The New Testament spends a lot of time on the afterlife, that is, the life of the soul after the body is no longer alive. It is a wonder that among those who are of power and influence are people who don’t take heed to the consequences of ignoring what is required to live an eternal life or as described in the last sentence of Psalms 23, to “dwell in the House of the Lord forever.”
The reasons for such ignorance may vary. Some of those may believe that the Lord would be impressed enough by their wealth and influence to be given special treatment. Either they haven’t read the Bible in a long time, or they’re in denial of what the Bible says on that topic as they inadvertently hold the Bible upside down amidst a crowd-gathering. Or some earthly temptations they pursue are too overwhelming for them to focus on the Lord…something akin to being too focused on smoking cigarettes to think about the fatal consequences.
Many of the Bible’s verses express recurring themes and ideas. They are repeated among the gospels and the epistles. One of the topics that is recurring, at least on a minor scale, is the consequences of not helping the poor and needy. It is mentioned in Revelation 21:8 and in Matthew 25:41. In both Verses, the consequences involve spending the rest of one’s existence in a lake of fire. Revelation 21:8 refers to it as a lake of burning fire and sulfur; Matthew 25:41 refers to the lake as “the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” Revelation 21:8 implicitly refers to this lake as the instrument of the second death by identifying it aa such. Although Matthew 25:41 doesn’t bring up the idea of this lake being the second death, there’s enough in Matthew 25 to suggest the same lake is being referred to.
What is the second death? Well, it’s the death which follows the first death, in which the body eventually returns to dust after it dies. Viewed in that context, the second death is when the soul that inhabited that body is destroyed in hell. Matthew 10:28 says to not fear those who can just kill the body, like being shot in the street in a bad neighborhood, but fear those who can kill the soul such as the devil. A person who is judged righteous in terms of Matthew 25 need not fear anyone who can kill their soul, since they are bound for eternal life in the House of the Lord. A person who is judged to be a sinner, on the other hand, has plenty to fear from those such as the devil.
The second death is also mentioned by Revelation 20:14 which says, “Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.” No doubt there, as to the lake of fire’s association with the second death.
The reasons for such ignorance may vary. Some of those may believe that the Lord would be impressed enough by their wealth and influence to be given special treatment. Either they haven’t read the Bible in a long time, or they’re in denial of what the Bible says on that topic as they inadvertently hold the Bible upside down amidst a crowd-gathering. Or some earthly temptations they pursue are too overwhelming for them to focus on the Lord…something akin to being too focused on smoking cigarettes to think about the fatal consequences.
Many of the Bible’s verses express recurring themes and ideas. They are repeated among the gospels and the epistles. One of the topics that is recurring, at least on a minor scale, is the consequences of not helping the poor and needy. It is mentioned in Revelation 21:8 and in Matthew 25:41. In both Verses, the consequences involve spending the rest of one’s existence in a lake of fire. Revelation 21:8 refers to it as a lake of burning fire and sulfur; Matthew 25:41 refers to the lake as “the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” Revelation 21:8 implicitly refers to this lake as the instrument of the second death by identifying it aa such. Although Matthew 25:41 doesn’t bring up the idea of this lake being the second death, there’s enough in Matthew 25 to suggest the same lake is being referred to.
What is the second death? Well, it’s the death which follows the first death, in which the body eventually returns to dust after it dies. Viewed in that context, the second death is when the soul that inhabited that body is destroyed in hell. Matthew 10:28 says to not fear those who can just kill the body, like being shot in the street in a bad neighborhood, but fear those who can kill the soul such as the devil. A person who is judged righteous in terms of Matthew 25 need not fear anyone who can kill their soul, since they are bound for eternal life in the House of the Lord. A person who is judged to be a sinner, on the other hand, has plenty to fear from those such as the devil.
The second death is also mentioned by Revelation 20:14 which says, “Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.” No doubt there, as to the lake of fire’s association with the second death.
