Contents
Chapter One: Good God—Who is He really?
Chapter Two: Words Have Meaning—Grammar Matters
Chapter Three: Behold, I make All Things New
Chapter Four: Eternal Mortal Life
Chapter Five: Second Death Mercy
Chapter Five:
Second Death Mercy
Time to bring this all home. In this important chapter, I’m going to show you how to collect all of the Bible’s teachings into a cohesive whole that shows us the heart of God and our own need. And it is our need, not God’s. We are dependent upon Him; not Him upon us. We cannot continue to exist apart from Him and His presence. And since we do not cease to exist, we need His constant providence.
All of scripture, in one way or another, points us to a teaching about the crucifixion of God in human flesh. The goal of that event, as well as all others, is the redemption of the soul through the flesh of mankind.
Why do humans have flesh in the first place? Angels don’t seem to have it. Is it not for the purpose of redemption through the flesh bearing the sin in order to save the soul?
We look upon death and suffering of the flesh as a curse—something horrible. And while it is that, there is another element about it that is the greatest blessing that mankind has. Angels don’t have that blessing; only we do.
In this creation, at this time, death is the separation of the soul/spirit from the flesh. Why? Is it not to save the soul while the flesh falls away? Angels were not given such a device. It’s like a protective covering that shields the part within. Strip away the coating and hopefully the contents are kept safe.
But this is not always the case. Sometimes the innards are still affected through or by the cover. Like a banana’s fruit still bruised through the peel. Perhaps the skin can absorb only so much. Dunno.
As humans, we see only the physical with our physical eyes. “Having eyes to see” is a spiritual thing. And for some of us, we have those spiritual “eyes to see”. We see that death is a great blessing because through it we can be reconciled to our Creator, Whom we must be joined to.
He is jealous for our souls that He placed within us. I think it is because He put a little bit of Himself in Adam. And just as the Water of Life grows as it goes down its course, the life that He placed in Adam has been growing through all of his progeny. He truly desires to reunite with that spark, that seed He planted in humanity. That is the part of us that He really loves. It is the innermost part that is the most like Him. He has no real connection to matter; only the spirit that lives inside it.
So matter becomes something that is in the way. Something that must be dealt with. But for us, it seems to be everything. We only see the bloody corpse. We do not see the freed soul ascending from it. We are focused on the wrong thing! We always have been.
When you look at all the death in humanity, and recoil, it is because God gave you the ability to have disgust for the destruction of His creation. That is good. But when you fail to see the reason for the death, you are falling away from His purpose for that death.
I am trying to show you that reality in this book. I am trying to help you open those spiritual eyes to see the heart of God and the reason for suffering in our flesh.
No one (arguably) suffered greater than God in human flesh on a cruel cross. His flesh was beaten, torn, and broken to a disgusting degree. Just the lashing by two Roman soldiers with devices that rip as they bruise is more than most people could bear (indeed, that alone would have killed Him slowly). And then He was pierced by spikes and His dead flesh was pierced by a spear to prove the death. He likely still bears those scars in His perfect flesh as a reminder of our depravity that had to be dealt with.
So, humans introduced error into their code. Their flesh bore that consequence and it has been passed on to every generation since. The response of God to that event was mercy, dressed up in a curse. Irony is not something He shies away from.
But that blessing lives on in us. Death—the current death—is separation from our depraved flesh. That is what we can call the “first death”. Separation for the sake of the soul within. Death to the flesh for life to the soul/spirit.
What Is The Second Death?
The Bible did not make all of this plain and clear to us. And we have all (collectively) turned death into such a horrible thing that we go so far as to curse the God Who blessed us with the very thing we are cursing Him over. That is true irony. I guess God meets irony with irony. Fitting.
In Revelation, we are met with a thing called a “second death”. Many, perhaps the great majority by far, have taken that to mean that it is termination of either the lifeforce within or the inability for redemption of that lifeforce. We have seen it as an extension of the first death. Ratcheting it up, so to speak.
But I am now showing you another way. I say that the second death is a merger of what was severed. The first death separates soul from body. But the second death is where they remain together in the unity of the resurrection. But it is still “death”. Death to what? Death to the life that He designed for us, which is unification with Him.
