The Book of Revelation can only be understood in the light of Old Testament symbols and sequences. The epistle of Jude is a masterfully-cut literary crystal.
Jude not only uses literary allusion but also literary structure to bring comfort to the saints and terror to the apostates. The structure is not only the key to comprehending Jude’s reason for writing but also explains his apparently eclectic allusions to Old Testament history. Once the covenant-literary shape is perceived, it becomes clear that there is nothing random or indiscriminate about the text in any way.
Jude begins with a subtle allusion to the book of Genesis, which seems to be an arbitrary observation until it is recognized as part of a sequence. The heptamerous structure of the epistle of Jude alludes to a number of corresponding biblical sequences (what I refer to as the Bible Matrix, reiterations of Genesis 1). These include the biblical covenant pattern, the Heptateuch (Genesis to Judges), Israel’s annual festal calendar (as presented in Leviticus 23), and the sevenfold pattern of sacrifice (choosing and cutting the animal, presenting the flesh, purification by fire, fragrant smoke, savoring by the Lord, and reconciliation).
As with the other epistles in the final section of the canon (especially Hebrews), Jude was written mainly with Jewish Christians in mind. Without that understanding, the epistle becomes detached from history and its author wrongly perceived as a “chicken little.” But the letter uses an Old Testament sequence that is a common literary device employed by the biblical authors-the first seven books of the Bible as an antitypical “Creation Week.” This indicates that it was written prior to the destruction of Jerusalem.
The second cycle (“Passover/Exodus”) is fivefold, alluding to the Pentateuch, the covenant pattern, and its twofold expression in the Decalogue. However, the final step (Succession)is missing. Those who were given authority by God but had misused it would have that authority-and indeed their entire inheritance-taken away.
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Egypt and Sodom were two cities from which God rescued His people. Figuratively, they are the negative counterparts of two faithful women, Hagar and Sarah (Galatians 4:21-31). Egypt relied upon the waters below (the River Nile) and Canaan relied upon the waters above (rain from heaven).
The literary logic of this entire cycle (verses 5-7) is made apparent in Jude’s use of two vertical columns in this stanza, each of which follows the fivefold covenant sequence. The first describes the past and the second describes the future. The structure is a reference to the two trees at the center of the Garden in Genesis 2, a2nd to the two bronze pillars of Solomon’s Temple. Both of these sacred “doors” picture Priesthood (submission to heaven: the Tree of Life) and Kingdom (dominion on earth: the Tree of Wisdom) as the gateway to Prophecy. The third “pillar” is the mobile, indwelling Shekinah.
Having abandoned their station as servants of God, these rebel angels were denied even the power that they previously enjoyed (Luke 19:26). Instead of eyes being opened as they were in Eden, the eyes of the Jewish rebels were darkened. The reign of Israel’s Davidic kings was bookended historically by two men who lost their eyes before the pillars came down, Samson (Judges 16) and King Zedekiah (2 Kings 25). This allusion to the pillars not only reveals the logic of the cycle, but also supports the identification of these messengers as angels from heaven.
The double Ethics stanza takes us from the court of heaven-the waters above-to the depths of the abyss-the waters below. The throne and the dungeon are the domains of kings, but unlike Joseph who humbled himself and was exalted (Matthew 23:12), these heavenly servants (Hebrews 1:14) exalted themselves and were thrown down (Revelation 12:9). The pillars represent an inverted “ascension,” flaming angels thrown down to earth for unfaithfulness in heaven instead of the holy angels ascending and descending upon a stairway as mediators between heaven and earth seen in Jacob’s dream (Genesis 28:12; John 1:51).
Flanked by the “Egypt” stanza and the “Sodom” stanza, this “fiery pillar” sequence is an ironic take on Israel’s journey from slavery to Sabbath, from the Land of Ham (the rejected father) to the Land of Canaan (the rejected son). The exact same construct is found in the book of Revelation, which greatly expands Jude’s terrifying irony into a sequence of three extremely detailed cycles.
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In God’s economy, immediate judgment is not the norm. That can be observed in the atonements made for Adam and Cain, and God’s patience with the kings of Israel. Where judgment does occur immediately-such as with Israel in the wilderness, or the deaths of Ananias and Sapphira-it is intended as a warning sign. The cities of the plain enjoyed an Edenic abundance, one that Lot desired but Abraham eschewed.
