| |
|
The Gospel
According to Judas?
Dr. Terry Watkins
Following its Antichrist brother The Da Vinci Code,
the media monster has unleashed with much fanfare, the
"The Gospel of Judas." Like most anti-Christian
propaganda dug up by the Bible-despising media, The Gos-Bull
of Judas is the darling of the media and skeptics. All
the major news outlets are falling over each other
covering Judas. On April 6, 2006, both ABC News, Nightline
on and PrimeTime Live featured "The Gospel of
Judas." At least two books are currently circulating
on the Gos-Bull and more coming.
To no surprise, the "incredible, earth-shattering,"
discovery of The Gos-Bull of Judas was initiated by the National
Geographic Society at a cost of 2 million
bucks (and ri$ng). The National Geographic Society
dedicated their May 2006 magazine to the Gos-Bull. On
April 9, the National Geographic channel aired a two-hour
special on "The Gospel of Judas." If you missed
the April 9th airing, don’t worry, the National
Geographic Channel has many re-runs scheduled. An ad
for the Judas special says, "The Gospel of Judas
is an exclusive, two-hour global television event that
traces the incredible story of one of the most
important finds in biblical archaeology."
Of course, a swarm of Bible "scho-liars"
will magically appear to trumpet the "authenticity"
of the incredible, astonishing and amazing Gos-Bull of
Judas.
JUDAS THE HERO?
Anyone with a speck of Bible knowledge knows of the
treachery and betrayal of Judas Iscariot. Throughout
history, Judas is universally recognized as the Christ-rejecting
traitor. His sellout and betrayal of the Lord Jesus ranks
as history’s most despicable deed. Could anyone
– or anything seriously defend the shameless
treachery of Judas Iscariot?
Enter the resurrection of Judas. . .
In the Gos-Bull, Judas does not "actually"
betray Jesus Christ, but he was secretly "obeying"
the Lord Jesus. According to the Gos-Bull, Judas was
meekly "helping" the Lord Jesus by betraying
Him. In the Gos-Bull, Judas is really Jesus’ best
friend and favored disciple. Because of Judas’
"help," Jesus was mocked, smitten, spit upon,
beaten beyond recognition and crucified between two
thieves. What a friend. . .
The Gos-Bull repeatedly praises Judas for betraying
the Lord Jesus Christ.
In one passage, Jesus tells Judas, "You
will exceed all of them. For you will sacrifice
the man that clothes me." (Gospel of Judas)
In another, Jesus praises Judas as a special disciple.
The mysteries of the kingdom were revealed only to Judas.
In the Gos-Bull, Judas was a "shining star,"
who entered into a brilliant cloud of God.
Step away from the others and I shall tell you the
mysteries of the kingdom Look, you have been told
everything. Lift up your eyes and look at the
cloud and the light within it and the stars
surrounding it. The star that leads the way is
your star. Judas lifted up his eyes and saw the
luminous cloud, and he entered it. (Gospel of
Judas)
Interestingly, The "Gospel"
of Judas does not reference the crucifixion, the
resurrection or the "gospel." I find this
strange, considering the Gos-Bull decrees Judas was
"told everything." How does the "Gos-Bull"
leave out the "Gospel"?
Like roaches coming out in the dark, the usual legion
of "scholars" scurries to the Gos-Bull. Here’s
how some of the "scholars" describe the Gos-Bull
of Judas:
Rodolphe Kasser, a minister and former professor at
the University of Geneva in Switzerland, admits the Gos-Bull
paints a contradictory portrait of Judas Iscariot.
This lost gospel, providing information on Judas
Iscariot—considered for 20 centuries and by
hundreds of millions of believers as an antichrist
of the worst kind—bears witness to something
completely different from what was said [about Judas]
in the Bible.
(Stefan Lovgren, Lost Gospel Revealed; Says Jesus
Asked Judas to Betray Him, National Geographic News,
April 6, 2002 <http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/04/0406_060406_judas.html>)
Elaine Pagels, author of the popular anti-Biblical, The
Gnostic Gospels, says the Gos-Bull of Judas "suggest"
the betrayal was not a betrayal after all, but a "secret
mystery between Judas and Jesus."
The Gospel of Judas does suggest that the
betrayal of Jesus is not a reprehensible act, not
the act of a traitor, you know, the worst villain in
the history of the world, but that it's a secret
mystery between him and Jesus.
(Did Jesus Ask Judas to Betray Him?, ABC
Primetime, April 6, 2006 http://abcnews.go.com/Primetime/story?id=1810169&page=3)
Herbert Krosney, author of "The Lost Gospel: The
Quest for the Gospel of Judas Iscariot," says Judas
is not "the betrayer," but "the favored
disciple of Jesus." It turns out; Judas is actually
Jesus’ "best friend."
Judas is not the betrayer. Judas is, rather,
the favored disciple of Jesus. He is the one whose
star shines in the heavens and in the skies, and
Judas, therefore, becomes unique. He is Jesus'
best friend rather than his betrayer.
(Did Jesus Ask Judas to Betray Him?, ABC Primetime,
April 6, 2006 http://abcnews.go.com/Primetime/story?id=1810169&page=3)
Brian Handwerk, writer for National Geographic News,
writes in this gospel, Judas "is not a traitor, but
a hero."
In this gospel, the Apostle Judas Iscariot is
not a traitor but a hero, the chosen disciple.
Jesus Christ asks Judas to betray him to the
authorities.
(Brian Handwerk , Gospel of Judas Pages Endured Long,
Strange Journey, National Geographic News, April 6,
2006 <http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/04/0406_060406_gospel.html>)
Craig Evans, a New Testament "scholar" at
Acadia Divinity College states The Gos-Bull makes Judas
"the champion".
The Gospel of Judas turns Judas' act of betrayal
into an act of obedience. The sacrifice of Jesus'
body of flesh in fact becomes saving. And so for
that reason, Judas emerges as the champion and he
ends up being envied and even cursed and resented by
the other disciples.
("‘Gospel of Judas’ offers contrarian
view of Jesus", MSNBC, <http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12186080/>)
Bart Ehrman, chair of the Department of Religious
Studies at the University of North Carolina, acknowledges
the Gos-Bull of Judas not only completely repackages
Judas, but alters the major doctrines of the Bible.
This gospel has a completely different
understanding of God, the world, Christ, salvation,
human existence—not to mention of Judas himself—than
came to be embodied in the Christian creeds and canon.
(Stefan Lovgren, Lost Gospel Revealed; Says Jesus
Asked Judas to Betray Him, National Geographic News,
April 6, 2002 <http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/04/0406_060406_judas.html>)
THE TRUTH ABOUT THE GOSBULL •
Listening to the cheers of the news media and the Gos-Bull
"scho-liars" one would believe the Gos-Bull was
just recently discovered. The truth is, the "Gos-Bull
of Judas" has been around a long, long time. The
early church knew of the blasphemous Gospel of Judas and
shunned it like a pit bull with AIDS. It took today’s
anti-Christian generation of Bible rejecters, who
continually scourge the garbage dump of history looking
for a morsel of anti-Christ rubbish, to dig up "Judas."
The Gospel of Judas was mentioned by several early
writers. Around 400 A.D., Epiphanius of Salamis, bishop
of Cyprus, in Haeres, blasted the Gos-Bull for
redefining the Judas as one who "performed a good
work for our salvation." (Epiphanius , Haeres,
xxxviii)
As early as 180 A.D., Irenaeus, in his famous Adversus
Haereses ("Against Heresies"), exposed the
heresy of the "Gospel of Judas." Not only that,
but Irenaeus was apparently familiar with "the
authors" of The Gospel of Judas as he specifically
identifies their motive and theological perversion:
Others again declare that Cain derived his
being from the Power above, and acknowledge that Esau,
Korah, the Sodomites, and all such persons, are
related to themselves. On this account, they add,
they have been assailed by the Creator, yet no one of
them has suffered injury. For Sophia was in the habit
of carrying off that which belonged to her from them
to herself. They declare that Judas the traitor
was thoroughly acquainted with these things, and that
he alone, knowing the truth as no others did,
accomplished the mystery of the betrayal; by him all
things, both earthly and heavenly, were thus thrown
into confusion. They produce a fictitious history of
this kind, which they style the Gospel of Judas. (Irenaeus,
Adversus Haereses,"Against Heresies")
Notice in the above comments from Irenaeus, the
authors of the Gospel of Judas are identified as
followers of Cain. The Cainites were a sect of Gnostics
who worshipped Cain. The same Cain that murdered his
brother Abel; that God "cursed" Cain (Gen 4:12)
and God said Cain "was of that wicked one" (1
John 3:12). That is the authors of "The Gospel of
Judas." Much of modern day Satanism and
witchcraft comes from the lineage of the Cainites. The
Internet encyclopedia Wikipedia, under the topic
"The Gospel of Judas" writes:
This is in reference to the Cainites, a sect of
gnosticism that especially worshipped Cain as a hero.
The Cainites, like a large number of gnostic groups,
were semi-maltheists believing that the god of the
Old Testament—Yahweh—was evil, and a
quite different and much lesser being to the deity
that had created the universe, and was responsible
for sending Jesus. Such gnostic groups worshipped
as heroes all the Biblical figures which had sought
to discover knowledge or challenge Yahweh's authority,
while demonizing those who would have been seen as
heroes in a more orthodox interpretation. . .
Certain of the Cainites maintained that Judas
acted as he did in order that mankind might be
redeemed by the death of Jesus. For this reason,
they regarded him as worthy of gratitude and
veneration. (Wikipedia, "The Gospel
of Judas")
Gnosticism comes from the Greek word gnosis for
knowledge. The Gnostics believed they possessed a secret
or occult knowledge. Their teachings originated from
pagan Babylon and Egypt. As Christianity flourished, the
Gnostics mixed their occult teachings with Christianity
to breed a bizarre and perverse flavor of Christianity.
The Gnostics believed salvation or divine comes via one
of the aeons; Christs or Masters. These Christs guide the
disciple into gnosis or spiritual oneness. Much of the
new age, freemasonry, witchcraft and Satanism arose from
gnosticism. The Dictionary of Cults, Sects, Religions
and the Occult states, "Many cults and Occult
groups claim some influence from ancient gnosticism."
(Mather, George A. and Larry A. Nichols, The
Dictionary of Cults, Sects, Religions and the Occult
p. 111) Several ancient manuscripts such as the famous
Nag Hammadi manuscripts discovered in 1945 are Gnostic
"gospels" including the Gospel of Thomas, the
Gospel of Philip, the Gospel of Truth, the Apocryphon (or
"secret book") of John, Gospel to the Egyptians,
Secret Book of James, the Apocalypse of Paul, the Letter
of Peter to Philip, The Sophia of Jesus Christ, the
Apocalypse of Peter and many others. The popular Da
Vinci Code is based upon Gnostic beliefs and
manuscriptss.
