The Skeptics Annotated Bible (996 page)

10 But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.

11 Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.

12 These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;

13 Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.

14 And
Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,

15
To execute judgment upon all
, and
to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken
against him.

(14-15a) “Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgment upon all.” This prophecy is from the Book of Enoch (which the author considered scripture and believed was written by Enoch), not from the Bible.
27 Was Enoch the seventh from Adam?

(15b)
“To convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken.”
(Ungodly was the author of Jude’s favorite word.)

16
These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts
; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage.

(16)
“These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts.”

17 But, beloved,
remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles
of our Lord Jesus Christ;

(17)
“Remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles.”
Jude was written in post-apostolic times, so it’s author could not have been the apostle Jude (
Luke 6:16
;
Acts 1:13
; cf
John 14:22
) as believers sometimes claim.

18 How
that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.

(18)
“That they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.”
The author of Jude thought he was living in “the last time.”

19 These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.

20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,

21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

22
And of some have compassion, making a difference
:

(22)
“And of some have compassion, making a difference.”
Make a difference in the world by having some compassion.

23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.

24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,

25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

The time is at hand.
—
Revelation 1.3, 22.10

Everything in Revelation should probably be highlighted, because it’s all violent, cruel, or absurd in one way or another. But that would make it too hard to read, and it’s hard enough as it is.

Revelation has my vote for the worst book in the Bible. And since the Bible, Quran, and the Book of Mormon are the three worst books ever written, that’s saying something.

Here are some highlights:

• John believes “the time is at hand,” and that the things that he writes about in Revelation will “shortly come to pass.”
  1.1
  ,
  3
  ;
  22.10
  
• Jesus has white hair, eyes of fire, feet of brass, and has a sword sticking out of his mouth.
  1.13-16
  
• “I have the keys to hell and death.”
  1.18
  
• False Jews are members of “the synagogue of Satan.”
  2.9
  ,
  3.9
  
• “Behold, I come quickly.”
  3.11
  ;
  22.7
  ,
  12
  , 20
  
• Death and Hell kill 1/4 the human population.
  6.8
  
• Only 144,000 celibate, male, Jews will be saved. (Those who were not “defiled with women.”)
  7.4
  ,
  14.3-4
  
• Horse-like locusts with human heads, women’s hair, lion’s teeth, and scorpion’s tails. They sting people and torture them for five months.
  9.7-10
  
• Four angels, with an army of 200 million, killed a third of the earth’s population.
  9.15-19
  
• An angel tells John to eat a book. He does, and it tastes good, but it makes his belly bitter.
  10.10
  
• God will send an earthquake that will kill 7000 people.
  11.13
  
• “There was a war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon.” Even in heaven, you can’t be safe from war or dragons.
  12.7
  
• Those who receive the mark of the beast will “drink of the wine of the wrath of God … and shall be tormented with fire and brimstone … and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever.”
  14.10-11
  
• Jesus and his angel friends slaughter people with sickles.
  14.14-20
  
• “The great winepress of the wrath of God … was trodden … and the blood came … even unto the horse bridles.”
  14.19-20
  
• The great harlot is “full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication.” She will be made “desolate and naked,” and her flesh will be eaten by kings.
  17.1-16
  
• Jesus, whose clothes are dipped in blood, has a sharp sword sticking out of his mouth while he treads the winepress of the wrath of God.
  19.13-15
  
• An angel calls all the fowls to feast upon dead human bodies, or as the angel calls it “the supper of the great God.” (Angel food?)
  19.17-18
  
• Whoever isn’t found listed in the book of life, along with the fearful or unbelieving, will be cast into the lake of fire.
  20.15
  ,
  21.8
  
• Anyone who adds to the words in Revelation (or to the rest of the Bible?) will be struck with plagues, and anyone that tries to remove anything from it will have his name removed from the book of life.
  22.18-19
  

1
The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him
, to shew unto his servants
things which must shortly come to pass
; and he
sent
and signified it
by his angel unto his servant John
:

(1.1a)
“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him … sent … by his angel unto his servant John.”
The book of Revelation was revealed to Jesus by God and was delivered by an angel to a guy named John.