1) The ‘Second Death’ & its Profound Implications

It is important to note that the Book of Revelation has not only been given to provide comfort for the disciples of Christ in a hostile world but also, by way of contrast, as a warning to perturb those who are not yet among those disciples and to thereby catapult them in the direction of discipleship.

Many readers may now be recoiling in horror at the mention of that and, for them, not only the ‘first death’ (being dead in trespasses and sins”, Ephesians 2:1; Colossians 2:13; cf. John 5:24) but also the ‘second death’ may be completely new and harrowing concepts. For those who are familiar with the words of the Christ, it is not a new concept at all. For example, He categorically said, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body [e.g. evil humans or demons]but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the One [i.e. God] who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna” (Matthew 10:28). The word ‘Gehenna’ was used by Christ a number of times as a symbol for the after-death state of complete separation from the Divine for those who refuse to follow Him and who prefer spiritual darkness to His Light.

Christ also speaks about the great separation of “the sheep” (those who follow Him) and “the goats” (those who do not) at the time of the end of this age as resulting in Him saying to the latter, “Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:31-46). A similar warning of this ‘second death’ occurs in a number of places in the Book of Revelation, where for example we read, “And the smoke from their torture will go up forever and ever, and those who worship the beast and his image will have no rest day or night, along with anyone who receives the mark of his name” (Revelation 14:11). No annihilation there but conscious desolation. Most telling, in the Book of Revelation, chapter 21, verse 8, we read this:

“As for the cowardly, the unbelieving, detestable people, murderers, the sexually immoral, and those who practice magic arts, idolators, and all those who speak falsehood, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulphur. That is the second death”.

That verse, which I will go into below, is massive in terms of its implications for so much human behaviour. Obviously, that text refers to those who do not repent of those things and thus do not undergo the metanoia transformation through the Spirit. In those who do so, and who have bonded themselves with Christ, the penalty for those sins is wiped away through His death, resurrection and ascension.

It should also be said that “the lake that burns with fire and sulphur” is clearly symbolic and is not to be taken literally. But it occurs four times in the Book of Revelation to refer to the ‘second death’ — complete separation from the Divine and all the horror which that entails. I have tried to picture what that would be like in all its fullness, but I cannot. It is so much outside the realm of ordinary human experience that it is beyond the imagination. And if one does get any kind of inkling of it, that is usually the perfect incentive to become once more in relationship with the Divine.

The consequence here is that if one lives a life in which one arrogantly dismisses or rejects the Christ and His Light, scoffs at or mistreats His disciples, does what one wants without any consideration for others or of Divine or natural law, and thinks that one’s actions in this life are of no eternal consequence, then one dies as one has lived — separated from the Divine. Nothing unfair about that. It was the path which was consciously chosen and preferred.

It has to be said that separation from the Divine is considerably more tolerable during this life than it is after it. One can be separated from the Divine in this life and enjoy all manner of physical comforts and wonderful experiences, though these count for nothing in spiritual terms. For God “causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” (Matthew 5:45). Therefore, as long as one is alive, one has the opportunity to live it unrighteously. But after that, if there is no spiritual change, the ‘second death’ will seal one’s fate. For that ‘first death’ of separation from God because of the sinful nature can only be overturned by being back in relationship with the Divine.

When one loves God and is filled with the Light of Christ, then the ‘first death’ is nullified. One still has to undergo physical death, but that has simply become a way to morph into a heavenly inheritance rather than slide helter-skelter into the ‘second death’. That ‘second death’ is something else altogether and cannot be escaped from if there is no transformation, metanoia, in a human soul. To get an idea of what that entails, this ‘second death’ is astonishingly a little part of what Christ experienced for a time on the cross when He cried out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Jesus quoting Psalm 22:1) In His vicarious experience, that ‘forsakenness’ necessarily had to happen. He underwent all that in our place, as we will discover if we genuinely become His disciples.

I know these are starkly sombre thoughts, but they are nevertheless true, and one ignores them at one’s peril. You might want to say at this point that the exercise of ‘priestcraft’ in churches has involved using these ideas as a way of controlling their ‘flocks’ with ‘the threat of hell-fire’, therefore you refuse to take them onboard. But such abuses of power in churches through playing on the fears of people in order to control them and exercise what is really a false authority does not negate the reality of the ‘second death’. Just because something is being used wrongly does not mean that the ‘something’ in itself is wrong. Cults use ‘love-bombing’ to lure insecure people into their clutches; but that does not negate the goodness of showing great love to others. This understanding of the ‘second death’ may be unpopular in some sections of the visible church and would certainly be rejected by those who are not disciples of Christ, but it is, in fact, the elephant in the room in terms of any discussion on the human condition.

2) Some Qualifications for the Second Death

Let me quote that verse again:

“As for the cowardly, the unbelieving, detestable people, murderers, the sexually immoral, and those who practice magic arts, idolators, and all those who speak falsehood, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulphur. That is the second death”.

