Today we are continuing our series of blog posts from our upcoming book titled “One Way or Another Your Eternal Destination is Guaranteed” and we are going to look at “What is the Second Death?”
Second Death
The Lord Jesus Christ, at the Great White Throne, will sentence nonbelievers to their second death. God gave John the apostle this vision to prophesy:
Revelation 20:11a, c
Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it.
And there was found no place [in heaven] for them [unbelievers].
Revelation 20:12a, c
And I saw the dead, small and great [unbelievers], standing before God; and books were opened …
And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.
Revelation 20:13-15
The sea gave up the dead [those who had drowned at sea] who were in it; and Death and Hādēs delivered up the dead [souls separated from God by unbelief who do not or did not possess eternal life] who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hādēs were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
Hādēs
In the Old Testament Hādēs , (Shēōl; Psalm 16:10; 86:13; Acts 2:27), was the temporary destiny of all unbelievers’ spirits, souls, and bodies at death. Before Christ’s coming Hādēs consisted of all who did not accept in faith what God had revealed to them at that time. (Genesis 15:6 for example, of Abram believing in the Lord, and the Lord accounting it to him for righteousness, is what kept his spirit and soul out of Hādēs .) From the time since the Savior came and revealed the truth, Hades also now includes all who have died and consciously rejected the Lord Jesus as the Son of God and as their Savior.
Second Chance / Purgatory
When an unbeliever dies there is no second chance. There is only the second death. Some Roman Catholics teach Hades is not the final judgment. However, the word purgatory is not found in the Holy Bible. Purgatory is only found in man’s vocabulary.
The New Webster Encyclopedic Dictionary of the English Language explains the meaning of “purgatory”:
According to Roman Catholics [developed in Middle Ages for financial reasons] and others, it [purgatory] is a place in which souls after death are purified from venial [pardonable by man] sins, and suffer punishment for mortal sins not atoned for; colloquially, any place or state of irritating temporary suffering.[1]
By teaching that man can forgive any other of mankind their sins contradicts what God’s Word teaches. The LORD is quoted by Isaiah and Jeremiah:
Isaiah 43:25
“I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins.”
Jeremiah 31:34
“No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”
Psalm 118:8
It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.
The Jewish Scribes questioned Jesus forgiving a paralytic for his sins:
Mark 2:7
“Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this?” Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
Hopefully, those men learned more about the Scriptures and came to know God and to be saved. They needed to think about the word ETERNITY and meditate on it. … Revelation 20:14 calls for repeating:
Revelation 20:14
Then Death and Hādēs were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Death in that verse is representing souls separated from God—both from Old Testament times and from the present Church Age. Hādēs is that temporary destiny of all unbelievers who will later be cast into the eternal lake of fire upon being sentenced by our God and Savior Jesus Christ at the Great White Throne.
The Old Testament prophet Daniel explains that both the saved and the unsaved will be resurrected. But the ones whom will be raised for eternal life in heaven will have experienced only one death, and the others will be raised to the never-ending suffering of the second death:
Daniel 12:2
And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
Second Death / Lake of Fire
The second death is described as the lake which burns with fire and brimstone at the end of Revelation Chapter 21:
Revelation 21:8
But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
The cowardly is probably referring to those who are afraid of being resented when they are ashamed to admit they are followers of Jesus Christ. Often referred to as the Son of Man, the Savior said the following concerning those who are ashamed:
Luke 9:26
“For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father’s, and of the holy angels.”
The abominable are people who are detestable or disgusting in their conduct. The sorcerers are deceivers and magicians, mediums, etc.
According to Noah Webster:
Idolaters are those who worship created things or people instead of worshiping God. They pay divine honors to images, statues, or representations of any thing made by hands; one who worships as a deity that which is not God.[2]
The sexually immoral are described in both the Old and New Testaments. Of course, all these sins have been going on for thousands of years. In today’s world this offense seems to be rapidly increasing. Many are being indoctrinated by social media, major news outlets, Hollywood, libraries, all levels of children’s schools, and universities. But there is nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9b).
Leviticus 20:10
“The man who commits adultery with another man’s wife, he who commits adultery with his neighbor’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress, shall surely be put do death.”
Leviticus 20:13
If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them.
Deuteronomy 22:5
“A woman shall not wear anything that pertains to a man, nor shall a man put on a woman’s garment, for all who do so are an abomination to the LORD your God.”
A man who puts on a woman’s garment, in today’s language, is a “drag queen.” Those men who are doing so, and even openly providing “drag queen shows” in front of audiences of children, are definitely an abomination—which means it is detestable—to the LORD our God. Jesus is quoted:
Matthew 18:6; Mark 9:42; Luke 17:2
“But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.”
