Is there a Better Candidate

In my last post we examined what was the cause of Judas' betrayal, a man that had walked with Jesus for three and a half years, and according to Scripture had a part in His ministry just like the other eleven disciples.  That means Judas must have also been given the same anointing and power to heal the sick and cast out demons right along with the rest of the twelve.

In Matthew 10:1-4, we see that this assumption is true of all the twelve, including Judas by the word ... "them" ... chosen by Matthew.  This word means ... "themselves, those together" ... which I believe must include Judas.

"And when He had called unto Him His twelve disciples, He gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease."

Next Matthew names all twelve men chosen by Jesus to be His disciples including the last one he names ... "and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him."

We must remember that all the gospel writers penned their works of scripture looking back at events years later which can explain Matthew's clarification that Judas was the one who betrayed Jesus even though, while they all walked with the Lord, no one knew Judas would betray Him in the end.

After Judas betrayed Jesus, it looks as though he had a change of heart ... or was it as it says in Matthew 27:3-8 ... "When he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders saying, 'I have sinned in that I have betrayed innocent blood.'  And they said, 'what is that to us.'  And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself."

If only he had gone to Jesus ... he would have been forgiven.  I say that because I believe the only unforgivable sin is unconfessed sin.

When Matthew says that Judas repented, the word used means only ... "to show regret" ... which I suppose, along with feeling sad over something that has been done; in this instance might possibly mean repentance.  But he went to the wrong priests for forgiveness.

Judas, in casting down the thirty pieces of silver, attempted to obtain some type of relief from his guilty conscience by throwing back the price of his treason.  But it didn't work.  "He went out and hanged himself."
 
With the words of John, saying that Judas, "was a thief and had the bag," as well as what Peter said in Acts 1:16-25 when the disciples picked a replacement for Judas; these men of God show no love or remorse for Judas ... nor should they I suppose.  But the words of Peter in this portion of scripture starts my mind once again thinking about the role that Judas has played ... and just possibly might play again during the seven year tribulation.  Remember ... even Jesus said Judas was a devil. 

Let's look at some of the things the scriptures either speak directly about Judas, or seemingly allude to him. 

Peter said that Judas ... "was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry."  Then he quotes from Psalms 69:25 and says ... "Let his habitation be desolate ... and his bishoprick let another take."

This Psalm that Peter quotes, had no original reference to Judas, but the language was exactly fitting to him and the circumstances of the case, as it is used by Peter.  "His office as a bishop, let another take."

His office was the office of an apostle, an honorable one, the chief office in the church.  It was a charge, an oversight of souls and of the flock, taken willingly ... not for filthy lucre's sake ... but Judas took it for filthy lucre's sake, and it was taken away from him and given to another.

Psalms 109:8 also fits Judas completely ... "Let his days be few; and let another take his office."  Judas' days in this office were few when compared to the other disciples, especially the Apostle John.

It may be noted also that just before the disciples voted for Matthias as a replacement for Judas, Peter prays for whomever is picked ... "That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place."

This statement raises the question ... where is his own place?  For hundreds of years, many Bible commentators have been in agreement ... they called it "perdition" or the "abyss" ... the lowest part of the underworld or hell.  

Before I try to answer that question, I want to remind you of the stern words of Jesus that we now know were speaking about Judas.  Matthew 26:24 ... "Woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed!  It had been good (or better) for that man if he had not been born."

Speculation and personal opinion ... that is really all we have to go on from here.  The case of Judas and his final judgment will be in the hands of a just God as will all of us.  But from what Jesus said ... Judas may be a special case. 

Many years ago I had a chance to talk to a man of God, a Biblical scholar, who was a Doctor of Theology and Dean of a Bible College who came into my life for a while and took some time to personally mentor me ... as he said, so I wouldn't ever do injury or injustice to the Word of God.  I say that because of the following opinions and speculations that arguably can be found in scripture.
  