Wikipedia identifies The Gospel of Judas as a
Gnostic gospel. It also recognizes the perverse teaching
that the betrayal of Judas was a secret of obedience to
Jesus also derives from the Gnostics.
The Gospel of Judas is a Gnostic gospel,
the text of which was partially reconstructed in 2006.
It has a strong positive focus on Judas Iscariot,
who according to the canonical Gospels betrayed Jesus
Christ to the Roman authorities by whom he was
crucified. The Gospel of Judas frames this act
positively (in line with Gnostic thinking — the
Gnostic Apocalypse of Peter portrays Jesus as
laughing while being crucified), as an obedience to
the instructions of Jesus, rather than a betrayal.
The positive framing follows from the Gnostic notion
that the human form is confining, and that Judas was
to put into motion events that would release the
Spirit of Christ from its physical constraints. (Wikipedia,
"The Gospel of Judas")
The Washington Post says of the Gos-Bull,
"It is one of dozens of sacred texts from the
Christian Gnostics, who believed salvation came
through secret knowledge conveyed by Jesus." (The
Washington Post, Gospel of Judas Revealed in
Translation, April 7, 2006)
Despite the promotion of the Bible-denying news media
and Gnostic scho-liars, the Gospel of Judas is not alone.
It is but one of many non-Biblical "gospels." Wikipedia
writes, "There are roughly fifty works that
purport to be gospels of the early church."
Another tell-tale Gnostic "mark" found in
the Gospel of Judas is the Egyptian Cross, crux ansata
or better known as the Ankh.
The Dictionary of Cults, Sects, Religions and the
Occult says of the ankh, "Egyptian deities were
often portrayed carrying an ankh, and it is still used
in many occult circles." (Mather, George A. and
Larry A. Nichols, The Dictionary of Cults, Sects,
Religions and the Occult p. 22)
The Dictionary of Mysticism identifies the ankh
as the "Egyptian cross, shaped like a capital T with
an oval loop on top, symbol of life in occult
tradition." (Gaynor, Frank, Dictionary of
Mysticism, New York, Philosophical Library, 1953, p.
12)
Origins, Practices and Traditions of Halloween
says the ankh is an "ancient symbol for immortality,
fertility; a cross with a ring at the top worn and
used in Satanic rites." (cited in Kathy Burns, Masonic
and Occult Symbols Illustrated, Sharing, Mt. Carmel,
PA 1999, p. 329)
A former witch testifies the ankh is, "An emblem
to identify the wearer as a worshipper of the sun god Ra,
a seeker of the Satanist beliefs, and one who
practices the worship of the unknown gods of the
supernatural." (Irene Arrington Park, What Every
Christian Should Know About Symbols, Signs and Emblems,
Tampa, FL. Christi’s Deliverance Ministries, 1982 p.
2)
Like the real "Judas," the modern day "resurrection"
of the Gos-Bull of Judas contains all the elements of
mystery, madness and money.
Today’s Gos-Bull of Judas was found near El Minya,
Egypt in the 1970s. It traveled from Egypt to Europe
before finally arriving in the United States. It quietly
hid in a Long Island, New York safe-deposit box for 16
long years. Antiquities dealer Frieda Nussberger-Tchacos
purchased the Gos-Bull in April 2000. Nussberger-Tchacos
attempted to sell the Gos-Bull to Yale University, but no
deal. In 2001 some sucker in Ohio purposed to purchase
the Gos-Bull for $2.5 million, again the deal fell apart.
With no other suckers found, Ms. Nussberger-Tchacos later
sent the Gos-Bull to the Maecenas Foundation for Ancient
Art in Basel, Switzerland. It was here in February 2001,
the National Geographic Society resuscitated the
Gos-Bull. Soon Judas hit "PrimeTime" (and
Nightline, ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, National Geographic,
et. al.)
According to James M. Robinson, a leading expert on
ancient Egyptian texts and author of The Secrets of
Judas, the Gos-Bull’s rocky history is "replete
with smugglers, black-market antiquities dealers,
religious scholars, backstabbing partners and greedy
entrepreneurs." (Expert Doubts 'Gospel of Judas'
Revelation, ABC News, http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory?id=1680974&technology=true)
The National Geographic special portrays the
Gos-Bull of Judas consisting of thirteen pages. But
according to American Coptologist Stephen Emmel, in 1983
he inspected sixty pages of the Gos-Bull. Like a smoky
fog, somewhere along its rocky road to fame much of the
Gos-Bull silently disappeared.
The sole support of "Judas" rests upon this
single creepy, mutilated manuscript. Compare that to the
over 6,000 existing manuscripts of the New Testament of
the Bible. If "Judas" possessed any semblance
of truth there would be thousands of "Judas"
manuscripts. Yet the news media latch on to "Judas"
like a blood sucking leech while ignoring the ocean of
evidence exposing Judas as a ridiculous fraud.
The National Geographic Society ridiculously
states, "The Gospel of Judas is an
exclusive, two-hour global television event that traces
the incredible story of one of the most important
finds in biblical archaeology."
