It was also about these that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy ones,  to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”
Jude 14–15 (ESV)

In today’s high-volume, constant barrage of media and information, you have to be very careful which sources you listen to. I think this meme sums it up best: 

As we read through the book of Jude, what we receive as the inspired and authoritative word of God, we come to verses 14 and 15 where Jude quotes from the Book of Enoch. Enoch, you’ll recall in Genesis 5:18-24, is the descendant of Adam who “walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.” Because of the uniqueness of Enoch’s life, legend developed that he was a prophet who testified to the coming judgment of God, and these prophesies were contained in the Book of Enoch.

Enoch was never considered to be part of the Hebrew canon, nor was it accepted as an inspired and authoritative text in the Christian Scriptures. Still, it is believed to have been a popular book, circulated mostly during the 3^rd and 4^th century BC, with some fragments included among the Dead Sea Scrolls. Much of the content of Enoch’s work is really a commentary (Midrash) on the word of God. In fact, the quote Jude draws from Enoch 1:8 is nothing more than an application of Deuteronomy 33:2.

Should we then try to be more familiar with the Book of Enoch? What does Jude’s quotation from this source tell us about the inspiration of the Word? As the ESV Study Bible notes states, “The use of extra biblical literature does not mean that any of these literary works are authoritative words of God in the same category as Scripture. Jude is simply drawing from 1 Enoch another example of judgment, which means that, in at least this specific instance, 1 Enoch contains truth.” Paul does this in Acts 17, quoting from pagan philosophers in order to emphasize his point. In both cases, they are using thoughts and teachings that the audience would have recognized in order to illustrate their message. It is no different than when a preacher will quote from a commentary or a popular contemporary source in order to bring clarity or to reinforce the message. 

So what is being said? This much is clear. The false teachers who have come into the Church, twisting the message of the gospel into sensuality and leading people away from their Lord and Master Jesus Christ will come under tremendous judgment. The Lord is coming to convict the ungodly of their ungodliness that they have committed in ungodly ways. Those who are without God cannot do what God desires.  The absence of God is evil in and of itself, and all ungodliness will be judged when the Lord comes again. This judgment is sure. 

Jude is nearing the end of his rebuke against these false teachers and he wants to make this point clear: while the ungodly may gain ground and prosper here and now, there is an unavoidable coming judgment. This promise of judgment comes as both threat and assurance; a threat to the ungodly that their deeds do not go unnoticed, an assurance to the godly, that the Lord will act in righteousness to bring an end to all evil.

SDG