In 2001 a prophet from East Florida was sitting at his computer and the Lord gave him a website to type in. It was my site. This was a miracle considering that in those days my address was more complex than it is today. When he found my number he called me and told me that the Lord had told him that he would see the son of perdition in another month. I told him I didn't think that was possible because the falling away had to come first according to 2 Thessalonians 2. However, when I got off the phone, the Lord pointed out to me that I was writing an article on the son of perdition according to what He had shown me and it would be finished the next month. I realized that this was where he would see, meaning get the revelation of, the son of perdition. The next month when I sent him the article, he saw it as a fulfillment of what the Lord had spoken to him. He saw the son of perdition.

A LARGE BODY WHICH FALLS AWAY

I recommend that the very short chapter 4, Second Key to Hidden Manna, be fresh in your mind before reading this chapter. As we saw there, Jesus and His disciples were for signs of those who were to follow in their steps in the end-time. Judas, the son of perdition, was one of those signs. He was a type and shadow of a corporate body of people hidden in the body of Christ that is going to be revealed in these days. This is our Judas, the "son of perdition", and the "man of sin". Again, as we saw in the Second Key, Judas is a spiritual father of a vast body of people today that will walk as he walked in the falling away and betrayal of the body of Christ. Judas walked in the steps of his spiritual father, Dan, who was called a serpent, and was also one of the twelve patriarchs who fell away (Gen. 49:6, 17). Therefore, if we study Judas, we will see who his spiritual counterparts are in our day.

(1 Cor. 10:11) Now these things happened unto them (Israel) by way of example (Greek: "figure" or "type"); and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages are come. Let's look at our type so we can see what will happen in the "end of the ages" to the Church. The children of Israel ate the lamb as a type of Jesus and they were delivered from the curse as the death angel passed over them (Gal. 3:13). They crossed the Red Sea as a type of baptism (1 Cor. 10:2) where the Egyptians, as the old man, were buried, and Israel, as the born again man, came up out of the water and went into the wilderness of the Tribulation (Rev. 12:6; 17:3). A "mixed multitude went up also with them" (Ex. 12:38). The mixed multitude was part Egyptian, the old man, and part Israelite, the born again man.

(Num. 11:4) And the mixed multitude that was among them lusted exceedingly: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat? (6) [B]ut now our soul is dried away; there is nothing at all save this manna to look upon. This is a type of half-Christians who lust after the flesh and will even tempt the true Christians. They hated the manna. The word "manna", in Hebrew, is literally "man" in Exodus 16:31. The Man that they hated to eat was Jesus Who is the Bread of Heaven, the Word of God that we must eat to have life (Jn. 6:51)!

This angered God, Who said He would give them more flesh than they could stomach. (20)...[U]ntil it come out at your nostrils, and it be loathsome unto you; because that ye have rejected the Lord (manna) who is among you, and have wept before, him, saying, Why came we forth out of Egypt? Paraphrased, this says, "Why did we ever get saved?" In type they were rejecting the self-crucifying Word of God to live after their own lusts and God was giving them what they wanted until it made them sick. This is kind of like the boy who gets caught smoking by his dad, who, in an attempt to make him repent, makes him smoke the whole pack until he turns green.

In this case, however, the boy never repented and died of cancer. Romans 8:13 says, "if ye live after the flesh, ye must die". (Num. 11:33) While the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the anger of the Lord was kindled against the people, and the Lord smote the people with a very great plague. (34) And the name of that place was called Kibroth-hattaavah, because there they buried the people that lusted. The wilderness Tribulation that was meant to give life brought death to those who followed after the flesh and so it will in the coming days. Those who according to the type fell away and spiritually died as sons of perdition, came out of their midst. We have these lukewarm people among us now but they will be spewed out of the body (Rev. 3:16) just as Judas came out of the early body of the twelve disciples and Dan is no longer listed among the twelve tribes (Rev. 7:4-8). Those that were left were sanctified from the man of sin that was in their midst and ready to go to the Promised Land.