Why would anyone invest so much time and money
advancing the Gos-Bull of Judas while scorning the
real gospel? That answer is simple. Like the original
Judas and the news media -- The Gospel of Judas betrays
the Bible and the Lord Jesus Christ.
THE NEW AGE GNOSTIC AGENDA OF THE GOSBULL •
The following excerpts from the Gos-Bull of Judas
expose its new age Gnostic influence. Notice new age
"buzz words" such as "enlightened divine
Self-Generated," "Sophia," "immortal
realm of Barbelo," "enlightened aeon,"
"luminaries," and others. Notice also, how
contrary this new age gibberish sounds in comparison to
the Bible. Note where […] occurs the text is
unreadable.
Judas [said] to him, "I know who you are and
where you have come from. You are from the immortal
realm of Barbelo. And I am not worthy to utter
the name of the one who has sent you."
Jesus said, "The souls of every human
generation will die. When these people, however,
have completed the time of the kingdom and the
spirit leaves them, their bodies will die but
their souls will be alive, and they will be taken
up."
Judas said, "And what will the rest of
the human generations do?"
Jesus said, "It is impossible to sow seed
on [rock] and harvest its fruit. [This] is also
the way […] the [defiled] generation […]
and corruptible Sophia […] the hand
that has created mortal people, so that their
souls go up to the eternal realms above. [Truly]
I say to you, […] angel […] power will
be able to see that […] these to whom […]
holy generations […]."
"A great angel, the enlightened divine
Self-Generated, emerged from the cloud.
Because of him, four other angels came into being
from another cloud, and they became attendants
for the angelic Self-Generated. The Self-Generated
said, ‘Let […] come into being […],’
and it came into being […]. And he [created]
the first luminary to reign over him. He said,
‘Let angels come into being to serve [him],’
and myriads without number came into being. He
said, ‘[Let] an enlightened aeon come
into being,’ and he came into being. He
created the second luminary [to] reign over him,
together with myriads of angels without number,
to offer service. That is how he created the rest
of the enlightened aeons. He made them
reign over them, and he created for them myriads
of angels without number, to assist them.
"Adamas was in the first luminous cloud
that no angel has ever seen among all those
called ‘God.’ He […] that […]
the image […] and after the likeness of [this]
angel. He made the incorruptible [generation] of
Seth appear […] the twelve […] the
twentyfour […]. He made seventy-two
luminaries appear in the incorruptible generation,
in accordance with the will of the Spirit. The
seventy-two luminaries themselves made three
hundred sixty luminaries appear in the
incorruptible generation, in accordance with the
will of the Spirit, that their number should be
five for each.
"The twelve aeons of the twelve
luminaries constitute their father, with six
heavens for each aeon, so that there are seventy-two
heavens for the seventy-two luminaries, and
for each [of them five] firmaments, [for a total
of] three hundred sixty [firmaments …]. They
were given authority and a [great] host of angels
[without number], for glory and adoration, [and
after that also] virgin spirits, for glory
and [adoration] of all the aeons and the heavens
and their firmaments.
"The multitude of those immortals is
called the cosmos--that is, perdition--by the
Father and the seventy-two luminaries who are
with the Self-Generated and his seventy two aeons.
In him the first human appeared with his
incorruptible powers. And the aeon that
appeared with his generation, the aeon in whom
are the cloud of knowledge and the angel, is
called El. […] aeon […] after that […]
said, ‘Let twelve angels come into being [to]
rule over chaos and the [underworld].’ And
look, from the cloud there appeared an [angel]
whose face flashed with fire and whose appearance
was defiled with blood. His name was Nebro, which
means ‘rebel’; others call him
Yaldabaoth. Another angel, Saklas, also came from
the cloud. So Nebro created six angels----as well
as Saklas----to be assistants, and these produced
twelve angels in the heavens, with each one
receiving a portion in the heavens
From the above new age excerpts, it is crystal
clear; the Gos-Bull of Judas has nothing in common
with the true Word of God.
THE TRUTH ABOUT JUDAS •
The Word of God paints a drastically different
portrait of Judas than a "hero." The
scriptures leave no doubt about Judas Iscariot. And
it ain’t no "champion." No sincere
person could disregard the clear scriptures, while
inventing a goofy gnostic tale that Jesus Christ and
Judas together "secretly" planned the
betrayal. Nothing could be funnier. . .
Twenty-five times the Bible identifies Judas as
the betrayer.
Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot,
who also betrayed him.
Matthew 10:4
14 Then one of the twelve, called Judas
Iscariot, went unto the chief priests
15 And said unto them, What will ye give me, and
I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted
with him for thirty pieces of silver.
16 And from that time he sought opportunity to
betray him.
Matthew 26:14-16
20 Now when the even was come, he sat down
with the twelve.
21 And as they did eat, he said, Verily I say
unto you, that one of you shall betray me.
22 And they were exceeding sorrowful, and
began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is
it I?
23 And he answered and said, He that dippeth his
hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray
me.
24 The Son of man goeth as it is written of him:
but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is
betrayed! it had been good for that man if he
had not been born.
25 Then Judas, which betrayed him,
answered and said, Master, is it I? He said unto
him, Thou hast said.
Matthew 26:20-25
45 Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith
unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest:
behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of
man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
46 Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at
hand that doth betray me.
47 And while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the
twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with
swords and staves, from the chief priests and
elders of the people.
48 Now he that betrayed him gave them a
sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same
is he: hold him fast.
