Consider the False Prophet
3 Then Judas, who betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, 4 saying, I have sinned in that I betrayed innocent blood. But they said, What is that to us? see thou to it.
What an amazing set of verses. It shows that both Judas and the Priests know that Jesus is innocent. It also says that Judas "repented himself" which is not the same as repentance unto salvation. Anyone and everyone can realize that they have made a mistake. You can do something that you now regret doing. You can want to undo something that you have done. However, by itself that is not repentance unto salvation. If you realize you have made a mistake concerning Jesus and that you cannot be saved apart from Jesus and that He is the only way for you to go to the Father and although before you were going in your own direction, now you want to turn around and go to the Father and so you confess your sins in rejecting Jesus and you repent, turn around, and now desire to take the narrow way that leads to life, that is repentance unto salvation. This also brings up the bigger question of what was Judas thinking? Some have suggested that previously they had tried to kill Jesus by throwing him off a cliff and He simply walked away. Perhaps Judas felt He could make money by betraying Jesus for silver and then Jesus would simply escape their grasp. Whether or not that is the case what is apparently true is that Judas did not expect Jesus to be condemned to death. This reminds me of Paul referring to those who deceive and are deceived. When people deceive others they begin to think they are so smart and so clever when in reality they are fools. They are embracing Satan the liar and they themselves will be deceived. As you have done to others it will be done to you.
5 And he cast down the pieces of silver into the sanctuary, and departed; and he went away and hanged himself.
Clearly the repentance in verse 3 was not unto life. The repentance was not that Judas now wanted to go to the Father and realized that Jesus was the only way. This event reminds me of Ahithophel who had counseled Absalom in his rebellion against David. Ahithophel thought he was so wise that he even fooled himself. Wisdom does not mean you are more clever than others. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. According to Proverbs wisdom has made prudence his dwelling. Ahithophel orchestrated a rebellion because he wanted vengeance for what David did to Bathsheba and Uriah, it wasn't prudent and it did not fear the Lord who had anointed David. In the same way Judas action was not out of fear of the Lord nor was it prudent. Why did Ahithophel hang himself? He knew that he was allied with a fool and that it was like being tied to an anchor and then being thrown overboard. Judas could see that the Priests despised him, all those who loved the Lord would also despise him. Everyone hates a money grubbing traitor and that is what he was. That is what the false prophet is. He thinks he is more clever than others, he calls that wisdom, he certainly knows the laws of the Bible, he knows what sin is, but he deceives others and he also will be deceived.
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though I've never actually seen anyone use it.
