [Zodhiates].

b. strange [2087 * heteros] [Zodhiates, Other but different, another.]

c. There is much irony in the use of heteros to describe homosexual behavior. Normally heterosexual is the word used to describe a normal male or female who are normally drawn towards the opposite sex. Here though, the word heteros is used to describe a homosexual, one who is pervertedly drawn towards a person of the same sex.


d. Genesis 19:1-13 "And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground; And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant's house, and tarry all night, and was your feet, and ye shall rise early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night. And he pressed upon them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat. But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter: And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? Bring them out unto us, that we may know them. And Lot went out at the door unto them, and shut the door after him, And said, I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly. Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man; let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes: only unto these men do nothing; for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof, And they said, Stand back, and they said again, This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs: now will we deal worse with thee, than with them. And they pressed sore upon the man, even Lot, and came near to break the door. But the men put forth their hand, and pulled Lot into the house to them, and shut the door. And they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great: so that they wearied themselves to find the door. And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides? Son in law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and what soever thou hast in this city, bring them out of this place: For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the LORD; and the LORD hath sent us to destroy it."

Genesis 19:24, 25 "Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven; and he overthrew those cities, all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground."

1). The Hebrew word for "know"in William Gesenius's Hebrew-Chaldean Lexicon , it is listed as a "euphemism for sexual intercourse". It is used this way in Genesis 4:1, "And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain," Likewise in Genesis 4:17, "And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch" Gesenius writes, "verbs of knowing are frequently employed for this euphemism in other languages." He then lists examples in Syrian, Arabic, Ethiopian, Greek, Latin, Italian, and French.


d. going [565 * aperchomai; apo-from; erchomai-to come or go] [Zodhiates: To go after someone, to follow as companions or disciples.]

e. after [3694 * opiso] [Zodhiates: a looking backOf place, behindWith verbs implying motion as after someone, meaning a following as a disciple or otherwise]

f. The definitions in the phrase "going after" reveal the religious element to the homosexuality of Sodom. There was a religious element to the homosexuality of Sodom just as there was a religious element to the homosexuality of ancient Judah and just as there is to 21st century America.
In Deuteronomy 23:17, 18 God warned Israel. "There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel, nor a sodomite of the sons of Israel. Thou shalt not bring the hire of a whore, or the price of a dog, into the house of the LORD thy God for any vow: for even both these are abomination unto the LORD thy God." Unger's Bible Dictionary says of the term "sodomite" "They were not inhabitants of Sodom or their descendants; but men consecrated to the unnatural vice of Sodom as a religious rite." But this is not the only scriptural evidence of a religious element to homosexuality in ancient Israel. In fact the same Hebrew word for sodomite used in Deuteronomy 23 is used in at least two more occasions. One is 1 Kings 14:24: "And there were also sodomites in the land: and they did according to all the abominations of the nations which the LORD cast out before the children of Israel." The time this was occurring was about 930 B.C., during the beginning of Rehoboam's reign as King of Judah. This verse gives us a couple facts, these homosexuals were not only in the land of Israel but they also engaged in every behavior the Canaanites engaged in previous to the LORD kicking them out, which implies a religious element to Canaanite homosexuality. About 300 years later Josiah became King of Judah. Josiah was no doubt the greatest King of Judah. During his reign he implemented godly reforms, one of which was he destroyed the places where homosexuals engaged in their behavior. 2 Kings 23:7 says, "And he brake down the houses of the sodomites, that were by the house of the LORD, where the women wove hangings for the grove." 300 years previous they were just "in the land", now they "were by the house of the LORD". In fact the New American Standard Version says of this verse, they "were IN the house of the LORD". These "houses" according to Gesenius Hebrew Lexicon were nothing more than "a moveable house, a tent". If they were in the temple or next to the temple is open to debate, but a couple facts remain, there was a religious element to ancient Israel's homosexuality, and in the 300 years between Rehoboam and Josiah, Judah's spiritual culture had degenerated to the degree they allowed homosexuality to infiltrate the temple worship. Just as it was a gradual change in Judah's spiritual culture, and ours, I believe it was a gradual change in Sodom's culture as well.


3. "are set forth for an example suffering the vengeance of eternal fire."

a. Before its destruction the area around Sodom was compared to the garden of the LORD: Genesis 13:10, presumably Eden.

b. The area was very prosperous: Luke 17:28, 29

c. They had plenty of food: Ezekiel 16:49.

d. Now the description is "the whole land thereof is brimstone, and salt, and burning, that it is not sown, nor beareth, nor any grass growth therein," Deuteronomy 29:23.

e. 2 Peter 2:6 "And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an example unto those that after should live ungodly;"

f. The inhabitants of those cities seemingly will suffer for eternity from the same degree of flame that they died from.

g. According to Josephus [IV:4], the ruins were still visible in New Testament times.



Jude 8

Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.

1. "Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh,"

a. The word "filthy" is not in the Greek text, it was added by the KJV translators.

b. dreamers [1797 * enupniazo] [Zodhiates: spoken of visions in dreams.]

c. defile [3392 * miano] [Zodhiates: To stain with color as the staining of glass, to tinge, pollute, defile.]

d. The term, "likewise" in verse 8, "even as" in verse 7, and the account in verse 6 link all these verses together in that all tell of sexual uncleanness in one from or another. Angels had sexual intercourse with human women, men had unnatural sex with men, and apparently these are homosexual preachers.

e. 2 Peter 2:10 "But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness,

2. "despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities."

a. 2 Peter 2:10 'despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities."

1). self-willed [829 * authades; auto-self; hedomai-to please]

b. despise [114 * atheteo] [Zodhiates: To displace, to abrogate, abolish, get rid of.

c. dominion [2963 * kuriotes] [Zodhiates: Dominion, civil power, or authority.
d. speak [987 * blasphemo] rail or rail.

e. Vines says these "dignities" are angelic powers. For some unknown reason these ungodly ministers speak against angelic powers. There is a chance they could be speaking against the angels preaching the gospel in Revelation 14:6-11.

1). Revelation 14:6-11 "And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,
Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.
And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name."

My name is Don Costello. Ever since I received Christ in November of 1976 I have had a passion to study and know God's word.My wife Melissa and I have 5 children.

My e-mail address is [email protected]

I have a blog located at:
www.theophilus-loverofgodsword.blogspot.com/

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