Matthew 26:45-48
3 Then Judas, which had betrayed him,
when he saw that he was condemned, repented
himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of
silver to the chief priests and elders,
4 Saying, I have sinned in that I have
betrayed the innocent blood. And they said,
What is that to us? see thou to that.
Matthew 27:2-4 19 And Judas Iscariot, which
also betrayed him: and they went into an
house.
Mark 3:14-19 10 And Judas Iscariot, one of the
twelve, went unto the chief priests, to betray
him unto them.
11 And when they heard it, they were glad, and
promised to give him money. And he sought how he
might conveniently betray him.
Mark 14:10-11
41 And he cometh the third time, and saith
unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: it
is enough, the hour is come; behold, the Son
of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
42 Rise up, let us go; lo, he that betrayeth
me is at hand.
43 And immediately, while he yet spake, cometh
Judas, one of the twelve, and with him a great
multitude with swords and staves, from the chief
priests and the scribes and the elders.
44 And he that betrayed him had given them
a token, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that
same is he; take him, and lead him away safely.
Mark 14:41-44
But Jesus said unto him, Judas, betrayest
thou the Son of man with a kiss?
Luke 22:48
He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for
he it was that should betray him, being one
of the twelve.
John 6:71
Then saith one of his disciples, Judas
Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray him,
John 12:4
And supper being ended, the devil having
now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's
son, to betray him;
John 13:2
When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in
spirit, and testified, and said, Verily, verily,
I say unto you, that one of you shall betray
me.
John 13:21
And Judas also, which betrayed him,
knew the place: for Jesus ofttimes resorted
thither with his disciples.
They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith
unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which
betrayed him, stood with them.
John 18:2, 5
In Luke 6:16 the Bible calls Judas "the
traitor."
And Judas the brother of James, and Judas
Iscariot, which also was the traitor.
Luke 6:16
John 12 says Judas was a thief.
4 Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot,
Simon's son, which should betray him,
5 Why was not this ointment sold for three
hundred pence, and given to the poor?
6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but
because he was a thief, and had the bag, and
bare what was put therein.
John 12:4-6
In John 6:70, Jesus Christ said Judas was "a
devil."
70 Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you
twelve, and one of you is a devil?
71 He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon:
for he it was that should betray him, being one
of the twelve.
John 6:70-71
John 13:2 says the devil inspired Judas to betray
Jesus Christ.
1 Now before the feast of the passover, when
Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should
depart out of this world unto the Father, having
loved his own which were in the world, he loved
them unto the end.
2 And supper being ended, the devil having now
put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son,
to betray him;
John 13:1-2
In John 13:27 and Luke 22:3, the Bible tells us,
"Satan entered into Judas." It’s worth noting that in
John 6:70 where Jesus said Judas was "a devil,"
occurred at least six months before John 13:27. Judas
was a "devil" BEFORE Satan "entered
into him."
26 Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall
give a sop, when I have dipped it. And when he
had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot,
the son of Simon.
27 And after the sop Satan entered into him.
Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do
quickly.
John 13:26-27 Then entered Satan into Judas
surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the
twelve.
Luke 22:3.
If Judas Iscariot was a hero; a champion; and
Jesus Christ’s best friend -- then two things
become crystal clear:
The Bible is a lie and the worst fraud
ever written.
The death of Jesus Christ was a joke
and the biggest scam in history.
Now we know why the Bible-rejecting media has
fallen in love with "Judas." Anything that
ridicules the Bible or the Lord Jesus Christ
instantly becomes the darling of the Antichrist media.
The fact that the Bible stands on a mountain of over
6,000 manuscripts and "Judas" sits on a
single mutilated, muddled manuscript is irrelevant. The
only evidence the Antichrist brigade requires is it
attacks the Bible. Facts or no facts. . . Truth or
Lie. . . Doesn’t matter. . . They instantly
"fall in love" with anything anti-Christ.
JUDAS AND THE
ANTICHRIST •
One of the most disturbing aspects of Judas
Iscariot surrounds his connection to the coming
Antichrist. The Word of God paints an indelible link
to Judas and the Antichrist. In fact, the
connection is so strong that many Bible teachers
believe the Antichrist will literally be the
reincarnation of Judas.
Let’s examine the evidence. . .
In John 17:12, Jesus Christ refers to Judas as
"the son of perdition."
While I was with them in the world, I kept
them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I
have kept, and none of them is lost, but the
son of perdition; that the scripture might be
fulfilled.
John 17:12
In 2 Thessalonians 2, the Bible warns of the
coming Antichrist. Notice the Antichrist is also
referred to as "the son of perdition." These
are the only two times in the scriptures the phrase
"son of perdition" occurs.
1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming
of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering
together unto him,
2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be
troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by
letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is
at hand.
3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that
day shall not come, except there come a falling
away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the
son of perdition;
4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all
that is called God, or that is worshipped; so
that he as God sitteth in the temple of God,
showing himself that he is God.
2 Thessalonians 2:1-4
Revelation 17:8, 11, also links the beast or the
Antichrist with the word "perdition." The
word "perdition" occurs only 8 times in the
scriptures. Most are references to the antichrist.
8 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, whose names were not written
in the book of life from the foundation of the
world, when they behold the beast that was, and
is not, and yet is.
. . .
11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is
the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth
into perdition.
Revelation 11:7 and 17:8 says the beast "ascendeth
out of the bottomless pit."
