In this week’s installment of Monday Morning Prophecy, we continue our look at the betrayal of Jesus. Last week we looked what happened to the money paid to Judas Iscariot for betraying Jesus. This week, we will look at what the Old Testament said would become of Judas following the betrayal.
In Psalm 109, we read:
“6 Appoint a wicked man against him;
let an accuser stand at his right hand.
7 When he is tried, let him come forth guilty;
let his prayer be counted as sin!
8 May his days be few;
may another take his office!” [Psalm 109:6-8]
This Old testament verse written hundreds of years before the birth and betrayal of Jesus Christ implies that the betrayer would have a short life.
In fact, the New Testament tells us the Judas died shortly after the betrayal of Jesus:
“So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself” [Matthew 27:5]
“While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.” [John 17:12]
“‘Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through the mouth of David concerning Judas, who served as guide for those who arrested Jesus– he was one of our number and shared in this ministry.’
(With the reward he got for his wickedness, Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out.” [Acts 1:16-18 ]
Guilt ridden with remorse, Judas took his own life after the betrayal of Jesus, and it was predicted by David (the writer of Psalm 109) hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus. Next week, we’ll take one final look at the prophecy related to the betrayal of Jesus when we examine was happent to the office of the Apostle Judas after his death.
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Image courtesy of Abby Reed
Judas hung himself or fell headlong with intestines burst out? Which is which? 2 Judas?
Not getting it at all
Walkerton,
Thanks for the comment. This is actually an issue raised by several people and I think it warrants an explanation. Unfortunately, the Bible does not reconcile the two accounts allowing us to speculate a little bit about what might have happened. I, of course, can not say with certainty, but I believe there is a reasonable explanation which could explain what many people see as an inconsistency. Here is an explanation from GotQuestions.org (found at http://www.gotquestions.org/Judas-die.html):
“Judas hanged himself in the potter’s field (Matthew 27:5), and then, after his body decayed and bloated, evidently the rope broke, and he burst into pieces on the land of the potter’s field (Acts 1:18-19). The Acts passage presumes Judas’ hanging, as a man falling down in a field does not result in his body bursting open. Only decomposition and a fall from a height could cause a body to burst open. When Judas threw the thirty pieces of silver down, the priests took the money and used it to buy the potter’s field (Matthew 27:7), not knowing that Judas was going to hang himself there. Judas may not have purchased the field himself, but it was the money Judas received for betraying Jesus that purchased the field.”
Given that this is a very plausible explanation, I do not believe that these events are incongruous. They merely represent two different ways of summarizing the same events.
Hope that helps!
Thanks,
Wayne