Getting An Understanding - Of The Second Death
/By Joseph L. Watkins
We find these words but four times in our Bible, and each one is in the book of Revelation, 2:11; 20:6,14, and 21:8. We share with our readers how this might be rendered from the Greek text:
Rev. 2:11: The ones overcoming not ever to be offended out of the death, the second. Rev. 20:6: Blessed and holy are the ones having their allotment in the resurrection the first one, for over these the death, the second, not having authority.
Rev. 20:14: And the death and the hades (hell) were thrown into the lake, the one of fire, this is the second death.
Rev. 21:8: But the non-trusting, unbelieving even detestable ones, and murderers and sexual perverts, and drug addicts, and idol worshippers, and the lying ones, the ones having their allotment with those in the lake, the one burning with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.
From these verses we learn that the overcomers (Rev. 2:11), or the ones that are in Christ Jesus, have already been declared to be “an overcomer.” Read 1 John 5:4,5: “For whosoever is born of God overcomes the world...”; and “Who is He that overcometh the world but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?”
And from 20:6 we learn that no one that has any allotment in the resurrections that are in Christ Jesus, that which is called The Second Death, has no power or any authority over these. And also from 21:8 we learn that “the lake, the one burning with fire and brimstone,” is where The Second Death is said to take place. Or we might say, these are synonymous, two ways of saying one thing, and another way of saying “the end,” or “the end of”. For in verse 20:14, we learn that The Second Death is where our all-wise God makes the end of both the principle of death and the abode of the dead.
So yes, one lesson we have both “learned” and have been “assured” of by the one spirit of all truth, The Second Death is the death of death, the end of all dying.
Rev. 21:4: “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death (or read the note in the Companion Bible, death shall be no longer), neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be anymore (=longer) pain; for the former things are passed away.”
The minds and the dark hearts of men are a very natural breeding ground for things such as the second death of evil men, and a lake of fire and brimstone in which to cast away such men into. Some have said they could even smell the stone burning.
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God” - that is, out of God - and we know He is perfect; in Him is no contradiction. As we read His words of truth we can rest assured that He has not contradicted His own word in some other book He has also given out of Himself.
Oh yes, perhaps some men can lay side by side the words we find in Hebrews 9:
Verse 7: The high priest alone “once” every year.
Verse 26: Now “once” in the end of the world hath He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.
Verse 27: And it is appointed unto men “once” to die.
Verse 28: So Christ was “once” offered to bear the sins of many.
The words concerning The Second Death that we find in Rev. 2:11; 20:6, 14; and 21:8, hold to the truth of Him being the inspiration of all Scripture, even in light of such a blatant contradiction and gross attack of the word of our holy Creator.
Our purpose today is that we might get a right and truthful understanding of The Second Death. We must ask, is this a possibility? Can we understand this? Yes, I say we can. Yes, as we understand His truth of what death is and what hades is (or hell is), as we come to know and understand just who and what is the true character of our great God, and His own true purpose of the whole creation of man in the first place.
God is not mad or angry with anyone. He has reconciled all men unto Himself, and not imputing their trespasses unto them (1 Cor. 5:19), for God, as Christ Jesus, “Taketh upon Himself, the sin of the world” (John 1:29). The only death that any man must die is the one death of Christ Jesus; see
jlw