And when they shall have finished their
testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the
bottomless pit shall make war against them,
and shall overcome them, and kill them.
Revelation 11:7
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, whose names were not written
in the book of life from the foundation of the
world, when they behold the beast that was, and
is not, and yet is. Revelation 17:8
The obvious question is – how and when did
"the beast" enter into the bottomless pit?
This is not Satan himself, as we know from the
scriptures such as Job 1, Luke 4, 1 Peter 5:8 and
many others, the devil continually tempts, deceives
and devours. Satan is not in the bottomless pit. Who
is in the bottomless pit? When was he put in there?
The scriptures in Acts 1:25 record a strange
statement about Judas. The Bible states that when
Judas died he went to "his own place." No
one else in the scriptures carries such an unusual
distinction "as his own place" when they
died.
That he may take part of this ministry and
apostleship, from which Judas by transgression
fell, that he might go to his own place.
Acts 1:25
The above statements in Acts 1:25 have led some to
teach that the "own place" of Judas
Iscariot, the "son of perdition," was the
bottomless pit of Revelation. This would answer the
question of when did the beast enter the
bottomless pit.
Zechariah 17:12-13 is a cross reference prophesy
of Judas Iscariot and the thirty pieces of silver
given to Judas to betray Jesus Christ. It also refers
to the "potters" field of Matthew 27.
12 And I said unto them, If ye think good,
give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they
weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver.
13 And the LORD said unto me, Cast it unto the
potter: a goodly price that I was prised at
of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver,
and cast them to the potter in the house of the
LORD.
Zechariah 17:12-13
The New Testament in Matthew 26 and 27 display the
fulfillment of Zechariah 17 in the person of Judas
Iscariot.
14 Then one of the twelve, called Judas
Iscariot, went unto the chief priests,
15 And said unto them, What will ye give me, and
I will deliver him unto you? And they
covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver.
16 And from that time he sought opportunity
to betray him.
Matthew 26:14-16
3 Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he
saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and
brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the
chief priests and elders,
4 Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed
the innocent blood. And they said, What is that
to us? see thou to that.
5 And he cast down the pieces of silver in the
temple, and departed, and went and hanged
himself.
6 And the chief priests took the silver pieces,
and said, It is not lawful for to put them into
the treasury, because it is the price of blood.
7 And they took counsel, and bought with them
the potter's field, to bury strangers in.
Matthew 27:3-7
Without question, Zechariah 17:12-12 prophesy
details of the betrayal of Judas Iscariot. And
without question, it is no coincidence that the next
verses in Zechariah 17 prophesy the coming Antichrist.
15 And the LORD said unto me, Take unto thee
yet the instruments of a foolish shepherd.
16 For, lo, I will raise up a shepherd in the
land, which shall not visit those that be cut
off, neither shall seek the young one, nor heal
that that is broken, nor feed that that standeth
still: but he shall eat the flesh of the fat, and
tear their claws in pieces.
17 Woe to the idol shepherd that leaveth
the flock! the sword shall be upon his arm, and
upon his right eye: his arm shall be clean dried
up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened.
Zechariah 17:15-17
Another unmistakable description of Judas Iscariot
linked with the Antichrist appears in Psalm 55. Again
Psalm 55:12-14 plainly prophesy the betrayal of Judas
Iscariot.
12 For it was not an enemy that reproached me;
then I could have borne it: neither was it he
that hated me that did magnify himself against me;
then I would have hid myself from him:
13 But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide,
and mine acquaintance.
14 We took sweet counsel together, and walked
unto the house of God in company.
Psalm 55:12-14
And again, like Zechariah 17, a few short verses
later, Psalm 55 plainly prophesies of the coming
Antichrist:
20 He hath put forth his hands against such as
be at peace with him: he hath broken his covenant.
21 The words of his mouth were smoother than
butter, but war was in his heart: his words were
softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords.
Psalms 55:20-22
One of the clearest implications that Judas
Iscariot was more than just a "normal" man
deceived by the devil occurs in John 6:70. In John 6:70,
the Lord Jesus says Judas is "a devil." Not
merely possessed by the devil – but is a
devil. There are two Greek words used as "devil"
in the New Testament: diabolos and daimonion.
The Greek word daimonionis is translated
devil or devils in the King James Bible. It is used
to describe someone possessed with the devil such as
in Matthew 9:32.
As they went out, behold, they brought to him
a dumb man possessed with a devil.
Matthew 9:32
Our word "demon" comes from the Greek
word daimo. It never refers to THE Devil in
the scriptures. The scriptures always use the Greek
word diabolos when referring to the Devil.
Matthew 4:1 is an example of the Greek word diabolos:
Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the
wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
Matthew 4:1
Only one time in the
scriptures the Greek word diabolos
occurs when it does not directly reference THE Devil
– you guessed it –
John 6:70, the reference to Judas. The use of the
Greek word diabolos clearly
implies Judas Iscariot was the devil incarnate –
exactly as the coming Antichrist.
70 Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you
twelve, and one of you is a devil [diabolos]?
71 He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon:
for he it was that should betray him, being one
of the twelve.
John 6:70
There are many prominent Bible teachers that teach
the Antichrist will actually be Judas Iscariot.
The late evangelist and popular radio Bible
teacher Oliver Greene strongly believes the spirit of
Judas will be in the Antichrist:
Judas was a singular, exceptional case. I
believe the Scriptures teach that he will one day
minister again upon this earth—in the person
of the Antichrist. . . I am firmly convinced that
the spirit of Judas Iscariot will dwell in the
body of the Antichrist, the man of sin—yes, the
devil in the flesh—and that he
will carry out the ministry of Antichrist. . . I
believe—and teach without apology—that
the spirit of Judas Iscariot will be embodied in
the Antichrist—the devil incarnate.
(Greene, Oliver B. The Gospel According to
John, pp. 164-165)
In his Studies in Revelation, Dr. M.R.
DeHaan, devotes several pages comparing Judas
Iscariot to the Antichrist. Dr. DeHaan pulls no
punches in his assessment of Judas – he will be
the Antichrist:
Judas, then, will be the Antichrist.
The spirit of the Antichrist will enter once more
into mankind and cause to appear another freak,
half man and half devil, who will be the
incarnation of the devil. . . After the true
Church is gone, Satan will, as part of his
wicked deception, raise Judas from the dead and
set him as the true Christ. . . For three and
one-half years the Antichrist will continue his
reign of terror. Note the resemblance of Judas to
the description of the man of sin of the end-time.
Notice how Judas typifies the Antichrist. The
Antichrist will preside over the worship of the
false kingdom. Judas was one of Christ’s
disciples and treasurer of the company, but Satan
entered him and he became a devil’s son. So,
too, the Antichrist will come with a message of
peace, but betray his friends.
Judas served with Christ three and one-half years;
the reign of the Antichrist will also be three
and one-half years. Judas, as an apostle,
performed wonders and miracles; so will the
Antichrist when he comes. Judas was an idolater;
Scripture says that every covetous man is an
idolater and the Antichrist will be a great
idolater. Judas gave a sign to those who followed
him by which they might know Jesus in the garden
(Matthew 26:48). The Antichrist will institute
the mark of the beast, compelling men to carry
this sign on their hands and foreheads or be
killed. Surely this similarity is striking, and
many more resemblances could be added.
(Dehaan, M.R. Studies in Revelation, pp.
184-185)
Clarence Larkin ranks among the greatest Bible
teachers of modern times. His Dispensational Truth
is one of the best books on the Bible ever written.
In his, The Book of Revelation, Larkin
presents a convincing argument that Judas and the
Antichrist are one and the same.
But why was Judas called the "SON OF
PERDITION"? Was he a child of Satan by some
woman, or was he simply indwelt by Satan? Here we
must let the Scriptures speak for themselves. In
John 6:70-71 we read that Jesus said "Have I
not chosen you Twelve, and one of you is a DEVIL?
He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon; for
he it was that should betray Him, being one of
the Twelve." In no other passage than
this is the word "Devil" applied to
anyone but to Satan himself. Here the word is
"diabolus,". . . This would make Judas
the Devil incarnate, or the "MYSTERY OF
INQUITY," and explains why Judas in John 17:12,
calls him the "SON OF PERDITION."
This is the only place in the Scriptures
where the word "diabolus" is applied to
a human being, and it implies an incarnation. . .
Judas and Antichrist are the "SONS OF
PERDITION" in a special sense, for they are
the SONS of the author of "Perdition"—THE
DEVIL. That is they are not merely "obsessed"
or controlled by the Devil, the Devil has
incarnated himself in them, and for the time
being, to al practical purposes, they are the
very Devil himself.
The next question that arises is "If
Judas and the Antichrist are both called the
‘SONS OF PERDITION,’ are they one and
the same, or are there two "Sons of
Perdition?" . . . Turning to Rev. 11:7, we
read that the "Beast" that slays the
"Two Witnesses" ascends out of the
"Bottomless Pit" (ABYSS), and that
"Beast" is the ANTICHRIST. Not how did
he get into the "ABYSS"? Well, if there
is only one "SON OF PERDITION," and
Judas and Antichrist are one and the same, then
he got in that ABYSS when Judas went to his
"Own Place" (the ABYSS). Acts 1:25. Of
no other person is it said anywhere in the
Scriptures that he went "to his own place."
Again in Rev. 17:8 it is said—"The
‘Beast’ that thou sawest was, and is
not: and shall ascend out of the ‘Bottomless
Pit’ (Abyss), and go into PERDITION."
As this "Beast" is the same that slays
the "Two Witnesses" he is the
ANTICHRIST. Now there are four things said of him.
First, he "WAS." Second, he "IS
NOT." Third, he shall "ASCEND OUT OF
THE BOTTOMLESS PIT." Fourth, he shall "GO
INTO PERDITION." From this we learn that in
John’s day the "Beast" "Was
Not," but that he had been before on the
earth, and was to come again, that he was to
ASCEND FROM THE BOTTOMLESS PIT. This is
positive proof that the ANTICHRIST has been here
on the earth before and that when he comes in the
future he will come from the "ABYSS."
The question than arises, when was "Antichrist"
on the earth before? If Judas and the Antichrist
are one and the same the enigma is solved. When
Judas was on the earth, he WAS; when Judas went
to his "Own Place" he "WAS NOT";
when Judas comes back from the "Abyss"
he will be—THE ANTICHRIST.
(Larkin, Clarence. The Book of Revelation,
pp. 117)
The greatest commentary on the Antichrist is
Arthur W. Pink’s book, The Antichrist.
