Abstract

The pastoral epistle of Jude is shrouded with rich theological significance, in spite of its shortness. Theological themes like order of salvation, faith, mission, worship, judgment, great controversy, second coming, and the end of the world, and others are interwoven in the fabric of Jude. It means that Jude starts with protology and ends with climactic and cosmic victorious eschatology, particularly the resurrection of the righteous.
 The sudden appearance of Michael, the Archangel heightens the conflict in Jude. Scholars from the different camps admit Jude 9 where Michael appears in contending the devil over the body of Moses, is the most perplexing text in the entire epistle. Jesus Christ eschatological name is: Michael. The name is so significant particularly in the conflict of Moses’ resurrection to glory. Satan by all means struggled to prevent him to be resurrected and taken from his territory, for he claimed Moses belonged to his kingdom because he was a sinner.
 In epistle of Jude the great controversy does not end of the temporal life, the physical death but even extended until the day of resurrection. Whenever, Michael is referred to in the Bible, are all in the contexts of intense violence, war, death, hopelessness and resurrection and triumph. Michael is the heavenly warrior who defends victoriously for His people who will end the great controversy in grandest victory, is indeed the highlight of Jude’s eschatology. 
 
 Keywords: Michael; devil; Moses; contending; conflict; struggle; apostasy; the great controversy

Highlights

  • The epistle of Jude by its virtue of being one of the smallest books in the New Testament tends to be forgotten and neglected sometimes

  • Out of 25 verses, 17 of these are space occupied for the arena of spiritual vigorous conflicts

  • Albert Barnes asserts that Jude 9 had given more “perplexity to expositors than any part of the epistle.”1 This interpretative problem has been expressed by Bernard E

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Summary

Introduction

The epistle of Jude by its virtue of being one of the smallest books in the New Testament tends to be forgotten and neglected sometimes. The content of Jude suggests its nature as pastoral-redemptive and ecclesiastical concern but highly theological, soteriological, and eschatological epistle It has its end-time orientation toward to an intense tension or conflict on both horizontal--terrestrial and vertical--spiritual dimensions. Albert Barnes asserts that Jude 9 had given more “perplexity to expositors than any part of the epistle.” This interpretative problem has been expressed by Bernard E Seton as he points out that “Jude inserts the surprising reference of Michael.” The center of discussion of this study: the conflict over the body of Moses and the appearance of Michael. White declares that the “great controversy between good and evil will increase in intensity to the very close of time.” Some pertinent questions arise from Jude 9: First, what is the theological intention and implications of the sudden appearance of name Michael in this epistle? White declares that the “great controversy between good and evil will increase in intensity to the very close of time.” Some pertinent questions arise from Jude 9: First, what is the theological intention and implications of the sudden appearance of name Michael in this epistle? How does the local context reflect and enlarge that extend to the cosmic conflict of the resurrection of God’s people and even more in the resurrection of Jesus Christ? This divine name rarely appears in Scripture, for example: one in Dan 12:1 and the other in Rev 12:7; Is there any intertextual theological-biblical correspondence among the writers who used this particular name in the context of the conflict of the end-time events? What is the issue involved in Michael contending with the devil over the body of Moses? How significant these two concerns in the eschaton in relation to human salvation related to the broader perspectives in Adventist understanding of eschatology? These questions are under consideration

Theological Significance
Concept of Intertextuality
The Identity of Michael
Resurrection of Moses
Earthly Conflicts and Its Repercussions in Heaven
Conclusion
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