1 Corinthians 6:9-10
Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, will inherit the kingdom of God.
The fornicators, or sexually immoral, refers to a wide range of sexual sins; the most common today being sex before marriage. Also, not extraordinary in today’s large city cultures, is pornography. The word porn is derived from fornicate. So even having lust in the heart with graphic depictions can be cause for eternal concern.
Galatians 5:19
Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness,
Romans 1:26-27
For this reason God gave them up for vile [disgraceful] passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another; men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves penalty of their error which was due.
Forgiven or Second Death
Anyone who is reading these truths and who might be committing one of the listed offenses should not be discouraged; rather should know the truth that God will forgive those who sincerely are remorseful, turn away from it, and then ask Him to please forgive you.
The Lamb of God—the Lord Jesus Christ—the Son of God—took that penalty—the second death—upon Himself by willing be scourged, mocked, spit upon, and crucified to death for all who believe in God. When He suffered the scourging, the beatings, the crown of thorns, the spike-sized nails in His hands and feet, the six hours of an agonizing, tortuous, excruciating death on the cross; He was taking upon Himself, God’s furious wrath for the sins of every human being. The Father sent Him to do this, because He loved us all—each and every one. And the Father knew He would, on the third day, raise His only begotten Son back to life.
God does not desire that anyone would take upon himself the soon coming eternal second death:
Ezekiel 18:23
“Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?” Says the Lord GOD, “and not that he should turn from his ways [repent], and live?”
Ezekiel 18:32
“For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,” says the Lord GOD. “Therefore turn and live!”
Ezekiel 33:11
“Say to them: ‘As I live,” says the Lord GOD, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?’
Death and Hope
Why would God speak so much about death in His Holy Word? Could it be because He sees so many people who have no hope?
Mark 6:34
And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things.
God desires for us to pray, requesting His help and guidance, giving thanks, and leading a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence (1 Timothy 2:2).
1 Timothy 2:3-4
For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, Who desires all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.
But unbelieving mankind does not hear what the Creator wants. The prophets became quite frustrated when trying their utmost to let men know what was coming:
Jeremiah 5:21
“‘Hear this now, O foolish people, without understanding, who have eyes and see not, and who have ears and hear not:’”
Ezekiel 12:2
“Son of man, you dwell in the midst of a rebellious house, which has eyes to see buy does not see, and ears to hear but does not hear; for they are a rebellious house.”
Romans 5:12
Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned—
Hebrews 9:27
And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.
Faith
Every person who chooses to have faith and believe in the truth about Jesus Christ shedding His blood and dying on the cross to forgive us of our offenses—including our having been enemies toward Him—is appointed to die once—unless, possibly, they are still alive at the time of the Rapture. The believer is separated from the world and reconciled to God:
Romans 5:10
For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
Pray that people will come to the knowledge of the Truth before it’s too late, and not suffer the Second Death.
Next Blog Post, in 2 weeks: “The Decision – is it only for Self?”
[1] The New Webster Encyclopedic Dictionary of the English Language, Published by CONSOLIDATED BOOD PUBLISHERS, Chicago, Copyright © 1952, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1971, by Processing & Books, Inc. 1977. ISBN: 0-8326-0021-0, p. 677 within definition of purge.]
[2] American Dictionary of the English Language by Noah Webster 1828 Copyright 1967 & 1995 by Rosalie, Permission to reprint the 1828 edition granted by G. & C. Merriam Company
Blog Posts Related to this Topic:
What is the Church Age and When will it End?
Comments and Questions Welcome
Feel free to let us know your thoughts in the comment section.
We welcome any questions you might have as we like to hear from you.
Please share this blog with your friends if you liked it, if not, please let us know.
Thank you for reading and God bless you!
How to Receive Eternal Life Posts
Would you like to find out why believers have hope of Eternal Life and how to develop a life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ? Check out these blog posts if your answer is “yes.”
Receiving Eternal Life as easy as A-B-C-D
Why do I need the God of the Bible?
Resources:
Check Out these Interesting Resources:
Gospel Folio Press – William MacDonald – Believers Bible Commentary
Warren Henderson Publishing
Christ-centered Books and Messages to Enhance Your Spiritual Growth
Solving the Spiritual Dilemma
And check out our latest book “Solving the Spiritual Dilemma” which answers many questions about the hope believers have and how to develop a life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ.
or go directly to Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble
Scripture taken from the New King James Version, unless stated otherwise. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
.