That verse is massive in terms of its implications for so much human behaviour. Every time I read it, it slays me with its stark simplicity and naked truth. These are all characteristics of those whose life-choices shut them off from the presence of God. If one wants to be a “partaker in the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4), clinging onto these characteristics in life without being penitent will bring disqualification from being in God’s presence after the death of the body. This is the meaning of the “second death”, which is widely known as “hell”. As we have lived, so we will be after death. For this cosmos is the great testing ground where it is shown who we really are. The lives we lead here are a litmus test concerning our soul’s desire. So if the characteristics shown in that verse above, and in my exposition of it below, are one’s chosen habitual lifestyle while we are alive on this plane, then we have signalled our desire to live a life separate from God. To put it in a metaphor: “In the place where the tree falls, there it will lie” (Ecclesiastes 11:3b). For each of these eight characteristics are clear evidence of extreme narcissism — setting ourselves up as little gods over and against God’s law. Furthermore, they all have a connection with pagan religion, wherein they had been practised at one time or another, in one way or another: fear, unbelief, abominations, human sacrifice, sexual immorality (e.g. temple prostitution), sorcery, idolatry and believing the lie.

You may say “but it doesn’t mention stealing in that list”. Well, thievery is mentioned in another list in chapter 9, verses 20-21. As the list in the text above is geared towards a connection with pagan religious practises, it was most likely not appropriate to duplicate it.

So, let me break this verse down for you:

i. The Cowardly

This refers primarily to those who allow themselves to be governed by fear rather than simply trusting in their Creator. One may find it strange to see cowardice as the leading reason on this list for being struck with the ‘second death’. But we see here the seriousness of allowing fear to dominate rather than having simple trust in one’s Creator. This condemnation of cowardice surprisingly comes right at the top of the list! This has huge implications for so many. What one may not realise is that there is a sense in which cowardice is the ultimate in narcissism. For not to trust in God is to place oneself on a pedestal as the sole arbiter of what is right or wrong. Fear in an unbelieving heart leads to cowardice. Fear is what lies behind religion, especially pagan religion with its superstitions and sycophancy towards a multitude of despotic gods and goddesses. True spirituality is rooted in love. “Perfect love drives out fear” (1 John 4:18). God rewards courage and has no place in His milieu for cowardice. It simply doesn’t fit and cannot be a characteristic of His people.

ii. The Unbelieving

This refers to all those who have no faith in God as their Creator and who thereby reject Christ in all His saving power as is revealed in the Book of Revelation. This again is a classic sign of narcissism, a manifestation of putting one’s own puny knowledge on a pedestal and ignoring the evidence for God which is everywhere around us and within us too. John referred to such disbelief as partaking in the ‘spirit of the Antichrist’, for it denies that Christ, the Messiah, came in the flesh (1 John 4:3).

To be ‘unbelieving’ quite naturally leads to the second death, because it consciously rejects a life dedicated to the Power by whom one has been created and given a life.

iii. Utterly Foul and Detestable People

The “abominable” is a translation of the Greek word, ἐβδελυγμένοις, ebdelygmenois, which literally means “having become a terrible stench”. It comes from βδέω, bdeó, which literally means the smell from breaking wind, or any other kind of hideous stink. Therefore in our text it is referring to those who are a stench on this earth — stinking examples of human beings who are vile and repugnant, abominable by nature, and fill right-thinking people with disgust.

Examples of the abominable would be utter perverts, paedophiles, and others who commit abominable, unspeakable acts against living beings, human or animal. One may think that this would only apply to very, very few people on this planet. But I can assure you, having worked in a counselling capacity for most of my life, that there are many more who get up to abominable things in private.

iv. Murderers

Those who premeditatedly or whimsically, without a trace of Divine permission, take the life of another, which must surely include such acts as using abortion as a form of contraceptive. Could those who are defending their family or land from barbaric marauders be excluded, though this should never be taken lightly? Justice would surely dictate a positive response. Could one also stretch the “murder” in this verse to a metaphorical meaning, in the sense of anyone who deliberately destroys the life of another through character assassination, calumny and false witness?

v. The Sexually Immoral

The Greek word there is πόρνοις, pornois, which is already the progenitor of a loaded English word and self-explanatory. However, it goes much further than merely living a life spent engaging in sick pornography. The Greek word itself literally means prostitution, whoring (and it still translates as that in modern Greek too), which is quite fitting as it plainly refers to any way that one can dishonour and contaminate one’s God-given body purely for sexual gratification.

Sexual immorality concerns itself with any sexual act which violates another person (or animal), or is non-consensual, or is devoid of love and based purely on lust. It includes any form of unnatural sex acts, casual or demeaning sex, or any sexual relations outside of an official marriage. Could it also be extended to include deliberately engaging in potentially sexual flirtation and coquetry in a relationship outside of one’s marriage? For no matter how much one may rationalise such behaviour as harmless, if one is deliberately entering such a relationship, one has already been unfaithful to one’s spouse because one has not applied boundaries and is potentially opening the door to adultery.