And this is where those who were called “goats” were relegated. They went directly to the second death from His first judgment. They did not get the opportunity to sit and think about it in hell (a temporary “time out”).
Matthew 25:41-46 — Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave Me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, I was naked and you did not clothe Me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after Me.’
And they too will reply, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’
Then the King will answer, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me.’
And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
We might see this as just straight-up punishment, with punishment as the goal. But I do not see it that way any longer. I see all punishment as a means to an end. The end is reconciliation, redemption, reunification, or restoration.
God told fathers to not spare the rod with their children. Was it for some sick sadist pleasure for the father or masochistic pleasure for the child? Hardly. It was for correction. And even the correction was not the goal. Redemption was the goal. Restoration to unity was the goal. This is the heart of God.
So when we look to the separation that is in the second death, do we see separation as the goal? Or do we see reunification as the ultimate goal?
It has been said (forcefully) that since God is eternal His punishment must be as well. I say that is ignorance dressed in arrogance. It is a deep cruelty that is not due the Father of life, Who is Love in its fullest form.
Either we accept Father as a Being of purity and love or we do not. Where are the gradients in that? There is no middle ground. Either God is good or He is corrupt. And applying that same logic to us (who are made in His image) we can see the futility in trying to grade our own depravity.
Indeed, Isaiah’s verse (64:6) tells us that there is no gradient. What we see as righteousness coming from tainted flesh is simply disgusting to Him Who knows true purity. And when we attempt to apply some measure of gradient to our depravity it becomes silly to such a One as Him.
But while the taint is a stain, regardless of amount, the method for removing it may very well have variation in intensity. For some, a simple warning may suffice (through fear or grace). For others, a thousand years in solitary confinement might do the trick (hell). For others, a fiery cleansing is the thing (Lake of Fire). We will get to the fire in a minute.
This leads us to gradients of cleansing solution, not gradients of grime. And the degree of cleansing seems to be connected to our reception of the cleansing. For those who can be cleansed simply by faith in the cleansing of the cross, that will do. For others, more intense methods may be required.
If I have something that is covered in some dirty thing that stains, the sooner I apply the cleansing method, the better. But if it sits for a while, the cleansing may be more difficult or even impossible. Take some fruit juices for example. Wash it out of the cloth instantly and you might have a chance. Let it dry and it might be hopeless. No matter the amount of coverage, it is the application that matters. Some things come out immediately if a mild solution is applied regardless of the size of the stain. If left untreated, the treatment will need to be more concentrated.
The second death is like a pressure washer instead of a garden hose. The goal is cleansing. The method is the method that works.
Refining fire is a theme that comes up from time to time in scripture. One is when Isaiah’s lips are touched with a coal to refine his speech, not destroy his lips. Another is Malachi 3, where the Lord Himself is shown to be using fire for exactly what I am claiming—refining us into a better condition. Then the Lake of Fire is there in a few places. Intensity is the key element to the fire. How much is required for the thing (person) being refined? A little for Isaiah? More for the nation of Israel? A lot for many in the LoF? That is God’s call. He is the Master Refiner.
The Fourth Option (SDM)
In the body of believers, called the Church, the believers, and a dozen other terms, a few theories, called doctrines have evolved over time. There are three main ideas that pertain to this thing we call second death. I am offering a fourth.
Eternal Torment
The main idea is referred to as Eternal Conscious Torment (ECT). It says that because God is eternal, His punishment is too. It means what it says: the punishment is eternal, while the punished are conscious of it, and it is tormenting for them without mercy. This isn’t just the main idea, it’s overwhelmingly accepted.
This thought removes God’s mercy from that scenario.
Annihilation
Others, fewer but still quite many, say that God is not that cruel. To which I would agree. But they make an error in thinking that God’s creatures are not everlasting from their creation. But it also quickly removes the logic of putting anyone in that Lake of Fire. I mean, if it destroys them instantly, what’s the point of an eternal place for it? Why not just wave the holy hand and obliterate them?
This one does not recognize God’s eternal creation. And it becomes silly immediately.
Universal Salvation
Still another option, possibly growing in popularity these days, is that the cross is sufficient for all people and they do not need to accept it for it to be effective. It says, no matter what, God will not punish you.
