Jude Series: Jude 6b-The Judgement of the Sons of God in Genesis 6:2 and 4
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Jude 5 Now, I am prompted to desire to cause each and every one of you to be reminded (even though each of you are possessing a thorough knowledge about each of these examples) that Jesus, sometime after having delivered the people out from the land that is Egypt, destroyed those who would not believe. 6 Correspondingly, He is keeping by means of eternal chains under the control of total supernatural darkness for the purpose of executing the judgment during the great day of those who entered into the state of not keeping their own sphere of activity but in fact abandoned their own place of habitation. (Lecturer’s translation)
Jude 6 asserts that the Lord Jesus Christ “is keeping” these fallen angels of the antediluvian period “by means of eternal chains under the control of total supernatural darkness for the purpose of executing the judgment during the great day.” (Lecturer’s translation)
This assertion describes not only the present incarceration of these fallen angels of the antediluvian period but also their future judgment at the Great White Throne Judgement (Rev. 20:11-15).
The noun desmos(δεσμός), “chains” pertains to a restraint that confines or restricts freedom especially something used to tie down or restrain a prisoner, however, these chains are not literal.
But rather they are metaphorical or figurative since a literal chain cannot restrain an angel like it can a human since the former are not restricted by matter of any type.
Rather I believe that these fallen angels are restrained by the fact that they are placed in darkness without any light and angels need light to function.
This is supported by the prepositional phrase hypo zophon (ὑπὸ ζόφον), “under the control of total supernatural darkness,” which modifies this expression desmois aidiois hypo zophon (δεσμοῖς ἀϊδίοις ὑπὸ ζόφον), “by means of eternal chains” and expresses the idea of being under the control of total supernatural darkness.
Furthermore, after Satan’s fall, the Lord placed the earth and the entire time, matter space continuum under total supernatural darkness as the judgment for Satan’s rebellion against Him (Is. 14:12-14; Ezek. 28:11-19).
This is why Genesis 1:2 describes the earth as shrouded in darkness since before the creation of mankind, it was the abode of Satan and the angels whose rebellion began on planet earth (cf. Ezek. 28:11-19; Is. 14:12-14).
“Darkness” engulfed the earth and expresses the absence of God as a result of His judgment upon the earth.
Throughout Scripture when the earth is covered in darkness it speaks of God’s judgment and furthermore, when the earth is flooded it always speaks of God’s judgment throughout Scripture.
Darkness in the Bible is associated with evil and the kingdom of darkness and darkness is symbolic of evil.
The description of earth as an empty desolation and having darkness over the surface of the ocean depths paints a very negative picture and this picture is not one of blessing, but of cursing instead.
We would expect that when God creates there would be light and life but this is not described in Genesis 1:2.
God did not create the earth to be an empty desolation but it became that because of God’s judgment of the angels in eternity past before mankind was created.
Also, the noun desmos, “chains” is modified by the dative masculine plural form of the adjective aidios (ἀΐδιος), “eternal” which pertains to an unlimited duration of time or in other words, extending across time indefinitely and it is thus attributing eternality to these chains which are total supernatural darkness.
Also, the noun desmos is functioning as a dative of means which indicates the means or the instrument by which the action of the third person singular present active indicative conjugation of the verb tēreō (τηρέω) is accomplished.
Thus, the idea expressed by the dative form of this noun is that the fallen angels of Satan who rebelled against God by possessing the bodies of men in order to have sex with women during the antediluvian period are kept for the Great White Throne Judgment “by means of” eternal chains.
Also, the adjective zophos (ζόφος), “total supernatural darkness” pertains to a state of total supernatural darkness associated with feelings of despair and foreboding and is the object of the preposition hupo (ὑπό), which functions as a marker of subjection or control.
Therefore, this prepositional phrase is expressing the idea that the fallen angels who rebelled against God by possessing the bodies of unregenerate men in order to have sex with women during the antediluvian period are kept for the Great White Throne Judgment by means of eternal chains “under subjection to” or “under the control” of darkness.
Furthermore, the noun krisis (κρίσις) not only pertains to the determination of a legal matter but also the execution of this matter.
Therefore, this word speaks of the execution of the sentence of Satan and all his angels at the Great White Throne Judgment, which will result in them experiencing eternal condemnation for their rebellion against God (Rev. 20:11-15).
