There's a movement today to make Judas Iscariot some sort of puppet of God, wherein it is said that according to the 'Book of Judas', he had no choice but to make the decision to be a betrayer and traitor to our Lord Jesus Christ. No one seems to acknowledge or check the scriptures in this matter. They watch a program that says Judas did what he was born (predestined) to do, they read the scroll known as the 'Book of Judas', a relatively new finding and I might add unproven as far as authenicity. They espouse what this book says but do not consult the holy scriptures of God to verify the claims made therein. Might I challenge you to think, if it's not in the scriptures then it's false. It's just another deceptive ploy to make satan (and his cohorts whether demonic or human) less threatening. The devil is a liar, he lies, it's what he does best ... remember that as you read these quotes from scripture as to who Judas really was!

Mat 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.

Luk 6:13-16  And when it was day, he called [unto him] his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles; Simon, (whom he also named Peter,) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, Matthew and Thomas, James the [son] of Alphaeus, and Simon called Zelotes, And Judas [the brother] of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor.

Mat 26:14-16  Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, 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. And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him.

Mar 14:10-11  And Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went unto the chief priests, to betray him unto them. And when they heard [it], they were glad, and promised to give him money. And he sought how he might conveniently betray him. Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the Passover. And the chief priests and scribes sought how they might kill him; for they feared the people. Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve. And he went his way, and communed with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray him unto them. And they were glad, and covenanted to give him money. And he promised, and sought opportunity to betray him unto them in the absence of the multitude.

Jhn 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;

Mat 26:20-25  Now when the even was come, he sat down with the twelve. And as they did eat, he said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I? And he answered and said, He that dippeth [his] hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me. 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. Then Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He said unto him, Thou hast said.

Mar 14:17-21  And in the evening he cometh with the twelve. And as they sat and did eat, Jesus said, Verily I say unto you, One of you which eateth with me shall betray me. And they began to be sorrowful, and to say unto him one by one, [Is] it I? and another [said, Is] it I? And he answered and said unto them, [It is] one of the twelve, that dippeth with me in the dish. 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.

Luk 22:13-25  And they went, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover. And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him. And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer: For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide [it] among yourselves: For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come. And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake [it], and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup [is] the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you. But, behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me [is] with me on the table. And truly the Son of man goeth, as it was determined: but woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed! And they began to enquire among themselves, which of them it was that should do this thing. And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest. And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors.

Jhn 13:16-17  Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.
Jhn 13:18  I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me. {This is from Psa 41:9 prophecy.}

Jhn 13:19-31  Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am [he]. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me; and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me. 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. Then the disciples looked one on another, doubting of whom he spake. Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved. Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him, that he should ask who it should be of whom he spake. He then lying on Jesus' breast saith unto him, Lord, who is it? 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. And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly. Now no man at the table knew for what intent he spake this unto him. For some [of them] thought, because Judas had the bag, that Jesus had said unto him, Buy [those things] that we have need of against the feast; or, that he should give something to the poor. He then having received the sop went immediately out: and it was night. Therefore, when he was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him.

Mat 26:45-50  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. Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that doth betray me. 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. Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: hold him fast. And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, master; and kissed him. And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took him.

Mar 14:41-46  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. Rise up, let us go; lo, he that betrayeth me is at hand. 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. 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. And as soon as he was come, he goeth straightway to him, and saith, Master, master; and kissed him. And they laid their hands on him, and took him.

Luk 22:47-48  And while he yet spake, behold a multitude, and he that was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them, and drew near unto Jesus to kiss him. But Jesus said unto him, Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss?

Jhn 14:30  Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me. {says Jesus}

Mat 27:3-10  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, 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. 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. And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter's field, to bury strangers in. Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value; And gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord appointed me.

        Let's get a few things straight here, revisiting the passages of Mat 27:3-10 above:
                1) "when he saw that he was condemned" means that he realized there was no turning back, as Jesus said it
                would have been better for him (Judas) had he not of been born at all!
                2) "repented himself" means that he wanted to return his blood money out of a guilty conscience;
                3) "I have sinned ... I have betrayed the innocent blood" is simply his admitting his guilt. Yes he may have felt
                bad about what he did but he freely acted as an agent of satan, instead of turning back to God, he hanged
                himself. Judas' eternal fate was not predestined, but he is in God's hands and at the mercy of the Lord. As with
                all people that turn themselves away from Jesus and toward satan, they will share satan's fate, by their own
                choice and free will. Judas threw the money he had received for his dirty deed on the floor of the temple
                where the chief priests and elders of the temple took it and used it to buy a potter's field, the field of blood
                (money). The purchase of this field was foretold by Jeremiah the prophet in Zec 11:10-14

Jhn 6:62-71  [What] and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, [they] are spirit, and [they] are life. But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him. And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father. From that [time] many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. 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. 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.

