Was Judas Saved?
Occasionally, I receive this question. There’s something about this man, Judas Iscariot, that is interesting and shrouded in mystery.
“He answered, “He who dipped his hand with me in the dish, the same will betray me. The Son of Man goes, even as it is written of him, but woe to that man through whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would be better for that man if he had not been born.” Judas, who betrayed him, answered, “It isn’t me, is it, Rabbi?” He said to him, “You said it.”” (Matthew 26:23-25 WEB)
Jesus clearly pronounced woe upon Judas the betrayer. His eternal fate will be so terrible that it would be better for Judas if he was not born.
Why is his fate so terrible, and seemingly much worse than other sinners?
“While I was with them in the world, I kept them in your name. Those whom you have given me I have kept. None of them is lost, except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.” (John 17:12 WEB)
Judas is only apostle who is lost and not saved, among the twelve original apostles. Mattias took his place afterwards.
Jesus could not have said it any clearer. Judas Iscariot is lost and not saved.
But the world has probably not seen the last of Judas. In the Bible, there is only one other person who is called “the son of destruction”.
“Let no one deceive you in any way. For it will not be, unless the departure comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of destruction, he who opposes and exalts himself against all that is called God or that is worshiped; so that he sits as God in the temple of God, setting himself up as God.” (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 WEB)
In my opinion, it would be foolish to quickly assume that Paul was referring to a different person, when the first one to utter the title “son of destruction”, was Jesus Himself. Paul was likely alluding to Jesus’ words, and this allows us to draw the connection between “the man of sin” and Judas Iscariot.
This person is likely the same one written about in the Book of Revelation: “the beast who sustained the fatal wound”, “the beast who rises out from the abyss”, and “the beast who was, who is not, and who will be present”.
In my study of the Bible, I believe that Judas will be coming back from the dead, in time for the Tribulation. He did not just betray Jesus for forty pieces of silver. He made a deal with the devil to inherit the whole world. Just as the devil possessed him back then, so will he use him as a host again. Judas’ end of the bargain was to agree to become…the Antichrist.
“I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will bruise your head, and you will bruise his heel.”” (Genesis 3:15 WEB)
In the first prophecy of the Bible, we learn that there will be hostility between the serpent’s offspring and the woman’s offspring. This is not talking about hostility between unbelievers and believers in general.
What people don’t know is that the word “offspring” is “zaraka” in the original Hebrew, and it is in the masculine and singular tense. This means that God was specifically referring to one male offspring each.
We know that the woman’s offspring is Jesus Christ. The serpent’s offspring will be the Antichrist. There will be an epic clash between Jesus and His arch-nemesis—the one whose feet He washed on the night that He was betrayed by him.
We know who wins in the end. Give praise to our undefeated Lord Jesus Christ—the King of kings and Lord of lords who reigns forevermore!
I wrote much more in detail about this in my book “Sandcastles Don’t Last Forever”. This identity of the Antichrist just one of the topics covered within, but mainly, the book teaches about eternal rewards, how to maximize them, and how to live a worthy life by fulfilling your God-given calling. It will be an eye-opening read: http://bit.ly/sandcastlesdontlastforever