Jesus, as a type of the end-time Man-child's ministry, taught for 3-1/2 years and was betrayed by Judas, who fell away as the son of perdition. As a prophecy of the end, that 3-1/2 years would bring us to the middle of the Tribulation when the mark is given as "an abomination that maketh desolate" to those sons of perdition who receive it. (2 Thes. 2:1) Now we beseech you, brethren, touching the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together unto him; (2) to the end that ye be not quickly shaken from your mind, nor yet be troubled, either by spirit, or by word, or by epistle as from us, as that the day of the Lord is just at hand; (3) let no man beguile you in any wise: for [it will not be,] except the falling away come first, and the man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition.

In a few words, God is saying do not be deceived. The Lord will not come for us until after the falling away reveals the son of perdition in our midst. The words "falling away" are from the Greek word "apostasy". Apostasy here means falling away from Christ and a lost person cannot fall away. The son of perdition is among the Christians as he was in Jesus' day. In the falling away, the man of sin, the son of perdition, will be revealed. God is going to purge His Church of the rebels and get the rest ready to meet the Lord. People who have been acting like Christians will not be able to act anymore, because of great tribulation. Years ago I prayed over my three sons and asked God to give them a dream or vision concerning our future. God did this to all three and Justin, my youngest son, received an open vision.

He saw a great ship on the ocean, filled with people. Some were dressed in white and were on the right side of the ship. Others in black were on the left side. A jet plane suddenly appeared, swooped down, and shot a rocket which blew the ship to pieces. Those dressed in black were not able to swim and sank. The people dressed in white swam around and built a new smaller ship from the pieces. They searched out a smaller motor and installed it on the new ship.

The Lord showed me this was the proverbial Gospel ship. Those in white on the right are the sheep and those in black on the left are the goats as Jesus separated them in Matthew 25:33. The white garments are the works of the Spirit and the black garments are the works of the flesh. (Rom. 13:12)...[C]ast off the works of darkness (black garments)... (14)...put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ (white garments), and make not provision for the flesh, to [fulfil] the lusts [thereof]. (Rev. 19:8) And it was given unto her that she should array herself in fine linen, bright [and] pure: for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. (Rev. 3:5) He that overcometh shall thus be arrayed in white garments; and I will in no wise blot his name out of the book of life. The water represents the curses written in the Word (Dt. 11:26-28). Those in black sank under the curses of this world. The true identity of these will be revealed through tribulation because they will fall away and ultimately be destroyed in the Day of the Lord. Noah was saved by the flood that destroyed the wicked. The flood of destruction proved who was a son of perdition (Greek: "destruction"). The new smaller motor is the new Church government that will be raised up.

(Jn. 17:12) While I was with them, I kept them in thy name which thou hast given me: and I guarded them, and not one of them perished, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled. Among the people of God in the coming days, not one will perish, but the son of perdition. What happened in Judas' day is going to happen in this day. Look at the signs in the Gospels, because they are going to be fulfilled again. (Eccl. 1:9) That which hath been is that which shall be; and that which hath been done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. If what you see of your revelation of the end-times doesn't fit into history, it is wrong; throw it out. Those who fall away in this day are revealed to be the son of perdition.

HIDDEN IN THE BODY

(Jn. 13:17) If ye know these things, blessed are ye if ye do them. (18) I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen. In other words, Judas was not chosen because he would not do the things Jesus spoke. The lawless can be called but will not be chosen. "Many are the called, but few are the chosen". The word "chosen" is the word eklektos, where we get the word "elect". Judas was called to partake of Christ but chose to follow his flesh. (Jn. 13:18)...[B]ut that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth my bread lifted up his heel against me. Judas ate Jesus' bread with the disciples and then betrayed Him. This also identifies the mixed multitude. In our day, the body of Judas will eat Jesus' bread and then betray the body of Christ. (21) When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in the spirit, and testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. (22) The disciples looked one on another, doubting of whom he spake. (Mt. 26:22) And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began to say unto him every one, Is it I, Lord?

Obviously the son of perdition, the man of sin, was as well hidden to the others as he is today. When Jesus sent out the twelve to do the miracles, don't you think they would have suspected Judas if he hadn't done any? This is why the son of perdition has to be revealed in our day. He does the religious works, and for a time, he can hide his lack of fruit. Tribulation is necessary to reveal and separate him from the body. He is a cancer in the body of Christ.

