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According to orthodox Jewish and Christian eschatological beliefs, and many secular historians and scholars, the concept of the Son of Perdition is used in the Bible in one or more of three primary contexts. According to some higher critics and theologians Jesus, Paul, and John derived the "Son of Perdition" (and "Man of Sin") concepts from Daniel and 1 Maccabees 2:48 (some editions), et al. John related the "Son of Perdtion" concepts by language, referring to "the star that fell from heaven" Revelation 9:1 by two names, one Greek, and the other Hebrew. (Revelation 9:11) The Greek name is "Apollyon" (Greek: Aπολλυων), from the Greek root word "apollumi" (Greek:απολλυμι). It refers to utter loss, eternal destruction, and disassociation." The Hebrew name is "Abaddon" (Greek: Aβαδδων), from the Aramaic root word "'abad" (Hebrew transliteration:שׁא), which means the same thing as the Greek root word. Daniel 7:11 says that the eventual destiny of the "great beast" is to be slain, and his body "destroyed" ('abad), and given to the eternal flames (generally accepted by religious scholars to be a reference to hell).
Many historians, critics, and Jewish and Christian scholars believe that the Book of Daniel is about the events in Israel from the beginning of the Babylonian Captivity to the end of the Maccabean Revolt. In this context, many scholars say that first "Son of Perdition" reference is to Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the man who attacked the First Temple in Jerusalem and defiled it by sacrificing a pig on the altar, erecting a statue of Zeus as himself in the temple, raiding the Temple treasury and minting coins saying "Theos Epiphanes" (God manifest), etc. Henry wrote:
"Of the kings that came after Antiochus nothing is here prophesied, for that was the most malicious mischievous enemy to the church, that was a type of the son of perdition, whom the Lord shall consume with the breath of his mouth and destroy with the brightness of his coming, and none shall help him."
In John 17:12, Jesus says that of all his disciples, none has been lost except the "son of perdition". The New International Version translates the phrase as "the one doomed to destruction." D. A. Carson suggests that this verse refers both to Judas' character and to his destiny. In 2 Thessalonians 2:3Template:Bibleverse with invalid book, Paul referred to "the Son of Perdition" in some future sense from the point in time in which he wrote his epistle. He also equated this person with the Man of Sin.
In Revelation 17:8 and 17:11, John refers to "the beast that goeth into perdition". Some scholars contend that John was referring to the Roman Emperors. In some variations of Christian eschatology, this future figure is commonly referred to as "antichrist," the "false messiah," or the "false christ."
Applications
Calvin insisted that the references were only to the future. Christian Preterists, Idealists, and the advocates of Realized Eschatology/Sapiential Eschatology do not believe in a literal future fulfillment of prophecy per se.
The son of perdition in Mormon theology
"Son of perdition" is also a phrase used in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) to describe a person who will not take part in the glory of God in the afterlife. This is in contrast to the vast majority of people, who will receive a "kingdom of glory" after the Final Judgment, and enter into one of three degrees of glory after the resurrection: Celestial, Terrestrial, or Telestial Kingdoms.
Most Latter-day Saints believe that the sons of perdition will be cast into outer darkness; the scriptures do not use this exact phrase in connection with the sons of perdition, but state that they "shall go away into the lake of fire and brimstone, with the devil and his angels."
Mormons believe that free will is one of the greatest gifts of God, and that there might be some who will completely reject Jesus Christ and salvation. God will not force someone, including Satan, to be saved if they do not desire to be saved. Therefore, the Sons of Perdition are allowed to remove themselves from the presence of God and live in whatever degree of darkness they desire.
In this context, the name "Perdition" is often regarded as a proper name that refers to either Lucifer or Cain, both of whom are symbols of ultimate evil.
Two classes of sons of perdition
According to LDS Church theology, there are two classes of persons who will become sons of perdition:
- The pre-mortal spirit followers of Satan. It is taught that, in the pre-mortal life, they chose to follow a plan proposed by Satan, rather than that presented by God the Father and Jesus. Thus ensued the War in Heaven, which resulted in Satan and his followers being cast out of heaven and denied the opportunity of receiving a physical body.
