Is Judas In Heaven or Hell?

Surprisingly, many people believe that Judas is in Heaven, claiming that he did the will of God.  A movie titled, “The Last Temptation of Christ”, portrays Judas as Jesus’ closest friend and the head of the disciples who “obediently betrayed” Jesus. Of course the movie is wrong… I think quite a few people have that kind of impression of Judas even though the bible says otherwise.  Likely, this way of thinking comes from the idea that God is in control of everything, even to the point that He controls a person to sin.

Why Judas Is In Hell

The only thing we need to believe about Judas is what the Bible says.  Here are some verses to show that Judas was sinning against God, thus resulting in him being in Hell.

It Would Be Better If He Were Never Born

Mark 14:21 – “The Son of man indeed goeth, as it is written of him: but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! good were it for that man if he had never been born.

[good were it for that man if he had never been born] – Would you assume that Judas is in heaven if Jesus said it’d be better that he’d never been born?  Tradition holds that all of the 12 apostles (except John) died violent deaths, but they were blessed (Matt 5:11), and Judas, as is shown here, is cursed.

Judas Is Cursed

Galatians 3:13 – “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:” (quoted from Deut 21:23)

[Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree] – Judas was also cursed by hanging on the tree.  In contrast, Jesus selflessly died and became a curse for others while Judas selfishly died and became a curse to himself.

Judas Was Called “a Devil”

John 6:70 – “Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?”

[one of you is a devil] – Who could that devil be if not Judas?  If Judas is called a devil here, how could he be with God in heaven today?

Judas Was a Thief

John 12:4-6 – “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.”

[he was a thief] – The love of money is the root of all evil (1Tim 6:10).  Judas had many opportunities to avoid betraying Jesus.  Judas’ greed for money is what motivated him to betray Jesus.  Judas could have said, “I have a greed problem with money and don’t want to be in charge of the finances for us all.”  Judas was tempted by his own desires (James 1:13-14); it was not God who pushed him to betray Jesus, but Satan.

Satan Entered Judas

John 13:27 – “And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly.”

[Satan entered into him] – This is something Judas allowed because, “if you resist the devil, he will flee from you” (James 4:7).  That Judas allowed himself to become God’s enemy shows that he was separated from God.

Judas’ Great Sin

John 19:11 – “Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.”

[he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin] – Judas, indirectly delivered Jesus to Pilate.  This includes the chief priests and other rulers, but once again, shows that Judas wasn’t in the right.

Judas Was Always Named Last

Matthew 10:2-4 – “Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;  Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus;  Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.

[Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him] – He is always named last in every list, just how Peter is always named first.  Remember that the gospels were written 30 years or so after Jesus resurrection, so it shows that the church disapproved of Judas.  Every time his name is mentioned in the gospels, he is tagged as “the traitor, the one that betrayed Jesus”.  The only other times he wasn’t tagged with that title was when he was in the act of betraying Jesus.   Once again, his title is not, “the one who did God’s will by betraying Jesus” but “the traitor”.

Judas Was Replaced

Acts 1:25-26 – “That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.  And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.”

[Judas by transgression fell] – If Judas did God’s will by betraying Jesus, it wouldn’t be counted as a transgression on Judas part.

[Matthais… was numbered with the eleven apostles] – Judas was the only apostle to be replaced after death; none of the apostles had another take their position after death except Judas.  Why was he replaced?  Jesus said, “…ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Matt 19:28).  Judas, however, was replaced by Matthias, who was chosen as the 12^th apostle, and will not judge the 12 tribes with the other 11 apostles, but Matthias will instead.

Did Judas Repent?

Matthew 27:3-5 – “Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he (Jesus) 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 the innocent blood. And they said, what is that to us? See thou to that.  And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.”

[repented himself] – Judas repented to the priests and elders, not to God.

[went and hanged himself] – Judas cursed himself by hanging himself on a tree (Gal 3:13).  This is no way to repent to God.  The traditional way to repent is in sackcloth and ashes, to be humbled, and to turn from evil (Job 42:6, Jer 4:8, 2Ch 7:14).  If you are a believer, then “… you do not belong to yourself because you have been bought with a price by God…” (1Cor 6:19-20).  Suicide destroys a life that belongs to God.  The last thing that Judas did was kill.  You can say that Judas didn’t believe, and that would make him damned, or you can say that Judas did believe and destroyed his life (which actually belonged to God and not to himself) and sinned.  No one can ask forgiveness after committing suicide.  Either way you look at it, Judas is damned.

Summary

Judas was called a devil, a traitor, a thief, was always named last on every apostolic list, and was the only apostle to be replaced by another as one of the 12.  It was his love for money that led to him doing the will of Satan and betraying Jesus.  Jesus said it would have been better for him to have never been born.  Judas did not only kill himself, but seemed to be sending a message in the way he did it; cursing himself by hanging on a tree.  It was this final action that sealed his fate and turned him from God for eternity.  In conclusion, Judas would not have ended up in Heaven with God, but in Hell.

Matthew 7:22-23 – “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name have cast out devils? And in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”