A FEW SOBERING METAPHORS

Posted by Pastor Greg Allen on July 18, 2018 under AM Bible Study |

AM Bible Study Group; July 18, 2018 from Jude 12-13

Theme: Five metaphors from the created realm are used to describe the character—and ultimate judgment—of false teachers in the church.

(All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version, unless otherwise indicated).

Perhaps you’ll remember—from way back in school—the difference between a metaphor and a simile. A simile is a simple figure of speech by which something is compared to something else. It is identified by the use of words such as “like” or “as”. The Book of Proverbs uses many of them. Proverbs 16:24, for example, says, “Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.” A metaphor is also a figure of speech, but it does not use a comparative word such as “like” or “as”. It says that something not ordinarily connected to something else “is” something else; putting it in such a way that makes the comparison memorable. Jesus, for example, said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep” (John 10:7).

Metaphors are powerful figures of speech. They illustrate the nature of a thing in a very direct way. And as we come to Jude 12-13, we find that Jude uses a series of five powerful metaphors in one of the most serious and sobering descriptions you can find in the Bible of the character and destiny of those who depart from the faith. He writes;

These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots; raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever. (Jude 12-13).

Jude had been writing to his brothers and sisters in Christ about the danger of those who have “crept in unnoticed” into the fellowship of believers in such a way as to put “the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” in serious need of being defended (vv. 3-4). In verses 5-19, he describes these false teachers—telling us about their ultimate judgment (vv. 5-7), their rebellious nature (vv. 8-10), their sinful character (vv. 11-16), and their sinful practices (vv. 17-19). It’s in Jude’s description of their character that we find these powerful metaphors being used. They are drawn from the realm of creation; and they truly leave us with a sense of the terrible seriousness of the condition of false teachers who apostatize from the truth of the gospel. They are powerful statements because—as metaphors—the seek to impact us in a very direct way with the danger that such false teachers present.

It’s important to remember that Jude was not writing about those who were ‘outside’ the church—criticizing and attacking from the sidelines. Rather, these are ‘pretend believers’ who managed to get into the fellowship—who had crept in unnoticed, but who clearly didn’t belong. In a sense, these five powerful metaphors not only describe them and affirm their ultimate destiny; but they also help us to recognize them and be on the alert against them.

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First, Jude writes that …

1. THEY ARE HIDDEN REEFS.

He says, “These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves.” The word that is translated “spots” is one that speaks of a flaw or a blemish. But perhaps the idea is best expressed by the New American Standard translation: “hidden reefs”.

As a captain of a ship would pilot his vessel into port, he would watch out for the rocks and reefs. Sometimes those reefs could be seen and would be well known. But the most dangerous ones are the hidden ones that may only appear as a “spot” or a dark blotch in the water once you are upon them. They lie beneath the surface—and destroy the ship when struck. And that’s what Jude is saying that these apostate teachers were—destructive hidden reefs that lie beneath the surface. He says that they are “in your love feasts”. But the word “feast” is not in the original language in that clause. Jude actually says that they are hidden reefs in “your loves” (plural); and he may mean that while the members of the body of Christ enjoy expressions of genuine love with one another—perhaps, indeed, even in feasts together—these “reefs” bask in these relationships of love as dangerous and destructive frauds whose true nature is hidden from detection. He says that “they feast with you without fear”—which may mean that they do so without any sense of reverence for the blessedness of the holy assembly of God’s people, or that they do so without any fear of the judgment of God they are under for having taken advantage of God’s people.

Their true nature is expressed in that they are “serving only themselves”. The word that is translated “serving” or “caring for” is one that would speak of a shepherd’s care for one of the sheep. This could possibly suggest to us that these are individuals who have entered into positions of teaching and preaching—positions in which they should be shepherding God’s flock. But instead, as we could translate it like this—they are found to be “shepherding only themselves”. They take from the flock and only advance their own cause. Paul once wrote to his brothers and sisters in Philippi to warn them of such individuals. He told them;

Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern. For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame—who set their mind on earthly things (Philippians 3:17-19).

Such “hidden reefs” show themselves by the fact that they only care for themselves!

Jude then goes on to warn us that …

2. THEY ARE WATERLESS CLOUDS.

He writes, “They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds …” Here in the Pacific Northwest, we’re not so impressed with clouds. But in a part of the world in which rain is precious, the coming of clouds is exciting. They promise life, refreshment, and growth. How disappointing it is, then, when clouds come floating along—but do not bring the anticipated and much-needed rain! Jude says that that’s what these false teachers are. They are clouds without water. They come along with the apparent promise refreshment and healing and spiritual truth. They look so good! But by the time they’re through, they’ve left everyone feeling spiritually dry and undernourished and without a sense of having encountered Him who is the truth.

Notice that Jude says that, being ‘waterless clouds’, they are “carried about by the winds”. This suggests that they are unstable. They aren’t rooted in the unchanging truth of God’s revealed Word, but are instead easily blown along with the latest fad, or are following along behind culture’s newest trend. They are untrustworthy. The apostle Paul warned Timothy of such teachers when he wrote;

For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth (2 Timothy 3:6-7).

You can recognize such apostates. They come on the scene with great and lofty promises of spiritual power and victory and prosperity—and yet, they fail to deliver. And then, you’ll wonder where they went—only to find that they’ve gone off to follow the latest popular drift of the wind.

