Within such a small letter contains great Theological significance pertaining to the Deity of Christ. We will start with two significant events within Jude that are attributed to “the Lord”. The first event being in Jude 1:5-7 and the second event being in Jude 1:14-16, starting with verses 5-7.
5 I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.
6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.
7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
Jude 1:5-7 (KJV)
Within this passage, we are told that “the Lord” saved people out of the land of Egypt. Something shocking is there are around five variant readings of verse five, some replacing Lord as “Jesus”! Below I will provide an analysis of this dilemma from New Testament textual critic Phillip W. Comfort (original quotation);
Comfort lists the major variants,
1. hapax panta, hoti Iesous
“[knowing] once for all, Jesus”2. panta, hoti Iesous hapax
“[knowing] everything, that Jesus once”3. hapax panta, hoti theos Christos
“[knowing] once and for all, that God [the] Messiah (or, Messiah God)”4. hapax panta, hoti ho theos
“[knowing] once and for all, that God”5. hapax touto, hoti ho kyrios
“once [you knew] this, that the Lord”And states:
Among all the readings cited above, the first and second variants are the most remarkable, for they say that “Jesus delivered his people out of Egypt.” This reading is found in A B 33 1739 1881 Origen Cyril Jerome Bede–AN IMPRESSIVE COLLECTION OF WITNESSES. P72 may possibly be an indirect witness to the reading “Jesus,” because it shows that the scribe had before him in his exemplar a messianic title–“Christ” (= “Messiah”). At any rate, it is easier to argue (from a textual perspective) that the reading “Jesus” is the one which all the others deviated than to argue that the reading with “Lord” (or “God”) was changed to “Jesus,” because scribes were not known for fabricating difficult readings.
Some scholars, such as Wikgren (1967, 147-152) have argued that Jude may have written Iesous in Jude 5 intending “Joshua” (see NEBmg), as in Heb 4:8. But this is very unlikely, because Joshua led the Israelites into the good land of Canaan, but not out of Egypt, and Joshua certainly did not destroy those who did not believe (Jude 5b). This was a divine activity. Thus, it is likely that Jesus here is being seen as Yahweh the Savior. In other words, from Jude’s perspective, it was Jesus, the I AM (see John 8:58), who was present with the Israelites and operative in their deliverance from Egypt. Paul shared a similar view inasmuch as he proclaimed that “Christ” was the Rock that accompanied the Israelites in their desert journeys and that “Christ” was the one the Israelites constantly “tested” during these times (see 1 Cor 10:4, 9 and note on 1 Cor 10:9). Thus, the reading “Jesus,” though difficult, IS NOT IMPOSSIBLE. As such, it should be accepted AS THE ORIGINAL READING (as it was by Eberhard Nestle [1901, 328-329] and F. F. Bruce [1964, 63]).
OK! So within Jude 1:5, it is possible that the “Lord” was actually “Jesus”. However even if “Lord” is the original rendering, verses 14-15 will still prove that Jesus lead the Israelites out of Egypt.
14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
15 To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.
Jude 1:14-15 (KJV)
Again, another instance in which Jude references an event of “the Lord”. This time “the Lord” comes with a host of angels and executes judgment upon the nation. From a further dive into Scripture, we see that Jesus is the one that comes with a host of angels to execute judgment. Amazing!
27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.
Matthew 16:27 (KJV)
25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.
26 For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;
27 And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.
28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
John 5:25-29 (KJV)
It would make sense to then deduce from Scripture that the same “Lord “in verse 5 is the same “Lord” in verse 14. If this is true, Jude just claimed that Jesus is Jehovah God!
How? You might ask, well let’s walk through the evidence again. Verse five proclaims “the Lord” that brought Israel out of bondage is Jehovah God according to Exodus 20:2 “I am the LORD [Yahweh] thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage“. This same Yahweh Lord comes in a myriad of angels to execute judgment, which we know from John 5:25-19 & Matthew 16:27 to be the Lord Jesus. So from this deduction alone, Jesus is that Yahweh God of Old!
To go even deeper, the title of “Son of Man” that Jesus describes Himself is the “Son of Man” in Daniel 7:13-14.
13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.
14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.
Daniel 7:13-14 (KJV)
64 Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.
65 Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy.
Matthew 26:64-65 (KJV)
The “Son of Man” in Daniel 7 “rides the clouds of heaven”, which is a divine function. Or in other words only God within the Old Testament and in Ancient Near Eastern religions rode the clouds of heaven;
The Lord is slow to anger and great in power,
And will not at all acquit the wicked.The Lord has His way
In the whirlwind and in the storm,
And the clouds are the dust of His feet.
He rebukes the sea and makes it dry,
And dries up all the rivers.
Bashan and Carmel wither,
And the flower of Lebanon wilts.Nahum 1:3-4 (NKJV)
The burden against Egypt.
Behold, the Lord rides on a swift cloud,
And will come into Egypt;
The idols of Egypt will totter at His presence,
And the heart of Egypt will melt in its midst.Isaiah 19:1 (NKJV)
Sing to God, sing praises to His name;
Extol Him who rides on the clouds,
By His name Yah,
And rejoice before Him.
Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment,
Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain.He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters,
Who makes the clouds His chariot,
Who walks on the wings of the wind,Psalm 104:2-3 (NKJV)
Wow! Scripture has immense depth, and allows us to see that Jesus is truly Jehovah God. Possessing the Divine Nature in union with the Father and the Spirit! May the Lord Jesus be magnified! Amen.
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