In his excellent book, Pink devotes a special
section titled "The Antichrist Will Be Judas
Reincarnated": The following is part of Pink’s
expose:
In Psalm 55
much is said of the Antichrist in his
relation to Israel. Among other things we
read there, "The words of his mouth were
smoother than butter, but war was in his
heart: his words were softer than oil, yet
were they drawn swords" (v. 21). The
occasion for this sad plaint is given in the
previous verse — "He had put forth
his hands against such as be at peace with
him: he hath broken his covenant." The
reference is to Antichrist breaking his seven-year
Covenant with the Jews (see Dan. 9:27; 11:21-24).
Now if the entire Psalm be read through with
these things in mind, it will be seen that it
sets forth the sorrows of Israel and the
sighings of the godly remnant during the End-Time.
But the remarkable thing is that when we come
to vv. 11-14 we find that which has a double
application and fulfillment — "wickedness
is in the midst thereof: deceit and guile
depart not from her streets. For it was not
an enemy that reproached me; then I could
have borne it: neither was it he that hated
me that did magnify himself against me; then
I would have hid myself from him: But it was
thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine
acquaintance. We took sweet counsel together,
and walked unto the house of God in company."
These verses describe not only the base
treachery of Judas toward Christ, but they
also announce how he shall yet, when
reincarnated in the Antichrist, betray
and desert Israel. The
relation of Antichrist to Israel will be
precisely the same as that of Judas to Christ
of old. He will pose as the friend of the
Jews, but later he will come out in his true
character. In the Tribulation period, the
Nation of Israel shall taste the bitterness
of betrayal and desertion by one who
masqueraded as a "familiar friend."
Hence, we have here the first hint that
the Antichrist will be Judas reincarnated. .
.
(Pink, Arthur W. The Antichrist, pp.
52-53)
In John 17:12
we have a word which, more plainly still,
shows that the Antichrist will be Judas
reincarnated, for here he is termed by Christ
"The Son of Perdition." But first,
let us consider the teaching of Scripture
concerning Judas Iscariot. Who was he? He was
a "man" (Matt. 26:24). But was he more
than a man? Let Scripture make answer. In
John 6:70 we read, "Have not I chosen
you twelve, and one of you is a Devil?"
It is hardly necessary to say that in the
Greek there are two different words for
"Devil" and "demon."
There are many demons, but only one
Devil. Further, in no other passage is the
word "devil" applied to any one but
to Satan himself. Judas then was the Devil
incarnate, just as the Lord Jesus was God
incarnate. Christ Himself said so, and
we dare not doubt His word.
As we have seen, in John 17:12 Christ termed
Judas "the Son of Perdition," and 2
Thess. 2:3 we find that the Antichrist is similarly
designated — "That Man of Sin
be revealed, the Son of Perdition."
These are the only two places in all the
Bible where his name occurs, and the fact
that Judas was termed by Christ not a
"son of perdition," but "the
Son of Perdition," and the
fact that the Man of Sin is so named prove
that they are one and the same
person. What other conclusion can
a simple and unprejudiced reader of the Bible
come to?
(Pink, Arthur W.. The Antichrist,
pp. 54-55)
In Rev. 11:7
we have the first reference to "the
Beast" in the Apocalypse: "The
Beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless
pit." Here the Antichrist is seen
issuing forth from the Abyss. What is the
Abyss? It is the abode of lost spirits, the
place of their incarceration and torment
— see Rev. 20:1-3, and Luke 8:31, "deep"
is the "abyss" and cf. Matt. 9:28.
The question naturally arises, How did he get
there? and when was he sent there? We
answer, When Judas Iscariot died! The
Antichrist will be Judas Iscariot
reincarnated. In proof of this
we appeal to Acts 1:25 where we are told,
"that he may take part of this ministry
and apostleship from which Judas by
transgression fell, that he might go to
his own place." Of no one else in
all the Bible is it said that at death he
went "to his own place." Put these
two scriptures together: Judas went "to
his own place," the Beast ascends
out of the Abyss.
(Pink, Arthur W. The Antichrist, p. 55)
"While
I was with them in the world, I kept them in
Thy name: those that Thou gavest Me I have
kept, and none of them is lost, but the Son
of Perdition; that the Scripture might be
fulfilled" (John 17:5). That our Lord
was referring to the Antichrist is
unequivocally established by 2 Thess. 2:3,
where the Man of Sin is denominated "the
Son of Perdition." That Judas, here
termed the Son of Perdition, was more than a
man is clear from John 6:70 where we read,
"Have not I chosen you twelve, and one
of you is a Devil?" In no other passage
is the word "Diabolos" applied to
anyone but Satan himself. Just as the Lord
Jesus was God incarnate, so will Judas be the
Devil incarnate; and, as we have shown in
chapter three (third main section) Judas will
be re-incarnated in the Antichrist.
(Pink, Arthur W. The Antichrist, p.
178)
While I am
not totally convinced the Antichrist will be a
"resurrected" Judas Iscariot, the Bible
connection is undeniable. Maybe that’s why
the world "loves" Judas. Maybe that’s
why they believe Judas was a "hero" and
a "champion." Maybe they’re
unknowingly setting the stage for the real
Judas to soon appear . . .
3 Let no
man deceive you by any means: for that day
shall not come, except there come a falling
away first, and
that man of sin be revealed, the son of
perdition;
4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all
that is called God, or that is worshipped; so
that he as God sitteth in the temple of God,
showing himself that he is God.
5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with
you, I told you these things?
2 Thess. 2:3-5
|