Judas' hidden lusts overcame him when he was tribulated. For silver (personal gain) he sold out the body of Christ. He was secretly a thief who stole from the common purse (Jn. 12:6). He had no concern for the brethren's needs, only his own. The son of perdition still takes what belongs to Jesus and His disciples for himself. Jesus and the disciples had all things common, a practice that continued in Acts 2:44, 4:32. (Lk. 14:33) So therefore whosoever he be of you that renounceth not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. We must renounce ownership of our possessions, rights, and will, to be a disciple. We are merely stewards of these things for Jesus and the brethren. True disciples steward common possessions, rights, and will, to see that all needs are met. Every member of a body (eyes, ears, arms, etc.) serves the body. (1 Cor. 6:19)...[A]nd ye are not your own; (20) for ye were bought with a price: glorify God therefore in your body.

(Jn. 13:26) Jesus therefore answereth, He it is, for whom I shall dip the sop, and give it him. So when he had dipped the sop, he taketh and giveth it to Judas, [the son] of Simon Iscariot. (27) And after the sop, then entered Satan into him. Jesus therefore saith unto him, What thou doest, do quickly. When Judas ate the sop and Satan entered into him, he manifestly became the son of perdition. The Lord spoke to me plainly years ago and said, "SOP, S-O-P, son - of - perdition". The sop was a morsel of bread that was used to soak up liquid food. We must eat the bread of Christ, the Word, to bear fruit, but it also makes us responsible. (Jn. 15:22) If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no excuse for their sin. Judas was reprobated because he knew too much of the Word to get away with what he did. Many are being hardened today because, when they hear the Word, they do not repent. (Ps. 41:9) Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, Who did eat of my bread, Hath lifted up his heel against me.

The word "Judas" is Hebrew meaning, "to use the hand". God definitely used the hand of Judas, for Jesus told him, "What thou doest, do quickly". (Acts 2:23) [H]im, being delivered up by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye by the hand of lawless men did crucify and slay. "[L]awless" here is the same Greek word as in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 where the son of perdition is called "the man of sin" or lawlessness. God used the hand of a man of lawlessness to crucify the body of Christ and in these days it will be the same. Our greatest enemy is the man of lawlessness that is among the people of God. From the beginning, Jesus knew Judas would fall away. Jesus said, "Did I not choose you the twelve, and one of you is a devil?" (Jn. 6:70). Remember, the son of perdition must fall away and be a Judas to the body before the Lord can come. (Acts 1:25) [T]o take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas fell away, that he might go to his own place.

"Iscariot" is made up of two words. Is, which is Hebrew for "man", and cariot, which is Babylonish or Chaldean for "city". So, Judas Iscariot means, "To use the hand of a man city". This shows us that the son of perdition is a corporate body of people in our day who are a part of the city of Babylon. As far as Christians are concerned, he is a part of the great Babylonish religious city in these days. Judas represented the city of the falling away that is guilty of the blood of the saints (Rev. 17:6, 18:24). He was in league with the Sanhedrin, the corporate false prophet over the apostate people of God.

Jesus said of His true followers, "Ye are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid" (Mt. 5:14). True Christianity is a worldwide city, or congregation of people. However, there is a Babylonish city within our city. There are two cities inhabiting the same territory. God's plan is to separate these two by using the son of perdition to crucify the flesh of the body of Christ, as with Judas and Jesus. (Mt. 24:9) Then shall they deliver you up unto tribulation, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all the nations for my name's sake. (10) And then shall many stumble (fall away), and shall deliver up one another, and shall hate one another. (11) And many false prophets shall arise, and shall lead many astray. You see here that the end-time corporate Judas Iscariot will betray and deceive his own brethren worldwide.

(Jn. 13:30) He then having received the sop went out straightway: and it was night. When Judas, the son of perdition went out from among the body to betray Christ, it was night. He, now being filled with Satan, walked in total darkness. (Jn. 9:4) We must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. (5) When I am in the world, I am the light of the world. Another aspect of this darkness was that the son of perdition put out the Light of the world, Christ. This time he will put out the Light of the world, the body of Christ, for Jesus said, "Ye are the light of the world" (Mt. 5:14). The night, of course, is when there is no light to see by. In Jesus' day, the Jews were coming to the end of their dispensation of light. God was about to revoke the light from the Jews and give it to the Gentiles. They had a night. Now, the Gentiles are coming to the night. (Rom. 11:25)...[A] hardening in part hath befallen Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. We must work "while it is day", for "the night cometh, when no man can work". Our work to convert Gentiles is going to be totally useless when God turns away from them and back to the Jews. (Rev. 9:20, 21) And the rest of mankind...repented not.