The referent of the noun hemera (ἡμέρα), “day” is not only the judgment of those fallen angels of Satan who rebelled against the Lord by possessing the bodies of unregenerate men in order to have sex with women during the antediluvian period but also every fallen angel and Satan.
This word functions as a genitive of time, which indicates that the judgment of these fallen angels of Satan as well as all the fallen angels of Satan will take place “during” the great day, which is a reference to the Great White Throne Judgment.
Also, the adjective megas (μέγας), “great” pertains to something which is remarkable or out of the ordinary in degree, magnitude or effect and pertains to being above standard in intensity.[1]
This word is functioning as an attributive adjective which means it is ascribing the attribute of “greatness” to this day in which the fallen angels of Satan will be judged by the Lord Jesus Christ at the Great White Throne Judgment.
It indicates that this judgment of the fallen angels is above all judgments that God has exercised throughout human and angelic history since it is the final judgment of every unregenerate human being and fallen angel.
Lastly, the noun krisis is the object of the preposition eis (εἰς), which functions as a marker of purpose indicating the purpose of the action of the third person singular present active indicative conjugation of the verb tēreō (τηρέω).
Therefore, this prepositional phrase indicates that the Lord Jesus Christ has kept these fallen angels in a state of incarceration by means of eternal chains under the control of total supernatural darkness “for the purpose of executing the judgment” against them.
Like Jude 6, 1 Peter 3:18-20 and 2 Peter 2:4 also describe the present imprisonment of these fallen angels of the antediluvian period and identifies the name of the place of their incarceration.
1 Peter 3:18 Because Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, to bring you to God, by being put to death in the flesh but by being made alive in the spirit. 3:19 In it he went and preached to the spirits in prison, 3:20 after they were disobedient long ago when God patiently waited in the days of Noah as an ark was being constructed. In the ark a few, that is eight souls, were delivered through water. (NET)
In verse 19, the phrase “the spirits in prison” refers to these fallen angels of Genesis 6:2 and 4 and Jude 6.
This is clearly indicated by the fact that this rebellion is associated with the flood judgment in the days of Noah.
2 Peter 2:4 For if God did not spare the angels who sinned but threw them into hell and locked them up in chains in utter darkness, to be kept until the judgment, 2:5 and if he did not spare the ancient world, but did protect Noah, a herald of righteousness, along with seven others, when God brought a flood on an ungodly world. (NET)
In verse 4, “threw them into hell” is translating the verb tartaroō (ταρταρόω), which means “to imprison in Tartarus.”
Therefore, the fallen angels described in Genesis 6:2 and 4 as “the sons of God” and whose rebellion is described in Jude 6 are now presently imprisoned in a place called “Tartarus.”
Like Jude 6, 2 Peter 2:4 describes these angels as being restrained in total supernatural darkness until their sentence to experience eternal condemnation is executed at the Great White Throne Judgment (Rev. 20:11-15).
Tartarus is one of the four compartments of Hades, which is located underneath the earth. The four compartments include: (1) Paradise: the place where departed souls of believers who died before the Resurrection of Christ were kept (Lk 23:39-43; Eph 4:8-9), until they were transferred to heaven after the Resurrection of Christ (Eph 4:10), (2) Torments: the temporary fire for the souls of unbelievers from all dispensations (Lk 16:19-31), (3) Tartarus: the abode of the fallen angels of Genesis 6 who had sex with woman in order to corrupt the human race and prevent the incarnation of the Son of God (1 Pt 3:18-19; 2 Pt 2:4; Jude 6), and (4) The Abyss: the place of imprisonment for the demons who violated certain rules for angelic creation, scheduled for release during the tribulation period (Lk 8:30-31; Rom 10:7; Rv 20:1-3).
“The Judgment” in 2 Peter 2:4 and the expression “for the purpose of executing the judgment during the great day” (Lecturer’s translation) in Jude 6 both refer to the Great White Throne Judgment.
Revelation 20:10 teaches that the fallen angels of Genesis 6:2, 4, who are mentioned in 1 Peter 3:18-20, 2 Peter 2:4-5 and Jude 6 will remain imprisoned in Tartarus until their sentence of experiencing eternal condemnation in the lake of fire is executed at the end of human history.
[1] Arndt, W., Danker, F. W., Bauer, W., & Gingrich, F. W. (2000). In A Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament and other early Christian literature (3rd ed., p. 623). University of Chicago Press.