Judas Iscariot, after betraying Christ, hanged himself as recorded by Matthew. Later, as described by Luke, his decomposing body slipped from the rope, fell headlong, burst open in the middle, and all his entrails gushed out. This ignominious end was that of the son of perdition, as mentioned in John 17:12.

The man of sin, also known as the son of perdition, is identified with sin and lawlessness. He is flagrantly against God's law, anti-God, and anti-Christ. The title "son of perdition" was also applied to Judas, indicating a similar character of betrayal and opposition to Christ. This man will be destroyed, annihilated, showing the characteristics of one destined for destruction. He exalts himself above every so-called god and sits in the temple of God in Jerusalem, proclaiming himself to be God. This act of blasphemy is literal, not figurative, emphasizing the real and literal nature of the events described. The man of sin is associated with other prophecies, such as the little horn in Daniel 7:8, who speaks pompous words and makes war against the saints, and the false prophet in Revelation 16:13 and 17:1-6, who is linked with the beast and operates against Christ. These scriptures indicate that the man of sin is a religious figure working on a worldwide scale, not a leader within the true church. His actions and influence are significant on a global level, with his headquarters in Jerusalem, alongside the beast.

In John 17:12, Jesus speaks of the son of perdition, indicating that this individual was lost as prophesied in Scripture. The phrase "son of perdition" is in the nominative case, distinguishing it from the words "of them" which precede it. This suggests that Jesus is saying, "I have lost none of them whom You gave Me. None at all. But the son of perdition has been lost as has been prophesized in Scripture." The reference here is to Psalm 41:9, which speaks of betrayal by a familiar friend. The case of Judas, referred to as the son of perdition, illustrates what would happen to anyone without God's regeneration and ongoing care.