Case Against Judas: His Name

     Every word in the scripture is there for a reason, even names. Most of the biblical names represented their purpose in life. For instance, "Jesus" means "Yahweh saves." Judas means "Yahweh is praised," and is derived from the Hebrew "Judah." Now for Iscariot; it's definition is much more complex, but is interpreted to mean "man of the city." That is a far stretch. A more detailed analysis is that it is "a man called." One of the many verbs with the same root (qurar) is the Hebrew word Quran, meaning "He who calls." (abarim-publications.com), Judas Iscariot, then is roughly, "God is praised by the Koran."
     Of course, the Quran (Koran in English), contains the religious writings of Islam -  "voluntary submission to God" (Wikipedia; "Islam"). History has demonstrated that Islam is anything but voluntary as proselytization is by the blade! According to Muslim writers, the Quran is represented by the letter Qaf (surah) and the number "666" (http://web.archive.org/web/20080118112151/http://www.66619.org/666.htm).

     According to the Quran Jesus did not die on the cross but an imposter did:

Surah 4:157 "And [for] their saying, "Indeed, we have killed the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, the messenger of Allah ." And they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him; but [another] was made to resemble him to them. And indeed, those who differ over it are in doubt about it. They have no knowledge of it except the following of assumption. And they did not kill him, for certain."

     There are different versions in Islam why Jesus did not die on the cross, and one of the most plausible, supported by the Gnostic Gospel of Barnabas, is that Judas Iscariot was the sacrifice (Wikipedia; "Islamic views on Jesus' death"). Of all their explanations, that one makes more sense from scripture, not that there was a substitution, but that it could easily have been misconstrued.
     There are two passages about Judas's death. Critics used them to "disprove" the inerrancy of the Bible. However, when looking at Jesus's death, do the comparison yourself:

The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. (Acts 5:30).

But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his (Jesus's) side, and forthwith came there out blood and water. (John 19:34).

Compare the death of Jesus to that of Judas Iscariot:

(Judas) 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. (Mat 27:4-5).

Now this man (Judas) purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out. (Acts 1:19).

16th-century fresco from Tarzhishte Monastery, Strupets, Bulgaria (Wikipedia)

    Jesus on the cross by Simon Bisley - Simon .

     It is obvious that Judas Iscariot and Jesus died in the same manner, but by different hands, and for much different purposes! Was that merely coincidental? Nothing in scripture is by coincidence. God's Plan was for testing His creatures for fidelity. Nothing happens without God's authorization. Just as God created Satan to test Christians, he created a Beast for the Great Testing - the Great Tribulation - described below:

Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six. (Rev 13:18)

And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (Rev 20:4).

     The method of testing will be by the sword, and those who fail the test will  be beheaded by the Beast. Revelation 13 identifies how Islam can be "killed": "He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints." (Rev 13:10). The Christian "sword" is the Word of God (Ephes 6:17), and the sword of Islam is the crescent which represents the word of Mohammad, possibly one of the "Beasts" of Revelation. Without a doubt in my mind, Islam is the end-of-time religion and Sharia Law the end-of-time government. Who then is the Antichrist?
     Well, scripture says that the dragon gave power to the beast (Rev 13:4). I am only aware of one place in scripture wherein a "dragon" gave power to a "beast": "Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot" (Luke 22:2) and reinforced by "The devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him" (John 13:2). For Adam, as with David, iniquity entered in. With Iscariot, Satan himself, not demons, entered into him. Judas perhaps is the Antichrist. Will Judas be resurrected just as Jesus? As a damned person, that would not be the case. Satan surely would enter a new person, and Islam even names him - Isa - their "Jesus."

