The Second Death

In a previous article I stated that when we were conceived, we became eternal beings and if we accepted Jesus offer of salvation, we would go to Heaven to be with Him when we died. But if we chose to reject Jesus’ offer of salvation that we would be cast into Hell to be punished for eternity. That has been the doctrine of most Christian churches for the last 1700 years. However, it was not the doctrine of the Apostles and the early church leaders for the first 300 years of Christendom.

After a very extensive study from Genesis through Revelation, I have come to a different understanding of our final state. In studying the teachings of Menno Simmons and the early Anabaptist Reformation leaders, I have come to understand that eternal life comes only through salvation in Jesus Christ. We are born mortal beings not immortal. We will all die, and our mortal lives will end.

I need to place a disclaimer here at the very beginning of this article; that regardless of which interpretation of scripture we accept about the final state of those who reject Jesus’ offer of salvation will not affect the final outcome of their bodies and souls. That is a predetermined choice of God Himself.

My eternal salvation is NOT dependent upon what happens to my body, soul and spirit after the final judgement. It is solely dependent upon the choices I make about Jesus Christ while I am alive in this life. I understand from scriptures that choosing to accept Jesus offer of salvation is the only means of inheriting eternal life. So, the critical choice is what am I going to do about Jesus and His sacrificial death for me.

What I, or even they, believe happens to the people who choose to reject Jesus’ offer of salvation after the final judgement will not even affect their final state. The purpose of this article is to clarify some of the misconceptions the church in general has taught about Hell.

I found it interesting that Jesus and the Apostles didn’t focus on Hell but rather on the offer of salvation and eternal life for the believers, indicating that reward of salvation, adoption into the family of God as sons and daughters and spending eternity with God was such a highly desired treasure that they focused mainly on eternal life in Heaven with the LORD rather than Hell. Not scaring people into the kingdom with the fear of Hell as some would choose to do today.  

The Apostle Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 15: 51 – 53 NKJV that those who have accepted Jesus’ salvation will be changed from mortal into immortal after they die here on earth. ⁵¹ Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—⁵² in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. ⁵³ For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. Thus, indicating that those who have rejected Jesus offer of salvation will die and remain mortal.

One of the scriptures that convinced me of this truth is found in the first several chapters of Genesis. Genesis 2: 16 – 17 NLT 16 But the Lord God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden—17 except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.” God established this principle; it is part of the seed plot of the Gospel that has its foundation in Genesis and is carried all the way throughout scriptures and culminates in Revelation. The wages of sin is death = physical death, spiritual death, eternal death/eternal destruction BUT the free gift of God is eternal life with Him forever in Heaven.

God had told Adam and Eve they could eat of the fruit from any tree in the Garden of Eden except the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. That means they could have eaten from the Tree of Life and received eternal life. We know that because God said so himself.  Genesis 3: 22 – 24 NLT   22 Then the Lord God said, “Look, the human beings have become like us, knowing both good and evil. What if they reach out, take fruit from the tree of life, and eat it? Then they will live forever!” 23 So the Lord God banished them from the Garden of Eden, and he sent Adam out to cultivate the ground from which he had been made. 24 After sending them out, the Lord God stationed mighty cherubim to the east of the Garden of Eden. And he placed a flaming sword that flashed back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.

God loved them so much that He protected them from eating from the Tree of Life and living forever outside of an eternal relationship with Himself. But, in that statement and act God specifically said that they were not immortal and would not live forever. That means that after their mortal deaths and the final judgement they would not be punished and tortured forever as many of us have been taught in the past.

This is the foundational theology that has its beginning in Genesis and is carried throughout the scriptures and comes to completion in Revelation as taught by the apostles and early church fathers for the first 300+ years of Christendom.

However, with the founding of the Roman Catholic Church, eternal punishment became part of its doctrine. This concept had its founding in primitive eastern mythology, Babylonian and Greek mythology and when Christianity became the adopted state religion it was adopted into its doctrine. It was endorsed by Augustine as part of his teaching and became a part of Catholic doctrine. Most of the protestant and evangelical reformers never separated themselves from that unscriptural teaching.