This might seem like a really nice option on the face of it, but it denies God’s righteousness, which demands justice. It also denies the sovereignty of man, that God has given to us. Not to mention it is highly dangerous in light of reality which disagrees with it entirely. It’s like taking poison and denying its harmful effects. It is complete ignorance of God’s full Word to us about Him and us. Perhaps it is willful ignorance at that.
SDM—Second Death Mercy
My fourth option for you, SDM, takes all of the good elements of all three and cuts away the bad elements.
Want God to be serious about sin and suffering? Want to acknowledge that He uses physical suffering to apply spiritual healing? [check] Want God to not be so harsh (or evil) that He delights in eternal punishment for punishment’s sake? [check] Want the cross of Christ to apply to all, regardless of the offense? [check]
I am offering you a biblical alternative to all three of these doctrines, which each has a fatal flaw.
I allow God to be sovereign and just and willing to punish sin. I am allowing Him to not be a horrible ogre Who delights in causing pain. And I know that the cross is sufficient for all who will merely accept it and do so with thanksgiving. Allowing it to transform them from evil to good (in the end).
How is this biblical, when so many passages of scripture show an eternal punishment? That is a question that requires careful examination. And we will do that to a degree. It is not so cut-and-dried and clearly shown. Plus, early translations, into Latin, are the culprit. Match this with losing the continuity of God’s Word and the recipe is set. Hang in there for just a bit more and we will see it.
Take Paul’s words to the Thessalonians: “They will suffer the penalty of eternal destruction, separated from the presence of the Lord and the glory of His might.” (2 Thessalonians 1:9)
That sounds final. But look at the Greek underneath it. Olethros — rendered “destruction” — is defined by Strong’s as ruin, loss, punishment. Not annihilation. Not torment. The loss of all that gives worth to existence.
And aionios, as already shown in this study, describes the quality and permanence of a place — not necessarily the duration of every occupant’s stay within it. The penalty is separation from His presence. That is the ruin described. The place is eternal. That every soul assigned to it remains there without recourse is assumed by the reader, but not the explicit teaching of the text.
Where Is The Lake Of Fire?
Let’s take a breather for a minute and look at an easier thing to see: the location of the Lake of Fire (LoF).
We know that it exists in this time—this creation. How? Because of the timing of its use. If we go to the book of Revelation, we see one use of it before the end of this creation. And if we go to Matthew 25, we see another. In fact, we already looked at the “goats” being sent there at the very beginning of the Millennium.
In Revelation, we see it being used even before then, upon the antichrist and his false prophet. In Revelation 19:20, we read this:
But the beast was captured along with the false prophet, who on its behalf had performed signs deceiving those who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. Both the beast and the false prophet were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.
This happens just before the separation of the sheep and goats, which is after the battle of Armageddon. I assume that the army that was with them also went there.
All of these souls went to the LoF prior to the Final Judgment, which is after the Millennium.
So it exists in this time. In this creation. It is not strictly part of the new creation. But it is in the new creation as well. Just as we are in both. It gets carried over, inhabitants and all.
But can we determine where in the new creation it sits? I think we can. Let’s go back to Isaiah.
Isaiah 66:23-24 — From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come to worship before Me,” says the LORD.
“As they go forth, they will see the corpses of the men who have rebelled against Me; for their worm will never die, their fire will never be quenched, and they will be a horror to all mankind.”
This is in the new creation, on the New Earth, outside the New Jerusalem. In fact, it is directly in view of those who enter and leave (go forth) to and from the holy city (regularly). Those who are going forth (to and fro) are not the saints. They are the nations. Those sheep or their descendants who must go up to see their God on His glorious throne to worship Him. While there, they eat the fruit of life and drink the water of life. If anyone is sick, they can use the leaves for a tea, a poultice, or other remedy.
Now, we need to unpack that passage because there is a serious but subtle error in it. It is in these words: “have rebelled”. Even if you use a concordance to look it up, you will still see that rendering. That is unfortunate, because the grammar tells a different story. In the Hebrew, the actual meaning is ongoing: “are rebelling”. So it should really say (if being faithful to the text), “they will see the dead bodies of the men who are rebelling against Me”
What Is Their Worm and Why Doesn’t It Die?
