Scripture References: Revelation 20:14-15
As we should know, there cannot be a second death unless their is first of all a first death. So what are these deaths spoken of here in Gods word? Gods word is quite clear telling us that when sin entered into this world death passed upon all men, as Romans 5:12 states saying, “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” This death is of course reference to a physical death meaning that human beings will live for so long and eventually die. This first death is according to Gods word is death of the body as James 2:26 tells us saying, “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” Since a human being is composed of a body, a soul, and a spirit, then what happens to the soul and spirit of a person at death? First of all, does a person consist of three different sections or parts or does a person just consist of two? We are told these words in Genesis 2:7 these words saying, “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” What exactly does this “breath of life” consist of, and what exactly is a living soul? Is the total person a soul that consists of a body and a spirit only (a two-fold being), or is a person a being that consists of a body, a soul, and a spirit, which would be a three-fold being? Some people believe that Adam as a human being became a living soul possessing only a body and a spirit. If this is true, then why does the apostle Paul tells us these words as stated in I Thessalonians 5:23 that says, “
And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Is not Paul revealing here that a person consists of three parts or sections, which is (1) their body, (2) their soul, and (3) their spirit, that makes up a three-fold being and not just a two fold being? Where Paul says “soul and body” is he calling the fleshly body as being both the soul and body? Notice that Paul uses the word “wholly” letting us know that he is referring to the total person that consists of a soul, and a spirit, and a body.
If a person is only a two-fold being, then why would Paul have us to think and believe that the soul and body is different one from the other? It is and can be proven by what Hebrews 4:12 tells us saying, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Is not the spirit of a person a spiritual being and not a physical being? Do we need to know by a revelation of the Spirit that the body is physical and the spirit is spiritual? This dividing of the soul and spirit lets us know that the soul and spirit is separate one from the other and of course not reference to the same part of a person. Now let me ask here, “Does not Gods word tell us that a person has what is referred to as a “heart and mind” as well as a body a soul and a spirit? What part of a person is his heart and mind? A person is not a five-fold being consisting of (1) a body, and (2) a soul, and (3) a spirit, and (4) a mind, and (5) a heart, so what is the heart and mind of a person? The heart and mind of a person is reference to his or her soul and spirit, but which is which? Is the heart of a person the soul, or is the heart the mind of man? Let me tell you here that this heart of a person referred to here is not reference to the physical organ that pumps the blood throughout the body to keep them alive. The heart of a person is where the Spirit of Christ comes into and when this takes place we are told that this heart is purified of all it’s evils and wickedness (Acts 15:9), which proves this heart is not the physical heart of a person. Jesus tells that it’s from (out) of the heart that proceeds all the evil and wickedness that defiles the man and not what goes into his mouth. Its what comes out of his mouth that defiles him, because (out) from the heart comes all the evils of sin and wickedness that defiles men. So we need to reveal which part of the man is his heart, which is either the spirit or the soul, but if the soul is the total man consisting only of a body and spirit, then of course the soul cannot be his heart, but yet the fleshly body is infested with sin as well and must be dealt with after the heart has been purified of all its sin and wickedness.
Since we know that the Spirit comes into the heart and purifies it by faith as Acts 15:9 tells us, then lets us look at what Paul tells us in II Corinthians 7:1 that says, “Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” Notice how Paul is telling us that we are to cleanse ourselves from “all filthiness of both the flesh (body) and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. We see here that both our body and spirit must undergo a spiritual work, but where did the Spirit take up his abode and purified when he did take up his abode in us? The heart of course, which is proving that the heart is the soul of man that was purified by faith. So when a man became a “living soul” was his total being a living soul possessing only a body and a spirit? If so, then when the Spirit comes into a person and purifies his heart (Acts 15:9) then his heart would have to be either his spirit or his body, but Paul tells us that our body and spirit must be cleansed yet of all its filthiness of sin after the heart (or soul) has been purified. (2 Cor 7:1) And notice what Jesus said in Matthew 10:28 saying, “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”
Jesus is clearly revealing here that killing the body is not killing the soul, but notice that he tells us to fear him (GOD) which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. What about the spirit of man will it not also be destroyed in hell as well as both the body and soul, or is the soul and spirit of man the same? No, because listen to this scripture in Hebrews 4:12 that says, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” To divide asunder the soul and spirit could not be done if the soul and spirit is one and the same. So the first death is reference to the death of the body. At death the body dies, but the spirit we are told goes back to God who created it. So what is the second death and what dies in this second death and how does it die? Its only the body that dies in the first death, but Jesus told us that we are to fear him (God) that is able to destroy both the body and the soul in hell. This second death is certainly not reference to life, because death is not life and life is not death. Since God is able to “destroy both body and soul” in hell, then what does the word “destroy” mean? It means to do away with or to tear down something, but to tear down something like a house does not do away with all the substance that a house consists of. To burn a piece of wood with fire leaves ashes, but you cannot annihilate the ashes with fire or by any other method. God created all things and I believe that only God can completely annihilate things. Will the “burning fire” of the lake annihilate all those who will be cast into it, or will its inhabitants be tormented throughout eternal ages? Its been said that the fire in the lake is not literal burning fire, but is rather Gods word that will eventually and spiritually cleanse all the impurities of sin from all the people that did not allow Gods word to cleanse them before they died in their sin. This certain teaching actually says that everybody ever born on this earth will eventually be saved, but does Gods word reveal that all will be saved as this teaching says? What does Gods word say in regards to this? It was of course Christ that came into this world to save sinners, which we all were. Jesus himself said in Luke 5:32 these words saying, “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” To be saved starts with God leading one to repentance, as Romans 2:4 states saying, “Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?”
God leads one to repentance, but its up to the individual involved to respond to that call to repentance and be willing to repent. And John said these words stated in John 3:17 that says, “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” Some (if not many) people believe that Christ was sent to this world to save it, but if he was, then he failed simply because all mankind was not saved before Christ ascended back into heaven. No, Christ did not come to save the world, but rather he provided a “way” that the world could be saved and this way is revealed within the contents of his teachings revealed in the gospel.