Jhn 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.

Jhn 12:1-8  Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead. There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him. 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. For the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always.

Jhn 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.

2Th 2:3-5 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; 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, shewing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? {The same spirit (devil/anti-christ/beast/satan) that possessed Judas will possess the beast & anti-christ in the end of days.}

Rev 17:8 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.

Rev 17:11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.

        I'm willing to bet Judas' name was NOT written in the book of life from the foundation of the world. Not because he couldn't be by some sort of cruel divine decision that some people will be in heaven and others won't. That takes away from our ability, our free will, to choose life or death, as if we are all predetermined puppets. I don't believe Judas was any different than you or I, and although God knows each of us from before the foundations of the world, He gave us ALL the power of choice. The first to fall of his own choice was Lucifer, a great 'covering cherub' (Eze 28:11-19). A covering cherub is thought to be one that guards the throne of God and one of the highest of all the angelic hosts. Lucifer (satan, the devil) was way up there on the angelic ladder of importance! God did such a spectacular job on creating Lucifer, unfortunately, he became *full of himself* and unrighteousness was found in him.

        When he fell he became known as satan, the devil, the serpent of old (manifest in the Garden of Eden), a dragon, and several other names. Jesus and Lucifer may well have been friends before he fell, I'm willing to bet that's the case ... and so Psalms 41:9 has a deeper meaning than just a fallen friendship between Jesus and Judas. I believe Jesus would have been grieved the whole time He knew Judas, knowing he would choose evil over good ... much like many in the world do today. Can you imagine, being in Jesus' place, the Son of God incarnate, knowing who would betray Him but not able to change the state of the man he called friend. How sad.

        But here's a key lesson: if we aren't His friend ... we are His enemy, and all those will be made a footstool for His feet. They are, by their own choices, condemned to hell for eternity, by their rejection of His love and grace. Judas, of all of us, had no excuse for his actions as He was in the very presence of God Himself. But, the short of it is, he didn't believe Jesus to be who He said He was. We believers, from Jesus' time onward, believe in Him by sheer faith. What I wouldn't give to have been with our Lord in those 3-1/2 years that Judas had with Him! When you get right down to it, the story of the beggar Lazarus (not the same one as Jesus' friend) being in the bosom of Abraham (paradise) and the rich man in hell crying out for thirst and wanting to warn his brothers ... isn't this so true even between Jesus and Judas!

        And so it is, even with God Himself in our presence, many did not believe. If you ever wondered where we go when we die, how quickly after we die ... you have your answer in Luk 16:22-24. If you can't believe the word of God I don't know what to tell you, nor did Abraham have an answer suitable for the rich man, he reaped what he sowed after all. He was rich, apparently stingy with his wealth, allowing a man to starve at his very gates. He reaped his rewards during his lifetime, that would be all he would ever receive. The beggar's reward was that angels came to him, scooped him up upon his death and brought him to Abraham's bosom (paradise). Judas is in flaming torment right now, he received his riches (remember ... he was a thief, a betrayer, a traitor) during his lifetime. Jesus is seated at the right hand of our Father God, preparing to return for us on the Day of the Lord's return!

        Let's not sympathize with the devil and his advocates! Judas was a traitor, a betrayer of a friend, and a thief, his sinful nature led to his eventual possession ... by satan himself ... a scenario that will be repeated in the end times with the beast and the anti-christ.Will you give them undo consideration as well, when they are wreaking havoc on the earth during the tribulation!? Let's not *credit* God for being cruel and evil, that is satan's domain. Beware my friends, he (the devil) is trying to lead you astray by whatever means he has at his disposal! Remember that the next time someone claims Judas was only doing what he was destined to do. Judas had a choice but what was known in advance was that he would make the wrong choice (between good and evil). He was not predestined for evil, he chose it, even though he was in the presence of the Christ (Savior, Messiah, Son of God) Himself! I concede from sheer lack of knowledge that the Lord may well have forgiven Judas, that is not for us to know for sure. My point in this article is that you get your facts from the scriptures, not from what you may see or hear outside of God's word! Please be careful so as not to be led astray ...

        A final word, I'm not advocating that we hate Judas. But nor should we hold him up on our shoulders as it were, as some sort of divinely inspired person who self-sacrificially followed his *calling* to betray our Lord. That's just a lie, Jesus Himself says so! Don't hate him, pity him ... but don't paint him as anything but what he was: a betrayer, a traitor, a thief!