Overarching this is the fact that sexual immorality involves the prostitution of one’s body, or indulging their lusts in a prostituted body, which is a gift from God. Therefore, sexual immorality would also include all acts of sodomy, rape, adultery and promiscuity.

Purity in this life — keeping oneself unspotted from the world (James 1:27) and the whole satanic morass which lies behind it — is essential.

vi. Those who Practise Sorcery

This refers to any kind of sorcery, casting spells, engaging in occult practices, witchcraft, claiming to consult the dead, the attempted manipulation of ‘energies’ for personal gain, using psychoactive drugs to alter consciousness or to deludedly attempt to achieve ‘divinity’ — taking note that the Greek word used here is φαρμάκοις, pharmakois, because drug potions were often used then as part of the panoply of magic arts.

vii. Idolators

This would take in not merely those who bow down religiously to physical objects made of wood, stone, metal, and so on, as if they were gods, but all the many ways that humans habitually put material things on a pedestal and give them an unhealthy place in their lives to the exclusion of the Divine and of their spiritual practice. According to Paul, even greed is idolatry as it places something on a pedestal where it does not belong. “Of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure, or greedy person (that is, an idolater), has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God” (Ephesians 5:5). Paul is talking here about the impenitent lust for gratification through indulgence in material things. By implication, that is narcissistic and part of a whole lifestyle of consumerism — living as an ungrateful human vacuum cleaner. God knows what qualifies people to be in His presence or not. Characteristics like idolatry are just a revealing symptom of something far deeper which is a gnawing cancer in the soul. It is the ultimate manifestation of unbelief, atheism.

viii. All Those who Speak Falsehood

This is not only the telling of actual verbal lies but also any form of being dishonest with words, such as the deliberate habitual spreading of disinformation, deceiving people, falsifying, twisting, fabricating, libelling, calumniating, disseminating unfounded rumours and spreading wicked gossip, bearing false witness, committing perjury, and so on.

Obviously, having now seen the extent of the qualities which disqualify a person from partaking in the new creation, this eighth verse of our text in Revelation 21 refers to those who do not repent of those things and who therefore do not undergo the internal metanoia transformation of penitence through the Spirit. For anyone who genuinely does so, those sins and moral failures are considered forgotten by Christ and forgiven.

The last part of that verse 8 says that “their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This is the second death”. It should again be said that “the lake that burns with fire and sulphur” is clearly symbolic and not to be taken literally. But it occurs five times in the Book of Revelation to refer to the ‘second death’ — complete separation from the Divine and all the horror which that entails.

I have tried to picture what that separation would be like, but in all its fullness I cannot. It is so much outside the realm of ordinary conscious human experience that it is beyond the imagination. And if one does get any kind of inkling of it, that is usually the perfect trigger to become once more in relationship with the Divine. That ‘second death’ cannot be escaped from if there is no transformation in a human soul during this life. As said above, to get an idea of what it entails, this ‘second death’ is astonishingly a little part of what the Christ experienced for a time on the cross when He cried out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Jesus quoting Psalm 22:1). In His vicarious experience, that ‘forsakenness’ necessarily had to happen. He underwent the experience of all that “hellishness”, separation from the Divine, in our place, as we will discover if we become His disciples. But it does give us a glimmer of what will be in the minds of those who will be flayed by the ‘second death’ — eternal torment, outer darkness.

Another list of moral failures, with a similar warning, appears in Paul’s letter to the Galatians:

“The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery; idolatry and sorcery; hatred, discord, jealousy, and rage; rivalries, divisions, factions, and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:19-21).

Although there are some similarities with the verse in our text (idolatry, sorcery, sexual immorality), in the Book of Revelation John was majoring on the most heinous acts which are part of the satanic Babylonian world-system — especially those practised in a pagan religious setting. Paul was dealing pastorally with individuals in a particular ekklesia and thus breaks it all down to a more microcosmic level; whereas John is looking at it from a macrocosmic standpoint. When Scripture is taken as a whole, it all comes together as what disqualifies a person from the kingdom of God, thereby undergoing the ‘second death’.

So rather than having to undergo the “second death”, let us aim for “the first resurrection” — the transformation of the soul from being dead to having new life. Then, instead of the ‘second death’, we will partake in the (second) resurrection to life when Christ comes again and we will be able to say, “Once we were darkness but now we are light in the Lord” (Ephesians 5:8).

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[The words above have been extracted from a couple of places in my commentary on the Book of Revelation, “The Essential Apocalypse”, with some bits added. This is available in physical paperback format or as an eBook. Details are here: https://diakrisis-project.com/2025/03/12/second-edition-of-the-essential-apocalypse-is-now-available-as-an-e-book-in-pdf-format/ ].

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© Copyright, Alan Morrison, 2025
[The copyright on my works is merely to protect them from any wanton plagiarism which could result in undesirable changes (as has actually happened!). Readers are free to reproduce my work, so long as it is in the same format and with the exact same content and its origin is acknowledged]

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