- Those in mortal life who "deny the Holy Ghost," which is generally interpreted as rejecting and denying Christ after receiving a personal witness of him from the Holy Ghost. It is frequently—though not universally—added that a son of perdition must have a "perfect knowledge" of Jesus and that mere faith or belief in him is not enough. Joseph Smith, Jr. taught:
- All sins shall be forgiven, except the sin against the Holy Ghost; for Jesus will save all except the sons of perdition. What must a man do to commit the unpardonable sin? He must receive the Holy Ghost, have the heavens opened unto him, and know God, and then sin against him. After a man has sinned against the Holy Ghost, there is no repentance for him. He has got to say that the sun does not shine while he sees it; he has got to deny Jesus Christ when the heavens have been opened unto him, and to deny the plan of salvation with his eyes open to the truth of it.
In the Doctrine and Covenants, sons of perdition are described as inhabiting "a kingdom which is not a kingdom of glory." The most comprehensive exposition of the phrase is found in Section 76 in the Doctrine and Covenants.
Daughters of perdition
A few LDS Church leaders have speculated whether or not there would be daughters of perdition, as well as sons of perdition. In 1860, LDS Church President Brigham Young stated, "I doubt whether it can be found, from the revelations that are given and the facts as they exist, that there is a female in all the regions of hell." The next year he was even more emphatic: "Woman must atone for sins committed by the volition of her own choice, but she will never become an angel to the devil, and sin so far as to place herself beyond the reach of mercy." In the same discourse he explained his reasoning: "She is not accountable for the sins that are in the world. God requires obedience from man, he is lord of creation, and at his hands the sins of the world will be required." In 1903 another Church President, Joseph F. Smith, also affirmed "that there would be no daughters of perdition."
However, such views are far from universal. After an 1893 meeting of Church President Wilford Woodruff and a group of LDS Church Apostles, they declared, "That there will also be daughters of Perdition there is no doubt in the minds of the brethren". Such conflicting views suggests that this subject has not been settled by a consensus of the LDS Church leadership, nor by a revelation to one of the Church Presidents.
References
- Commentary Critical and Explanatory of the Whole Bible, Revelation chapter 17, point 11
- Albrecht Oepke (1964). "ἀπολλυμι". In Gerhard Kittel (ed.). Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Volume I. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans. p. 397.
- http://www.biblicalstudies.org.uk/pdf/re/jewish-apocalyptic_bruce.pdf
- http://www.google.com/search?q=annette+reed+%22babylonian+captivity%22&rls=com.microsoft:en-us&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&startIndex=&startPage=1
- http://www.ccel.org/ccel/manton/manton03.iv.html?highlight=antiochus,son of perdition#highlight Sermon III
- "Table Talk," Martin Luther
- Commentary on Chapter XI, John Wesley
- NPNF (V2-06), Phillip Schaff
- ANF05, Hippolytus
- Commentary Critical: Daniel ch. 11
- "Revelation," The People on the Earth: Chapters 2-3, Letter to Ephesus, v 13. Bullinger
- Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible, Daniel, chapter 11
- D. A. Carson, The Gospel According to John (Leicester: Apollos, 1991), 563.
- Introduction to the New Testament, the Second Epistle to the Thessalonians, Berkhof, Louis
- Commentary on Phillipians, Colossians, Thessalonians, by John Calvin, see 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4
- The Imperial Bible Dictionary by Patrick Fairbairn Antiochus, p 102, entry 4
- http://avanim.org/ex-libris/patrick-fairbairn-the-interpretation-of-prophecy/part-2-chap-3-sect-2/
- Doctrine and Covenants Section 76:36
- Doctrine and Covenants Section 76:26
- Book of Moses 5:24
- Joseph Smith, Jr., 1844-04-07, reprinted as “The King Follett Sermon,” Ensign, May 1971, p. 13.
- Doctrine and Covenants Section 88:24.
- Doctrine and Covenants Section 76.
- Journal of Discourses 8:222
- ^ Discourse delivered October 8, 1861, pp. 6–7, LDS Church Archives.
- Stan Larsen, ed., A Ministry of Meetings: The Diaries of Rudger Clawson, (Salt Lake City: Smith Associates and Signature Books, 1993], p. 560
- D. Michael Quinn, The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power (Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 1997), p. 795