Jude 1:24,25

Jude 1:24-25. Exhortations to keep themselves in the love of God are fitly followed by a doxology which reminds them that the power and grace are from Him who alone can keep them. Now to him that is able to guard you (not the same word as in Jude 1:21, but a strong military term) from stumbling (from every false step, James 2:10; 2 Peter 1:10, ‘shall never stumble '), and make you to stand without fault (Revelation 14:5, and like the Master Himself, ‘without spot,' the same word, Hebrews 9:14) before the presence of his glory in exceeding joy (the condition in which you will be found when you stand there), to the only God our Saviour through Jesus Christ our Lord (these added words set forth God as Saviour through Jesus Christ, Titus 3:4-6), be (or is) glory, majesty (greatness), dominion and power (literally, ‘might and right,' power and authority), before all time (‘as it was in the beginning'), and now (‘is now') and for evermore (‘and ever shall be'). Amen (so let it be, or, so indeed it is). ‘Glory and dominion' are common in the New Testament Doxologies; ‘majesty and right' (lawful power) are found only here. ‘For evermore' is required in the rendering of what is a strong expression of everlastingness. ‘For ever,' ‘for evermore,' and ‘for ever and evermore,' represent three corresponding expressions in the Greek (τὸν αἰῶνα, εις τοὺς αἰῶνας, or εις πάντας τοὺς αἰῶνας, and ςἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων). All are applied to God, to the blessedness of the righteous, and to the punishment of the wicked. As so applied, they do not materially differ in meaning; but it is important to mark the differences and the intensity of expression.

The whole of this Doxology, so rich and so consolatory, may be a prayer, ‘be' glory, as its place at the end of the Epistle and the ‘Amen' rather imply; or it may be the assertion of a fact, as in 1 Peter 4:11, where the ‘Amen' also is used, and the verb ‘is' (not ‘be') is in the Greek; or we may combine the two meanings by making the Doxology an assertion of what really is, and the Amen a prayer: Be it in human hearts and throughout all creation as it is in truth! How solemn and instructive, that these ascriptions of glory to God are found in connection with judgment as well as with salvation, each, indeed, implying the other, and both illustrating the holiness and the love which we are to adore (Revelation 15:3; Revelation 16:5).