Evil Forces are Currently Chained in Darkness - Jude

 Jude 1:6 (ESV)

6 And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day—

Evil Forces are Currently Chained in Darkness

Jude is a fiery preacher.  You only have to read this short little epistle one time to see his passion and his purpose.  He is speaking out about false teachers in the church.  They have crept in and are attempting to lead those of weak faith, away.   In his firm zeal, Jude begins by talking about the history of God holding those who speak against him, accountable.   He speaks about:

1. Israel’s rebellious past (v. 5)

2. Angels kicked out of heaven and being held in chairs (v. 6 ... our current passage)

3. The evil people of Sodom and Gomorrah (v. 7)

4. These current false teachers in his day (vs. 8-10)

5. The evil brother Cain (who slew his righteous brother, Abel) (v. 11)

6. The false teacher Balaam (v. 11)

7. The rebellious priest, Koran (v. 11)

Jude lets us know that false teachers WILL BE dealt with by Jesus (v. 5).   It is noted, however, what he writes about these “angels who did not stay within their own position of authority.”   It appears that, along with Satan, other angels rebelled against God.  God, in turn, cast them out of heaven.   Some God allowed to roam free on the earth. These are those who current torment the Saints.   But, some, perhaps of their great power and evilness, are “kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness.”    Mere man seldom things of the spiritual forces that are in and about their lives.   They call blessings from God, luck.  They describe bad fortune with measured superlatives.   They seldom attribute tragedy, disaster and/or calamity to the evil hosts of darkness.   When a tornado whines out a town, a hurricane a city or a world-wide-pandemic, millions of people, all we hear is, “Where is God? Why did He not save us?”  We never here, “Satan and his evil hosts did this.”   Yet, that is what is happening.   And, here is where God’s grace comes in: Evil would be even more rampant if God did not confine some of the evil angels in a gloomy abyss.   God is holding back evil.  God is showing us that His grace, even when evilness appears to rule the world, is still holding back what could be.  God’s grace holds back even false teachers.   Above we point out the illustrations that Jude uses to talk about false teachers.  Yet, note:

1. There was a remnant save from Israel.

2. Lot was rescued from Sodom and Gomorrah.

3. Abel’s blood cried out to God after Cain slew him.

4. Some did not follow Balaam’s errors.

5. Many did not follow Korah’s rebellion. 

This is the point Jude is trying to make.  He wants his readers to realize, that by God’s grace, they can escape the punishment that will come onto evil, false teachers.   Note how he ends his little letter:

Jude 1:24 (ESV)

24 Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy,