The Son of Perdition

John 17:12 “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.”

2 Thessalonians 2:3 “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;”

In John 17, Jesus is talking about Judas Iscariot, and in 2 Thess. 2, Paul is talking about the Antichrist.

The term “son of perdition” only appears twice in the entire Bible.

Is there a connection between Judas and the Antichrist?

Translations checked (son of destruction) NASB, ESV, HCSB, Phillips New Testament, & Amplified all use the same term to describe Judas and Antichrist.

Meaning?

1. Perdition.

Do you think it would be important for us to understand what perdition means biblically, considering the two identified as the son of perdition?

Perdition—> Eternal damnation or utter destruction

In the case of Judas and the Antichrist----> A person in an “un-redeemable” state; someone who is already damned while living.

John 17 is the high priestly prayer of Jesus Christ.

Protected all of His disciples except for Judas, the son of perdition, who was already damned.

2. Judas Iscariot. John 6:67-71

We have overlooked the simplicity of biblical language when reading about Judas and Jesus.

John 6:67–69 “Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.”

John 6:70–71 “Jesus answered them, Have not I 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.”

Jesus said Judas was a devil. What did he not say? _______________________________.

Meaning?

If Judas was a devil, then Judas was eternally damned.

Was Judas predestined to be eternally damned? _______

Judas---> power and prestige.

Political deliverance and not spiritual deliverance. Clung to Jesus hoping Jesus was the political and national deliverer.

Judas sought power and wealth from being with the One whom he thought could politically deliver.

Many hints in the Bible.

John 12:3–7 “Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment. Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, which should betray him, Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? 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. Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this.”

Judas was openly rebuked and knew Jesus was not who Judas hoped He was. After being rebuked, Judas’s true identity was revealed.

John 13:1–2 “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. And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him;”

Heart = Total control

Judas closed his mind to Jesus and opened it to do as Satan bid him to do. It was Judas’s choice.

Do you recall what John wrote about Antichrist/antichrists? 1 John 2:18.

1 John 2:18 “Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.”

Can I translate for your? Antichrist = Son of Perdition, many have followed and are following him, meaning there are many alive on this planet who are already damned because they have rejected Christ.

Controversial statement (Representing me and what the Holy Spirit laid on my heart) I add that caveat so that Beech Grove will not be held responsible by Big Brother for what I am about to say.

Our political system is failing because so many of our elected leaders have rejected Christ and are so thirsty for wealth and power that they have prostituted themselves as pawns of Satan caring not for their eternal demise.

Do you recall what Paul said in 2 Cor. 4:4?

2 Corinthians 4:4 “In whom the god of this world(age) hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”

Meaning?

Paul is saying that the systems of this world, including the political systems, belong to Satan.

How did Satan get the systems of the world? By legal transaction as Adam gave them to him.

God---> Sovereign and at work in the nations.

Satan---> Controlling the political systems.

Why do we have so many professional politicians?

Living the life of Judas wanted to live----> power, wealth, and prestige.

***Power and wealth are irrelevant to a person who is controlled by God.***

Philippians 4:19 “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

Psalm 50:10–12 “For every beast of the forest is mine, And the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know all the fowls of the mountains: And the wild beasts of the field are mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: For the world is mine, and the fulness thereof.”

Power, wealth, and prestige are irrelevant to a person controlled by God and the Holy Spirit because that person will know that God is going to supply all their need because God owns it all anyway.

Dear friend, it is a dangerous thing to reject the salvation offered to Christ. You can get to the point of being damned while on earth. It happened to Judas, and it will happen to the coming son of perdition, and it could happen to you.

God will not allow you to continually reject His Son forever. Eventually, He will have enough, and you will be condemned as Judas.

Do you want some good news?

If you are sitting here knowing that you need to be saved, you have not been damned yet. If you know that you need to saved, it is the Holy Spirit convicting you of your need of salvation.

John 3:16–18 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”