Revelation 2:11

Rev 2:11He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.'




We saw the first part of verse 11 eariler in  Rev 2: 7.  Same start but the finish of verse 11 has a reference to a second death.  No where in the New Testament (except in Revelation) does it mention  a second death.   
There is a speculation of two different possibilities of where this mystery may have an explaination.


1.  Many Jews and the early Christians believed in an state which we passed through until the time of judgment.  Kind of an intermediate state, between heaven and here.  If this was so, then there would be two deaths, one from the world, physical, and one from the intermediate level where the wicked would die again, spiritually.  It said in Rev 2:11 that "the one who conquers" would not be hurt by the "second death" therefore, only the wicked would experience this.


2.Ecclesiastes 9:4,5 4But he who is joined with all the living has hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion. 5For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten.  From this passage, the Sadducees and the Epicureans believed that the latter portion,(...but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten.) this would mean there is no live after death.  That there is nothing after death.  Ecclesiastes 2:15,16: & 9:2  brings more confirmation to their speculation.  The orthodox Jew interpreted it to mean there was two deaths, physical and an after death which was to be the judgment of God which could lead to the spiritual death depending on how you had lived.


We are not to understand this at this moment, it is one of the things that will be reviled to us.  It is to remain a mystery until Christ comes again and then we gain the certain knowledge.  I chose to believe Romans 8:38 & 39 - 38For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers39nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.  


We need to follow Him, love Him ( and each other) and stay faithful.




Blessings on all,
Calabash