Eternal life was only obtained through faith in Jesus Christ was taught by the Anabaptist reformers, including Menno Simmons, who taught that to inherit eternal life you had to be born again. Eternal life through salvation in Jesus and final destruction instead of eternal punishment is one of the main theologies that separated the Anabaptist from the other reformation reformers (Calvinist, Lutherans, etc.) who join the Catholic Church in persecuting the Anabaptists because of this theology.

Jesus, the Apostles, and the early church leaders for the first 300 years after the death, resurrection, ascension of Jesus and coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost taught this as well.

JESUS’S TEACHING

Jesus, in the most familiar passage in the Bible, John 3: 14 – 17 NLT ¹⁴ And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, ¹⁵ so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life. 16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. Jesus taught that eternal life comes only through believing in His death and resurrection. Those who do not will perish (destruction) not be punished and tortured forever. Everywhere scripture is interpreted as “perish” means “destroyed / annihilated / completely wiped out” not punished or tortured.

Later in the same chapter John 3: 36 NLT (Jesus teaching) ³⁶ And anyone who believes in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment.” Note: Teaching of Jesus: Anyone who believes God’s Son has eternal life. It doesn’t get any plainer than this verse, anyone who doesn’t will never experience eternal life.

Before His death Jesus prayed this prayer to His Heavenly Father; John 17: 1 – 3 NLT After saying all these things, Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son so he can give glory back to you. ² For you have given him authority over everyone. He gives eternal life to each one you have given him. ³ And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth.

Jesus strongly taught this principle throughout His ministry as documented in all four of the gospels. Matthew 7: 17 – 20, Matthew 10: 28, Matthew 13: 38 – 43, Matthew 13: 49 – 50, Matthew 18: 8 – 9, Matthew 19: 29 NLT, Matthew 25: 41, Mark 8: 36, Mark 9: 43 – 48, Mark 10: 29 – 30, Luke 3: 9, Luke 9: 23 – 24, Luke 12: 5, Luke 13: 2 – 5, Luke 18: 29 – 30, Luke 19: 27, Luke 20: 34 – 36, John 1: 12 – 13, John 5: 24, John 5: 28 – 29, John 6: 27, John 6: 40, John 6: 47, John 6: 51, John 6: 53 – 58, John 6: 62 – 63, John 8: 51, John 10: 27 – 30, John 11: 25, John 12: 24 – 25, John 12: 49 – 50, John 15: 6, John 17: 1 – 3, John 17: 12, John 20: 31.

Jesus also taught that God would destroy the lost souls in Hell, not punish and torture them for eternity. Matthew 10: 28 NLT (Jesus’ teaching) 28 “Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 

Mark 8: 36 NLT (Jesus’ teaching) ³⁶ And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?

Jesus taught in Matthew 13: 38 – 43 NLT The weeds are the people who belong to the evil one. ³⁹ The enemy who planted the weeds among the wheat is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world, and the harvesters are the angels. ⁴⁰ “Just as the weeds are sorted out and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the world. ⁴¹ The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will remove from his Kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. ⁴² And the angels will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. ⁴³ Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s Kingdom. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand! Jesus here teaches that just as the weeds are gathered and burned (destroyed) in the fire, so the angels will gather up all who do evil in the end time and cast them into the fiery furnace (Lake of Fire as described in Revelation) to be burned up and destroyed.

THE APOSTLES TEACHING

Romans 6: 21 – 23 NLT  21 And what was the result? You are now ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom. 22 But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. Note: (Greek translated doom means destroyed) (wages of sin is death / destruction) (eternal life is part of the free gift of salvation through being born again into eternal life)

Romans 9: 22 NLT ²² In the same way, even though God has the right to show his anger and his power, he is very patient with those on whom his anger falls, who are destined for destruction. Note: God, in His mercy and patients, chooses to destroy in the fires of Hell rather than punish them forever.

1 Corinthians 1:18 NLT ¹⁸ The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God. Note: Paul says unbelievers are headed for destruction not eternal punishment.

Philippians 3: 18 – 21 NLT  ¹⁸ For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. ¹⁹ They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth. ²⁰ But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. ²¹ He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control. Note: Greek for destruction means permanent annihilation not punishment, citizens of Heaven means eternal life.

