John-Luke Muresan Part-time Children and Youth Minister of Arthur Pentecostal

Okay, firstly the answer is no. The reason is because Jesus made it abundantly clear what the fate of Judas was: "The Son of Man is to go, just as it is written of Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good [a]for that man if he had not been born.” (Matthew 26:24).

Secondly, we also note that when the disciples pick a new apostle they give over all his rights of inheritance to Matthias (Acts 1:15-26). So, everything that would have been Judas' is passed on to another.

Then we ask, "Is Jesus a liar?" For does he not make the promise in Matthew 19:28 that they would sit on thrones? No, the promise is not made specifically to the twelve present, rather it is a promise that those who are in those twelve offices will inherit the thrones. Not to mention that the passage can also be interpreted as referring to future disciples, as no one's place is guaranteed just by luckily being born in the right time with Jesus (Mark 10:35-40).

This promise is akin to God promising the restoration of Israel (Hosea 11:1-12; Jeremiah 30; Joel 2:18-32) but we find in Revelation 7:4-8 that not every tribe is present, namely Dan and Ephraim. Yet Joseph has been mysteriously re included. Is God's promise not fulfilled? No, rather the meaning cannot  be ascertained until a certain time note the prophecy of our own Saviour had a double fulfilling: Isaiah 7:1-15 (Fulfilled in Isaiah 8:1-4) and in Matthew 1:23.

In conclusion, the promise was not necessarily made to the people present, but to those whom the thrones had been prepared for. Their identities were not necessarily revealed, Jesus teases people like this all the time. It should be no surprise, but as it clearly states in Acts the promise belongs to Matthias and the glory of Israel is not a man that He would change His mind (1 Samuel 15:29), so it was always meant for Matthias and not Judas. God Bless, it is a tricky one.

October 27 2013 • 14 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Jim New Just a follower of Jesus Christ and him only!

From what the Bible says, Judas was hand picked for one reason and that reason was to glorify God! God used him for His purpose, fulfilling Scripture. “Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil? “He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him (for money), being one of the twelve (John 6:68-71.) 

It was Judas who showed what was in his heart when he complained about the oil that was poured over Jesus preparing him for his burial. John 12:2-8
Mark 14: 4 records, “ But some were indignantly remarked to one another, “Why has this perfume been wasted?” Judas, who pretends to care for the poor, influenced the disciples to join with him in his rebellious spirit.

There are two people in the Bible who are called the “Son of Perdition,” Judas(John 17:12) and the Antichrist!! They both are very much into money. The Bible says the Pharisees loved money and so did Judas, so they had a common affection. This is why they were able to bribe Judas to betray our Lord.
Judas was also a thief having access to the money box as an apostle.

So, with all this said was Judas ever really saved? Was his heart in the same place as the other 11 Apostles? From what I read I'd say not. As Jesus says above He knew the one He chose was a "devil." 

Was Judas one of the twelve that will judge the 12 Tribes, absolutely not! If you read in Acts 1:12-26 - Matthias was Chosen to Replace Judas. Judas was never a "born again" believer! Hope that answers your question!

October 26 2013 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

JD Abshire

In Christ's intercessory prayer John 17:22 states "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." Proverbs 16:4 states: "The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil." Judas was obviously evil by his act of betrayal and used of God to accomplish His purpose. 

David prophesied Christ's betrayal in Psalms 41:9 and although did not mention a name, stated it was a familiar acquaintance. "Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me." More information is given in Zechariah 11:12-13 "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. 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." Had this prophecy not been fulfilled the Bible could not be considered inerrant. 

Did Judas truly "follow" Jesus as a believer? I do not think so. He was in it for the money and fanfare. Was Judas truly a Jew? I do not think he was. Iscariot is defined to mean Kerioth i.e "men of Kerioth" which is a city of Moab. Deuteronomy 23:3 states: "An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD; even to their tenth generation shall they not enter into the congregation of the LORD for ever:" Nehemiah 13:1 "On that day they read in the book of Moses in the audience of the people; and therein was found written, that the Ammonite and the Moabite should not come into the congregation of God for ever;"

Matthew 19:28 is a good argument but prophecy had to be fulfilled and "God cannot lie". Implications taken from scripture must be subordinate to the explicit teaching of scripture.

October 27 2013 • 3 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report