Questions about “the second death” (4, conclusion)

14. Will all the people, before the Great White Throne, be cast into the lake of fire?

Apparently not, because in Rev.20:15 we read:

And if anyone was not found written in the scroll of life, he was cast into the lake of fire.

The way in which this is formulated suggests that at least some of those who will stand before the Great White Throne, will be listed in the book of life. Why would this book be mentioned, if, in advance it is clear that no name is written in it? There is one manuscript of the NT (Sinaiticus) that indeed is pointing in that direction, by stating in Rev.20:13: “And they were condemned, each one according to his works.” But that is one manuscript; the majority of textual witnesses do not speak of “condemned”, but of “judged”. In the lake of fire will all be thrown who expressly were unbelievers (21:8) and due to their works, will be blotted out of the book of life. But what about all those who never have come in contact with God’s Word and who, therefore, have not rejected it, either? Or the mentally handicapped? Or children who have died at a young age? Although these were perhaps not believers, but neither were they of the category described in Rev.21:8. Also Paul speaks in Romans 2:14-16 about people who were not aware of God’s teachings in Scripture, but nevertheless, lived by the light that God gave them in their conscience.

14 For whenever they of the nations that have no law, by nature may be doing that which the law demands, these, having no law, are a law to themselves, 15 who are displaying the action of the law written in their hearts, their conscience testifying together and their reckonings between one another, accusing or defending them, 16 in the day when God will be judging the hidden things of humanity, according to my evangel, through Jesus Christ.

15. Why are “death and Hades” cast into the lake of fire? How can that be, and what does it mean?

In Rev.20:14 we read:

And death and the unseen (Hades) were cast into the lake of fire.

That objects or people (see 20:15) can literally be thrown into the lake of fire, is understandable. But how can that be with abstract (= not tangible) concepts, such as “death and Hades”? They surely cannot literally be thrown somewhere? Whence then, this choice of words? The answer is obviously to be found in what follows:

And death and the unseen (Hades) were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death-the lake of fire.  And if anyone was not found written in the scroll of life, he was cast into the lake of fire.

Death and Hades are cast into the lake of fire, which is the second death. How can that be? Because those whose names are not written in the book of life, will be cast into the lake of fire. That is the explanation. These people, as last ones, were in “Death and Hades.” They arose from this to be judged. This means that during this process of judging, no one was anymore in “death and Hades”. But are “death and Hades” nullified by this? No, because some of those who will stand before the Great White Throne will die a second time. By casting these people into the lake of fire, will “death and Hades” be continued in the second death. Anyone, who at this point will be dead, will be dead for the second time.

16. Why must Christ still be reigning in the last eon (Rev.21 & 22)? Then, there won’t still be enemies anymore, right?

Christ must be reigning…

For He must be reigning until He should be placing all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy is being abolished: death. 1Cor.15:25,26

The fact that Christ, with His own, will reign in the eon described in Rev.21 and 22 (see 22:5), proves that death, by then, will, not yet, be abolished. All enemies, in the meantime have been subjected, except one. As we saw earlier, during this eon there will still be people in death (20:15; 21:8). Moreover, although the people on earth will be living under ideal conditions, with the trees of life within reach, they are still in need of healing (Rev.22:2). Death will be is minimized during this eon, but will, not yet, be abolished. Therefore, Christ will still reign. Only when all will be made alive in incorruptibility, glory and power (1Cor.15:42,43), will death actually be abolished and will the Son transfer a perfect Kingdom to His Father “in order that God may be all in all” (1 Cor.15:27,28) part 1 part 2 part 3

Delen: