Autumn Trees Without Fruit – Doubly Dead And Uprooted Jude 1:12 Series

AUTUMN TREES WITHOUT FRUIT – DOUBLY DEAD AND UPROOTED Jude 1:12

What was the title of the last message? And how did Jude describe the false teachers in the one before that? Remember, what the false teachers represent, but then the Christians must be the opposite. (This is part of understanding).

Jude 1:12 “These men are those who are hidden reefs in your love feasts when they feast with you without fear, caring for themselves; clouds without water carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, doubly dead, uprooted;”

We continue the descriptions Jude is using to reveal these dangerous men doing the devil’s work. These evil teachers have been in the church since the earliest days. What changes, are the approaches they use, and the novel doctrines they keep bringing forth. Jesus told a pertinent parable that is so full of meaning, and it’s got prophetic application, about a sower who went to sow the good seed, but it was not long before the enemy contaminated the seed with false teaching the bible calls weeds or tares or darnel. From the earliest apostolic ages, God’s truth has been attacked, silenced in places, adulterated, added to, and subtracted from. We continue to see all sorts of distortions, errors and denials from false teachers. After likening these wicked men to Cain, Korah and Balaam in verse 11, Jude continues the descriptions into verse 12. We have already looked at hidden reefs and waterless clouds, and the next in line is “autumn trees”.

These evil false teachers now are presented as trees without fruit, being doubly dead, and uprooted. This is our subject today. It is a very strange expression, and Jude has thought about this to arrive at a fitting choice of words. All the descriptions in this verse are drawn from events in nature. That makes him like so many writers who draw illustrations from nature, just like the Lord did also in His parables and descriptions. Jude, we know, unless you have forgotten, is the half brother of the Lord, raised by Mary and Joseph, and as children they may have spoken about natural things and observed their world as they lived and played.

On one occasion Jesus was hungry and came to a fig tree without fruit. The gospel writer indicates that it was the season before the fruit was due, so, naturally, there were no figs on the tree. It must have been about the end of winter or the beginning of spring. Maybe we could argue that a tree without fruit was no better than an Autumn tree which was dead to fruit bearing. Because it had no fruit the Lord cursed that fig tree and it withered up and died. As far as that fig tree was concerned, in regards to bearing fruit, it was just as good as dead, because it had no fruit when visited, and again it was dead because shortly after, the disciples noticed it truly died and was never to produce fruit again. Therefore, that fig tree was doubly dead.

That illustration just referred to, was both revealing and prophetic. The fig tree in all of scripture is always a picture of Israel. When the Lord visited Israel, He expected (hoped for) fruit, and that fruit would have been righteousness and godly people, but He found none. The fig tree was barren, and the fig tree of Israel was barren. It had not been the season for fruit, so the Lord found no national fruit. However when He comes again at the Second Coming, the season is full and matured and the Jewish Tribulation saints will be the fruit of Israel's fig tree.

DOUBLY DEAD

Getting back to Jude, his reference to autumn trees without fruit plainly means that the false teachers are unproductive, and their own lives are in chaos as we know many are, in the charismatic movement. These false teachers may have a following, even very large followings, but the fruit is illusionary, and nothing lasting will occur. Also, because it is autumn, the trees shed their leaves, so you have no fruit, just dead and dying leaves, and a mess. That is a picture of the false teachers who leave behind death, dying, and a mess. The autumn trees doubly dead means they are dead (look dead) with all their leaves gone for winter, and they are dead for fruit, because they had none.

How then does the “doubly dead” apply to false teachers? Firstly they themselves are dead to God, not being converted, or having a pseudo conversion; and secondly, all they produce is deadness. This is Jude speaking and if you think it is tough speaking, then it is Jude who speaks. Correct doctrine and correct relationship with God are so important that any deviation from that, is condemned very strongly.