A few comments are in order here.
Dead bodies (corpses) — this is actually referring to the bodies that are in the state of the second death, upon resurrection, which is a unification of the body and the soul. We are not merely looking at what you and I would call a corpse, which today is separate from its lifeforce. We are looking at living bodies in a place called the second death. The LoF actually sustains the flesh in a state of eternal suspended animation. It keeps them alive forever. That is the horror of it for us. But I say this is being used as a device by the Creator to bring them into a place of surrender to Him. Reconciliation, not punishment is the goal. However long that might take. I’m sure it will vary between souls.
Their worm — This is a funny way of referring to the very same thing: the flesh that they inhabit. Their worm. Their body. Which does not lose its lifeforce. It wriggles and writhes for the full time it takes for them to repent of their rebellion. Every tongue must confess that Jesus is Lord. If it takes a very long time for that to happen, so be it. But I keep saying that the goal is unification with God, which is necessary for true life to remain.
Their fire — This is more akin to saying their world or their nation or their place. It is referring to something that doesn’t really belong to them as in they own it and they hold the deed. It is more that they are relegated to it and it is their place for the duration. This means that the place of fire does not go away. It does not need to mean that their placement in that eternal place must be eternal. This too is important. It allows the place with its smoke to be there, with the smoke rising forever and ever in the eternal sense. It does not mean that their own torment must be for eternity (with the exception of Satan and the beasts).
And consider this. Many who are there could have been caught up in lies in the heat of the moment in their short lives on this planet. All who take the Mark of the Beast, for example, will have to spend time in the LoF. But that could be due to a rash decision, possibly made under false pretenses or even under duress (being forced to do it).
Would a righteous God commit someone under those circumstances to a trillion, billion millennia of torment for one horrible choice? Not in my Book. Would He put them there for correction for a time? Yes, I’ll agree to that. And amen.
The LoF is a place that lasts forever (eternally) without those in it needing to stay any longer than is necessary. This does not violate scripture. It clarifies it.
Rebellion and Repentance
So, let’s dig in just a bit more. I see the rebellion as something that must be punished. But I see God’s will as being to reconcile with His creatures. His heart wants unity as long as that is possible. But aren’t all things possible with God? Yes and no. Yes He can make it happen, but only if we agree. This goes back to the beginning. Love is only valuable when it is freely given. Likewise, repentance is only workable if it is true and freely made.
This is the equation then: The one in the worm suit must repent. That is on their timing and according to their God-given will. Then the Creator/Judge will forgive them according to His sovereign will and judgment. Both must be true at once. First the repentance, then the mercy.
Isaiah told of those in worm suits who are in a state of active rebellion. My assertion is that when that rebellion ceases, the Lord is then free to wave His mercy over them. That is His choice to make at that time. It is His call. He is God. It’s His right, as the One Who created that one in the worm suit and placed him into the LoF.
God’s Mercy, God’s Will
For those who do not like the idea of a sovereign God Who has the right and power to judge His creatures, the problem is yours to solve. You cannot simply declare God to be evil for having the right to exercise His judgment on evil (truly evil) humans or angels. You are not that wise. You are not that good. You are not perfect in your ways as He is perfect in His. You only know what you think you know. He knows all, fully and perfectly. You can only speak from a single point of view with limited vision. He sees it all. He does not need the facts shown to Him; they are His from the beginning.
If you recoil at the thought of torture, pain, or misery, then you are operating in the very limits and understanding He placed in you. But His understanding and rules are not what He gave to you. He has told us this.
Isaiah 55:8-11 — “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD.
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts. For just as rain and snow fall from heaven and do not return without watering the earth, making it bud and sprout, and providing seed to sow and food to eat, so My word that proceeds from My mouth will not return to Me empty, but it will accomplish what I please, and it will prosper where I send it.”
And what pleases Him? Mercy. Love. Joy. Faith. All things that are good. If He knows us better than we know ourselves, then our willful ignorance couched in arrogance is not going to serve us well.
