v. 8 Jude now pinpointed the three errors he had just illustrated and accused the false teachers of all three: lust (v. 7), rebellion (v. 5), and irreverence (v. 6). "By dreaming"probably refers to all three errors. We should probably understand Jude to mean that the false teachers justified their actions by citing visions and dreams they claimed to have had (cf. Col. 2:18).
"Their perverted views and unrestrained conduct made them like dreamers living in the arbitrary fancies of their own imagination; they substituted the unreal world of their fancies for the real world of divine truth and righteousness."40
v. 9 The presumption of the false teachers stands out boldly in comparison with Michael's submission and reverence in dealing with another powerful angel, Satan.
"Michael seems to be the most powerful of the holy angels."41
Michael would not treat the devil flippantly or reply to him rudely. How much more then should the false teachers submit to and respect God?
"They use language of good angels which Michael would not use of a bad one."42
"The point of contrast between the false teachers and Michael is not that Michael treated the devil with respect, and the moral is not that we should be polite even to the devil. The point of contrast is that Michael could not reject the devil's accusation on his own authority. Even though the devil was motivated by malice and Michael recognized that his accusation was slanderous, he could not himself dismiss the devil's case, because he was not the judge. All he could do was ask the Lord, who alone is judge, to condemn Satan for his slander. The moral is therefore that no one is a law to himself, an autonomous moral authority."43
It is also dangerous for us to confront Satan directly and to argue with him since he is much stronger than we are.
Jude cited this incident as historical. The book from which he evidently got it was an apocryphal one, The Assumption of Moses.
"No matter whence or how an inspired writer obtained his information, the Holy Spirit enabled him to sift out and adequately to present only what is genuine, true."44
