What is the second death? How many deaths are there?
This is a real quandary for us because we cannot even begin to explain the second death without first explaining about the resurrection of the dead. Let us look at our primary Scripture and review it first.
Revelation 2:11… He that conquers will by no means be harmed by the second death.
Jesus statement here is very simplistic if we conquer or if we overcome, we will not be hurt by the second death. The next time Christ is speaking about the second death is toward the end of the book of Revelation and let us look at that passage of Scripture.
Revelation 20:6,14… Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of the Messiah, and they will reign with Him for 1,000 years… Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.
Now we can see that the resurrection is tied in with the first death. It says blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection. Because they will live in the service of a priesthood for a 1,000 years with Christ.
The Second Death is a complete destruction. Entering into the lake of fire means the everlasting cutting off. The Scripture says that death and Hades are thrown in to the lake of fire, that means they are done away with forever. What else is done away with?
Revelation 21:8… But the cowards, unbelievers, vile, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars—their share will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.
The second death means an everlasting destruction. So, what is the first death?
Let us look at what Christ said and did with his disciples with respects to the death of Lazarus his friend.
John 11:11-15… He (Christ) said this, and then He told them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I’m on My way to wake him up.” 12 Then the disciples said to Him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will get well.” 13 Jesus, however, was speaking about his death, but they thought He was speaking about natural sleep. 14 So Jesus then told them plainly, “Lazarus has died. 15 I’m glad for you that I wasn’t there so that you may believe. But let’s go to him.”
Christ Jesus referred to death as someone being asleep in death.
Asleep in Death
Picking back up on the reading at John:
John 11:17-27…When Jesus arrived, He found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Bethany was near Jerusalem (about two miles away). 19 Many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them about their brother. 20 As soon as Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet Him. But Mary remained seated in the house. 21 Then Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother wouldn’t have died. 22 Yet even now I know that whatever You ask from God, God will give You.” 23 “Your brother will rise again,” Jesus told her. 24 Martha said, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in Me, even if he dies, will live. 26 Everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die—ever. Do you believe this?” 27 “Yes, Lord,” she told Him, “I believe You are the Messiah, the Son of God, who comes into the world.”
Martha believed in the resurrection of the last day. Now Christ Jesus introduces two new thoughts to Martha. First, the belief in Jesus Christ would keep you from death. The second point was that Christ was the resurrection, those asleep could be awaken from death by him. Now we can establish that the first death is the one that everyone sleeps in, then there is the resurrection of the last day.
Now we need to talk about the first resurrection then the resurrection of the last day.
The First Resurrection
Revelation 20:6 says happy and holy is anyone that shares in the first resurrection. Verse 14 points to the fact that they will become king priest with Christ for a thousand years.
The apostle Paul when he wrote his letter to the Philippians hoped to be a part of that first resurrection.
Philippians 3:10-11…that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
The apostle Paul also gives more detail when talking about the resurrection and the body that we shall receive.
1 Corinthians 15:42-45… So, it is with the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption, raised in incorruption; 43 sown in dishonor, raised in glory; sown in weakness, raised in power; 44 sown a natural body, raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 So it is written: The first man Adam became a living being the last Adam became a life-giving Spirit…
Paul points out that the first resurrection from the dead will become incorruptible, raised in power, and given a spiritual body. Picking back up on the reading notice another mystery that he reveals.
1 Corinthians 15:51-57… Listen! I am telling you a mystery: We will not all fall asleep, but we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the blink of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed. 53 For this corruptible must be clothed with incorruptibility, and this mortal must be clothed with immortality. 54 When this corruptible is clothed with incorruptibility, and this mortal is clothed with immortality, then the saying that is written will take place: Death has been swallowed up in victory. 55 Death, where is your victory? Death, where is your sting? 56 Now the sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!
He reveals that the dead will be raised up from the ground as mortal then they will be clothed with immortality. That means a transformation needs to take place before they put on their spiritual bodies. Those who are still living when the last trumpet blows will be immediately transferred into a spiritual body.
The Resurrection of the Last Day
Let us go back to what Christ Jesus revealed to his disciples about the resurrection that is coming.
John 5:28-29… Do not be amazed at this, because a time is coming when all who are in the graves will hear His voice 29 and come out—those who have done good things, to the resurrection of life, but those who have done wicked things, to the resurrection of judgment.
Christ Jesus talked about a resurrection of judgment, what exactly is that? Well we have the apostle Paul who alludes to it as he expressed his hope.
Acts 24:15… And I have a hope in God, which these men themselves also accept, that there is going to be a resurrection, both of the righteous and the unrighteous.
The apostle Paul identified the resurrection of the judgment as the resurrection of the unrighteous ones. These are the ones who did not have the opportunity to hear about the good news about Christ Jesus. These are the ones who are going to be resurrected during the thousand-year reign of Christ and have an opportunity to live under the kingdom rules.
There is so much more to learn about the timing and about the events that lead into the thousand-year reign of Christ that will need to cover in other articles.
By way of review what have we learned?
The second death is a final destruction and an everlasting cutting off.
The first death is one of being asleep in death.
We have the first resurrection that is guaranteed to those who overcome the tribulations of this life and stand with Christ as a king priest for the thousand years.
The next resurrection happens during the thousand-year reign of Christ for both the righteous and the unrighteous, it is a living judgment.
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