(Jn. 13:31) When therefore he (son of perdition) was gone out, Jesus saith, Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him. The Son of man is glorified at the time when the son of perdition goes out. We are also the body of Christ, the son of man. The Church is going to be glorified, or purified, because the son of perdition is going to come out of the midst. Then the Lord will come for a sanctified people. (2 Thes. 1:10) [W]hen he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be marvelled at in all them that believed (because our testimony unto you was believed) in that day. (11) To which end we also pray always for you, that our God may count you worthy of your calling, and fulfil every desire of goodness and [every] work of faith, with power; (12) that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. Notice that Christ will be glorified in His body before He comes to glorify His body. The body is not glorified here, but Christ in the body. (2 Cor. 4:11) For we who live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh.

(2 Thes. 2:3) [L]et no man beguile you in any wise: for [it (the coming of the Lord) will not be,] except the falling away come first, and the man of sin (lawlessness) be revealed, the son of perdition, (4) he that opposeth and exalteth himself against all that is called God or that is worshipped; so that he sitteth in the temple of God, setting himself forth as God. The Greek word for temple here is naos and is used nine times by Paul in the New Testament. In every case he uses it as the spiritual temple of God's people. Hieron is the Greek word for the literal temple or building, used seventy-one times in the New Testament, but never figuratively. Just as Judas was among the disciples, the latter day son of perdition is sitting in the temple of God's people. (1 Cor. 3:16) Know ye not that ye are a temple of God, and [that] the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? (Acts 17:24) The God that made the world...dwelleth not in temples made with hands. This truth will destroy much tradition.

GOD OF SELF

The son of perdition "exalteth himself" "setting himself forth as God". What happens when you rule your individual temple? You are making yourself God! If you walk after your own flesh, you are your own god. God was meant to sit on the throne of this temple and rule it through your spirit. But if you walk after the flesh, the devil is ruling your temple through your flesh. Self is sitting upon the throne. Continuing his revelation, Paul said, "Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things (2 Thes. 2:5)?" Paul told us in Philippians 3:18, "For many walk, of whom I told you often, and now tell you even weeping, [that they are] the enemies of the cross (just as Judas) of Christ: (19) whose end is perdition (son of perdition), whose god is the belly (selfish lusts), and [whose] glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things. " (Rom.16:17)...[M]ark them that are causing the divisions and occasions of stumbling ... (18) For they that are such serve not our Lord Christ, but their own belly (self); and by their smooth and fair speech they beguile the hearts of the innocent. God will "mark" those in the New Testament temple whose god is self.

Judas was not only a disciple who ruled in his individual temple but he was also an apostle. He was a leader in the corporate temple. In other words, the sons of perdition are a vast number of individuals ruling their own life and temple, making up a Babylonish corporate temple. Also, they are the apostate leadership ruling in the corporate temple. The apostate leadership is profiled in Second Peter 2 as "false prophets, false teachers, denying even the Master", "make merchandise of you", who "loved the hire of wrong doing, and their destruction (perdition) slumbereth not". Jude profiles them as "shepherds that without fear feed themselves", "denying our only Master", "rail at whatsoever things they know not: and what they understand naturally" (the letter), "clouds without water" (no depth in the word), "wandering stars" (not keeping their position of being seated with Christ in the heavens), "who make separations" (denominations). That is a good description of Judas and the end-time son of perdition.

In our type, ten of the twelve tribes worshiped the image of the beast, the golden calf. (1 Ki. 12:28) Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold; and he said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods (Hebrew: "Elohim"), O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. (29) And he set the one in Beth-el (Hebrew: "house of God"), and the other put he in Dan (son of perdition). Notice that we are speaking of a false system of worship upon which Israel put the name of Elohim, the true God. Also, we see that it was in the house of God and in the son of perdition. Much of the house of God falls away as the son of perdition because they have a false image of the true God. The apostate churches have a God of their own making but they use the name of Jesus. Paul warned in 2 Corinthians 11:4, "For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we did not preach, or [if] ye receive a different spirit, which ye did not receive, or a different gospel, which ye did not accept, ye bear well with him" (Greek). (Rev. 3:1)...I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest (Christian), and thou art dead.

