The following comes from:
Ryan E Stokes, “Not over
Moses' Dead Body: Jude 9, 22-24 and the Assumption of Moses in their Early
Jewish Context,” Journal for the Study of the New Testament 40, no. 2 (2017):
16-18:
Another Allusion to Jude’s
Source in verses 22-24
The present study may also
shed light on the concluding portion of Jude’s epistle:
22 And have mercy on some who
are disputing; 23 save others by snatching them out of the fire; and
have mercy on still others with fear, hating even the tunic defiled by their
flesh. 24 Now to him who is able to keep you from falling, and to
make you stand without blemish in the presence of his glory with rejoicing, 25
to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty,
power, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.
The first two verses of this
passage (22-23) are widely thought to allude to Zech. 3. The points of contact
between these verses and Zech. 3.2-4, in which Joshua is wearing filthy clothes
and is said to be one rescued from the fire, are obvious enough. It is more
likely, however, that Jude is not alluding directly to Zech. 3, but to the
ascent story he has already adduced in v. 9. The points of contact between vv.
22-23 and Zechariah would in this case be mediated by Jude’s source. Not only
is it simpler to suppose that Jude refers to the same work twice (as he does
with the Book of the Watchers in vv. 6, 14-15) than that he introduces
an entirely new story to the discussion in these closing verses, but the
language of vv. 22-24 in some respects resembles the scenario of Jude 9 more so
than it does Zech. 3 (e.g., διακρίνω). That Jude alludes to a story in which
someone receives a heavenly body allowing him to stand in God’s presence also
explains very well the wording of Jude’s benediction in v. 24: ‘Now to him who
is able …to make you stand without blemish in the presence of his glory with
rejoicing’. It is possible that Jude’s source resembled Ascension of Isaiah,
promising that the righteous will receive glorious bodies that enable them to
stand in God’s presence (9.24-26). Whether or not this promise was explicit in
his source, Jude apparently regarded Moses’ transformation as paradigmatic for
the transformation his readers would one day experience.
|
Zech. 3 |
Jude 9 |
Jude 22-25 |
Other ascent texts |
|
Then he showed me
the high priest Joshua standing before the angel of the Lord, and the Satan
standing at his right hand to execute him. |
|
|
The life of a human
is in danger on account of entering God’s presence. This is likely assumed by
several texts, but danger is explicit in the following: Apoc. Ab.
13.3-7 b. Šabb. 88b-89a Pesiq. Rab. 20 |
|
And the Lord said
to the Satan, ‘The Lord rebuke you, O Satan! The Lord who has chosen
Jerusalem rebuke you!’ |
But when the
archangel Michael contended (διακρινόμενος) with the devil and disputed about
the body of Moses, he did not dare to bring a condemnation of slander against
him, but said, ‘The Lord rebuke you!’ |
And have mercy on
some who are disputing (διακρινομένους); |
Superhuman beings
disagree regarding the appropriateness of a human entering God’s presence. Apoc.
Ab. 13.7-14 Ascen. Isa. 9.1-2 Pesiq. Rab. 20 |
|
‘Is not this man a
brand plucked from the fire?’ |
|
save others by
snatching them out of the fire; |
Human is threatened
by fire. Apoc. Ab. 13.4-5 b. Šabb. 88b Pesiq. Rab. 20 |
|
Now Joshua was
dressed with filthy clothes as he stood before the angel. The angel said to
those who were standing before him, ‘Take off his filthy clothes’. And to him
he said, ‘See, I have taken your guilt away from you, and I will clothe you
with festal apparel’. And I said, ‘Let them put a clean turban on his head’.
So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with the apparel; and
the angel of the Lord was standing by … |
‘body’ of Moses |
and have mercy on
still others with fear, hating even the tunic defiled by their flesh. |
Human’s earthly,
fleshly body is replaced with a glorious, heavenly body. 2 En. 22.8-10
Apoc. Ab. 13.14 Ascen. Isa. 9.2 |
|
Then the angel of
the Lord assured Joshua, saying, ‘… I will give you the right of access among
those who are standing here’. |
|
Now to him who is
able to keep you from falling, and to make you stand without blemish in the
presence of his glory with rejoicing … |
Glorification
enables human(s) to stand in God’s glorious presence. 2 En. 22.5-7 Ascen.
Isa. 9.8-9 b. Šabb. 88b |
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