Turn with me to the book of Jude—just one chapter, tucked near the end of your Bible, but it holds nothing back. Today, I want to take you through verses 8 through 16 and also verse 19. These verses give us a profile of a dangerous kind of person—someone Jude calls an ungodly dreamer—and they serve as a serious warning to anyone who would take sin lightly or grow careless in their walk with God.
I want to be honest with you. This is not an easy passage. It’s not comfortable. It doesn’t sugarcoat anything. But I need you to hear it. I need you to let it sink in. Because what Jude is describing here isn’t just a problem from the past—it’s a threat that’s alive and well today.
They Defile the Flesh, Reject Authority, and Speak Evil (v. 8–10)
Jude opens this section by summing up these men in one devastating sentence: “Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak evil of dignitaries.” (v. 8)
They are driven by dreams—but not godly visions. These are self-serving fantasies, delusions of freedom, license, and rebellion. They pollute themselves with sin, cast off God’s authority, and mock what they do not understand. Jude says even Michael the archangel wouldn’t speak like they do. When Michael contended with Satan over the body of Moses, he didn’t try to stand toe-to-toe with the devil. He didn’t throw around accusations. He said only, “The Lord rebuke you.” (v. 9)
That’s humility. That’s reverence. But these dreamers? They speak like they’ve got it all figured out. They have no shame. Jude says they “speak evil of whatever they do not know, and whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things, they corrupt themselves.” (v. 10)
They Imitate Cain, Balaam, and Korah (v. 11)
Then Jude ties these men to three well-known rebels: “Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.” (v. 11)
Let me break that down for you:
- Cain offered worship without faith and let jealousy and pride drive him to murder. He ignored God’s warning and chose his own path. (Heb. 11:4; 1 John 3:12)
- Balaam used his prophetic role to chase money. He sold out God’s people for gain, placing a stumbling block before them. (2 Peter 2:15–16; Num. 22–24)
- Korah rose up against God’s appointed leaders, Moses and Aaron. He didn’t just challenge men—he challenged the authority of God. And the earth opened up and swallowed him whole. (Numbers 16)
These aren’t just names in history. They are mirrors—reflections of the kind of rebellion that can take root in anyone’s heart if we’re not careful.
Their Presence Is Poison (v. 12–13)
Then Jude begins to paint some of the most vivid word pictures in all of Scripture: “These are spots in your love feasts… clouds without water… late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots… raging waves… wandering stars.”
They eat with you. They look like everyone else. But their hearts are far from God. They offer the promise of refreshment, like clouds, but they bring no rain. They are like trees that should be bearing fruit, but are barren—worse than barren, they’re twice dead. No root. No life. No nourishment. No hope.
They crash through the church like waves foaming up shame. Their behavior is loud, reckless, and disgraceful. And Jude says they are like wandering stars—once visible, now lost in eternal darkness.
“For whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.” (v. 13)
Their Judgment Is Certain (v. 14–15)
This isn’t a new problem. Jude says even Enoch, all the way back in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied about these kinds of people: “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgment on all… to convict all who are ungodly among them…” (v. 14–15)
Judgment is coming. And it will fall not just on sin in general, but on every ungodly word, every rebellious act, every proud heart. The Judge is coming, and nothing will be overlooked.
Their Behavior Is a Warning (v. 16, 19)
Jude finishes this section by telling us even more about them: “These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts… flattering people to gain advantage.” (v. 16)
“These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit.” (v. 19)
They murmur, complain, stir up division, and live to please themselves. They flatter with their words to get what they want. But at the end of the day, they are empty. Jude says it plainly—they do not have the Spirit.
So What About You?
This is where it gets personal. Could any of this describe you?
Have you found yourself slowly slipping into rebellion?
Have you been walking in the way of Cain—offering God your leftovers instead of your faith?
Have you been tempted by the error of Balaam—compromising truth for personal gain?
Have you resented authority like Korah—rejecting the order God has put in place?
Then friend, listen to me: You don’t have to stay in that place.
The same Lord who will return to execute judgment is also the Savior who went to the cross to offer you mercy. If you are outside of Christ, you can obey the gospel today. You can believe, repent, confess, and be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins.
And if you’ve already obeyed the gospel, but you’ve drifted—you can come back. You can be renewed. You can be made whole.
But don’t ignore this warning. Because the blackness of darkness is real. And so is the glory of Heaven.
The question is—which path are you on?
If you need to make your life right with God, don’t delay. The Lord is coming. And when He comes, He’s coming in righteousness.