In the middle of the Tribulation these sons of perdition will give up presenting their bodies as living sacrifices to Christ (Rom. 12:1) and take the mark of the beast. This is a fulfillment of Daniel 9:27, "in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease". These who have worshiped the image of the beast will take the mark of the beast and go back to their Christian assemblies as an "abomination of desolation, which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (Mt. 24:15).

(1 Ki. 12:31) And he made houses of high places (cathedrals full of apostates), and made priests from among all the people, that were not of the sons of Levi. Notice in ten of the twelve tribes the leadership was ordained of men and not God, just as it is today. The corporate leadership "exalteth himself" "setting himself forth as God" in the corporate temple. In the Korah, Dathan, and Abiram rebellion, they usurped the authority of the true leadership and "all the congregation" followed them (Num. 16:19, 22, 41). Korah represents the true Levites who usurp the authority of the High Priest, Jesus. Dathan and Abiram, who were not Levites, represent those who usurp the position of the Levite or minister when God did not call them.

To prove the true leadership, God commanded that each tribe take a rod "and, behold, the rod of Aaron (representing the High Priest, Jesus) for the house of Levi (the true ministers) was budded...and bare ripe almonds" (Num. 17:8). This is as Jesus and the disciples demonstrated among the false leadership when the rod of their authority bore fruit. The Man-child and the two witnesses will demonstrate this in the Tribulation. As with Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, when "the earth opened its mouth, and swallowed them up, and their households", so the end-time false leadership will be swallowed up by the earth (Num. 16:32). The flesh is represented by the earth, from which it is made (Gen. 2:7).

CLEANSING THE BODY

(2 Thes. 2:6) And now ye know that which restraineth, to the end that he (son of perdition) may be revealed in his own season. This is a repeat of verse 3, which says, "except the falling away come first, and the man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition". Notice, that which restrains the revealing of the son of perdition is the falling away, just as the pattern with Judas clearly shows us. He was so well hidden to the disciples that it took the falling away to reveal him, just as it will today.

(7) For the mystery of lawlessness doth already work: only [there is] one that restraineth now, until he become out of the midst. (8) And then shall be revealed the lawless one, whom the Lord Jesus shall slay with the breath of his mouth, and bring to nought by the manifestation of his coming. "Until he become out of the midst" is what the Numeric pattern proves and the ancient manuscripts show. Notice that the Lord is restrained from coming until the son of perdition comes out of the midst of God's people, the temple. In 2 Peter 2:13, these apostates are called "spots and blemishes" in the body. When these come out, the body will be spotless and blemishless, ready to meet the Lord.

(Mt. 13:30) Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather up first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn. God says, "in bundles (plural) to burn them", not "bundle" as if He were speaking of hell. This burning is going to happen on this earth in the Day of the Lord. Birds of a feather are going to flock together. (Mal. 4:1) For, behold, the day cometh, it burneth as a furnace; and all the proud, and all that work wickedness, shall be stubble; and the day that cometh shall burn them up.

We also see here that the sons of God and the sons of perdition will mature together. Notice that the harvest at the end is when the tares will come out of the midst of the wheat. Jesus explains this further in (Mt. 13:41) The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all that cause stumbling, and them that do iniquity (Greek: "lawlessness").... (43) Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He that hath ears, let him hear. Jesus will gather out of His kingdom the "man of sin" or "lawlessness", which is the same Greek word as "iniquity". Only then will the righteous shine as the sun.

Look at the process: 1) The falling away. 2) The son of perdition is revealed. 3) He comes out of the midst. 4) The Lord comes for His sanctified body.

