MYTH: Shortly after the 30 pieces of silver were returned.
TRUTH: 40 days after God raised Jesus from the dead.
Now that you know how Judas died, it is equally important to understand when he died. It is believed by many that he did so immediately after this event:
Matt 27:3-5 Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he (Jesus) was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, 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. KJV
The major key to understanding when this occurred is knowing where he was from. He was from Kerioth, a city in the land of Judea. See Matthew 10:4
[Judas Iscariot] Probably from the Hebrew °iysh Qriyowt , a man of Kerioth, which was a city in the tribe of Judah, Josh 15:25, where it is likely this man was born. (from Adam Clarke's Commentary, Electronic Database. Copyright © 1996, 2003, 2005, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)
In the following record it is approximately 40 days after Jesus' being raised from the dead.
John 21:20-22 And Peter having turned about saw the disciple whom loved Jesus, following, (who also reclined in the supper on his breast, and said, 'Sir, who is he who is delivering thee up?') Accordingly, Peter having seen (past tense) that one (that one who? That one who delivered him up), saith to Jesus, 'Lord, and what about that one?' Jesus saith to him, 'If I will him to remain till I come, what — to thee? be thou following me.' AT
Here we have at least 4 people walking along with Jesus. The question Peter asked of Jesus would not have been about the one whom loved Jesus but about the one who delivered him up to the authorities. What we see next is how rumors get started:
John 21:23 Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die: KJV
Why were they thinking that someone should die? Because of what Judas had done. Jesus had already forgiven Judas for what he had done. We know that Judas was still alive here.
As we had to go to the Book of Acts to see how Judas died we have to go again to see when he died.
Acts 1:2-3 Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the holy spirit had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: to whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: KJV
We know that Judas was one of the 12 that Jesus chose, so it stands to reason that Judas was still alive on the day Jesus ascended to heaven. Acts 1:10-11
And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. KJV
Sometime between Acts 1:2 and 2:1(ten days passed) Judas left the group. We know this because the 2 angels in verse 11 addressed the group as "ye men of Galilee." Judas was not from Galilee, but Judea. Sometime during the next 10 days a replacement was picked for Judas.
Jesus was okay with Judas sticking around until the day of Pentecost had fully come and even until he returned, which he believed would be within 7 years. (John 21:22 Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me. KJV)
We know assuredly that Judas stuck it out for 40 days after Jesus' being raised from the dead. Sometime before the 2 angels spoke to the men of Galilee, he departed with so much guilt and remorse that he could not keep on living. The Father and the Son had forgiven him but he could not forgive himself.
Ps 103:12
As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. KJV