The man of God I just spoke about said ... "Most theologians believe that the beast John wrote about in Revelation 17:8 & 11 would be Judas."  I have also arrived at that same conclusion.  Many say that would be impossible because he died.  Okay ... again let's see what scripture has to say about this ... if anything.

Consider what John wrote ... "The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder ... when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is."

John continues and explains that this beast is the anti-christ of Revelation 13:1 with seven heads and ten horns.  He is now the eighth because this beast forms a new government that follows or continues from the other seven heads.

"And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition" ... (which means the abyss.)

The anti-christ will be a man.  Consider what John said ... "the beast that was (he used to be alive) and is not (at this present time as he wrote Revelation) and yet is (he's alive and will ascend out of the abyss.)"

So how can Judas be this man?  He's dead.  Judas will not be re-incarnated ... he will be resurrected only physically ... and will die again later just as all who were raised physically by Jesus died later in life.

You might say, that can't happen.  I say, why not?  Do you know who was the first man raised physically from the dead?  The Apostle Paul tells us who that was in Romans 5:14 ... "death reigned from Adam to Moses ..."

From Adam to Moses ... when you died, you stayed dead.  I remind you once again, this is only speculation and personal opinion ... but the scriptures I am going to present ... alludes to that opinion.

God raised Moses physically from the dead and brought him back to be one of the two witnesses in Revelation 11:3-12; the other being Elijah ... both of whom were with Jesus and witnessed His transfiguration in Matthew 17:2-3, Mark 9:2-4, as well as here in Luke 9:28-31 ... (edited)

Jesus takes Peter, James and John up in the mountains ... "and there appeared unto them, (unto the disciples) Moses and Elijah, and He was transfigured white as snow before them ... and  they were talking with Jesus."

Some will say that Moses and Elijah were just there in the spirit, not physically.  That's fine.  Let me give you some more scripture that seems to say otherwise.

Jude 1:9 ... "Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee."

God buried Moses ... then sometime later sent Michael to raise him physically from the dead.  This is why Paul said ... "death reigned from Adam to Moses ..."  Moses was the first man raised from the dead physically.  Many others have as well since then ... but they all died later.  Do not confuse this type of physical resurrection with those who came out of the graves with glorified bodies ... after Jesus was resurrected from the tomb.       

Let's look at Elijah in 2nd Kings 2:11 ... "And it came to pass as they (Elijah and Elisha) went on and talked, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted the two of them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven."

Elijah was taken up to heaven ... alive.  Where he went, I have no idea; except to say he appeared later with Moses and Jesus on the mount of transfiguration.

I want to look at another man who never died.  Hebrews 11:5 ... "By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God."

All three of these men are a spiritual "shadow and type" of things to come.  They represent the following ... 

Moses ... is a type of the "resurrection" of the dead.  God raised him.

Elijah ... is a type of the "rapture."  God took or raptured him alive.

Enoch ... is a type of "eternal life."  God translated him so he would never die. 

So ... you may ask, how does any of this have to do with Judas being the beast of Revelation? 

I believe in spiritual laws.  God gave this earth to Adam; Adam gave it to Satan thru sin and he became ... "the god of this world."

Man needed a savior ... but before God had the "right" to send His Son to die for man ... He had to find a man who was willing to sacrifice his son for God.  That man was Abraham.  Had Abraham (representing mankind) not been willing to sacrifice his son, then I wonder if God would have had the right to sacrifice His Son.

When God raised Moses from the dead ... since legally (spiritual laws again) Satan was god of this world because of sin ... Satan could also operate in these same spiritual laws as God does, and raise Judas from the abyss of hell to become the beast that the Apostle John wrote about.

It seems as though God has allowed Satan to operate somewhere in the spirit realm (wherever Judas' own place is) to prepare him to become the beast of Revelation 17:8 & 11.

I must remind you again ... this is all speculations and opinions.

I am not presenting them as scripture.  But the scripture alludes too them.

So, I ask you ... is there a better candidate to become the anti-christ than Judas?

I don't think so.



Comments welcome.