2 Thessalonians 1: 7 – 9 NLT  7 And God will provide rest for you who are being persecuted and also for us when the Lord Jesus appears from heaven. He will come with his mighty angels, 8 in flaming fire, bringing judgment on those who don’t know God and on those who refuse to obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will be punished with eternal destruction, forever separated from the Lord and from his glorious power.

Hebrews 10: 39 NLT 39 But we are not like those who turn away from God to their own destruction. We are the faithful ones, whose souls will be saved.

2 Peter 3: 6 – 7 NLT ⁶ Then he used the water to destroy the ancient world with a mighty flood. ⁷ And by the same word, the present heavens and earth have been stored up for fire. They are being kept for the day of judgment, when ungodly people will be destroyed. Note: God destroyed the ancient world with the flood. Heaven and earth will one day be destroyed by fire. In the day of judgement, the ungodly people will be destroyed in the fires of Hell.

1 John 4: 9 NLT ⁹ God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him.

1 John 5: 11 – 12 NLT ¹¹ And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. ¹² Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life.

1 John 5: 13 NLT ¹³ I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life.

Jude 10 NLT 10 But these people scoff at things they do not understand. Like unthinking animals, they do whatever their instincts tell them, and so they bring about their own destruction.

Jude 20 – 21 NLT ²⁰ But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, ²¹ and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love.

Revelation 20: 11 – 15 11 And I saw a great white throne and the one sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from his presence, but they found no place to hide. 12 I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God’s throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up its dead, and death and the grave gave up their dead. And all were judged according to their deeds. 14 Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death. 15 And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.

Note: The works of all people are written in the Books of Record. However, the records of those who have accepted Jesus have been blotted out in the Books of Record by the blood of Jesus and their names are now written in the Book of Life. Death and the grave are destroyed in the Lake of Fire so from this point on there is only eternal life for those who are saved. The Lake of Fire is the 2^nd or final death and destruction for all people whose names are not written in the Book of Life. They are destroyed in the Lake of Fire

OTHER VERSES OF SCRIPTURE ON THIS SUBJECT:

Acts 3: 23, Acts 13: 46, Acts 13: 48, Acts 20: 26, Romans 2: 5 – 8, Romans 2: 12, Romans 3: 12 – 15, Romans 5: 12, Romans 5: 17, Romans 5: 21, Romans 6: 4, Romans 6: 7 – 9, Romans 6: 21 – 23, Romans 8: 1 – 2, Romans 8: 10, Romans 8: 11, Romans 8: 12 – 13, Romans 8: 20 – 23, Romans 9: 22, 1 Corinthians 1:18, 1 Corinthians 3: 16 – 17, 1 Corinthians 6: 9 – 10, 1 Corinthians 15: 20 – 24, 1 Corinthians 15: 42 – 44, 1 Corinthians 15: 47 – 49, 1 Corinthians 15: 51 – 55, 2 Corinthians 2: 15 – 16, 2 Corinthians 3: 6 – 8, 2 Corinthians 4: 14, 2 Corinthians 5: 1 – 5, 2 Corinthians 5: 17, Galatians 5: 19 – 21, Galatians 6: 8, Ephesians 5: 5 – 6, Philippians 3: 18 – 21, Colossians 1: 4 – 5, Colossians 2: 12, 1 Thessalonians 4: 15 – 17, 1 Thessalonians 5: 10, 2 Thessalonians 2: 10, 2 Timothy 1: 9 – 10, Titus 1: 1 – 2, Titus 3: 4 – 7, Hebrews 1: 10 – 12, Hebrews 3: 19, Hebrews 4: 1 – 6, Hebrews 6: 8 – 9, Hebrews 7: 25, Hebrews 9: 12, Hebrews 9: 15, Hebrews 10: 27 – 31, Hebrews 10: 39, Hebrews 12: 9, Hebrews 12: 29, Hebrews 13: 20 – 21, James 4:12, 1 Peter 1: 3 – 5, 1 Peter 1: 23, 1 Peter 4: 6, 1 Peter 5: 4 & 10, 2 Peter 1: 10 – 11, 2 Peter 2: 1, 2 Peter 2: 4 – 6, 2 Peter 2: 12 – 13, 2 Peter 3: 9 – 13, 2 Peter 3: 15 – 16, 1 John 1: 1 – 2, 1 John 2: 24 – 25, 1 John 4: 9, 1 John 5: 11 – 12, 1 John 5: 13, 1 John 5: 20, Jude 7 – 11, Jude 20 – 23, Revelation 3: 21, Revelation 14: 13, Revelation 14: 18 – 19