Next, Jude warns us that …

3. THEY ARE TREES WITHOUT FRUIT.

He writes that they are “late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots …” When it comes to trees, the fruit-bearing is pretty much done by autumn. Some of the leaves are still there; but the fruit has been picked away. Such trees can be deceiving and disappointing; because they still bear the leaves. We can see this illustrated to us somewhat in the story of our Lord’s entry into Jerusalem. Mark 11 tells us;

Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry. And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. In response, Jesus said to it, “Let no one eat fruit from you ever again” (Mark 11:12-14).

As a result, the tree withered. This was a picture of our Lord’s expectation as the promised King when He came to His people. He looked for—and had the right to find—spiritual fruit. But all He found was the outward show of leaves—and no fruit at all. And that is what these apostates are. They have the outward show of leaves—all the pious displays of religiosity; but when you get closer to examine them, you find that there’s no real spiritual fruit. Their lives display nothing of the work of the Holy Spirit. They manifest no real personal holiness or obedience to the Master they pretend to serve.

But their situation is worse than just that. They are, as Jude says, “twice dead”—which may express the fact that they are utterly dead in a spiritual sense; or it may mean that they are truly dead twice over: first in that there is no fruit; and second in that they never will be fruitful because they are “pulled up by the roots”. Jesus once rebuked the Pharisees for their phony outward religious displays. When the disciples came to inform Him that the Pharisees were offended by this, He told them that such were blind guides of the blind and that they should be left alone; saying

“Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted” (Matthew 15:13).

False prophets, as our Lord told us, can be known by their fruits (Matthew 7:20). And these apostates can be recognized by careful fruit inspection. A lack of the genuine fruit of a true spiritual life in Christ indicates that they are spiritual ‘autumn trees’—twice dead, pulled up by the roots.

Jude further declares that …

4. THEY ARE RAGING WAVES OF THE SEA.

He tells us they are “raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame …”

There’s something that has sometimes been suggested to a young woman who is dating a man who she may want to marry. To be sure of his character, it has been recommended that she try saying ‘no’ to him sometime—that is, to deny him some plan he has or some activity he wants to do with her—and then watch and see what he does. Does he accept it calmly? Then she’ll know something about him. But if he reacts in anger, flying off the handle, then she knows something else. That illustrates something of what Jude is telling us about these apostates.

To say that they are “waves of the sea” would, by itself, tell us that they are somewhat unstable—they ebb and flow. But Jude adds an adjective that means “belonging to the wild” or “wild” or “fierce” or “raging”; which suggests that the ebbs and flows of emotion are startling and dangerous. They are ‘raging’ waves of the sea. These are individuals who appear to be calm and peaceful when things are going their way. They seem meek as sheep. But cross them in the wrong way, and the “sheep” suddenly bears its fangs and snarls and snaps like a wolf. They act in a way that is utterly contrary to the way a servant of God should be expected to act. Paul wrote to Pastor Timothy and said;

But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will (2 Timothy 2:23-26).

That is not the practice of one of these apostates. When caught in a conflict—or when confronted by questions about conduct—they suddenly become “raging waves of the sea”. And note that as such, they are found to be “foaming up their own shame”. When their cup is tipped, the contents spill out—and what spills out is that which reveals the sinfulness inside. Language will come forth that is vulgar and evil. Threats will be issued. Counter accusations will be made. Dirt will be dredged up. That’s how you’ll know them for what they really are.

If you are paying attention to these metaphors, you’ll discover that there is a progression in the kind of judgment these false teachers receive. First, they are found to be serving only themselves. Then they are found to be driven by the wind. They are then said to be ‘pulled up by the roots’. And then they are found to be casting up their own shame. The last judgment we find is most horrifying of all. This is declared to us when Jude says …

5. THEY ARE WANDERING STARS.

He writes that these false teachers are “wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.”

The word that Jude uses in the original language is “astēr”—which is the Greek word for ‘star’. You’ll probably recognize that the word “astronomy” comes from it. But Jude then connects it to another Greek word that you’ll also recognize; planētēs. Planets, as viewed through the telescope of ancient astronomy were surprising and deceiving. They looked like stars; but they seemed to move in a way that stars do not—that is, to wander in the heavens in their orbits. Jude is saying that these false teachers are “wandering stars”. They seem at first to be in place; but then they’re not what they at first appear to be. You’ll look for them, but find that they have wandered.

And Jude adds this truly terrifying affirmation; that it is they “for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever”. Just like a comet, they shine for a while—but then disappear into the blackness of space. This is a description of the ultimate judgment of God. It uses the language that Peter used several times in 2 Peter 2. In 2 Peter 2:4, Peter tells us this about the fallen angels who had rebelled against God; that

God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment (2 Peter 2:4).

In verse 9, he writes that because of the record we have in Scripture of His acts in the past, we can be sure that

the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment (v. 9);

using the same word “reserved” that we find in Jude 13. Finally, Peter himself writes of these false teachers and says;

These are wells without water, clouds carried by a tempest, for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever (v. 17).

Taking these things all together, then, Jude is telling us that these false teachers—these ‘wandering stars’—are those for whom is reserved the thick gloom of ultimate darkness in which the fallen angels are held captive for final judgment. Our frail minds can hardly grasp what a dreadful ‘reservation’ this is. But as we remember from verse 4, these false teachers are those “who long ago were marked out for this condemnation”. Based on the destiny that God has for them, what objects of horror they truly are!

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From these metaphors, we can know the dangerous hypocrisy of these false teachers, their empty promise of spiritual refreshment, their unfruitful deadness of outward religiosity, their shameful lack of control, and finally their dreadful destiny of eternal judgment. As the writer of Hebrews puts it;

Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. And again, “The Lord will judge His people.” It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Hebrews 10:28-31).

May God protect us from—and give us the courage to ‘contend for the faith’ against—all such!

EA