Enoch (2)—Prophesying Judgment on the Ungodly - All The LORD is near Daily Devotionals for 2024

Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.”
Jude 14–15 NKJV

Enoch (2)—Prophesying Judgment on the Ungodly
Enoch walked with God and pleased God. He did not die, for he had faith God would take him to Himself before the judgment that would come before the death of his son Methuselah. Furthermore, as Amos shares much later, “Surely the Lord God does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets” (Amos 3:7). And here in Jude we find that Enoch prophesied—revealed the mind of God. What he learned through walking with God he communicated to others. His prophecy was not merely a revelation about a coming event; it was a warning for all then present to heed.

It is commonly taught that Enoch was warning about the flood that came in the year that Methuselah died, at 969 years of age. How gracious and longsuffering God is, to wait until the oldest man on record had died before sending the flood in judgment upon the ungodly! But God is also absolutely righteous. He cannot lie, but always keeps His Word. So judgment inevitably came.

Enoch’s prophecy is still awaiting its final fulfillment. The Lord has not yet come in judgment “with ten thousands of His saints.” Revelation 19:11–21 presents Him coming at the end of the Great Tribulation with the armies of heaven, and “the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him.” Other scriptures add further details. He will execute righteous judgment upon the ungodly as Enoch prophesied. May we who know God’s Word preach the gospel of salvation while solemnly warning the ungodly to “flee from the wrath to come” (Lk. 3:7)!

-- Eugene P. Vedder, Jr.