ETERNAL PUNISHMENT THEOLOGY

There are several (2) passages of scripture that would seem to support eternal punishment for disobedient souls. But in light of the many (  ) passages that seem to support final destruction, it seems that Jesus and the Apostles extensively taught that the disobedient souls will be destroyed in the Lake of Fire and be lost forever rather than punished and tortured forever. That concept isn’t compatible with the character of a loving God as He defines Himself in scripture.

Jesus in Matthew 25 talking about when He comes back with His angels to judge the earth and separating the righteous and unrighteous, tells us in verse 46 about the unrighteous “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.” Note: This is one of the few passages that would seem to support the eternal punishment theology.

However, in the earlier part of the same parable (verse 41) Jesus simply said “Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. Note: (eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. The devil and his demons were created as angels, therefore they are eternal beings. Humans are finite and will be destroyed by the fires of hell unless they are born again into eternal life through salvation in Jesus Christ)

Revelation 14: 9 – 11 NLT 9 Then a third angel followed them, shouting, “Anyone who worships the beast and his statue or who accepts his mark on the forehead or on the hand 10 must drink the wine of God’s anger. It has been poured full strength into God’s cup of wrath. And they will be tormented with fire and burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and the Lamb. 11 The smoke of their torment will rise forever and ever, and they will have no relief day or night, for they have worshiped the beast and his statue and have accepted the mark of his name.” Note: Another scripture that would seem to support eternal punishment for people. Maybe they are punished more severely because they worshipped the Antichrist.

Revelation 19: 19 – 20 NLT 19 Then I saw the beast and the kings of the world and their armies gathered together to fight against the one sitting on the horse and his army. 20 And the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who did mighty miracles on behalf of the beast—miracles that deceived all who had accepted the mark of the beast and who worshiped his statue. Both the beast and his false prophet were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. Note: The beast and the false prophet were thrown into the Lake of Fire. It is not clear that the beast and the false prophets are actually people or some of other type of creatures, maybe demonic or movements or organizations.

Revelation 20: 1 – 3 NLT Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven with the key to the bottomless pit and a heavy chain in his hand. ² He seized the dragon—that old serpent, who is the devil, Satan—and bound him in chains for a thousand years. ³ The angel threw him into the bottomless pit, which he then shut and locked so Satan could not deceive the nations anymore until the thousand years were finished. Afterward he must be released for a little while. Note: Satan is bound and locked in the bottomless pit for a thousand years while Jesus physically reigns on earth for those thousand years. During that time Satan will not be allowed to deceive anyone on earth. However, many because of their sinful nature will not choose to worship Jesus but will live in unbelief and rebellion and after Satan is released will be convinced to fight against Jesus and His Kingdom.

Revelation 20: 10 NLT 10 Then the devil, who had deceived them, was thrown into the fiery lake of burning sulfur, joining the beast and the false prophet. There they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. Note: Satan, the Devil, was thrown into the Lake of Fire with the beast and the false prophet where they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. The devil is a fallen angel, therefore, he is an eternal being, the beast and the false prophet may be as well and they will be tormented forever and ever.

IN CONCLUSSION

So, after evaluating all these scriptures, I have come to the conclusion that Hell/The Lake of Fire was created for the eternal punishment of Satan, his demons/fallen angels who are created as eternal beings and the Antichrist/Beast and his false prophet.

Those who have not accepted Jesus’ offer of salvation will be cast into the Lake of Fire to be destroyed. According to Revelation 20: 12 I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God’s throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books.  Therefore, maybe the judgement will be longer or more severe for some than others. When we burn wood in a fire, some woods burn much more quickly than others. Some burn much hotter. Since God defines Himself to us as a just God I am sure that as He tells us in this passage of scripture He will judge each according to their own deeds.

However, for those who choose to accept His offer of forgiveness, they will experience eternal life with Him in the New Heaven and New Earth.

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