Let us study another aspect of the son of perdition coming out of the temple. (2 Thes. 2:8) And then shall be revealed the lawless one, whom the Lord Jesus shall slay with the breath (Greek: "spirit") of his mouth, and bring to nought by the manifestation of his coming (Greek: "presence"). Notice that the manifestation of Jesus' presence is going to destroy the son of perdition in His kingdom. There is a "son of perdition" or "man of sin" sitting in our individual temple, making himself God. He has to come out of the midst before we are ready to meet the Lord. In life, the destruction of the son of perdition, the old man, is by the manifestation of Christ's presence. (2 Cor. 4:16) Wherefore we faint not; but though our outward man (the old man, the son of perdition) is decaying, yet our inward man (the spiritual man, Christ in you) is renewed day by day.

The manifestation of His presence in us destroys the son of perdition in our individual temple. It is this growing up of Jesus in us that slays the "man of sin" or "lawlessness". (2 Cor. 4:11) For we who live are always delivered unto death (of the man of sin) for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh. (2 Jn. 7) For many deceivers are gone forth into the world (falling away), [even] they that confess not that Jesus Christ cometh in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist. Notice that "the antichrist" is "many deceivers". The portion of antichrist that is in the corporate temple are the sons of perdition. The rest of the body of antichrist is in the world.

Notice that many deceivers fall away because they do not believe that Jesus is coming in the flesh. The only flesh that Jesus is progressively coming in is that of His corporate body. These apostates believe you should be satisfied with forgiveness but that you cannot believe for deliverance from sin, which is the Gospel. The blood of bulls and goats brought forgiveness but could not "take away sin" (Heb. 10:4). (Jn. 1:29) On the morrow he seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold, the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world!

Jesus came to take away the sin nature and replace it with His own. (2 Cor. 3:18) But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory. Seeing Jesus in the mirror is believing the true Gospel. We say with Paul, "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ liveth in me" (Gal. 2:20). This faith enables God to bring it to pass. The sons of perdition cannot bear the thought that Jesus will take their place on the throne of the individual or corporate temple.

(1 Jn. 2:18) Little children, it is the last hour: and as ye heard that antichrist cometh, even now have there arisen many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last hour. (19) They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us: but [they went out,] that they might be made manifest that they all are not of us.

Again we see many antichrists, sons of perdition, falling away in order to be revealed that they are not of us. Notice that this will be seen in the "last hour". In Revelation 17:12 the beast rules for "one hour" which is the last 3-1/2 years (Rev. 13:5), when he will make war on the saints (7) who refuse the mark of the beast. These antichrist sons of perdition will try to preserve their lives by taking the mark, proving themselves members of the body of the beast in the "last hour".

John goes on to reveal the reason the antichrist sons of perdition will fall away. (1 Jn. 2:22) ...This is the antichrist, [even] he that denieth the Father and the Son. What does it mean to deny the Father and Son, and how do we avoid that? (23) Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: he that confesseth (Greek: homo logeo, "speak the same as") the Son hath the Father also. We see if we agree with Jesus in speaking the same truth, we are not denying Him and we will have Father and Son. Also in the Gospel of John, Jesus said if we loved Him and kept His Word that He and the Father would make their abode with us (Jn. 14:21-23). Their abode is the true temple that will be cleansed of those who speak against the Word.

Back in 1 John 2 the next verse confirms all that we have said here. (24) As for you, let that abide in you which ye heard from the beginning. If that which ye heard from the beginning abide in you, ye also shall abide in the Son, and in the Father. It is imperative that we receive only the teaching that we heard from the beginning, out of the mouth of Jesus and His disciples, not the apostate gospel of the end-time religions. Those who do not "contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered unto the saints" will fall away as Jude said (Jude 3-5). Many who start out with us as friends will not, as Jesus said, endure to the end to be saved (Mt. 10:22, 24:13). Those who change what is written to suit religion, do so at their own peril.

God does not reveal these things so that we can have a witch-hunt. Even if you know who is a Judas that doesn't mean you should treat them any differently. Jesus knew who Judas was but treated him with equality, love, and training. Jesus knew he should have the same opportunity to prove himself, so that as the son of perdition it would be his own fault. Jesus also knew that Judas had a good purpose in the plan of God, which was to betray and make crucifixion of the flesh possible. I have learned these things from my own Judases, some of whom God has pointed out to me beforehand. Others I came to realize only after I felt the knife in my back. In effect, they are a great ally in the cause of the manifestation of our Sonship because crucifixion of self would not be possible without them.

David Eells.