To Be Least
"For he who is least among you all--he is the greatest." (Luke 9:48)Tuesday, July 06, 2004
The Second Death
I have been thinking a lot about hell recently (if you couldn't already tell). Many times in scripture hell is described as death. Revelations calls it the "second death" several times. However, I have come to the conclusion that hell is eternal punishment, not annihilation. So what does the Bible mean when it uses the word "death" to talk of hell?
Jesus is sometimes called "the life" or "the eternal life." John writes, "The life appeared we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life which was with the Father and has appeared to us." (1 John 1:2) Jesus appeared to the disciples, they testify to it and proclaim to us Jesus who was with the Father and has appeared to them. Both "life" and "eternal life" were referring to Jesus because he is the source of life. It is through Jesus Christ that we can have eternal life.
This theme of Jesus being the eternal life can be found again at the end of 1 John. Once again John wrote, "And we are in him who was true -- Even in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life." This verse is much clearer, Jesus Christ is eternal life.
When we die here on earth it is the separation of the physical body and the soul. At the end of the tribulation, we will all receive spiritual bodies. These bodies will be imperishable, they will be immortal. (1 Cor. 15:53 says, "For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.") After we receive these new bodies we will be judged by God. "If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." (Rev. 20:15) "The lake of fire is the second death." (Rev. 20:14)
So the lake of fire (hell) is the second death. Why? When we are put into hell, or the lake of fire, we will be separated from God. Remember, "Jesus is the true God and eternal life." 1 Thessolonians says that those in hell will be "shut out from the presence of the Lord." The second death is the separation of the unrighteous from God. God is life. Without Him there is no life. That is why hell is often characterized as death. You are shut out from the life. Without life there is only death. That is why hell is the second death.
Jesus is sometimes called "the life" or "the eternal life." John writes, "The life appeared we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life which was with the Father and has appeared to us." (1 John 1:2) Jesus appeared to the disciples, they testify to it and proclaim to us Jesus who was with the Father and has appeared to them. Both "life" and "eternal life" were referring to Jesus because he is the source of life. It is through Jesus Christ that we can have eternal life.
This theme of Jesus being the eternal life can be found again at the end of 1 John. Once again John wrote, "And we are in him who was true -- Even in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life." This verse is much clearer, Jesus Christ is eternal life.
When we die here on earth it is the separation of the physical body and the soul. At the end of the tribulation, we will all receive spiritual bodies. These bodies will be imperishable, they will be immortal. (1 Cor. 15:53 says, "For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.") After we receive these new bodies we will be judged by God. "If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." (Rev. 20:15) "The lake of fire is the second death." (Rev. 20:14)
So the lake of fire (hell) is the second death. Why? When we are put into hell, or the lake of fire, we will be separated from God. Remember, "Jesus is the true God and eternal life." 1 Thessolonians says that those in hell will be "shut out from the presence of the Lord." The second death is the separation of the unrighteous from God. God is life. Without Him there is no life. That is why hell is often characterized as death. You are shut out from the life. Without life there is only death. That is why hell is the second death.
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