There is a way that seems right to a man, but ends in death. (Proverbs 14:12, paraphrase)
That death can come from two directions, since each path has two ways to go. Same path, same end, two ways. One way is not paying attention to the “foolishness” of God. You quickly judge the Judge. The other way is thinking that you are fine the way you are. You think you are too good to fail or be judged.
This is found in the ways of man through two means: Atheism or Religion. One says there is nothing to gain or fear. The other says that there is gain found in their own works. Both are wrong. Both are found in ignorance of God’s true nature and intent for us, His creatures.
Conclusion
This is likely a lot for you to take in. The more entrenched you have become in one path or the other, the more difficult it might be for you to reconcile with it or get out of that rut.
But look carefully at what I am presenting here. I am not rewriting God’s word. I am not imposing my will onto it. I am working diligently to take it as it was first given to us through the original texts and their intent.
I am allowing the God of the Bible to be sovereign, caring, and having a desire for reconciliation, which is one of the most hard-driven points of the Book in total. What I am not doing is allowing early men to color the text with their own opinions. Especially if based on the wrong grammar or translation into Latin.
He wants us to reconcile with Him. He does not desire that any should perish but that all come to eternal life. That means as either a mortal sheep in the nations, or an immortal saint in His family.
The King wants to adopt you into His family, not merely have you be one of His subjects in the realm. But if you refuse, He has a way to try to convince you. And He will not simply give up the effort. He is not a quitter. He is not afraid of your opinions of Him. He will do what He knows is right. He does not let you merely fall away forever. Only you can send yourself to hell. Only you can continue your rebellion in the Lake of Fire — His final solution.
Religion is for the subjects of the King. Faith is for His adopted sons and daughters. And being an adopted child is just as good as being His only begotten Son (in a way). He loves you every bit as much as He does Jesus, when you come to Him in the faith that Jesus provides.
I ask you to reconsider your opinions of God. See that He is loving to the point of Being Love. Also see that He is righteous to the point of doing whatever must be done to reconcile with you through your rebellion. Including taking your pain for you. That is what He did on that cruel, disgusting cross. He put the enemy’s defeat on full display, naked before the world. Where we see a perfect, naked man defeated by evil, He sees evil defeated by a perfect Man.
Look for the Way. Look for the Truth. Look for the Life. They are right there on that cross. That is the better way. But there is another, lesser way through the mercy of Him Who was pinned to that cross, even if you don’t see it.
Faith itself is a gift from the Father of that Son. Ask Him for it and turn from your wickedness as best you can. The turning will not save you, for it is in your very DNA. But the belief that His flesh and blood covers your sinful soul is the Way. It is enough. His grace is sufficient for you. Or at least acknowledge that Jesus is Lord, as you take a knee before Him.
I leave you with Isaiah 55
“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you without money, come, buy, and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost!
Why spend money on that which is not bread, and your labor on that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of foods. Incline your ear and come to Me; listen, so that your soul may live.
I will make with you an everlasting covenant—My loving devotion promised to David. Behold, I have made him a witness to the nations, a leader and commander of the peoples. Surely you will summon a nation you do not know, and nations who do not know you will run to you. For the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, has bestowed glory on you.
“Seek the LORD while He may be found; call on Him while He is near. Let the wicked man forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that He may have compassion, and to our God, for He will freely pardon.
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD.
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts. For just as rain and snow fall from heaven and do not return without watering the earth, making it bud and sprout, and providing seed to sow and food to eat, so My word that proceeds from My mouth will not return to Me empty, but it will accomplish what I please, and it will prosper where I send it. You will indeed go out with joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of the thornbush, the cypress will grow, and instead of the brier, the myrtle will spring up; this will make a name for the LORD, an everlasting sign, never to be destroyed.”
In Him and His love, while for you and not against you,
Gary
Questions and Reflection
Questions
- Can the place be eternal and the occupants be eternal, while their stay there is not?
- Is God so loving that we even declare Him to be Love?
- Are you judging the Judge?
- Do you really want suffering to be eternal, which is far beyond trillions of billions of millennia?
- Did you faithfully dig into the Word in its original languages before making up your mind? Or are you taking someone else’s word for it and basing your judgment on that?
Your answers are your own this time. I do not judge you. You judge yourself.
