A term that means eternal destruction or complete ruin. In the New Testament, "perdition" describes the final state of those who reject salvation. The word appears eight times in the King James Version of the Bible. In Philippians 1:28, “perdition” is the opposite of “salvation.” Hebrews 10:39 contrasts it with “preserving their soul.” 2 Peter 3:7 links perdition with "the day of judgment." While 1 Timothy 6:9 speaks of both the present and the future. “The son of destruction” is a label that affirms the destiny of Judas who betrayed Christ (John 17:12). It is also a title of the antichrist (2 Thessalonians 2:3). In Revelation 17:8, 11 perdition designates the final destiny of the beast. Revelation 19:20 and 20:10 identify this place as the “lake of fire,” a place of everlasting torment.
The word “perdition” occurs four times in the Revised Standard Version of the New Testament (John 17:12; 2 Thessalonians 2:3; Revelation 17:8, 11). It also occurs twice in the Old Testament (2 Samuel 22:5; Psalm 18:4). In the Old Testament, the parallel lines of Hebrew poetry show that perdition means death.