The application to the Judaizers is thus twofold: firstly, the destruction of Jerusalem would be a sign to the nations, an example of the vengeance of God against those who would persecute His people; and secondly, the Jewish rulers were guilty of setting up for themselves a utopia founded upon rebellion against God. Like Lot’s wife, they were impatient for kingdom and prosperity, and would thus be cut out of history.
The structure of this stanza is sacrificial, alluding to both the pattern of sacrifice and the Tabernacle/ Creation sequence, but it deliberately runs the pattern backwards, concluding with the Law of God. In the Revelation, this same process takes us from Revelation 8:7 to 11:19, concluding with the witness of the Church as two cherubim, Moses and Elijah, and the Ark of the Testimony opened in heaven.
Not only were the Levitical sacrifices now being rejected, but Canaan itself was being repossessed. The sins of the flesh, murder and adultery, are “kingly” sins, but they resulted from the corruption of the Priesthood-going after “strange” (different, other, neighbor’s) flesh. The cities of Judah were a stink in God’s nostrils just like the stink of the rivers of blood in Egypt (Exodus 7:21).
Revelation describes the Judaizers as a false “bridal army,” phoney Nazirites who ascend from the pit as clouds of sulphur under a vow of “holy war” against the saints (Revelation 9:1-11). As idolaters, they were not only unable to discern the fragrance of the Gospel of Christ (Deuteronomy 4:28; 2 Corinthians 2:14-17), but also the rancor of their own self-righteousness before God (Leviticus 26:31; Isaiah 65:5; Amos 5:21).
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Revelation 11:8 and the Symbolic Connection
Revelation 11:8 aligns Sodom and Egypt “where also our Lord was crucified” which is of course Jerusalem. Sodom is a type of Egypt which is a type of unbelieving Jerusalem. In Sodom, God’s people were vexed and mistreated, and the messengers of God were persecuted. And ultimately, Sodom was destroyed. In Egypt, God’s people were enslaved and mistreated, and the messengers of God were rejected. In Jerusalem, God’s people were oppressed and enslaved, and the messengers of God were rejected and killed.
This passage refers to the two witnesses mentioned earlier in Revelation 11. The "great city" is often interpreted as Jerusalem, a central location in biblical prophecy and history. Jerusalem is significant as the spiritual and political center of Israel, and it plays a crucial role in eschatological events. The imagery of bodies lying in the street suggests a public display of defeat and humiliation, which contrasts with the ultimate victory of God's plan. The use of "figuratively" indicates that the names Sodom and Egypt are symbolic.
Sodom is associated with extreme wickedness and divine judgment, as seen in Genesis 13:13 and 19:24. Egypt represents oppression, slavery, and resistance to God's will, evident in the Exodus narrative.
The following table summarizes the key characteristics and symbolic meanings of Sodom and Egypt in the context of Revelation 11:8:
| City | Key Characteristics | Symbolic Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Sodom | Wickedness, sin, moral decay | Divine judgment, corruption, rebellion against God's moral law |
| Egypt | Oppression, slavery, idolatry | Resistance to God's will, spiritual bondage, persecution of God's people |
| Jerusalem | Rejection of the Messiah, spiritual blindness | Apostasy, failure to recognize God's messengers, ultimate judgment |
In a poll of commentators, about half agree that it is Jerusalem, and the other half see it as an extension of Babylon/Rome. This is "The City", the "Great City" that rules over all the kingdoms of the earth. However, in killing the prophets, as well as those who bring testimony of Jesus to it, Jesus says,(Matt. wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.
Jerusalem had incurred God’s wrath in the same manner as Sodom and Egypt, as she had participated in the sins both were guilty of; hence figuratively she could be called the same as them. Sodom and Egypt fell under the Lord's judgment; Sodom for all eternity and Egypt under numerous times.
What must 1st be noted is that the deaths of Jesus; the prophets that preceded Him, nor the Apostles that followed Him, up to the deaths of the 2 witnesses did not cleanse the city. There is no question that Jerusalem was to reflect the glory of God,(Jer.
Where judgment does occur immediately-such as with Israel in the wilderness, or the deaths of Ananias and Sapphira-it is intended as a warning sign. The cities of the plain enjoyed an Edenic abundance, one that Lot desired but Abraham eschewed.
Like Lot’s wife, they were impatient for kingdom and prosperity, and would thus be cut out of history.
Revelation #68 - Sodom and Egypt, Where Our Lord was Crucified | God's Point of View
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