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Here is a new revised entry to go at the top of the ""Son of Perdition"" page representing all of the mainstream interpretations of the term for comment.

(Mormon's need not comment as it is about the mainstream positions, and the Mormon position is already covered.)

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""Son of Perdition"" edit

According to orthodox Jewish and Christian eschatological beliefs, and secular historians and scholars, the concept of the Son of Perdition (also called ""the beast that goes into perdition"" in Revelation  and ) is used in the Bible in one or more of three contexts, forming a triunism (or trinity,http://www.nathan.co.za/message.asp?sermonum=10 or typology) of three potential interpretive references.

First frame of reference: Antiochus IV Epiphanes

Many historians, critics, and many 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 [see Book of Daniel]. These scholars say that the Old Testament 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. Even those who advocate an interpretation of Daniel that includes the Roman Empire in their interpretations of Daniel recognize Antiochus as a prototype of ""antichrist.""http://www.endtime-truth.com/studies2.html

In Revelation  and , John borrowed the ""Son of Perdition"" concept from the prophecies of Daniel, relating them by language. He refers to ""the star that fell from heaven"" Revelation  by two names, one Greek, and the other Hebrew. (Revelation ) The Greek name is ""Apollyon"" (Greek: Aπολλυων), from the Greek root word ""apollumi"" (Greek:απολλυμι) It refers to utter loss, eternal destruction, and disassociation."" [Strong's 622] 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. [Strong's 07] Daniel  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).

Second frame of reference: Judas Iscariot

In John , 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.D. A. Carson, The Gospel According to John (Leicester: Apollos, 1991), 563. The phrase is also used in 2 Thessalonians 2:3, where it is equated with the Man of Sin.

Third frame of reference: Antichrist

In 2 Thessalonians , Paulwriting well after both Jesus and Judas had come and gone to their respective destiniesreferred 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.

Likewise, In Revelation  and , John, writing well after Jesus and Judas Iscariot had come and gone to their respective destinies, refers to ""the beast that goeth into perdition."" Assuming a futuristic mode of interpretation, this would also be a reference to a future figure.

In some variations of Christian eschatology, this future figure is commonly referred to as ""antichrist,"" the ""false messiah,"" or the ""false christ.""

Applications

The following statements are archetypal, and do not reflect every organizational or individual variation:

Various sects of Jews and Christians, as well as secular historians and higher critics would acknowledge the