Judas Went to His Own Place – A Biblical Verdict of Eternal Judgment

[David]

… to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” ~ Acts 1:25

Acts 1:25 says that Judas, “by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.” This verse is not talking about ministry transition or an earthly resting place. It speaks of judgment. The phrase “his own place” (ton topon ton idion in Greek) means a personal, fitting destination, something appointed specifically for him. And Scripture makes it unmistakably clear that Judas Iscariot, the betrayer of Christ, went to hell.

Jesus called Judas “a devil” in John 6:70. He wasn’t caught off guard or misunderstood, he was evil from the beginning. In John 17:12, Jesus prayed to the Father, saying, “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.” Judas is called the “son of perdition,” a title used elsewhere only for the man of sin in 2 Thessalonians 2:3. Perdition (apōleia in Greek) means destruction, ruin, or eternal damnation. This is not temporary loss, it’s the fate of the damned.

In Matthew 26:24, Jesus gives the most chilling confirmation of Judas’s end: “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.” If there were any chance that Judas ended up in heaven or in some form of temporary punishment, that statement would make no sense. The only scenario where nonexistence would be preferable to one’s fate is eternal torment.

Judas’s actions were not a mistake or a momentary lapse. He betrayed the Lord of glory for money. He was not forced, manipulated, or ignorant. He willfully handed Jesus over, then hanged himself in remorse, not repentance. There’s a difference. Judas admitted guilt (Matthew 27:4), but he never turned to Christ for mercy. His sorrow was worldly sorrow, which leads to death, not life (2 Corinthians 7:10).

Revelation 21:8 says that “all liars,” along with the “unbelieving” and “murderers,” will have their part in the lake of fire. Judas fits all three. He lied, betrayed, and his sin played a direct role in the crucifixion of Christ. His part, his portion, was not with the apostles, not in the kingdom, but with the damned.

The word “place” in Acts 1:25 is topos, and it’s used in Luke 16:28 where the rich man in torment pleads for his brothers not to come to “this place of torment.” That is what “his own place” meant for Judas, not simply death, but a destination of divine wrath.

Judas’s end is not merely a historical fact. It is a warning to all who are near the things of God but never truly repent. You can walk with Jesus, hear His teaching, and even be trusted with ministry duties, yet still be lost. Judas kissed the Son of God and still went to hell. The Bible warns that many will say “Lord, Lord” and still be cast away (Matthew 7:21–23).

Let Judas’s fate be a sobering reminder that there is no salvation without repentance and true faith in Jesus Christ. If you have not turned to Him in faith, then “your own place” is already waiting, and it will not be heaven. “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3).

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