The "end times" refers to the period of time close to the end of the world. According to Islam, in this time, there will be the terrible trials of the Dajjal (Anti-Christ), many earthquakes and the emergence of Yajuj and Majuj (Gog and Magog) after which the ways of the Quran will prevail and people will extensively adhere to the values it introduces... The religion of true Christianity, which comprises the collective personality of Jesus , will emerge. That is, it will descend from the skies of Divine Mercy. Present Christianity will be purified in the face of that reality; it will cast off superstition and distortion, and unite with the truths of Islam. Christianity will in effect be transformed into a sort of Islam. Following the Quran, the collective personality of Christianity will be in the rank of follower, and Islam, in that of leader... It will be the truly pious followers of Jesus who will kill the gigantic collective personality of materialism and irreligion which the Dajjal will form - for the Dajjal will be killed by Jesus' sword - and destroy his ideas and disbelief, which are atheistic. (IslamiCity; "Jesus Will Return")

    Note that it is not Herrin's opinion that Isa will be the Antichrist, but the very own words of Muslims.  How was it that Judas Iscariot allegedly replaced Jesus Christ on the cross? Deceivers suggest that Judas even looked like Jesus. Islam propagates the notion that Allah took Jesus up without having suffered death, but that Judas died on the cross. Perhaps, what really happened is that Judas descended into Hell, as I believe that Mohammad did rather than into Heaven, and in the end perhaps Judas will ascend from Hell. 
    Given the fact that Quran means "calling" and that Iscariot means "man called," it is plausible that Judas is the Antichrist - the very misrepresentation of Christ in the apocalypse. Can a man be resurrected from Hell? I don't know about that, but Satan can be because we do know that he will be cast into Hell for a millennium, then come back. Judas was possessed by Satan. It seems as if he is the Isa who never ascended to Heaven but descended unto Hell. The Quran indicates that Isa will return with a vengeance! "Oh, Isa... Have you found out any decree of salvation from My chastisement? Or are you willfully inviting My anger? In that case I also swear by My Holy Self that I will punish you with a chastisement which will become a lesson for the coming generations" (Al-Islam.org; "An account of ‘Isa ibn Maryam").
     Satan could posses anyone but Jesus. Because of his faith, however, God did not allow Satan to enter Job nor any of the apostles with the exception of Judas. It seems that Judas is Isa - the false Christ. His very name points to that as well as the descriptions of his death. Not only that, but Islam ascribes to that. Christians should fear Islam because by their own accounts, in the Great Tribulation, they will be the "true" Christianity. Why are churches so benevolent to Muslims and Islam? Because prophecy is being fulfilled. We must not welcome Islam, but fear it. Islamaphobia is a rational-type of fear because of Holy Scripture and their own pronouncements.  When Judas calls, we must hearken. 
     I have written before of the Seven Pillars of Islam representing the seven crowns upon seven heads (Rev 12:3). They are Islam's seven holy mountains. I have also written of the pre-Hebrew tribes of Palestine, one whose name means "clay." By all indications, Islam, allied with socialism, will be the religion of the end-of-time government. After 3-1/2 years, socialist Islam will transform to communist Sharia Law. 
     Should we care? Is it possible that Christians of this era will see Judas? As a believer in the mid-tribulation, I fear that we may. What if the rapture of Christians are pre-tribulation. We too will see the advent of that tribulation, and I  can see it now! It won't come like a giant wave but trickle one day at a time until a crescendo is reached and Isa returns, not in love, but terror. What a great and terrible day when some escape and others are decapitated. 
    Islam is just a modern version of the ancient "wisdom" of Gnosticism, and is a perversion of the gospels.
     Jesus judged Judas himself when he said, "Woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed!" (Luke 22:22). Is Judas in Heaven or Hell? He repented did he not? However, although it finally came to him that he betrayed God Himself, he tried to save himself by his own hand. He convicted himself but rather than allowing Jesus to make the sacrifice for him, Judas sacrificed himself.
     His own blood could not propitiate for his sins. He missed the point of what Jesus said, "Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again" (John 3:7), and missed the point of,  "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up" (John 3:14).
     Judas tried to pay for his own sin. He saw himself on the pole dying for mankind. He failed to realize that he was looking at the dead Serpent - himself - dead on that "tree" covered by the blood of Jesus. Yes, Judas's death represented the death of the Serpent just as the Word pronounced back in Genesis chapter three! Judas is coming back with a vengeance!